Collision Repair 20#1

DEFEND YOUR ACCESS TO VEHICLE DATA: MORE INSIDE

Volume 20, Number 1 l February 2021

ON YOUR MARK

AT THE HELM CCIF unveils the 2021 Steering Committee

The EV arms race is on— are you ready?

SHOULDERING ST. STEPHEN ENDLESSLY COMPASSIONATE COLLISION EXPERTS RON AND MANDY ALBERTS PLUS: Expectations for 2021 / Removing estimation guesswork / Curing internet fatigue www.collisionrepairmag.com Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1 | FEBRUARY 2021

DEFEND YOUR ACCESS TO VEHICLE DATA: MORE INSIDE

Volume 20, Number 1 l February 2021

ON YOUR MARK

AT THE HELM CCIF’s 2021 Steering Committee

The arms race is on — are you ready for EVs?

SHOULDERING ST. STEPHEN ENDLESSLY COMPASSIONATE COLLISION EXPERTS RON AND MANDY ALBERTS PLUS: Expectations for 2021 / Removing estimation guesswork / Curing internet fatigue www.collisionrepairmag.com Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

ON THE COVER Ron and Mandy Alberts have learned the ins-and-outs of the collision repair industry across the globe. Now, at their small town CARSTAR shop in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, the Alberts are providing that same leading-edge service to their rural community and extending some muchneeded love and care along the way.

34 The debate for valuable vehicle data rages on as collision repairers weigh in on a recent survey.

DEPARTMENTS

08

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

54

REGIONAL NEWS

Familiar faces, new roles!

Industry happenings from coast to coast!

FEATURES

40

44

Alberta institution, Dent Clinic, is celebrating the opening of their latest shop, in northeast Calgary.

Shop owners are seeing the signs of an arms war underway for EV supremacy, and it’s the techs who are getting caught in the crossfire

32

UPS AND DOWNS

36

INDUSTRY INVESTIGATION

65

TURF WAR TOILS ON

70

CCIF CONVERSATIONS

72

WORLDWIDE WEB WOES

StatsCan unveils the 2019 apprenticeship report, as enrollment continues on the decline.

Trends to affect the aftermarket this year.

The latest developments in Toronto’s towing turf war.

Donald Cooper on planning your grand exit!

Cure internet fatigue and get your training back on track.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 3

CONTENTS

CONTENTS COLUMNS

28

The Canadian Collision Industry Forum has officially unveiled the members of the 2021 Steering Committee.

30

A new report from adasThink reveals the shocking truth about how ADAS is addressed in Canadian shops.

38

Two of the industry’s most trusted names weigh in on vehicle technologies.

YOUR ONLINE SOURCE Canada’s collision repair information resource.

New articles and top news stories daily.

Visit collisionrepairmag.com.

4 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

43

06

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

46

IN MY ESTIMATION

48

TOM’S TALES

50

PRAIRIE VIEW

51

WHO’S DRIVING

52

LET’S TALK TRAINING

74

FINAL DETAIL

By Darryl Simmons

By Forty, the Progressive Estimator

By Tom Bissonnette

By Chelsea Stebner

By Jay Perry

By Stefano Liessi

By Allison Rogers

The aftermarket shares its thoughts on vehicle data ownership.

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

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PUBLISHER’S PAGE

BRAVE NEW WORLD Rebooting is no longer an option

BY DARRYL SIMMONS

T

he most dangerous words in business are, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” Keep this in mind as we no longer have the ability to reset or reboot to what was normal in the past. We are in the reinvention stage of business. It’s a brave new world out there and we are just beginning to get a grasp of what we’re going to face.

For more than one year since we’ve been virtually in suspended animation as businesses, we’ve stood basically standing there marking time. Doing whatever we could to survive to keep the doors open to keep our staff employed.

But here’s the thing. Technology, hasn’t stood still, it’s moved faster than ever.

The pandemic has forced us to adapt and rethink operations. For example, virtual work and Zoom meetings are changing the complexion

accidents. But severity will increase, that’s just common sense. In addition to this, cities and towns will become more balanced in terms of size and housing costs. This bodes well for repair facilities in “smaller” towns and cities who will see increases in volume right off the hop.

Amid the pandemic, we’re already seeing signs of this reverse-urbanization in places with a high cost of living in Toronto and Vancouver.

At the same time, smaller cities and towns such as Abbotsford, Truro, Peterborough and Red Deer are seeing population growth and increased housing prices.

As more people move out of major urban centres there will be more need for driving and driving in bad weather conditions. We might see a shift towards more repairs in mid size cities and towns.

We’re finally beginning to understand how radically the world of business has been transformed. of the collision repair industry. This is important in any given year, but especially this year with the continuing work from home/virtual nature of the business.

A year after the novel coronavirus began spreading in North America, we’re finally beginning to understand how radically the world of business has been transformed. We’ve had for years the ability as a society to disrupt the mentality that work-is-work and home-is-home to the vast majority of office drones. Those lucky enough to be in the trades and especially the collision repair industry, will hopefully never have to face the dilemma of that boring and outdated cubicle culture. But the pandemic kick-started a transition that was years in the making. Due to lockdowns and quarantines people simply stopped going to the office. The repercussions for our industry are huge.

Here’s what we know for sure: People are going to work at home, meaning less commuters, meaning fewer miles driven, and far fewer

According to Mitchell International’s 2021 Auto Casualty Predictions, automation and straight-through processing will become more important than ever. This will be the case not just for shops, insurers and suppliers, but customers will be right on board with this as well.

With all this in mind, you can never go wrong by focusing on the business basics that have made you successful so far. Integrity, doing the right thing even when no one is watching, will be key.

Training is essential. Proper equipment and supplies. Trusted partnerships who are accessible, flexible, service-oriented, solution-oriented.

With these in your business arsenal you’ll be prepared for anything. And once this virus gets squashed and flushed away, you’ll be well on your way to meet the next set of challenges. And remember, don’t get too comfortable, there will be more challenges on the way!

6 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 GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Victoria Volkova | victoria@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 Leal, Stefano Liessi, Jay Perry, Chelsea Stebner, Forty The Progressive Estimator

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 CHARLES BOIVIN, CSN COLLISION CENTRES CSN Collision Centres has added Charles Boivin as its new sales manager for Quebec. Boivin joins CSN after spending six years as an Account Manager with Audatex Canada. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Laval University. Upon his hiring, Boivin said his first priority is to make it known that he aims to establish a network of high-quality repairers in Quebec alongside CSN.

TYLER ZACHER-KING, RS FINISHING SYSTEMS RS Finishing Systems Inc. is proud to announce the appointment of Tyler Zacher-King from Motivated Reps Agency as their official representative for the province of Ontario. With ZacherKing’s extensive experience within the automotive aftermarket, he has been able to see and test several different products for collision repair centres. He believes that customer service, support, and product education are key parts of the improvement and growth of the automotive industry.

MANUEL FURTADO, SIMPLICITY CAR CARE Simplicity Car Care has a fresh new face heading up the role of Director of Business Management in Quebec. Furtado previously served as a sales manager for NAPA. Of his new role, Furtado said, “I am very excited to be able to share this good news with people in the automotive aftermarket industry! Let’s do this!”

SCOTT BRIDGES, FIX AUTO USA Fix Auto World has appointed Scott Bridges as Vice President of Sales for its national collision and glass business in the United States. In this newly created role, Bridges will be responsible for maintaining Fix Network’s relationships with insurance partners and fleet companies. He will focus on establishing sales strategies and direction for the Network’s ProColor Collision and NOVUS Glass business as well as the TAG Network, a third-party administrator of auto glass claims.

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ON THE COVER

THE PILLARS OF

ST. STEPHEN Ron and Mandy Alberts never fail to lend a helping hand

BY MAX REID

Cutline 1:

10 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

From left to right… Ian Williams (GM & Estimator), Rob Colosimo (Refinish Tech), Tyler McCombie (Collision Tech), George Apopei (Production Manager), Cheryl Grant (Finance & HR), Regan Hanley (Administrative Coordinator)

F

or too many collision repair shops, “we care” is just another statement on the sign—something that extends only as far as the money being paid for it goes. But every once in a while, a small Canadian town is graced with a shop that truly strives to take care of its community.

But as CARSTAR St. Stephen’s owner, Ron Alberts, pointed out in his interview with Collision Repair, “For us, it did not start in New Brunswick. It began in Ontario.”

“I started in the collision repair industry in 1975, working at a shop that was founded in 1935 [in Guelph, Ontario], so it was already

“We would take groups of shop owners to Holland and Germany and France and Belgium and go into state-of-the-art shops and show them technologies and equipment and procedures and processes that did not really exist yet in North America.”

– Ron Alberts, co-owner of CARSTAR St. Stephen This is absolutely true in the case of CARSTAR St. Stephen; a forward-thinking collision repair shop in New Brunswick, nestled deep in the Bay of Fundy and a stone’s throw from Calais, Maine.

St. Stephen’s town slogan is, “The Middle of Everywhere.” The little town in the heart of the province’s tourism industry, is part of the greater Charlotte County Community, which includes St Andrews by-the-sea, St George, as well as the islands, Deer Island, Grand Manan, and Campobello Island.

well established by then. In my last year of high school, I started to work part-time,” Ron recalled.

Ron had the unique opportunity to learn his trade alongside a mentor who had been in the industry for about as long as there was an industry to be in.

“I worked alongside the original owner who had owned the company since 1935. He had seen a lot by then. It was an opportunity to learn from a gentleman who had been doing it from nearly the beginning of the century. His

techniques and his quality, relative to 1975, were top shelf. It was a quality first shop.”

One tenet of the collision repair trade that was taken very seriously from the onset of Ron’s career was work ethic. He started out as the low man on the totem pole and had to sweep the shop often. Forever an optimist, he continued working away to build himself up in this trade, taking every opportunity that would come his way.

“Once I was able to demonstrate that I could sweep and clean, I was promoted to sanding, prepping, learning the steps of the industry from the ground up, literally. It was a great foundation for me,” said Ron. “Eventually I moved from there to a specialty shop where we worked, for the most part, on high-end cars: Porsche, Rolls Royce— top-end vehicles. I was able, again, to learn another aspect of the trade, hone skills, and stay on top of quality.

“I moved through those stages and learned from the ground up and eventually found myself back in Guelph. I worked at a large shop as a painter where I headed up the paint and prep department learning the aspects of collision, versus restoration or specialty work, in a high-volume shop which was another great experience for me,” said Ron. FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 11

ON THE COVER

Ian Williams (GM & Estimator)

Regan Hanley (Administrative Coordinator)

Again, opportunity came knocking. Ron was primed to answer it’s call.

“I was approached by AkzoNobel for a position and started in 1987. It was an amazing opportunity to learn this industry from the other side of the desk, not just from the floor.

In our case it was in coatings.”

At this point in Ron’s career his entire perspec¬tive on the auto industry would begin to refine as his new position allowed him access to the inner workings of other complex international markets outside of North America.

“My role in the early days in the late-80s was to gather forward-minded, progressive-thinking shop owners throughout Ontario and arrange

European study missions. We would take groups of shop owners to Europe, go into state-of-the-art shops and show them technologies, equipment, and procedures that with some exceptions did not really exist yet in North America.”

Ron’s experiences travelling throughout Europe would come to inform much of his approach to running his own shop, evident in his on-going search for not only the most leading-edge products, but technology and processes as well.

Some years passed, yet Ron’s globetrotting days were by no means behind him as another opportunity arose for the painter from Guelph.

The world was calling.

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

“It was at this point in time with AkzoNobel, I ran several different corporate branches when with the experi¬ence I had as a trainer in the field teaching our products and our processes, [in 2001] I was asked to accept a position in China,” said Ron. He entered first as a student, travelling to Europe to learn, and now he would act as the teacher, aiming to bring more progressive business practices eastward.

“I lived in Shanghai and travelled throughout the Pacific Rim promoting next-generation men¬talities, equipment and procedures— bringing that European and North American thinking, to Asia. I was based in China but travelled all throughout the Pacific Rim.” Eventually, Ron’s path led him back to North America where he continued on his journey with AkzoNobel.

“In the mid-2000s I came back to join the commercial department, selling products and processes into the manufacturing industry. There was a steep learning curve, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

“During this time, we had been taking our son to university here in St. Stephen from 2004 to 2008. So that’s how we discovered St. Stephen, New Brunswick. We would find ourselves here regularly,” said Ron. “We became friends with people from the town and found ourselves drawn to this place— the community, the geography and the lifestyle.

It was a different pace than I was used to in Shanghai or Toronto. For us, as a married couple, it was important for us to write a new chapter in our lives and live here.”

However, Ron, like many of the best trades¬people, could not sit still and soon found himself back in the industry. Mandy, never far from Ron’s side, was more than willing to get involved.

“Many lengthy discussions later Mandy and I decided, ‘let’s do this for real’, and we bought the franchise to bring CARSTAR to St. Stephen.”

Mandy Alberts brings an entire skillset to the mix all her own. That is arguably what has cemented the family’s shop as a landmark in town.

“My background is in the service industry; customer service, retail, working in medical office environments, taking care of people,” said Mandy.

ON THE COVER

“For me, entering into this new venture, it was very im¬portant that we took care of our customers.”

Even this seemingly simple step early in the process of opening a business presented its own set of unique challenges.

“We dismantled the bowling lanes and started installing the paint booth, offices, our board¬room and bringing in equipment.

Now, we’ve turned that 11,000 sq.-ft. into what we focus on; a progressive collision repair business.”

“Our mission was to establish a report, trust and credibility in the community. There is no better compliment than to have someone call up and say, ‘I have this unrelated problem, with a totally unrelated issue,’ just to pick our brain. That speaks to an established and growing relationship with the community.” – Ron Alberts “At the end of 2015 we bought what was, at the time, a bowling alley. It’s an 11,000 sq.-ft. facility. We bought it as a functioning alley in December and had our first and only company Christmas bowling party,” remarked Ron with a laugh.

Soon after opening their shop in the rural New Brunswick town, the transplanted Ontario couple quickly found the particular challenges of their environment right outside their door.

“Being in a rural community, we found there was an issue with uninterrupted accessibility

to car rentals, so we reached out to Enterprise Rent-A-Car working to resolve our situation,” said Mandy.

“Prior to Enterprise setting up, we sometimes had customers coming in with a non-driveable vehicle needing a rental. On occasion, I would drive them an hour away to Saint John, plan with Enterprise to have them set up in a rental.

Sometimes, when they had to drop the rent¬al off, they needed a ride to return to St Stephen.

So, I’d make arrangements and follow them to bring them back to their vehicle.”

It was through this going the extra mile philosophy that the Alberts were able to ingratiate them¬selves to St. Stephen and the surrounding community and make concrete progress along the way.

From the very beginning, it was important to us to have everything under one roof in order to help facilitate an experience that was as seamless as possible,” said Mandy. Ron added, “It spoke to our early success in town.

Providing that level of service in the community and taking that emotional burden out of collision repair dovetailed with our mission FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 13

ON THE COVER

technology is, even compared to three or four years ago, there has been such an explosion of change, and that spells opportunity for our youth.”

Totalling an even eight staff members, CARSTAR St. Stephen remains as busy as ever, but is always looking to grow, while still understanding the reality of their rural community.

“The other side of the coin of being in a small community, is really needing to bring in staff. This is why Mandy has been so motivated with recruiting students and youth into our organization,” said Ron. He continued, “At the same time, we are looking for people who are serious about the

here in town to take the frustration out of the experience as best we were able to.”

This harkens back to Mandy’s background in the medical field and her acute ability to identify and address the needs of others, especially in the stressful event of a collision.

“It’s very traumatic for them to be in an acci¬dent,” said Mandy. “Sometimes you get people coming in who are shaken up. They can’t think, and don’t know what to do after having been in a car accident; especially if it was a deer that ran out in front of them. Customers pay their insurance fees, but don’t necessarily understand how to navigate the system when they’ve been in an accident.”

Ron elaborated, “After a fender bender while parallel parking, you’re angry with yourself, but when you strike a deer, it really brings about that adrenaline trauma. It’s more of an event than simple parking lot damage.”

Easing their clients through these incidents, Ron and Mandy are able to build trust with the people of their communi¬ty—a trust that extends far beyond the scope of “just business.”

“There were times (pre-COVID-19), where I’d go into the grocery store and it would be an hour and a half before I’d get out—I would see customers and be having conversations with them in the store,” Mandy said.

“Our mission is to establish rapport, trust and credibility in the community,” added Ron. “There’s no better compliment than to have someone call up and say, ‘I have this problem, with a totally unrelated issue,’ just to pick our brain. That speaks to an established and growing relationship with the community.”

Always looking to promote the communi-

ty which has helped their business thrive, Mandy has also been on a personal mission over the last few years to raise awareness of skilled trades work among youth and students.

“I look at the industry and the influential people that are out there, especially in some of the shops we know in other cities and what they have to offer and what they can impart. There’s a legacy to be passed down and it’s being missed out on,” said Mandy, referring to the increasing demand for skilled tradespeople slowly bearing down on the Canadian automotive industry.

“I reached out to the head of guidance counsellors at the high school here and put a presentation together for their team from around Charlotte County. In 2019 we sponsored a bus to take students to Skills Canada, when it was in Halifax, to help expose them to the skilled trades available out there, because not everybody is geared to go to university.”

“Our shop has produced two Skills Canada winners. Two of our painters have gone through and won gold for New Brunswick and one won gold for Canada. That kind of training and involvement is part of our success, and we’re proud of it,” noted Ron. Ron, in search of leading-edge solutions within the collision industry, sees today as a particularly exciting time for young people thinking about entering the industry. Primarily due to the rapid evolution of this trade.

“Today in 2021, to see where automotive

14 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

industry, serious about their career, but also serious about engaging with the lifestyle available here in rural New Brunswick and finding the balance between enjoying Maritime life and thriving in this trade.”

Coming to St. Stephen saw the beginning of a new chapter for Ron and Mandy; a new chapter marked by the forging of new relationships in a new community made all the better by the hard work of a pair of newcomers from Ontario.

“We really try to be intentional about dealing with far more than bent metal, and figuratively put our arms around that client and walk through that experience with them. There’s more to this, from a human stand¬point, than just fixing cars.” said Ron. The couple need only look toward their own staff to see the quality of work they’re doing.

“We consider ourselves very fortunate to have the team we have. They are committed to the tasks in front of them, focused on where this industry currently is, as well as where it’s heading. As owners of CARSTAR St Stephen, it’s important to us that our team represents the future and is able to embrace every aspect of it.

That’s where our focus now lies.”

BUSINESS NEWS

DRIVEN TO MARKET

CALIBRATION COLLABORATION

Driven Brands, the owners of CARSTAR, Maaco, Meineke, Fix Auto USA and several other auto service companies, is looking to raise up to $760 million through an initial public offering (IPO)—which would value the company at about $3.4 billion (all figures in USD). Driven Brands plans to sell 38 million shares of its common stock, priced between $17 and $20 apiece, it said in a Thursday filing. The company will list its shares on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ‘DRVN’. In 2019, private equity firm Roark Capital, which acquired Driven from Harvest Partners in 2015, was rumoured for sale at a price of $2 billion, according to a Bloomberg report.

AirPro Diagnostics and Car ADAS Solutions announced the establishment of a collaboration to deliver turn-key calibration solutions for shops to include set-up, training, implementation, support, and validation of calibration services. Whether shops want to become a retail calibration centre or calibrate the vehicles they currently repair, this partnership will deliver for collision repairers all across the U.S. and Canada. While ADAS technology and properly repairing the calibrating vehicles has been a growing concern for the industry, AirPro and Car ADAS Solutions are the first in the industry to provide a complete solution for repairers to properly perform calibrations in-house. Together AirPro and Car ADAS Solutions will assist shops in becoming ADAS calibration experts, by providing training and a network of experts to continuously support them along the way. As a result of this collaboration, AirPro will be the first remote diagnostic provider to offer a start to finish solution for ADAS calibrations to the industry as a whole.

Driven Brands has hit NASDAQ, trading under the ticker symbol ‘DRVN’.

FIX PHILANTHROPY Fix Network and its strategic partners have raised $19,970 to support Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHC) and its programs aimed at helping families with sick children.

Last month, Fix Network began a Canadian-wide initiative called Season of Giving, encouraging their strategic partners and staff to donate generously to RMHC’s 34 programs across Canada that provide support for families while their sick child is being treated at a nearby hospital. Due to the pandemic, restrictions have been put in place and therefore Fix Network could not hold special outreach events or fundraisers to support its annual initiative. But, despite these challenges, the organization remained determined to support its charity of choice, RMHC Canada, and its families.

Since 2016, Fix Network, it’s employees and partners have been closely associated with MHC Canada, contributing more than $250,000 over the past three years.

GO FOR GROWTH

Mark Reineking, president and CEO of Lift Auto Group.

Lift Auto Group is pleased to announce it has raised an additional growth capital in support of expansion and new acquisition strategy for the foreseeable future. Lift Auto, a consolidator of Canadian collision repair centres, currently has 12 collision centres across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan--11 of which are CSN Collision Centre locations.

Bolstered by the recent capital raise, Lift Auto will execute on its strategy to expand its footprint across the rest of Canada. PFM Capital Inc., on behalf of the APEX II Investment Fund Limited Partnership, Completed the strategic investment in Lift Auto, with the Canadian Business Growth Fund, a current investor, participating on a follow-on basis in continued support of Lift Auto. Financial terms were not disclosed. APEX III Investment Fund is a $94 million 2018-vintage private equity fund.

WÖRWAG IN THE BAG SUPPLIER CELEBRATIONS Uni-Select announced the winners of the annual Canadian Automotive Group Awards for its top Canadian supply partners.

This year, Uni-Select honoured Brake Parts as the recipient of the Diamond Award, the highest recognition granted to a supplier partner that excelled in their ability to provide both national and private branded products throughout the Uni-Select Canadian network, at all levels of distribution, from its distribution centres to automotive service providers. Other suppliers recognized include: Golden Ally, Sales tools for independent jobbers and installers: Mevotech; Golden Ally, Marketing campaign of the year: Grote Industries; Golden Ally, Training and technical support: Gates Canada; Tech-Savvy Award: Dorman Products; Achiever, Automotive parts: CDN Energy and Power; Achiever, Paint and body equipment: ITW Evercoat; Achiever, and for Tools, and equipment: Milwaukee Tool.

International automotive coatings manufacturer PPG has acquired its German counterpart, Wörwag, announced in a press release on January 18. “Wörwag’s industry expertise in powder and liquid coatings for industrial and automotive applications is highly complementary to PPG’s business, and will help to further expand our product offering,” said PPG executive vice president Rebecca Liebert. Wörwag started as a family business in Stuttgart, Germany in 1918, and as of 2020, employs about 1,100 people worldwide. The company has operations in the U.S., China, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and Poland. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

International automotive coatings manufacturer PPG has acquired its German counterpart, Wörwag, announced in a press release on January 18.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

FEELING BLUE

SELLING THE TRADES

BASF has released its 2020 Colour Report where the global paint and coatings giant showed off the most popular paint colours of the past year. The report covered trends reported from four distinct automotive markets: Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); as well as North America, Asia Pacific and South America. According to the report, the EMEA market is showing an affinity for blue coatings as it was reported that about “11 percent of new vehicles were coated in blue, making it the most popular chromatic colour.”

In North America, blue vehicles have shown to be trending highly, edging out red as the most popular chromatic colour in the market.

Ontario’s minister of labour, training and skills development has a bold new strategy for re-energizing the province’s economy, and the first step is bringing skilled trades recruitment right into Ontario high schools. Barring potential COVID-19 disruptions, “I’m sending dozens of recruiters into high schools across Ontario to compete against universities to get kids to go into the trades,” said Minister Monte McNaughton. At the moment, one in three skilled tradespeople is over the age of 55.

According to BASF’s annual colour report, blue is trending as a North American automotive colour.

“I want kids to know there are 144 different trades to choose from, and you can make six figures and earn a pension and get benefits, and in many cases, you can be your own boss,” said Ontario minister of labour, training and skills development Monte McNaughton.

FEEL THE BURN Automakers in North America are starting to feel the effects of a global shortage of semiconductors, which has caused a crunch for manufacturers worldwide, adding a wrinkle to the industry’s attempted comeback from the COVID-19 crisis. Ford Motor Co. idled its Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky in mid-January “due to a supplier part shortage connected to the semiconductor shortage,” said company spokeswoman Kelli Felker. “We are working closely with suppliers to address potential production constraints tied to the global semiconductor shortage,” Felker said in a statement. Ford builds Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs in Louisville. The automaker said it has moved up a previously planned week of downtime to nest week due to the parts shortage. The production stoppage will affect 3,900 workers who will make approximately 75 percent of their gross pay during that time.

Automakers in North America are starting to feel the effects of a global shortage of semiconductors, which has caused a crunch for manufacturers worldwide, adding a wrinkle to the industry’s attempted comeback from the COVID-19 crisis.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

Yet another in-person industry event cancelled due to the rising concerns of the pandemic, this time the North American International Auto Show, (NAIAS) normally held at the TCF Centre in downtown Detroit is the victim. Instead, the organizers have decided to shift gears to an outdoor event that will now take place at a nearby racetrack in Pontiac, Michigan. The new exhibit, now called Motor Bella, will take place September 21 through 26 at the M1 Concourse that boasts 1.6 million square feet of display space.

The now condensed convention would have taken over downtown Detroit from September 24 through October 6 with various luxury vehicle displays and new technology demonstrations. According to the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) the new show will be “a bridge to the future” of auto shows.

Representatives for collision repair training programs are saying a hybrid of online and in-person training sessions could become standard post-pandemic. During the December 17 IBISTV Global Summit broadcast, Dave Flockhart of BETAG Innovation; Chris Humphries of WorldSkills; Mario Dimovski of TradieBot and Guillaume Grucy of PPG Europe discussed the implications of skilled training in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The three panellists all agreed that remote learning has a series of benefits, including more accessible, more flexible and results in lower student travel costs. However, when technical skills need brushing-up, the industry needs to get creative to keep users engaged. In the face of the pandemic, Flockhart said BETAG has taken a “holistic approach” to training with a mix of in-person and online initiatives.

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INDUSTRY NEWS

IN THEE WE TRUSTEE

ON USMCA

The Collision Repair Education Foundation is welcoming a new group to the board as the foundation appoints six new members to its board of trustees. This latest round of appointments aimed to address the ongoing need for “properly trained, entry-level staff ”, according to the press release. The six new board of trustee members, who joined CREF in 2020, include: Tom Brown, 3M; Paul Folino, LKQ Corporation; Brenda Hogen, Parts Trader; Ken Hudson, Farmers Insurance; Scott Kohl, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Sandee Lindorfer, Allstate Insurance Company.

Some of Mexico’s automakers are asking for more to meet the stringent requirements set out in the new North American trade agreement. The United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) includes tougher rules on what contents automakers can use in manufacturing. USMCA requires 75 percent North American vehicle content compared with a 62.5 percent threshold under NAFTA, as well as 40-45 percent content from-called “high-wage” areas. However, the new trade agreement includes a provision to give flexibility to carmakers to be able to comply with the deal according to their production and investment plans in North America. An independent labor panel on Dec. 15 submitted a report to the U.S. Congress, which states that while Mexico has made significant progress implementing a 2019 labor reform, “many of the changes promised ...in terms of union democracy, freedom of association and collective bargaining, remain to be implemented.”

CREF’s six new board of trustee members include: Tom Brown, 3M; Paul Folino, LKQ Corporation; Brenda Hogen, Parts Trader; Ken Hudson, Farmers Insurance; Scott Kohl, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Sandee Lindorfer, Allstate Insurance Company.

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INSURANCE NEWS

POOF GO THE PREMIUMS Manitoba drivers are projected to see auto insurance premiums drop by an average of 8.8 per cent in the coming months. In early December 2020, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) approved MPI’s request, which averages out to a savings of more than $100. The corporation had begun turning over more money to ratepayers last year. MPI has received approval from PUB for a second round of rebates due to the plummeting number of claims during the pandemic. The new agreement reached by MPI and the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba (IBAM) over the future of online sales, will keep auto insurance sales in the hands of private brokers, even in online transactions.

Manitoba drivers are projected to see auto insurance premiums drop by an average of 8.8 per cent in the coming months.

RATE AND REVIEW Urban Ontarians are no strangers to high auto insurance rates, and thanks to an interactive map produced by Rates. ca, now they can compete with their friends to see whose neighbourhood has the highest rates. Drivers in Brampton, Ontario pay the highest rates in Ontario coming in at an average of about $2,698 per year. Closely following Brampton at the high end of results is Mississauga at an average yearly rate of $2,372 followed by Vaughan ($2,334); Richmond Hill ($2,286); Markham ($2,222); Toronto ($2,201) and Ajax ($2,141). Population is not the only determining factor of insurance rates, however, as London ($1,509), Windsor ($1,412), Kitchener ($1,341) and Ottawa ($1,213) all reported numbers below the provincial average which currently stands at $1,616, a 9.7 percent increase since 2018.

LICENCE AND REGISTRATION, PLEASE In November, Saskatchewan police caught 341 people driving while suspended and issues 558 tickets for an unregistered vehicle or trailer. Police also issued tickets for the following offenses: 221 drivers driving without valid offenses; 102 learner drivers driving without a supervising driver; 37 drivers who weren’t complying with a license endorsement or restriction. Police in Saskatchewan spent November focusing on suspended drivers and unregistered vehicles as part of SGI’s Traffic Safety Spotlight.

Driving without a license, while suspended or when your vehicle isn’t registered voids your insurance if you cause a collision. If you are caught, penalties include fines, court summons, and vehicle impoundments.

BREAKS IN B.C. Drivers in British Columbia could finally get some of the financial reprieve they have been asking for now that the BC Utilities Commission has approved a 15 percent cut to the crown insurance corporation’s basic insurance rates, effective May 1, 2021. The provincial government has promised to drop the rates of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) by 20 percent overall, with this latest 15 percent cut marking the largest made in the corporation’s history. Regulators also updated ICBC’s Tariff Pages to give customers access to up to $7.5 million in rebates, up from the current $300,000. These changes come with tighter restrictions for litigation, however, as most crash victims will be prohibited from suing for financial compensation unless they are involved in a crash with someone charged with a criminal offence or if either a manufacturer or repair facility is found to have done faulty work.

Drivers in B.C. could soon see relief when it comes to their premium charges.

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

BIG BLUE

CHARGED UP

AsTech, a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, announced its acquisition of the “BlueDriver” diagnostic tools and services.

BlueDriver is a leading provider of direct-to-consumer aftermarket diagnostics scan tools and services. The company represents the ninth add-on acquisition for asTech and Kinderhooks’ 99th automotive-related transaction. The BlueDriver diagnostic tool is able to match vehicles, make, model, and trouble code to a specific fix from a repair database that has been verified by professional automotive technicians. Once the proper fix is identified, customers can seamlessly order parts online with the BlueDriver application along with clearing diagnostic trouble codes upon completion of the repair, asTech is now the only company in the world that has both aftermarket / quick-scan and full OEM diagnostic scanning and calibration capabilities.

Aurora, Ontario, based auto parts manufacturer Magna International has announced a deal with LG, in which the companies will colloborate on components for electric vehicles. The joint venture tentatively has been called LG Magna e-Powertrain, and Magna says the deal combines its strength in electric powertrain systems and manufacturing with LG’s expertise in component development for e-motors and inverters. The joint venture will include more than 1,000 employees located at LG locations in the United States, South Korea and China. The agreement is expected to close in July and is subject to a number of conditions including LG shareholder approval. Magna announced in late 2020 that it would be helping to manufacture an electric SUV for startup Fisker Inc. in Europe.

HELP CLOSE TO HOME A Brantford, Ontario-based tech company and their innovative AI-based facial recognition software are helping to keep the Canadian auto industry rolling amid the pandemic. Designed by Solutions Into Motion, Janus functions similarly to the scanning devices used in airports and utilizes a built-in thermal camera that is capable of detecting abnormal body temperatures and can also verify as to whether or not the individual is wearing a face mask, based on facial recognition technology. People are already jumping on board with Janus, including one Chevrolet dealership in Caledonia, Ontario that is using the software to help get through its day-to-day.

Aurora, Ontario, based auto parts manufacturer Magna International has announced a deal with LG, in which the companies will colloborate on EV components.

IN ABP’S ESTIMATION Solera has announced that its Audatex Estimating platform has been named “best estimating system,” by the Auto Body Professionals Club (ABP) in the United Kingdom—for the 13th consecutive year. The ABP’s annual awards program, “The Night of Knights,” held online this year due to the pandemic, determined the award winners by popular vote from a base of more than 2000 autobody repair shops from around the U.K. ABP members are at the forefront of all that happens in the U.K. autobody repair industry; their vote of confidence validates and underscores Solera’s leading position in the industry.

Solera has announced that its Audatex Estimating platform has been named “best estimating system,” by the U.K.’s Auto Body Professionals Club (ABP).

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 21

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

PROJECT ARROW SEEKS AIM

LION’S SHARE

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA) is looking for help supplying components for their upcoming Project Arrow, Canada’s first original allelectric SUV concept vehicle. “The Windsor, Ontario, end will do the virtual build and digital twinning of the Arrow. It will establish the engineering architecture that is so critical,” said APMA president Flavio Volpe. The deadline to submit a request for proposal is March 1. For more information, visit projectarrow.ca.

A transportation operator headquartered in Laval, Quebec has gone the way of electrification and has signed on for an order of 60 all-electric buses from Quebec-based Lion Electric. Autobus Groupe Séguin plans to integrate 60 brand new Lion Electric school buses into their fleet as part of the largest single electric school bus order to be placed in North America. The company will receive the first ten buses during the 2021 calendar year and will be used from the start of the 2021-2022 school year, through the seven service centres operated by Autobus Séguin.

The remaining 50 buses are expected to be delivered by 2026, permitting the satisfaction of certain conditions.

APMA is seeking suppliers for Project Arrow concept car components.

ADAS ANONYMOUS In the ongoing effort to instil consistent ADAS repair practices across the automotive industry, CIECA has released a short instructional video to guide technicians through an ideal workflow. The five-minute video lays out a 12-step process for how technicians should approach repairing a vehicle equipped with ADAS. This workflow process emphasizes the need to educate the customer on the full scope of their vehicle’s ADAS capabilities at full functionality; a point which, if not fully understood, could lead drivers to accept incomplete or unsafe repairs. “When the call went out asking companies like ours to help produce this video, we knew we had to support the cause.

We hear from shops all the time asking for support and education in the field of scanning and ADAS calibrations,” said former CIC chairperson Michael Quinn, president of AirPro Diagnostics, “Education of the repair community at large is one of AirPro’s strategic objectives. We want to help shops get access to the technology and training they need to properly repair vehicles. We sponsored this video as we knew this video would provide so much benefit for repairers, it’s a lot of information in an easily consumable format for all individuals engaged in performing calibrations.” The video is posted to AirPro Diagnostics’ YouTube channel.

BIDEN BOOSTS FEDERAL FLEET U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he will be converting the entire federal fleet to EVs. The U.S. federal fleet is made up of more than 645,000 vehicles: 245,000 civilian vehicles, 173,000 military vehicles, and 225,000 post office vehicles, according to Electrek.

A timeline has yet to be announced, but Biden confirmed the vehicles will be electric and American-made.

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced that the U.S. federal fleet will be converted to electric vehicles.

22 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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OEM NEWS

NEW YEAR, NEW LOGO

‘EVERYBODY IN’

Kia has revealed its new corporate logo and global brand slogan that signify the automaker’s bold transformation and all-new brand purpose. The logo is a representation of Kia’s new brand identity and the values it promises to offer customers, through future products and services, a great experience. The unbroken line is to convey the brand’s commitment to bringing moments of inspiration and confidence to its customers. The logo was during a pyrotechnic display in the skies above Incheon, South Korea.

The event saw 303 pyrodrones launching hundred of fireworks in a synchronized artistic display, igniting and celebrating Kia’s new beginning. As a result, this event set the new Guinness World Record for “Most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launching fireworks simultaneously.”

General Motors is debuting a new marketing campaign as part of the company’s comprehensive efforts to accelerate mass adoption of electric vehicles. The “Everybody In” campaign is a call to action meant to reflect a movement that’s inclusive and accessible. The campaign sets an optimistic and inclusive tone for the company’s EV future and focuses on three themes: exciting a new generation of buyers and accelerating EV adoption; demonstrating GM’s EV leadership, which includes the investment of $27 billion in EV and AV products through 2025 and the launches of 30 new EVs globally by the end of 2025; and highlighting the range, performance and flexibility of the Ultium platform.

Like Kia, GM also unveiled a new logo for 2021.

Volkswagen too unveiled a new logo in 2020.

Kia unveiled a fresh logo to kick off 2021.

POSITIVELY RIVETING Ford has announced an update to its I-CAR procedure for replacing the outer box side of F-150 trucks, announced in mid-December. This latest update from Canada’s most popular OEM announced that the replacement of F-150 outer box sides may now “now include the use of self-piercing rivets (SPRs) in specified locations.” This update only affects F-150 models including and newer than the 2015 model. Super Duty trucks will not be able to use SPRs for the repair procedure. Ford said that they made the update to account for a newly sourced SPR that allows the specialized rivets to be used in outer box side replacements.

EVERY STEP COUNTS Toyota is trying to help address major environmental issues facing the global community, such as climate change, water scarcity, resource depletion and habitat loss. To minimize environmental impact across its business and maximize positive outcomes, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has focused its 2020 environmental sustainability efforts on five key areas – carbon, water, materials, biodiversity and outreach. This year’s North American Environmental Report highlights include: Waste Reduction and Recycling: At Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC), team members developed a method for recycling the plastic resin waste used to mold front and rear bumpers; reduced absolute greenhouse gas emissions by nine percent in Fiscal Year 2020 compared to Fiscal Year 2019 and new electrified product launches including the RAV4 Prime Plug-In Hybrid, Sienna Hybrid and Venza Hybrid.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

NISSAN NET NEUTRAL Nissan has set the goal to achieve carbon neutrality across the company’s operations and the life cycle of its products by 2050. As part of this effort, by the early 2030’s every all-new Nissan vehicle offering in key markets will be electrified. Nissan will pursue further innovations in electrification and manufacturing technology to make progress on the company’s carbon neutrality goal in battery innovation, its e-POWER electrified powertrain efficiency, a battery ecosystem to support renewable energy sources and manufacturing innovations to support higher productivity in vehicle assembly.

TOYOTA TAKES THE TOP For the first time in five years Toyota claimed the title as the world’s top-selling automaker for 2020, overtaking Volkswagen Group. Toyota saw its total sales fall 11 per cent in 2020, the sales include its subsidiaries Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino, coming to a total of 9.53 million units sold. On the other hand, VW’s global sales fell by 15 percent to 9.31 million units, which includes the Audi, VW, Porsche, Seat, and Skoda brands in the figures.

For the first time in five years, Toyota has overtaken Volkswagen Group as the world’s top-selling automaker.

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CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

SCRAP STARS

SLOW FOR SEA LIONS

The auto recycling industry is finally getting some of the star power it deserves as YouTube-based “picking” show “Totaled Treasure” released its second episode in late-December. Styled in a similar vein to shows like “Canadian Pickers” and “Storage Wars”, “Totaled Treasure” follows Vince Edivan and Aaron Stone as they travel across America visiting auto recycling facilities to dig through the abandoned vehicles in search of valuable, interesting, or just plain strange artifacts. Not only do the pair seek to entertain, however, but also spread awareness about what is an often overlooked but nevertheless vital aspect to the lifecycle of a vehicle.The introduction of the show provides a brief overview of the history of auto recycling with much of the messaging of the show reinforcing the idea that what is abandoned is not necessarily junk.

We’ve all seen an image or two of a puzzled moose crossing a wooded road—but a sight unfamiliar to many Canadians comes commonplace in Washington state. As the rains come and the rivers rise, there’s a traditional photo op that Northwesterners know well—salmon swimming across standing water on highways... and seals chasing their dinner.

NEW YEAR, NEW RULES Video footage captured by a motorist shows police stopping a driver speeding the wrong way down Highway 401 near Belleville, Ontario on January 6. Police received multiple calls about the red vehicle traveling against traffic on the busy highway, and eventually brought it to a halt by setting up a roadblock. The vehicle—what appears to be a red hatchback or small crossover– was allegedly being driven by a 76-year-old man and was clocked at speeds of over 150 km/h.

Alfred’s had enough of Sea World’s antics—he’s gone rogue.

ARTS AND CRAFTS HOUR In December 2020, a Toronto man learned that Sharpie-drawn stickers do not qualify as legal license plate stickers. Toronto Police Traffic Services Detective Constable Scott Matthews posted a photo of this doctored plate to Twitter, saying another officer spotted the hand-written expiration on a car’s rear plate.

A Belleville, Ontario, man decided to switch up his driving habits in 2021 and was eventually caught travelling the wrong way on Highway 401.

After pulling the vehicle over and doing a walk-around, the officer also noticed the front plates didn’t match.

26 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

ABANDONMENT ANNIVERSARY A Volkswagen Golf abandoned on the street in the U.K. has been sitting for so long that frustrated neighbourhood residents decided to throw it a birthday party. George Street in Shefford, Bedfordshire, has been home to an abandoned VW Golf since December 2019. The street has also been home to a large community of residents who are annoyed the vehicle has been an eyesore of the community for over a year now. In a final act of desperation, the community decided to throw the car a birthday party for remaining in the same spot for a year.

The group adorned the abandoned vehicle with streamers, signs and a birthday hat.

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FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 27

INDUSTRY UPDATES

STEERING THE COURSE CCIF unveils 2021 Steering Committee

T

he Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) has unveiled this year’s Steering Committee. The organization is pleased to announce the following new steering committee members for the 2021-2022 term:

COLLISION REPAIR REPRESENTATIVES

JEFF LABANOVICH,

JOHN LOCKWOOD,

CARSTAR CANADA

CSN COLLISION CENTRES

“It is essential that we keep a global view to make sure we develop documents and activities useful for our industry, and of course, the steering committee plays a critical role in all of our actions.

I can’t wait to see what we will achieve in 2021!”

– Caroline LaCasse, CCIF director

28 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INDUSTRY UPDATES

“I am exceptionally ecstatic about the tremendous quality of the candidates that submitted their application. We believe we have the best blend within the different collision repair segments of both strategic problem solvers as well as thoughtful tacticians. Both characteristics will be exceptionally important as the Committee continue to guide our actions towards reaching sustainability in the collision repair sector. 2021 will definitely be a tremendous year!”

– Paul Prochilo, CCIF chair SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVES

KEITH TUTTOSI,

CRAIG JALBERT,

NAPA/CMAX PAINT AND BODY SUPPLIES

3M CANADA

PHIL JENNINGS,

MICHAEL THIBAULT,

O.E.M. UNIPARTS

ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR

INSURANCE REPRESENTATIVES

ROMAN SAWTSCHUK,

ANITA ZEITLER,

HEARTLAND FARM MUTUAL

WAWANESA INSURANCE

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 29

TECHNOLOGY

MISSED CALIBRATIONS adasThink report unveils stark calibration statistics

The rise of ADAS, our failure as an industry, the stakes involved, and how to change it

BY ALLISON ROGERS

A

dasThink recently unveiled its industry whitepaper revealing that 88 percent of calibrations are being missed in Canadian collision repair facilities.

According to the whitepaper, 85 of 100 estimates analyzed did not contain an entry for an ADAS calibration. The 100 estimates identified only 15 ADAS calibrations out of 122–bringing the total ADAS calibration rate down to 12 percent.

To put it another way, about 88 percent of ADAS calibrations are being missed.

“We know two things: that ADAS calibrations should be a relatively common occurrence, and that right now, they’re not,” said the company. “The question is why.”

In 2016, 20 major automakers pledged

to include automatic emergency braking (AEB) as the standard by the 2022-23 model year. As of December 2020, half of those automakers have met that promise, with a further three standing at 90 percent of new models produced with AEB. Further, OEMs are consistently working on incremental improvements as they aim to reach Level 2 through Level 4 technological applications, as well as developing additional ADAS ‘comfort’ features, like surround-view monitoring.

“The big picture: there are a huge number of vehicles on the road with ADAS right now,” wrote the company. “The collision industry is repairing a huge volume of vehicles that need to be recalibrated, but the industry isn’t

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

fixing them. Over time, vehicles will get more complex, and ADAS calibration requirements will multiply.”

If Canadian collision repair centres fail to take initiative on performing proper advanced driver assistance system calibrations, there could be serious consequences not only for the business, but for the consumer. A mere degree of misalignment in ADAS sensors can result in total failure of the systems.

What does a single degree of misalignment look like in the repair shop? The bracket for the front radar is about 10cm wide, which means that if one edge of the radar is allowed to protrude more than 0.8 mm past the other edge, it will be more than one degree misaligned.

TECHNOLOGY

A camera misaligned to the left, centered and misaligned to the right. Can you spot the difference with your eyes?

“Based on our data, the industry should be seeing an explosion in ADAS calibrations.

Unfortunately, that’s not at all what’s happening, because bodyshops are missing most of them.”

– adasThink

“When it comes to ADAS calibrations, access to proper procedures and ample knowledge of the systems goes a long way.

Every manufacturer has different names for their sensors—there are 19 different names for blind spot, according to AAA— and each one puts them in a different place in their service manual. Depending on the OEM, an estimator may need to look in the service precautions section, the bumper removal/replacement section, the blind spot sensor removal/replacement section, or the calibration procedure,” said adasThink.

“In the vast majority of cases, there will be no light on the dash. There will be no fault codes. And your estimating system will almost never tell you what you need to do.”

The adasThink whitepaper is available for download at adasthink.com/insights/.

15%

85% According to the whitepaper, 85 of 100 estimates analyzed did not contain an entry for an ADAS calibration.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 31

TRAINING

UPS AND DOWNS StatsCan unveils 2019 apprenticeship report

Over half of the overall decline occurred in Alberta, where the number of certifications fell by 1,266 to a decade low of 7,665.

BY JULIA LLOYD

R

egistration in apprenticeship programs and certifications in the trades have been on a decrease since 2018, as losses in Alberta offset gains in Ontario and Quebec.

Statistic Canada recently reported that registration in apprenticeship programs fell 2.9 per cent, and certifications were down 3.9 per cent.

Before the pandemic, the number of new registrations in apprenticeship programs in Canada fell 2.9 percent from 2018 to 77,673 new registrations in 2019. The report released was said to provide a baseline for examining COVID-19’s impact on apprenticeship programs across the country.

Over three-quarters of the decline occurred in Alberta, where the number of

new registrations in apprenticeships fell by almost one-quarter (down 2,832) to 11,607 in 2019, the lowest level in a decade. New registrations in Alberta decreased in 20 of the 21 major trade groups.

According to the survey of employment, payrolls and Hours, Alberta had the slowest employment growth (+0.7 percent) among the provinces in 2019. Employment in Alberta was down sharply in industries where apprenticeships are most concentrated, such as construction (-4.0 percent) and mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (-4.0 percent).

Meanwhile, the construction industry in Quebec (+5.7 percent) and Ontario (+2.0 percent) experienced strong employment growth in 2019. This helped new registrations

Over three-quarters of the decline occurred in Alberta, where the number of new registrations in apprenticeships fell by almost one-quarter (down 2,832) to 11,607 in 2019, the lowest level in a decade. New registrations in Alberta decreased in 20 of the 21 major trade groups.

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

in apprenticeship programs to reach a 10year high in Quebec (23,568) and a 5-year high in Ontario (20,991).

Investments in infrastructure projects in Ontario in recent years have coincided with increases in new registrations for electricians (up 321), plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (240), and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics (231).

Despite employment and economic growth in recent years, the annual number of newly certified tradespeople across Canada declined 3.9 per cent to 52,367 in 2019, following a 6.6 per cent gain in 2018.

Over half of the overall decline occurred i n A l b e r t a , w h e re t h e nu mb e r of certifications fell by 1,266 to a decade low of 7,665.

Before the pandemic, the number of new registrations in apprenticeship programs in Canada fell 2.9 per cent from 2018 to 77,673 new registrations in 2019.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

FIRST IN LINE Collision repairers find themselves the first to deal with new tech—again

BY ALLISON ROGERS

“I can see that the OEMs would want to have a network of shops that have access to their proprietary information so that they can protect their brand— Tesla, BMW and Mercedes do that now to some extent. The challenge is that it is usually the collision centres that are the first repairer that has to deal with this new technology.” — Tom Bissonnette

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Tom Bissonnette, director for Saskatchewan’s Association of Automotive Repairers says collision repairers are often the first to deal with new manufacturer technologies like this.

T

om Bissonnette, director for the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers, said automakers have every right to control their information—though collision centres are usually the first that have to deal with new technologies of this variety and adapt accordingly.

“I can see that the OEMs would want to have a network of shops that have access to their proprietary information so that they can protect their brand—Tesla, BMW and Mercedes do that now to some extent,” said Bissonnette. “The challenge is that it is usually the collision centres that are the first repairer that has to deal with this new technology.”

Regardless, Bissonnette says the independent repairer is long from being blocked by such measures from OEMs. “I don’t think it will ever come to a point where they totally block out the independent

Automotive Industries Association president J.F. Champagne has been spearheading the organization’s efforts in the ‘Your Data. Your Choice’ campaign and recently appeared on CTV News.

repairer—there’s no way the dealer network could deal with all the vehicles that need to be repaired and recalibrated,” he said.

The Automotive Industries Association was recently featured on CTV News as the aftermarket organization continues to advocate for vehicle data ownership and the consumer’s right to choose a repair facility. Through its ‘Your Data. Your Choice’ campaign, AIA Canada is calling on the federal government to acknowledge the importance of vehicle data ownership. The aftermarket organization says independent shops will be effectively shut out from repairing newer cars without proper data from OEMs. By next year, approximately 80 percent of new vehicles sold will incorporate wireless technology to transmit data to OEMs in real time.

“If [independent repairers] don’t have that information, they cannot safely and properly

Paul Prochilo, CCIF chair, also told Collision Repair he supports the campaign.

fix your car,” J.F. Champagne, president of AIA Canada told CTV News. “We believe it’s going to negatively impact the capacity of consumers to choose where and how they get their car serviced.”

Paul Prochilo, Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) chair told Collision Repair he also supports the cause.

“The Right to Choose campaign supports the customer’s freedom of choice to have the repairs to their vehicle completed where the customer desires,” said Prochilo. “The aftermarket sector has the capacity to meet OE standards both in the collision and mechanical segments. Failure for the Federal government and OE manufacturers to recognize the negative impacts on the customers availability to utilize the aftermarket sectors capacity to repair vehicles, will only lead to increased repair costs and dissatisfied vehicle owners.”

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 35

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

INDUSTRY INVESTIGATION Top five trends to watch for in 2021

BY MAX REID

E

ager to put what is now being considered Earth’s worst orbit around the sun, more commonly referred to as the year 2020 behind them, Mitchell International has released a report showing the top five trends to watch out for in the automotive industry in 2021.

The industry suffered a number of setbacks over the past year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including “a disruption in the export of Chinese parts, manufacturing delays in Europe, the short-term closure of U.S. assembly plants and a significant drop in sales volume” as major contributors to industry strain.

However, where disruptions were experienced in many aspects of the industry, many automakers and parts manufacturers found ways to pivot their business in order to meet the new needs demanded by such an uncertain year for the economy.

Ford, General Motors and Tesla Motors, among others, teamed up with medical equipment manufacturers to help produce the ventilators, respirators and face shields that would in turn help so many struggling dealerships and collision centres reopen their doors following the initial lockdown in the spring.

As well, the new emphasis on remote accessibility to services has prompted a more serious look towards online purchasing platforms for companies in the auto sector.

36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Experts suggest that this trend could be a result of lighter-weight parts being used in vehicle assembly and “the interconnectedness of vehicle systems” and their potential to fail.

Startups like Carvana Co. and Vroom Inc. are drawing an increased amount of attention as consumer habits continue to trend strongly toward a desire for more online and app-based vehicle purchasing options.

Since the beginning of the pandemic GM has seen its percentage of dealers using the company’s Shop-Click-Drive program rise more than 40 percent, with 85 percent of GM dealers now using Shop-Click-Drive.

In these adaptive business decisions, automakers and repairers have demonstrated their ability to adjust to rapid and abrupt change, a factor that helped Mitchell determine the five trends that are likely to present themselves in the coming year.

The first trend identified in the report indicates that the pandemic has led to an environment where personal vehicle ownership has taken greater priority in the minds

In 2021, the U.S. market is expected to offer 75 different fully electric or plug-in hybrid models compared to 59 in 2020.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

of consumers over shared mobility options which industry experts predicted to overtake the traditional concept of vehicle ownership.

Cox Automotive’s chief economist Jonathan Smoke referred to this shift in consumer ideals as an indication that “the vehicle, in many ways, has become our own private bubble,” according to Smoke.

The second trend in the report points to the rapid expansion of electric vehicle (EV) availability in the market as a key contributor to the increased adoption of emissions-free options for drivers.

In 2021, the U.S. market is expected to offer 75 different fully electric or plug-in hybrid models compared to 59 in 2020. As well, increased competition in the EV sector has resulted in the former market dominance of Tesla being reduced to a projected market share of 55 percent in 2021, down from 66 where it was previously predicted as the competition in EV sales starts to ramp up.

Diagnostics and pre-repair scanning are becoming a more common practice in the collision repair industry, according to the report. The necessity of these procedures grows by the day as a study of more than 2.2 million

The report found that “the average number of labour hours categorized as ‘glass’ has increased by just over 27 percent since 2018,” based on Mitchell’s data from glass estimates.

scans by Mitchell shows that “the average scan produces more than seven diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), making pre- and post-scanning critical to properly restoring a vehicle’s safety systems.”

The report found that “the average number of labour hours categorized as ‘glass’ has increased by just over 27 percent since 2018,” based on Mitchell’s data from glass estimates.

A potential reason for this shift in focus could be the increasing prevalence of “headsup display” (HUD) technology that displays vehicle information directly on the glass of the windshield.

“Analysts expect the use of HUD technology to increase, with an anticipated 31.3 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between now and 2025,” according to the report.

Finally, the report shows that accident severity is up slightly, with the frequency of estimates classified as “non-drivable” having grown by 5.63 percent. As well, the frequency of airbag deployments has increased by 22 percent according to the data.

Experts suggest that this trend could be a result of lighter-weight parts being used in vehicle assembly and “the interconnectedness of vehicle systems” and their potential to fail.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

RECOGNIZING THE MASTER ARTISTS Certification is a step in the right direction for the automotive industry

BY STEVE LEAL

T

he automotive industry is not for everyone.

Day in and day out, auto technicians go the extra mile in restoring vehicles to their original glory, making sure that form, build, and performance are in perfect sync.

They are the “master artists” for whom each vehicle is an exquisite work of art that needs a skilled technician’s special touch to recreate its beauty. This dedication requires a certain degree of passion for cars and for some, it’s a personal calling.

After spending over 20 years in the industry and leading one of the largest automotive aftermarket franchise networks in the world, I am still in awe of these master craftspeople.

They are the lifeline of this industry, each day they find an opportunity to do something

different than their peers. And, as the franchise leader, we constantly look for opportunities where we can support them.

I am a lifelong advocate of training and certification for our industry and have spoken about these two topics at many prestigious forums around the world. Different countries have different requirements for certification of shops, which I keep underlining to our global network of franchises the importance of certification.

Over the past few decades, the automotive industry has been evolving rapidly, in terms of technology, build, safety and performance.

From gas-powered engines to electric cars to self-driving vehicles, the industry is witnessing a huge quantum leap forward.

38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

While these new features are aimed at enhancing a vehicle’s safety and performance, it becomes imperative for technicians and auto body shop owners to keep up with new technology at all times.

With rapid advancements in vehicle technology, such as driving assistance options and new lightweight materials, having the right equipment and knowledgeable technicians is no longer an option. If you look up the repair procedures of most makes and models, the processes and requirements change from one year to the next due to new equipment complexities or raw materials used in the construction of different components of the vehicle structure.

The successful shops are those that have decided to stay ahead in the game by making

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

With rapid advancements in vehicle technology, such as driving assistance options and new lightweight materials, having the right equipment and knowledgeable technicians is no longer an option.

sure that their technicians are well-trained in the latest auto technologies and that their shops have the right tools and equipment to meet the demands of modern vehicles.

Shop certification demonstrates to customers and insurance partners that the team has been trained to manage the most complex mechanical and collision repair requirements, and that the shop has the latest equipment to ensure all repairs and services completed on vehicles are to manufacturer specifications.

For shops to be certified, they need to undergo a test of their repair processes and equipment and an audit of their facilities to meet the industry’s stringent standards.

Many shops around the world have started to invest in quality equipment that improves turnaround time and assures quality control in all processes. And these are shops with an eye on the future.

For technicians, continuous learning should be an important prerequisite.

We need people with an open mind to agree that the repair process will evolve from year to year. Regular training and refresher courses for skilled technicians in the most advanced collision repair technologies prepare them to be better prepared for the future.

As technology evolves, electronic components become more sophisticated while alloys used in the construction of cars become more comple, technicians can no longer rely on past experiences only. They need to read every OEM technical data sheet prior to any structural repair to ensure they meet OEM recommendations and standards for a particular vehicle.

In the next few years, I anticipate that there will be a huge demand not only for certified shops but also for talented technicians who can repair vehicles safely to top quality standards.

Here’s to welcoming the next generation of master artists!

STEVE LEAL

is the president and CEO of Fix Network World. Under his leadership, the company continuously aims to transform the global collision franchise business by aligning global operations around lean, customer-driven processes.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 39

INSURANCE

THE DENT DOCTOR IS IN

BY MAX REID

Dent Clinic’s new Calgary location is proud to offer free WiFi to its customers, Jeff Blanchard, general manager told Collision Repair.

Dent Clinic opens Calgary northeast location, offers collision repair service

D

ent Clinic has a new location open in northeast Calgary that incorporates a bold new move from the company that could see them closing in on the Alberta collision repair market.

Drivers in Alberta are no strangers to the intense hailstorms the province seems to be struck with on an annual basis and Dent Clinic is looking to close in on the demand for more robust collision repair services.

“This shop is kind of a pilot opportunity because typically the Dent Clinic has been all PDR (paintless dent repair). This is the first dent clinic that is also a bodyshop. It’ll certainly pay off if we have another large hailstorm like we did this year—that one was a catastrophe,” Jeff Blanchard, general manager of Dent Clinic’s new northeast Calgary location, referring to the June 13, 2020, hailstorm that pummeled Alberta. “It was a lot of hard, hard hail that was very severely damaging to vehicles. Normally we would send [vehicles] out to a bodyshop, but now we’ll be armed to do it ourselves.”

40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The facility is more than just a Dent Clinic, said Blanchard. The new location is a fully operating bodyshop and houses four drive-through appraisal bays, two portable light tunnels, two down-draft paint booths and more.

INSURANCE

C SOOOMING N!

The 16,000 sq.-ft. facility is equipped with four drive-through appraisal bays, two portable light tunnels that can be used for remote estimates, two down-draft prep stations and perhaps most importantly, “now we offer WiFi for our customers upfront,” said Blanchard.

“The light tunnels are unique; not too many people have those. They came in handy this year for estimating hail at some dealerships here in town,” said Blanchard.

As well, this newly renovated and quite spacious facility allows Blanchard and his team to fit 20 cars within the shop and cycle through

repairs at an impressive rate.

“It depends on whether it’s collision or hail.

Collision takes longer—we’re working on a unit now that’s going to take two weeks; it needs a whole new door and the rocker panel is all pushed in. Generally, we can do a big hail job in about three days. In the summertime, we had six techs here, we were putting out probably 10 to 12 a week. If it’s all PDR, it’s much faster than if you have to put on a new roof or a new hood.”

Dent Clinic already has locations in Medicine Hat, Edmonton, Saskatoon, a smaller remote branch in Winnipeg, and with this

IA800

latest expansion, the company now has its third Calgary location with additional plans to move into Lethbridge.

The decision to continue converting Dent Clinic locations into fully-fledged collision repair shops rests on the success of Calgary northeast, however.

“If this works out, they’re possibly looking at doing it in Edmonton and Lethbridge,” according to Blanchard.

Dent Clinic’s new Calgary northeast location is located at 727 33 St. NE Unit #1 in Calgary.

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FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 41

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS Alvin’s attention to detail keeps him focused on the job—and in life

B

orn in the Philippines, Alvin Bartolome took his first steps on Canadian soil in June of 2009. With limited skills but an immense amount of determination he began to chart himself a path toward success.

In 2012 his uncle, Rex invited him to become a Detailer at a collision repair facility in Brampton. Over the next five years Alvin honed his skills, solidifying his abilities to be best in class. Patience, time and experience are the three factors Alvin credits to his development.

“To learn how to deal with a situation, you actually need to encounter it, and only with time are you given these opportunities.”

With this mantra of his, Alvin created his own approach to each job he faced. “I created steps on how to approach various situations; this is also how I built my confidence in doing the job right.”

Alvin’s advice to novice detailers would be to take a small step of an approach before following through with the chosen technique–

and always consult with your painter.”

Alvin acknowledges his level of performance is also supported by his peers – without their input you limit your level of understanding of the scenario you face.

Alvin views his role in the repair process to be more of a quality control function.

When a vehicle enters his bay, before he starts to work on it, he reviews his canvas.

If he has questions, he connects with his body technicians and production manager to ensure quality and continuity is upheld.

Two scenarios which create constant challenges for Alvin are working with large panels – there is more area/opportunity for an imperfection to exist and the second is body designs of newer vehicles.

“Many newer vehicles have thin lips and complex curves; if you are not careful, it is quite easy to burn through the paint.”

As we are always looking for ways to optimize cycle time, Alvin faces a constant battle between washing and detailing vehicles

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vs. polishing cars for delivery; however, Boyd’s introduction of new Mother’s products to our detailing process has helped Alvin.

“Instead of requiring 3 stages of polishing, at times I can attain the same result with only one or two,” he said.

Working at the Assured Oakville facility since 2017, Alvin’s path toward success is moving along well; married three years ago to Mia, recently sharing the joy of bringing their first child, Zaiden into the world and Alvin was nominated for a corporate WoW Award in 2020. We wish Alvin and his family continued health and success.

STAND UP SPEAK OUT

THE DATA DEBATE Access required

A

mong repairers, there is no data debate when it comes to the Your Data. Your Choice movement: a recent survey conducted by Collision Repair indicates more than 90 percent of Canada’s collision community are concerned about accessing vehicle data in the future.

When it comes down to who should have access to vehicle data, 78.4 percent believe OEMs should have access, while 86.5 percent believe auto repair technicians should have the same opportunities.

While the vast majority of Canada’s collision

repairer community seem to believe in the right to fight for the Your Data. Your Choice movement, others—while far fewer—are not as convinced.

One reader said collision repairers should not have access to the systems nor vehicle data information—because “collision repairers are not mechanics.”

“Collision repairers should not have uninhibited access to the systems and the information,” they continued. “Do you want to give open access to the most highly advanced highly technological systems with the highest

Director

Insurer

Consultant/Education

2.7%

2.7%

5.4% Facility owner

54.1%

Supplier

10.8%

Technician/ painter

volume on our roads to anyone and everyone?

That makes no sense.”

Another anonymous respondent answered their question perfectly.

“If vehicles are to be repaired to manufacturers qualifications as automakers suggest, collision repair facilities must have access to this data in order to repair the vehicle to quality standards.”

Other collision community members are far more indifferent, making but one small request to OEMs. “If it’s my data, I should be able to see it.”

What would your concerns be if you were unable to access vehicle data?

73% 62.2% 56.8% 40.5 %

Role in industry Excessive OEM control in industry

10.8%

Lack of access to OE repair procedures

Threat to collision repair facilities

Security concerns for consumers

Manager

13.5%

Who should have access to vehicle data?

Do you have concerns about accessing vehicle data in the future?

YES

NO

91.9%

8.1%

86.5%

78.4% 67.6%

75.7%

35.1%

Auto repair technicians

OEMs

Insurers

Dealerships

Vehicle owners

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 43

TECHNOLOGY

THE EV ARMS RACE

Pabst estimates that between 20 to 30 percent of the cars Pfaff Autoworks repairs in the next three to five years will be EVs.

Lead the charge

BY MAX REID

I

t’s often hard to know you’re at a turning point in history until well after the corner has been turned. Technology continually accelerates and progresses while seamlessly integrating into our daily lives without a thought.

But like the race to the moon and the advent of the assembly line before it, experts from across the automotive industry are warning of the signs of an ongoing technological arms race over the electric vehicles (EV) market and how that could change the way collision repairs are done forever.

“All of these OEMs are playing catch-up to each other right now and it’s almost like an arms race. They’re all trying to out-do each other—I’ve never seen so much tech evolution in this industry in its history.” said Mark Millson, director of operations at Excellence Auto Collision in Toronto, Ontario in an interview with Collision Repair.

“I really kind of equate the change we’re seeing now to when the Model-T rolled out.

There was everyone sitting there going, ‘Ah that’ll never take off,’ and the blacksmiths kept on hammering out horseshoes. Obviously, we know the history.”

Those on the ground floor of collision repair already see change on horizon.

“One thing that I find interesting from

Millson said Excellence Auto is working hard to stay ahead of the curve. “It’s really going to be all about staying up to date on the latest platforms and models that are coming out,” he said.

looking at sales trends is that EV sales seem to be seeing less of a reduction during the pandemic. I think EV sales, for the most part, are still very strong and I think that that shows that the general public has a drive towards green tech and wanting that transition to continue, even amidst uncertain economic times,” said Millson.

Jeff Pabst, general manager of Pfaff Autoworks in Vaughan, Ontario expects EVs to make up a considerable portion of his business in the near future.

“We’re anticipating somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 to 30 percent of the cars that we repair in the next three to five years will be EVs,” said Pabst.

For Pabst and many others who are starting to see more EVs popping up in their shops, the priority is getting safety guidelines established across the board for OEMs. “First and foremost, really is safety. Every manufacturer, even between Audi and Porsche, their procedures are all different, even though they are really all under one umbrella. The technology and processes among those brands are different in many cases.”

44 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

According to Millson, this again points back to the historical idea of the arms race and each automaker’s drive to develop the leading proprietary electric driving system, but with little consistency between technologies.

“One thing that is definitely a carry-over from when we look at traditional combustion engine vehicles to EVs, is how different each OEM is approaching EVs, from a technical standpoint,” said Millson.

He continued, “I think that it is even more paramount now to have OEM documentation and repair procedures and certification, because we’ve always been dealing with the occupant of the vehicle’s safety, during collision repair—that’s always been part of our business. And, technician safety has always been a concern, but of course, it’s even more paramount now when dealing with electrified vehicles. There’s so much more information that needs to be researched prior to even a simple repair.”

Even in the most basic safety procedures technicians are receiving mixed messages from OEMs on how to safely repair their technology.

“The interesting thing that I find is how the

TECHNOLOGY

From ADAS Ready to ADAS Capable

Jeff Pabst, general manager of Pfaff Autoworks Collision expects EVs to make up a considerable portion of his business in the near future.

Mark Millson, director of Operations for Toronto’s Excellence Auto, said he’s never seen so much technological evolution in the industry as what we see today.

“All of these OEMs are playing catch-up to each other right now and it’s almost like an arms race.

They’re all trying to out-do each other—I’ve never seen so much tech evolution in this industry in its history.” – Mark Millson, director of operations at Excellence Auto Collision different OEMs are handling what we call, the ‘Power Down Procedure’—isolating the high-voltage to make the car safe to work on.

Every OEM has a different procedure on how that needs to happen and what steps need to be followed,” said Millson.

This already frustrating fact becomes all the more so when given that technicians are more than capable of complex work with semielectrified vehicles, as evidenced by years of work on hybrids, and that if a standard was set among OEMs, electric vehicle repairs may in fact be even simpler than their ICE predecessors.

“Hybrids, of course, are the most complex cars that we work on because they are the marrying of combustion and electrification in one car. But, once we go to the 100 percent electric car, in most senses the car actually becomes easier to work on after we understand it. There’s less moving components, there’s no combustion engine, generally there are no turbochargers or intercoolers—there’s so many things that we eliminate from the car that it actually makes it less labour intensive,” said Millson.

The benefits extend outward to the consumer as well, as Millson predicts that

this EV wave will help reduce technology costs, and therefore get more Canadians behind the wheels of EVs. “As these cars become more mainstream and more are on the marketplace, of course the cost of the R&D and technology will go down just due to more mass production.

Right now, I think the two limiting factors are probably price points and what consumers consider, ‘range anxiety’. We have cars now that are in-excess of 600 kilometres on a single charge, which is right at what that F-150 gets for fuel mileage, as we continue to prove in the market that EVs are becoming competitive,” said Millson.

He continued, “I think that if we could get an EV to an entry-level price point, I honestly think a lot of customers would take that over [an ICE vehicle].”

For now, shops like Pfaff Autoworks and Excellence Auto are working hard to stay ahead of the eight ball for when this automotive arms race finally comes to a head, keeping an eye on everything the EV market has to offer in the coming years.

“It’s really going to be all about staying up to date on the latest platforms and models that are coming out,” said Millson.

Do you know what you need to?

There’s a stark difference between being ready for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibrations and becoming fully capable for the new world of collision repair.

The first step in performing any proper ADAS calibration is understanding and verifying the areas of concern by obtaining as much information from the customer and the vehicle as you can.

Next, you must perform a vehicle diagnostic check to verify proper operation of the vehicle’s imbedded systems and record any DTCs. Conduct a thorough visual inspection, review the history of the vehicle and check your list of FAQs: • When does/did the condition occur?

• Is/was there physical damage contributing to the condition?

• How long does the condition last?

• How often does the condition occur?

• Are there aftermarket accessories on the vehicle?

Review your diagnostic categories.

Ensure you have evaluated all symptoms and conditions both described by the customer and observed by the technician.

Finally, isolate the root cause, repair and verify the connection. Many times, verification of a DTC or symptom may involve road testing the vehicle and performing additional scanning. If the concern cannot be found or isolated, a re-evaluation is necessary.

The final step of any diagnostic process must always be repair verification.

You would perform a Dynamic Systems Verification. You would use video recordings or photos to document any of the steps taken to perform the proper calibration.

While straightforward, developing and implementing the strategy-based approach to ADAS, diagnostics, and Calibrations does not happen overnight.

Once you’ve secured your strategy, you are ADAS capable and ready to take on the new world of collision repair.

AirProDiagnostics.com FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 45

IN MY ESTIMATION

DON’T BE A GUESSTIMATOR Do your research and remove the guesswork

BY FORTY, THE PROGRESSIVE ESTIMATOR

I

t isn’t very often that the wheel is reinvented, but what happens to the old wheels when they have been improved upon? With each improvement of accuracy and performance, how long until the older model becomes a past solution to a non-modern problem?

With today’s manufacturing processes and the further development of ADAS systems in more affordable vehicles, we have already begun to see the added difficulty of repair. When is someone going to reach out to our ever-valued estimator? Who is responsible for progressing your estimator’s skillset to creating a truly repair procedure-reflective estimate?

Firstly, we need to look at a traditional estimator and determine their role. They meet the customer and photograph the vehicle; generate a guesstimate to the best of their ability and sell the job;

Being a progressive estimator goes beyond generating a guestimate for a repair. It is the process of identifying all the important key pieces of information required that generates the GPS-like guidance through the repair process for our respected technician. No details can be left out, no detail should be overlooked. a job well done. But does the work order truly reflect the repair process and does the estimator truly understand what is required to complete the repairs? Not usually.

One-time-use parts, manufacturer-specific part numbers for panel bond, NVH foam, structural foam, hardware used to replace traditionally welded-on components—I could go on and on. A traditional estimator does not truly know the repair; therefore, they don’t write a complete work order, and how could they?

PROGRESSIVE ESTIMATING

We’ve all heard of lean thinking, the concept of Kaizen or continuous improvement, the Theory of Constraints and many more. These ideas apply exceptionally well in the body shop by creating solutions to existing problems.

46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

These lessons are not new; they have been the lifeline of other industries’ success around the world for years, we’re just applying them to our environment. This begs the question; what does it mean to be a progressive estimator? How does the day of a progressive estimator differ from that of a traditional estimator? Do they have the same type of supplemental damages added later?

Being a progressive estimator goes beyond generating a guestimate for a repair. It is the process of identifying all the important key pieces of information required that generates the GPS-like guidance through the repair process for our respected technician. No details can be left out, no detail should be overlooked.

Replacing a quarter panel? To start with, the estimator needs to understand the sectioning locations as well as the repairability matrix. What welder(s) is the tech to use and are there any welding aids that are required? Lap backing plates, butt weld or lap joint?

You need to be specific. What if the inner UHSS is damaged once you remove the outer? Is it repairable or not? What panel bond, seam sealer and foams will your technician require to complete the job? Do you even stock the required products and tools required to complete the task?

Let’s pick on the most exemplary repair in this; the Ford F150.

Here is my step-by-step workflow: A STANDARD ESTIMATE:

1.

Replace boxside outer 2.

Section cab corner 3.

Remove and install 4. Blends 5.

Sundries, etc.

AN ESTIMATE WITH OEM RESEARCH:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Bedside replacement Cab corner sectioning Approved welding wire Backing plates or joint allowances Required hardware and products Perform recalibrations, etc.

IN MY ESTIMATION

The lesson: Be thorough and leave no stone unturned, remember this could be life or death in a future collision incident. Always read your OEM materials from start to finish, highlight part number and quantity of products required to complete the job.

If you read and fully understood the OE info from start to finish, then you now know the quantities of all hardware and products that you need. You are familiar with the sectioning locations allowable as per the manufacturer and you know exactly the areas that allow which types of welding or rivet bonding replacement along the repair process. You now have the knowledge that a traditional guesstimator does not possess. Hats off to you.

Add additionals to the estimate: think seam sealer, panel bond, NVH Foam, specialty items, OEM specific hardware, calibrations, etc. Get everything that you just learned about how to repair the vehicle out of that head of yours and onto the estimate. Your prior checkboxes for “replace cab corner” might just expand to including the removal of the back glass. Who would have thought for just a cab corner?

Create a sort of GPS guidance for the repair procedure. Think of yourself as the GPS—it is up to you to plan a co-ordinated route for your technician, providing to him the path of least resistance. Leave no stone unturned. Print out a new set of OEM repair information just for your technician. Highlight the important items required including what products are applied to which areas, what products are required to complete the repair and approved welding types. Even be thorough enough to break down the complex repairs into steps, including the hardware or products required to complete each step.

You are becoming a repair advisor; how can you advise your colleagues of your newfound smarts if you don’t have it prepared into some sort of a consumable presentation? Don’t give them an old

rusty repair procedure, give it a spit shine and make it a work of art.

You’ve taken yourself from being a traditional guesstimator and transformed into a repair advisor for your technician. If your technician will think about where to section the vehicle, what products they need and where they are applied, everything is already on the parts cart and it is even organized and presented to them in a way that the tech can consume it at lightning speeds—much more effective than watching them fumble around on the computer.

You are an estimator. Your tools of trade include your computer too; it happens to be the most valuable tool you have. You are much faster with computers and used to it as the environment in which you work. You are committed to completing the best OEM repairs, aligning the estimates to reflect a true “work order” fashion. To top it all off, you can answer all the questions that flow your way from the customer, to the technician or your insurance company.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your technician will always section the car in the correct location. The knowledge of the last 35 years is most likely his biggest source of ignorance towards the repairs of today.

Once your technician’s start to realize that you can play in the same field with them, they will come to you and ask for the answers. The industry takes notice of true professionals.

If you enjoyed this article, please keep an eye on future content by ‘Forty,’ the Progressive Estimator. Also please drop a comment below the online article—I want to hear your feedback. I want to hear what you think of my process and how it differs from yours. If nothing else, I will settle to know that you read my article; I am an estimator just like you.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 47

TOM’S TALES

CRUNCH TIME Put pressure on those bleeding costs

BY TOM BISSONNETTE

B

ack in 1986, I worked at Parr Auto Body as the shop manager. I was in way over my head—a 2,230 sq. m. (24,000 sq. ft.) facility with a rent cost of $12,000 a month was just one of the insane overheads that the business had.

I worked six days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day to keep the place solvent. Even so, as a 30-year-old with just four years of experience in the autobody business, things did not look good.

I was fortunate enough to have the sense to do two things.

First, I reached out to our paint supplier— Reineking Paint—for help and they introduced me to the guys at Regina Auto Body. Chris, Greg and Mike have been mentors and friends from that day forward. I’ve learned so much from them and cannot thank them enough for their guidance.

On Chris Mario’s advice I flew to Vancouver in the fall of 1986 to attend a body shop management workshop, sponsored by 3M, called ARMS, or Auto Repair Management Seminars.

The 3M ARMS event was a turning point for our business. Up until that time I was trying to overcome the challenge of running that shop with sheer energy and hard work.

The folks at that event were the first people that ever told me about the numbers of the business. I had no idea up until that point that there was a formula for financial success in the body shop business.

They explained that there are targets to hit in the four main income areas of a body shop and, if you added them all together, you would find that after you paid all of your production costs—labor, parts, materials and sublet—you should have about 40 percent of your sales leftover to pay fixed costs like rent, taxes office staff etc.

It was clear that you did not want your fixed or operating costs to exceed 30 percent of your sales, thus leaving you a tidy little profit of roughly 10 percent.

I went back to the shop and started doing the math. We were averaging about 33 percent gross profit overall instead of 40 percent, and our overhead was 35 percent of sales. No wonder we were bleeding to death!

So where do you stop the bleeding?

The first thing I did was start job costing each and every job. I tracked our sales and cost of sales on each and every job. This can seem like an enormous project, but it can be done manually. The easiest way to do it is to have a shop management system and actually use it, then let the computer do that work. If you do not have a shop management system you can do it manually using the aforementioned Job Costing Template.

To track employees’ time, I asked everyone to document how much time they spent on each job every day. If they were not working on a paying job, they had to write down what work they were doing; maintenance, estimating cleaning the shop etc.

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It was clear that you did not want your fixed or operating costs to exceed 30 percent of your sales, thus leaving you a tidy little profit of roughly 10 percent.

Example: Sales $100,000 Cost of Sales -$60,000 Gross Profit $40,000 Overhead -$30,000 Net Profit $10,000

TOM’S TALES

I unveiled many underlying issues by doing this. Some of our employees were not overly efficient and we made nowhere near 60 percent gross profit on their work. I helped them find new careers.

As a major part of your income, your parts department deserves to have a specific person in charge of ordering, receiving and job costing them. In the beginning, some of our parts suppliers were not giving us a decent parts discount, so I found other suppliers that did. Some of our parts suppliers were not giving us credit for returned parts, so I no longer dealt with them.

Using parts from SGI salvage is an incredible way to increase your gross profit on parts, since you can bill SGI 60 percent

half of what was previously paid in rent.

We cut some staff, dropped some courtesy cars, and it worked great for a while—until every other shop adopted the practice then the strategy remained as an albatross on the necks of all Saskatoon body shops.

When it comes to paint and materials, there is plenty of room to manage costs. I find it better if only one person orders these materials; when multiple people do it you will generally see duplication of materials. One body man likes a certain sandpaper, and the next guy likes something else.

Bulk buying is another strategy I’ve used with shop supplies. Some operators order on an as-needed basis saying, “why tie up that money in material?” I figured that if I

It comes down to two options; if you are happy with the way things are going, don’t change a thing. If you are not happy with the profitability of your business, you need to either start learning or hire someone to help you manage your financial situation. of the new price. Aftermarket parts can give you anywhere from 30 percent to 40 percent margins as well. In some cases, you need to talk to your vendors and find out if you are getting the best discount possible.

We were doing wholesale work for some dealerships near us, where the average gross profit was close to 30 percent—less than my overhead costs! We saw the same thing with restoration or rust jobs, and I simply discovered that you cannot make any money on those jobs while trying to run a collision business. If you want to do that type of work, open a restoration shop in another location.

We promptly quit doing jobs for no profit.

To do this, you have to have data, otherwise you are simply guessing.

The second step I took was to look at our overhead costs. Twelve thousand in rent is a lot of money in today’s dollars—in 1986, it was huge. So, I simply told the landlord that we could not afford to pay $12,000 a month, and they immediately dropped the rent by a significant amount.

Parr eventually moved to its current location, where the mortgage was less than

could buy a year’s supply and get an extra 20 percent discount, I was ahead of the game.

Are any of you making 20 percent on your cash at your bank?

It comes down to two options; if you are happy with the way things are going, don’t change a thing. If you are not happy with the profitability of your business, you need to either start learning or hire someone to help you manage your financial situation.

Business today is tough—even tougher if you are not making any money! Feel free to call or email me if you want or need advice.

I have literally done everything wrong at one time or another and I can tell you how to avoid my mistakes.

TOM BISSONNETTE

is the director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR).

He can be reached at dir@s-a-a-r.com.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 49

PRAIRIE VIEW

THE GOOD LIFE Your good life is not a goal—it’s right now

BY CHELSEA STEBNER

I

think that many of us know one of the very best ways to learn is through listening and conversation with other like-minded people who are in similar leadership roles. It is often a lonely place to be.

I love the opportunity to network at industry events, roundtables and conferences simply to hear other peoples’ stories. I believe that right now, many of us are missing the connection piece with the brilliant people across the country who make up our collision repair industry.

The other day, I had the opportunity to hear a successful business leader speak about her journey of ownership and business acquisition through the years. She had several gold nuggets and kept her small—physically and socially distanced audience riveted with tales of success and of failure.

What is your good life? As you plan and strategize and goal set your future business and life plans, include this question—and don’t think of it as another “thing” to add to the list. Your good life is not a goal. It is right now.

What is your good life today? Is the time you spend on your business today fun and rewarding? I get that not every day will be like that. However, if you’re not finding joy in the moments of life, while you’re at work, coaching people, building business and fixing cars and while you’re doing the things you love, you better take a step back.

I challenge you to take a bit of time and jot down what your ‘good life’ looks like and figure out how to weave that into every day. If you have other leaders or partners in your business, ask them to do this as well. Ask them what their good life looks like.

If you’re not finding joy in the moments of life, while you’re at work, coaching people, building business and fixing cars and while you’re doing the things you love, you better take a step back.

The most simple and amazing thing I heard from her that morning was this: “Am I living my good life?”

That statement stopped me in my tracks. For everyone, 2020 was a trip. We saw, and will continue to see, all around challenges and struggles due both to the pandemic and its economic impact, but also all the other ever-changing aspects of collision repair.

And let’s be real—not only in business. This pandemic is affecting our lives, our families, our mental health; it is infiltrating every aspect of our beings.

Back to this idea of ‘The Good Life’.

This year at the shop, we have collectively lived a lifetime. We’ve had a spouse pass away, we’ve had a cancer diagnosis, we’ve had babies born, we’ve struggled with mental health, we’ve had friends pass away, we’ve put off celebrating significant milestones such birthdays and anniversaries and retirements.

What made me stop in my tracks about the good life statement was the fact that we had better be living our good lives today.

Not tomorrow. Not ten years from now. Not when I pay off the business, when I turn 50, when I…you get it.

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If your team is not leading a good life on a daily basis, how can they be giving you their best selves at work? You need to ask how you can support them so that they can be living their best lives.

One of the goals set for the shop in 2021 is health and wellness.

Dollars and cents earned always matters, don’t get me wrong, but this year ensuring our team’s mental health and physical health takes a priority role. Taking care of our people, giving opportunities for education, for wellness, for healthcare equals a better environment, happier people and cohesiveness as a team which in turn will help build business.

How are you making an impact with ‘the good life’?

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.

WHO’S DRIVING

FORGED IN FIRE A welcome fresh start follows the flames

BY JAY PERRY

A

t the mention of the Metal Ages, we can all conjure up images of blacksmiths working the metal of their craft using fire to strengthen the product of their labour.

I think this is an appropriate metaphor for the year that is finally in the record books: 2020.

It was a tough year that started with hope and optimism and quickly turning to a sense of despair over an unsettling future.

The year’s tribulations were like the fire of the blacksmiths that created characteristics in the metal that went beyond the normal range. That adversity strengthened the metal and so too, 2020 strengthened people.

GDP has risen at record rates and optimism for 2021’s growth is almost euphoric.

There are many examples of selflessness that we all can point toward when leaders stepped up to go out of their way to reassure their respective teams. These same leaders went on to devise plans in response to businesses being shuttered or greatly reduced in capacity or access to a market. A lot of them took the financial hit in heroic fashion, keeping on staff, pivoting business plans and in many cases, products and services they provided.

Examples of sharing the pain reverberated throughout the workforce as well, where individual team members supported their employers and each other. There are places where shift-sharing took place or unpaid leave taken to allow other team members that needed the financial stability offered by the greatly reduced demand for the products or services. Some took early retirement to make room for others to stay on the team.

What I think is most common as a theme within the various stories is that we were reminded of the human-side of business.

This was evident even beyond the walls of any particular company and extended to caring for customers and their safety and to complete strangers that could use a little help. Food drives to assist those in the toughest of spots - choosing between food for the family and other living expenses - are excellent bright spots of humanitarian connection.

I saw no slow-down in efforts to support communities hit hard.

A lot of people had little, but they shared what they had, and we are starting to see in economic terms the fruits of those acts. GDP has risen at record rates and optimism for 2021’s growth is almost euphoric. Just this morning I was reading of the expectation of annual numbers not seen in 40 years for 2021.

I am also hopeful that priorities have shifted for people in sufficient numbers that represent a new focus on doing the right thing whether that be in the small business they might own or support all the way up to grand, world scale endeavours like reducing pollution, rebuilding infrastructure, green investments and so many more things where Herculean efforts are actually reshaping the economic landscape.

A lot of lessons have been learned and we will continue to learn even more in our reflection on the fire of 2020 that has strengthened us and helped us see ways to be there for each other. Ultimately if you are not thinking of others, you will lose the drivers who might otherwise have been thinking of you.

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.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 51

LET’S TALK TRAINING

REALITY CHECK There is nothing normal about the ‘new normal’

BY STEFANO LIESSI

H

ere we are—we survived to see 2021 despite the hackneyed persona of its predecessor 2020.

As many of you likely are, I am rather bitter about 2020, it was a less than pleasant experience for many of us, resemblant to that of having the rug pulled out right from under you. As business owners I cannot begin to imagine what it was, and still is, like to have this experience come at you without warning.

I too, was greatly affected by the charade of attempts to mitigate the fallout from 2020.

Now, you may have noticed that I have refrained from using the cliché terms of 2020 as they have become trite in my view and not worthy of any further recognition. If one wants to so desperately relive the disaster that was, they may feel free to consult the powers that know all… Google.

As the year formerly known as 2020 unfolded, many cliché terms were created, one which

aggravated me to no end right from the get-go.

I refuse to accept the term ‘new normal’–not even remotely will I take what was delt to us as the new normal.

Let’s erase the idea of the what the new normal has been made out to be. What we are doing now is far from normal, and I am quite sure most of you who are business owners are not quite ready to be told will be the way things are going forward.

Instead, may I suggest we take this opportunity to redefine our normal into something better by implementing new ideas and strategies in effort to get to the next level or goal that you may have. After all, there is no better time than the present!

During my travels I am constantly faced with the same retort to suggestions when it comes to implementing a new strategy. For example, I may suggest to a facility to take some time out to implement a new estimating strategy, perhaps

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Let’s erase the idea of the what the new normal has been made out to be.

What we are doing now is far from normal, and I am quite sure most of you who are business owners are not quite ready to be told will be the way things are going forward.

LET’S TALK TRAINING

You can see there is a new norm coming and it is one we should be adjusting our sails for now— pun intended.

blueprinting—to which I hear excuses like, ‘we are too busy’ or ‘we don’t have the time’. Based on many of the shops I have been through over the last few months, I would have to beg to differ on that.

The volume of work has tanked out there, there were 10,000 less car accidents in Edmonton than the year before. That is significant—and it shows as I walk through the shops. The repair volume is way down, staffing is minimal— though some have managed to keep staff on, all at a cost that will need to be repaid or recovered; ergo the “new normal”. Yeah…no thank you.

Now would be the time to implement new strategies in your facility, the time and patience required to get a new idea off the ground can be overwhelming when you have a full shop to tend to, adjusting or updating SOPs for the staff, updating your estimating profiles, getting on top of OE procedures, some well-deserved training, then implementation of said training.

If you focus this time on these ideas for when it picks up, you will be ready to embrace the work load the way you really want too, the way you have wanted to for years.

Why let something out of your control dictate your new normal when you should be creating your own for the future. Change can be good when it is warranted and implemented on your terms or agreeable terms. Not all change is good, and the change we have seen is a prime example of not good. Force fed change with no time to implement strategies correctly are a recipe for disaster (PBE) And if you like that new normal, well, I have a bridge for sale in London.

There is change coming, and the landscape in the future will be much different than it was in 2019. Just look at the use of OE standards becoming more and more mainstream, the line

items associated with these new SOPs. Look at the global picture and the push towards the greener vehicles that will be coming down the line. Are you aware that currently there are 52 makes and models of PEV and HEV available to the North American consumer, with a showing increased availability in the used vehicle market as well, which means affordable vehicles for all, not just Daddy Warbucks.

Let’s also factor in some real government legislation regarding where our industry is headed, look at Norway, Norway boasts the highest penetration of electric vehicles in the world. This year about 50% of new cars sold in this (Norway) oil-and-gas rich country will be battery-electric only. Norway’s Parliament aims to ban all cars that are not zero emissions by 2025.

Some of our political figures can see this as the future norm, some not so much. The Quebec government, right here in Canada, are moving forward with their long-awaited

plan to tackle climate, a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles, starting in 2035. With 1.5 million on the road by 2030.

You can see there is a new norm coming and it is one we should be adjusting our sails for now—pun intended.

These vehicles will need new training, new expertise and possibly some dedicated skill set for them to be repaired correctly, not to mention the added ADAS features that need to be tended to, along with all that administrative front end work. When are you going to get ready for that change? When you are busy—or during the down time right now?

Utilize the opportunity right now for more than an advertising vehicle to splash your name and logo on sanitizer and masks, something that will be history, 2020 is done, stick a fork in it and get ready to embrace what is going to really matter, your business and maneuvering your staff to accommodate your real new normal.

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.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 53

REGIONAL NEWS | BRITISH COLUMBIA

REGIONAL NEWS | COAST TO COAST WEST COAST WELDING One lucky Canadian is going home with a brand-new PR 220 MV Synergic Welder from ProSpot, thanks to the company’s Big MIG Giveaway promotion.

Jamie Crowther from Victoria, British Columbia is one of three lucky winners of the ProSpot promotion. For their prize, Crowther chose the company’s brand new 200-amp x 35 percent duty cycle PR 220 MV Synergic Welder.

“We wanted to add some fun for everyone out there this year, so we developed this Big MIG Giveaway Contest”, said ProSpot sales director, Lorinda Teague.

“We thought this would interest just about every repair tech and welder in North America.”

Jamie Crowther was the lucky winner of Pro Spot’s Big MIG giveway, winning themselves a 200-amp x 35 percent duty cycle PR 220 MV Synergic Welder.

STEERED WRONG Less than a year after buying a $160,000 new Mercedes-Benz, a Vancouver couple said they are now scared to get behind the wheel because last time, the steering wheel seized.

The Vancouver couple brought the issue to the attention of the dealer who refused to repair a steering defect and now the couple’s Mercedes-Benz has been parked in their garage since 2018.

According to Yang’s wife, Guifang Huo bought the car new in the spring of 2017 and they only drove it for roughly 6,500 km, and then in less than a year, the steering wheel seized while they The leader in were driving. The Mercedes-Benz Richmond dealer said it could find nothing wrong.

The Mercedes-Benz is a 2017 was recalled in the U.S. for steering problems, including the S-class models built between 2015 and 2017, but no vehicles in Canada were covered. With no one to cover the expensive repairs, the couple filed a lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz Canada in early 2019 in a B.C supreme court, for unspecified damages.

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BRITISH COLUMBIA | REGIONAL NEWS

CSN NORTHLINE ADDED TO WEST COAST COLLISION CENTRES ROSTER

To begin 2021 with its second addition of the calendar year, the company added CSN Northline to its roster of collision centres on the West Coast. The 7,000 sq. ft. facility in Smithers, BC has been in operation for 25-years providing the driving public of their community with best in-class customer service and high-quality collision and auto body repairs they can trust.

Smithers is a town of just under 7,000 people set against the Hudson Bay Mountain Range in Northern BC. Despite being a smaller facility in a town with a trading

area of no more than 15,000 people, CSN Northline Owner Dave Onderwater knows the importance of completing high quality repairs. “Even though we may not be as big as other shops or have the gross they do we take care of our customers by doing repairs properly and that’s why being part of CSN was so important to me,” Onderwater said.

“Repairing vehicles is about having industry leading support and that’s what CSN offers.”

The quality of work completed by the expert staff and experienced technicians at CSN Northline has received industry recognition.

They are a Certified Aluminum Collision Repairer with the Automotive Retailers Association and Accredited with ICBC for Collision Repairs and Valet Service. They also have OEM certifications through the Certified Collision Care program administering the requirements and recognition for automakers Ford, FCA, Kia, and Nissan. “We know they have the capability, training, and equipment to complete repairs at a very high level and with CSN’s marketing support and vendor programs, we believe they can really elevate their business.” CSN Western Sales Manager, Kari Barton said.

With a regular influx of recreational visitors in addition to their active residents, Smithers has consistent traffic that will now receive the market leading support of the CSN repair network. Providing outstanding customer service and a truly hometown care to all its patrons, CSN Northline does everything you’d expect from a high-profile facility but on a smaller scale. “It’s’ what our customers expect when they come here, quality repairs, trained technicians, and friendly staff and they trust us because of that.” Onderwater said.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 55

REGIONAL NEWS | ALBERTA

BRINGING IN BRENNANS CSN Brennan is the latest CSN Collision Centre to join the network under the ownership of Lift Auto Group.

Located in Stettler, Alberta a town with a population just over 11,000 people, CSN Brennan is well established as being on of the best repairers in the area, CSN in its online press release.

“The CSN Brennan facility is the best repairer in the region and that’s what attracted us to them,” said Lift Auto Group President & CEO, Mark Reineking. “The staff are exceptional at what they do, which allowed for a seamless transition into the Lift family, and we are committed to preserving the culture of excellence created by the former owners, Murray and Christy Brennan.” Reineking said.

With more than 40 years of operating

CSN Brennan is the latest CSN Collision Centre to join the network under the ownership of Lift Auto Group.

history in Stettler, fondly known as the Heart of Alberta, the staff at CSN Brennan are well known to every customer they see. The friendly and familial approach to business in

addition to their high-quality of repair work makes them the preferred repair facility for anyone in need of collision and auto body repair in the region.

STORM RUNOFF “It was the worst storm I’ve ever seen in my career,” said Cassie Rossen, manager of Dilawri Collision Centre, recounting that June day that managed to make the spring of 2020 even worse for the city of Calgary.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released a report outlining the most costly severe weather events of the past year with the June 13 Calgary hailstorm totalling more than $1.3 billion in damages and easily dwarfing the other events by comparison. The storm caught the city off-guard, as many Calgarians are accustomed to hail season occurring over the summer in July and August.

“People were running out of their rental maxes way before their vehicles could get worked on due to backordered parts.

Windshields were smashed out; panoramic roofs were smashed out. We had vehicles where every lamp on the outside was smashed out,” said Rossen.

This unexpected storm early in the season, combined with a COVID-19 lockdown that had only just begun to lift, caught Calgary collision centres by surprise and they still continue to feel the effects of that devastating storm to this day.

“Things were swamped here and COVID caused me to only have half the staff here to take care of things. I’ve been backlogged for the last eight months, still doing hail repairs,”

A June 13, 2020 hailstorm, combined with a COVID-19 lockdown that had only just begun to lift, caught Calgary collision centres by surprise.

They still continue to feel the effects of that devastating storm to this day, said Cassie Rossen, manager of Dilawri Collision Centre.

said Sasha Butts, production manager at Country Hills Collision.

It’s a common lament among Calgary repairers at this point. The storm is more than half a year past and yet the repairs don’t seem to stop.

“It began with a slow process, I guess because it was very difficult for the insurance companies to get a handle on how fast everything was coming across their desk. But, once they were able to have that direction of where they were sending the work and how fast they were able to get it out, I think all of the shops started to see quite an influx of work, probably lasting to the end of November,” said Al Giga, manager of All Makes Collision Centre.

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The bureaucratic side of working with insurance companies, and the delays that result, are nothing new to collision centres, however, what no one had a clear answer to was how to address the concerns of customers of how their vehicles would be serviced safely, in regard to COVID regulations. “[COVID] definitely made it a little more challenging due to the fact that people were a little more apprehensive to leave their cars here or bring their cars in because of the possibility of things getting shut down again. Luckily enough, we’re considered an essential service so that never happened and we were able to put our clients’ minds at ease,” said Rossen.

SASKATCHEWAN | REGIONAL NEWS

KEEPING TABS The government of Saskatchewan has introduced legislation with the aim of tightening up regulations surrounding scrap metal theft in the province.

The legislation includes an update to the Pawned Property Amendment Act and the requirements for reporting for scrap metal dealers.

The changes would require that dealers

obtain and record the identification and transaction information of the client from whom they are purchasing scrap metal, as well as the imposition of further restrictions on cash transactions in the attempt to curb the anonymous sale of stolen scrap metal.

As well, changes to the Traffic Safety Act will give police the ability to press charges for numerous actions commonly associated

with auto theft, such as falsifying documents for the sale or registration of a vehicle or altering a VIN. Currently, police have to investigate and charge someone under the Criminal Code.

The proposed changes will give police the ability to issue a summary offence ticket without requiring Criminal Code proceedings.

PANDEMIC PADDING A new report from Saskatchewan sheds additional light on the money saved by insurance companies during the pandemic, with firms in the prairie province holding onto an impressive $169 million in savings.

“With most people stuck at home, their cars have inevitably stayed in the garage,” said Antoine Fruchard, editor-in-chief at HelloSafe, the price-comparison website responsible for publishing the report.

“Indeed, customers are inevitably questioning why they continued to pay such high insurance premiums while they weren’t able to drive,” Fruchard said.

Collision claims were down about 27 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the report, however, spokespeople from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) have a different perspective on HelloSafe’s findings.

“SGI did see approximately 20 per cent fewer claims related to auto collisions over the past nine months. We also saw an increase in the severity of some injury claims which may be related to, in part anyway, to more severe accidents resulting from less congested roads,” said SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy.

However, for shop owners, the reality of running a business during lockdown speaks for itself.

“As far as business goes there was a lot less business in 2020 than in 2019,” said Monty Heiser, owner of Superior Autobody in Saskatoon.

Drivers in Manitoba have already been issued two rounds of rebate cheques from Manitoba Public Insurance totalling $240260, however, no plans for rebates have been made in Saskatchewan as of yet.

SASKATCHEWAN FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 57

REGIONAL NEWS | MANITOBA

POOF GO THE PREMIUMS Manitoba drivers are projected to see auto insurance premiums drop by an average of 8.8 per cent in the coming months.

In early December 2020, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) approved MPI’s request, which averages out to a savings of more than $100 per policyholder.

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) stated that it can deliver savings because the Crown corporation met its capital target — the minimum amount the company should hold in reserve to protect against market volatility.

The corporation had begun turning over more money to ratepayers last year. MPI has received approval from PUB for a second round of rebates due to the plummeting number of claims during the pandemic.

The new agreement reached by MPI and the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba (IBAM) over the future of online sales, will keep auto insurance sales in the hands of private brokers, even in online transactions.

The decision settles a long-running feud between MPI and IBAM over the future of

In early December 2020, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) approved MPI’s request, which averages out to a savings of more than $100 per policyholder.

online sales. MPI had questioned whether brokers should still be involved in every transaction, while IBAM said the role of its members in the insurance process shouldn’t be sidelined.

The five-year agreement will take effect in

April of this year, said MPI expects additional online transactions on or about April 2023.

A spokesperson said online renewal will generally be offered to all passenger vehicle owners, except those with a history of defaulting on their payments.

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ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

INDUSTRY INVESTMENTS The Government of Ontario, eager to attract a new plant from automakers in China, has created an agency to act as a “one-stop-shop” for manufacturers scouting places to invest.

The company, Invest Ontario, was created in July of 2020 and is viewed by the government as the “central agency for businesses to discover what others from around the province and globe have already realized, which is that Ontario is a top-tier destination for investment and strategic growth.”

The agency has been designed as the goto place for companies looking for places to

invest, particularly ‘anchor’ investments that could lead to major hiring.

Chinese automakers have been eyeing the North American market for years. In that time, industry stakeholders, including Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), have been touting Canada as a place for them to build vehicles they will sell in North America.

Invest Ontario could prove to be crucial to attracting a Chinese auto manufacturer to Canada, which is a key goal for Volpe and other industry stakeholders in recent years.

The Government of Ontario, eager to attract a new plant from automakers in China, has created an agency to act as a “one-stop-shop” for manufacturers scouting places to invest.

ANOTHER ACQUISITION FOR THE D’ALESSANDROS The D’Alessandro family is at it again with their most recent acquisition of a third CSN collision centre in the GTA. The newest location, formerly known as CSN Heartland B&B—now renamed CSN Heartland, brings the D’Alessandro family into the busy Mavis Road and Britannia Road West intersection of Mississauga.

The acquisition allows the Mississauga communities of drivers, dealerships, and insurers to have access to the trusted CSN brand, not to mention the innovative and experienced work that the D’Alessandro family is known for throughout North America.

“We’ve had two locations for a long time and now adding a third in a high-traffic area is a great opportunity for us,” said CSN 427 and CSN Avenue President, Lorenzo D’Alessandro.

The newly acquired facility is an impressive 18,000 square feet and already equipped with tools, equipment, and technician training that meets the requirements for the OEM certification of BMW and MINI.

The D’Alessandro family is at it again with their most recent acquisition of a third CSN collision centre in the GTA.

AURORA OPENING CARSTAR has announced the opening of CARSTAR Aurora. The location of the new facility is located at 226 Edward St. Unit 2A, Aurora Ontario L4G 3S8.

The owner of CARSTAR Aurora, Amir Seif, has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Growing up with a passion for cars, Seif understands the need for quality collision repairs due

to the recent advancements in automotive technology.

“Having the support of CARSTAR helps us keep up with industry advancements and stay ahead of the curve,” said Seif. “We want to ensure our community can count on us for a premier collision repair experience and the resources CARSTAR provides us will only further enhance our capabilities.”

CARSTAR Aurora is a brand new 7,000 sq ft. facility., equipped with tools to provide quality collision repairs to all makes and models. Eager to deliver excellence in its customer service, the team is also looking to pursue industry certifications so the Aurora community can feel confident in entrusting their vehicles to the team.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 59

REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

MEET MARIANNE MATICHUK The newest appointment to CAA North & East Ontario (CAANEO) board of directors is one Marianne Matichuk, a Greater Sudbury resident with an extensive background in health and safety.

CAANEO provides emergency roadside assistance to over 300,000 residents in its designated region, and is part of a wider network of clubs across Canada that provide the same great service to more than six million Canadians from coast-to-coast. The clubs also continually advocate for road safety, mobility, infrastructure, the environment and above all consumer protection.

“Working with the dedicated team at CAANEO is truly an honour and a privilege,” says Matichuk. “I look forward to making a difference in the communities that the Club serves, and ensuring exceptional service to all of our members.”

With over 30 years of experience in health and safety, business, and politics throughout a variety of roles, including the first female elected as mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury, Matichuk has her fair share of expertise under her belt.

The newest appointment to CAA North & East Ontario (CAANEO) board of directors is one Marianne Matichuk, a Greater Sudbury resident with an extensive background in health and safety.

HIGH INSURANCE RATES Drivers in Brampton, Ontario pay the highest insurance rates in Ontario coming in at an average of about $2,698 per year, according to an interactive map produced

by Rates.ca.

Closely following Brampton at the high end of results is Mississauga at an average yearly rate of $2,372 followed by Vaughan ($2,334); Richmond Hill ($2,286); Markham ($2,222); Toronto ($2,201) and Ajax ($2,141).

Population is not the only determining factor of insurance rates, however, as London ($1,509), Windsor ($1,412), Kitchener ($1,341) and Ottawa ($1,213) all reported numbers below the provincial average which currently stands at $1,616, a 9.7 percent increase since 2018.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that more than half of every dollar received by auto insurers goes toward claims settlements.

Proposed Bill 42, currently before Ontario Legislature, intends to prevent insurers from basing rates on factors primarily related to postal codes or telephone area codes, however, there is no timeline on the bill as of yet.

60 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Drivers in the GTA pay higher insurance rates than other areas of Ontario.

ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

GENERAL PROBLEM General Motors became the latest automaker hit by the global shortage of semiconductor chips as the U.S. automaker said it will take down production at four assembly plants in February.

GM said it will cut production entirely during the week of February 8 at plants in Ingersoll, Ontario; Fairfax, Kansas; and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It will also run its plant in South Korea at half capacity that week.

GM said the focus has been on keeping production running at plants building the highest-profit vehicles — full-size pickup trucks and SUVs as well as the Chevrolet Corvette sports car. AutoForecast Solutions estimates GM’s combined lost volume would

total almost 10,000 vehicles in one week.

“Despite our mitigation efforts, the semiconductor shortage will impact GM production in 2021,” GM spokesman David Barnas told Reuters in a statement.

“Semiconductor supply for the global auto industry remains very fluid,” he added. “Our supply chain organization is working closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impacts on GM.” Affected GM vehicles include the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Cadillac XT4 SUV, Chevy Equinox and Trax, and GMC Terrain SUVs and the Buick Encore small crossover vehicle.

The chip shortage has led several automakers, including Volkswagen, Ford, Subaru, Toyota, Nissan and Stellantis, to cut vehicle production.

The chip shortage is expected to cause production in the global auto sector to be 672,000 vehicles lower than anticipated in the first quarter, IHS Markit said. The forecasting firm expects the shortage to last into the third quarter.

AutoForecast Solutions said announced lost production globally so far due to the shortage has totaled 564,000 vehicles and estimated the total impact this year could be 964,000 vehicles.

TRULY MAGNANIMOUS Sheridan College has a big boost coming in the form to a $2 million donation from Magna International.

The donation from the Aurora, Ontariobased automotive technology supplier is earmarked for updates to equipment in the Skilled Trades Centre at Sheridan’s Davis Campus in Brampton, Ontario.

As well, part of the money will be used to create scholarships and additional training resources.

As a result, Sheridan has renamed their facility to the Magna Skilled Trades Centre, in honour of the gesture.

“I want to thank Magna for this incredibly generous gift. It’s a direct investment in the labour force of tomorrow that will benefit our local economy by supporting the manufacturing sector,” said Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s president and vicechancellor.

“Our skilled trades programs embody the best of Sheridan, bringing students together with industry for applied, hands-on learning guided by the best instructors. One of Canada’s leading manufacturing companies, Magna has a longstanding reputation for innovation, entrepreneurship, and a commitment to excellence. Sheridan is honoured to have Magna’s name associated with ours.”

For Magna, this investment functions not only as an act of generosity but an investment in the future of the Canadian automotive industry.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to support Sheridan and address an important issue not only for businesses and industry but also for the communities where we live and work,” said Aaron McCarthy, Magna’s chief human resources officer. “Working together, we can provide students with opportunities to learn the skills needed, bring out the best in themselves, and help strengthen our society overall.”

Aurorabased Magna International recently donated a hefty sum to Sheridan College’s skilled trades centre.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 61

REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

SELLING THE TRADES Ontario’s minister of labour, training and skills development has a bold new strategy for re-energizing the province’s economy, and the first step is bringing skilled trades recruitment right into Ontario high schools.

Barring potential COVID-19 disruptions, “I’m sending dozens of recruiters into high schools across Ontario to compete against universities to get kids to go into the trades,” said Minister Monte McNaughton.

This comes as part of what the Ontario government considers to be their “ambitious agenda to build infrastructure right across the province, whether it’s broadband, natural gas expansion, transit projects and hospitals, and we need a skilled workforce to build all of this,” said McNaughton.

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REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

BUGATTI, WHY NOTTI? AutoCanada has a new shop under its belt as the dealership group welcomes Auto Bugatti into the network.

This latest acquisition capitalizes on Auto Bugatti’s more than 20 years in the industry as well as their 30,000 sq.-ft. of production space at its Dorval, Quebec facility.

“O u r go a l is to c omple me nt our dealership network by aligning our collision consolidation strategy with the OEMs. It has been proven that certified collision repair not only improves brand loyalty but also increases both parts and vehicle sales,” said a spokesperson from AutoCanada.

Auto Bugatti is certified to make repairs on a number of luxury car brands, including BMW, MINI, LandRover, Jaguar, Tesla, Aston Martin and McLaren.

This latest acquisition capitalizes on Auto Bugatti’s more than 20 years in the industry as well as their 30,000 sq.-ft. of production space at its Dorval, Quebec facility.

BRING ON BOIVIN CSN Collision Centres has added Charles Boivin as the new sales manager for Quebec.

Boivin joins CSN after spending six years as an Account Manager with Audatex Canada. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Laval University, Boivin takes an investigative approach to his profession.

Leveraging his industry contacts and deep knowledge of the province of Quebec, means that Boivin will not need much time to make an impact. In his previous role he was responsible for providing softwarebased solutions for independent and banner collision repairers in addition to many of the top insurance carriers in the province.

Forging new connections with prospective clients typically takes a lot of time, it can mean slowly creating rapport and building trust but with that hurdle already cleared Boivin expects to see immediate traction within the province. “My first priority is to make it known to the industry that I am with CSN to establish a network of high-quality repairers in Quebec,” said Boivin.

Charles Boivin joins CSN after spending six years as an Account Manager with Audatex Canada. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Laval University, Boivin takes an investigative approach to his profession.

Charles Boivon has been appointed CSN’s new sales manager for Quebec.

QUEBEC

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 63

REGIONAL NEWS | ATLANTIC

ISLAND TIME Drivers on Prince Edward Island will be given the option to set their own pace when it comes to auto insurance rates.

CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) will begin offering the MyPace insurance policy next month, an option that is expected to adjust rates to fit with the driving habits of customers.

“You have a base rate, and then for every certain number of kilometres you use, you pay a little bit more,” said Gary Howard, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the CAA. The base rate covers the first 9,000 kilometres driven as well as the location of the driver.

The company’s website notes: “At 9,000 kilometres, there is no longer a savings benefit with CAA MyPace and a traditional auto insurance policy may suit you better.”

STRAIGHT TO THE VAULT A Newfoundland auto recycler is in the hole for $8,000 worth of scrap auto parts after thieves cut their way into a metal shipping container to grab the items.

Leaving a square hole making that looked as though it were cut by an oversized can-opener, thieves managed to make off with copper wire, car batteries and catalytic converters from Newco Metal and Auto Recycling in Marystown, Newfoundland.

The theft occurred in the early morning, according to the RCMP, and they are asking anyone who may have information relating to the incident to call Marystown RCMP (709-279-3001) or Crime Stoppers (1-800222-TIPS).

64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Newfoundland auto recycler Newco is in the hole for $8,000 worth of scrap auto parts after thieves cut their way into a metal shipping container to grab the items.

TOWING NEWS

BAD APPLES BUSTED Three OPP officers charged for corruption in tow truck industry

Sutheshkumar Sithambarpillay, owner of Steve’s Towing, was also charged. He had previously appeared on Discovery Canada’s Heavy Rescue: 401.

BY ALLISON ROGERS

T

he Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged three of their own veteran officers and suspended four others over allegations of corruption related to the province’s tow truck industry. The OPP have also charged Sutheshkumar Sithambarpillay, owner of Steve’s Towing.

All three officers are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

The force alleges the accused officers provided preferential treatment to towing companies within the Greater Toronto Area. The charges and suspensions stemmed from an investigation first launched in October 2019.

OPP also announced they charged 52-yearold Sithambarpillay with aiding and abetting breach of trust and secret commissions contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. Sithambarpillay, who goes by the name Steve Pillai, is the owner of Steve’s Towing, which is located near Highway 400 north of Sheppard Avenue in North York. He had previously appeared on Discovery Canada’s Heavy Rescue 401.

The officers facing charges all have at least 20 years of service with the OPP and served with either its Highway Safety Division or the

Toronto detachment; Const. Simon Bridle and Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain were both arrested in early January, while a warrant is out for the arrest of Const. Bindo Showan. All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

OPP says the four other officers remain under investigation but are not currently facing any criminal charges.

In the days following the charges, further events unfolded in Toronto’s As the GTA continues fighting a two-year tow truck turf war, Police investigate two separate shootings involving two tow trucks near highway 401 in North York on January 20.

Police said that several callers reported

hearing multiple gunshots in the area of Jane Street and Grandravine Drive just before 8 p.m.

A black car drove past a tow truck parked on the grass off the on-ramp from Avenue Road to the 401 and opened fire, according to police statements. Upon arrival, officers confirmed two vehicles and a residence has sustained damage from gunfire.

At the second shooting of the night, a tow truck driver was parked at a gas station parking lot next to the 401, when a dark coloured car pulled up and a gunman opened fire, police say.

The vehicle drove away from the scene; but no injuries have been reported, and Police are now looking for suspects and believe there are multiple shooters involved.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 65

RECYCLING NEWS

Brought to you by

VIVA VENTRESCA Thorold Auto Parts is giving it up for an industry veteran who has been with the company for 35 years. Sales manager, Mike Ventresca, recently celebrated his 35th year at the shop where he was first hired back in the mid-’80s. “I was hired back in ‘86,” said Ventresca in a phone interview with Collision Repair. “I was working at an auto wrecker at the time, then I came to Thorold. I was in the yard for about six months until I was brought up to sales and I’ve been with the company ever since.” For the past 15 years, Ventresca has led the sales team at Thorold Auto and he has seen it all. Despite such a long and successful tenure in the industry, Ventresca has no intention of leaving the shop any time soon. “I’m not even thinking about retiring any time soon. I’ve probably got another five, six, seven years left in me, as long as I’m healthy. I enjoy it. They’re great people to work for and Frank [Serravalle, owner] has been great to me. Prior to that, they were always good to me.”

Join Collision Repair in celebrating Thorold Auto Parts sale manager Mike Ventresca’s 35th anniversary with the company!

Ventresca has been with the company since 1986, working alongside current owner Frank Serravalle’s father, the late Lenny Serravalle.

KEEPING TABS The government of Saskatchewan has introduced legislation with the aim of tightening up regulations surrounding scrap metal theft in the province. The legislation includes an update to the Pawned Property Amendment Act and the requirements for reporting for scrap metal dealers. The changes would require that dealers obtain and record the identification and transaction information of the client from whom they are purchasing scrap metal, as well as the imposition of further restrictions on cash transactions in the attempt to curb the anonymous sale of stolen scrap metal. Theft of scrap metal, copper wiring and automotive parts has been on the rise nationwide over the last several years. However, the isolation of many rural residences in Saskatchewan makes the province an even more appealing home base for would-be thieves.

The government of Saskatchewan is aiming to tighten up regulations around scrap metal theft in the province.

ANOTHER CATALYTIC CONUNDRUM A Newfoundland auto recycler is in the hole for $8000 worth of scrap auto parts after thieves cut their way into a metal shipping container to grab the items. Leaving a square hole making that looked as though it were cut by an oversized can-opener, thieves managed to make off with copper wire, car batteries and catalytic converters from Newco Metal and Auto Recycling in Marystown, Newfoundland.

66 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

RECYCLING NEWS

BRINGING IN BATTERIES The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association is thrilled to welcome its newest member, RePowered Batteries. RePowered Batteries, headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec, takes electric vehicle batteries and repurposes them for future use in everything from solar power storage systems to grocery store grids. “RePowered Batteries take batteries from end-of-life electric vehicles and dismantle to build new batteries for micro-grid systems. Like a big backup battery,” said Julien Lemay, CEO of RePowered Batteries.

“The goal is to give batteries a second life⁠—to extend the life of electric vehicle batteries, reduce the reliance on new material and also delay their recycling so that methods have improved by the time they get to recycling and metal extraction.” Last year, RePowered Batteries set up its pilot plant to produce its proof-ofconcept. The company plans to soon open its manufacturing plant in Gatineau, Quebec. Lemay is also the founder of the Canadian Second Life Battery Assocation⁠, an organization advocating as a unified voice for second-life battery manufacturers. You can learn more about the organization by visiting cslba.ca.

MEET THE PROS OF THE CANADIAN AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING INDUSTRY Follow Canadian Auto Recyclers

Visit or subscribe to canadianrecycler.ca today!

Julien Lemay, CEO of Repowered Batteries, the latest company to join OARA.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 67

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

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T H G I L T O P S T PRODUC CHECK OUT THESE HOT PRODUCTS FOR 2021 The 2021 edition of our popular Buyer’s Guide is now available—but that doesn’t mean you’ve missed the opportunity to showcase your products! The companion site buyersguide.collisionrepairmag.com is expanding and changing all year long!

QUICK - ACCURATE - EASY TO USE With no moving parts, lasers, targets, adaptors, magnets, arms, extensions, wires, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, there is also no calibration needed making it the “Quickest, simplest and most accurate 3D measuring system in the world.” The Accuvision 3D is durable, versatile, universal, mobile, and user friendly, saving you time and money. Everything you need for measuring and alignment can be done easily with the Accuvision 3D measuring system.

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INFORM, ENGAGE, CONNECT Collision Repair’s Buyer’s Guide is a valuable industry resource featuring more than 160 products and services specifically catered to the automotive repair sector. Available both online and in print, the Buyers’ Guide is an easy-to-access tool that provides crucial information to the collision repair industry.

For more information visit buyersguide.collisionrepairmag.com FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 69

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

STEPS TO SUCCESSION Donald Cooper’s ‘exit strategy’

Cooper owns his coaching business that works with business owners and managers, who want to sell more, manage smarter and grow their bottom line.

BY JULIA LLOYD

I

f you need help planning a clear succession plan and exit strategy for your business, Donald Cooper is the man you need.

CCIF held its second virtual event on February 3 through 4, 2021 and saw representatives from all sectors of industry present throughout the two-day event.

Cooper held his presentation on the first day of CCIF 2021, with the hope of leaving attendees with a new and powerful

70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

understanding of their business and the future.

“This session is especially for business owners, and delivers key insights, important checklists and real case studies that will help you plan and execute your succession and exit from the business summit,” said Cooper.

“There’s an ongoing process throughout your whole time of running your business, the ongoing process of identifying and developing or hiring and strength in every

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

“You cannot grow your business without growing your people.” – Donald Cooper

During CCIF’s virtual event in early February, Donald Cooper delivered one of his signature “straight talks” to delve deep into the logistics of building your business’ succession plan.

part of your business, and then preparing your most talented people for career growth and promotion, you cannot grow your business without growing your people,” he said.

The second part of succession planning, Cooper said, is preparing the business to operate effectively without you one day.

“If the business can’t run without you, it’s not sellable. Nobody will want to take on a business that cannot operate without you,” he said.

Cooper introduced his business management implementation tools for no charge at the end of the presentation, however, he went through some of them in great detail during the presentation. He discussed estate planning, which is basically documenting “who’s going to get your stuff.”

The next insight Cooper goes into detail is about planning and establishing clear exit priorities.

“For many people, they’ve made their business, their need for where they go to hide from reality, and, and businesses where we go to engage. In reality, if you’re going to work to hide from reality, you and business are in big trouble sooner, or like number three, to achieve financial security, which is defined as the ability to sustain a specific lifestyle until today,” he explained.

Cooper then discusses the transfer of the business to a family member or key employees.

He discusses how many people he coaches that this is always an unpopular topic and he goes into many examples and situations that arise from owning a business and getting too old to run it effectively.

“How many businesses have an ownership or top management succession plan?

“There have been lots of surveys on this.

They typically demonstrate that only 10 percent of businesses have a written succession

plan exit strategy, while 38 percent say that they have an informal plan.

“In my experience, when I asked those people to tell me a little bit about that informal plan, they dry up, they have nothing to say they’re just making excuses.” said Cooper.

“And finally, 52 percent of people have the guts to admit that they have no plan at all.”

Cooper owns his coaching business that works with business owners and managers, who want to sell more, manage smarter and grow their bottom line.

“If you would like to sign up for straight talk management blog DonaldCooper.com, there’s a spot there where you can sign up. And then there’s the vision critical guide. It’s not free, it is a whole $24 at donaldcooper.com.”

“Or you could go and pay 10 or $15,000 to a consultant to come up with something that’s not worth the paper,” laughed Cooper.

FEBRUARY 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 71

TRAINING

STEPS TO SCREENTIME SUCCESS Dealing with internet fatigue

BY JULIA LLOYD

WHAT IS INTERNET FATIGUE? Internet fatigue comes when you refresh and read screens compulsively until you find yourself exhausted by it. It can be an anxiety that comes with feeling trapped in a whirlwind of information.

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM INTERNET FATIGUE? Mentally, you may find issues concentrating in front of a screen, memory impairment and problems differentiating your thoughts from realities.

Example: Did I complete that task and forget, or just think about completing it?

Physically, you may find yourself tired yet unable to sleep, or experience aches and pains from lack of movement.

THREE WAYS TO STAY FOCUSED FIND YOUR AMBIANCE Find your perfect balance of background noise or silence to create the perfect environment to sit down at your computer and work.

1

2

3

STAY MINDFUL Creating routines can help combat internet fatigue when working from home.

Make sure to include breaks and avoid staring at your screen for hours on end.

CREATE YOUR ‘NOOK’ To combat a distracting home environment, set up a consistent place in your home to do your work. Wherever you decide to do this, consider this place a ‘work-zone’ and don’t let yourself slack until you’ve completed your tasks.

TAKE A BREAK! Don’t feel bad if you feel you need to take a step back from the world of online working.

Take a moment to breathe and relax before heading back to your work.

72 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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

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LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL The bright lights of 2021

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ADVERTISER INDEX

COMPANY

PAGE

Air Pro Diagnostics................... 45 APT Auto Parts......................... 09 Arslan Automotive ............. 02, 68 Audatex............................... 20, 68 Autel US.................................... 41 Carcone’s Auto Recycling........ 55 Cardinal Couriers Ltd............... 08 Car-Part.com............................ 33

he outset of 2021 undoubtedly feels different than any other calendar flip we’ve ever experienced.

We could go on and on about the pandemicrelated challenges we could continue to face before vaccinations roll out nationwide In early December, Mitchell International unveiled its fourth-quarter trends report detailing upcoming trends collision repairers should be aware of in 2021. Topping Mitchell’s list is a significant sway toward personal vehicle ownership over shared mobility options as the public’s faith in public transit continues to

BY ALLISON ROGERS

According to recent data from automakers, 92.7 percent of new vehicles sold today offer at least one piece of advanced driver assistance system capabilities. Pair that with adasThink’s 2020 report that nearly 90 percent of Canadian bodyshops were missing steps on ADAS calibrations and the evidence is critical. You will need to offer these services—as well as prove your capabilities to complete ADAS calibrations correctly—to survive the future of Canada’s collision repair industry, whether it be in-house or through an ADAS calibration centre.

According to recent data from automakers, 92.7 percent of new vehicles sold today offer at least one piece of advanced driver assistance system capabilities.

Pair that with adasThink’s 2020 report that nearly 90 percent of Canadian bodyshops were missing steps on ADAS calibrations and the evidence is critical.

CARSTAR.................................. 23 Color Compass Corp............... 17 Eurovac..................................... 54 Fix Auto..................................... 38 Hail Specialist........................... 37 Impact Auto Auctions............... 25 PDR Canada............................. 68 Polyvance................................. 27 ProSpot International Inc......... 05 Sata........................................... 75 Sherwin Williams...................... 07 Simplicity Car Care................... 19 Spanesi Americas Inc............... 76 Thorold Auto Parts................... 67

dwindle. Also on the list: the anticipated rise of electric vehicles, the increased prevalence of collison repair diagnostics and, perhaps most notably, an increased focus on glass.

Once considered a niche segment of the collision repair industry, glass is rapidly becoming a core component of proper, safe vehicle repair. According to Mitchell’s own glass estimate data, the average number of labor hours categorized as glass has increased by just over 27 percent since 2018.

Cue Frank Terlep’s July 2020 industry prediction, when the self-proclaimed industry disruptor said he anticipated a whole new kind of collision centre entering the market.

“I believe we’ll soon begin to see this new type of business pop up—calibration centres,” Terlep told the audience of Dave Luehr’s Elite Bodyshop webinar.

Pair Terlep’s prediction with Mitchell’s trend report data and it appears calibration centres could be the next new business in the market and form the conclusion that glass repairs, and their associated services could soon be an integral part of the most successful collision repair businesses.

74 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

In July 2020, John Marlowe and Giuliano Bernabei launched Level5Drive, a business-tobusiness ADAS calibration service. During an August conversation with the pair, they agreed with Terlep’s statement, saying it is absolutely integral for modern collision repair centres to offer calibration as soon as possible.

So, despite the slow start to 2021, there is much to be hopeful for. If there’s one benefit to the lockdowns once again blanketing the nation, it’s the opportunity to take advantage of your downtime. There are new courses popping up every day and phone lines haven’t died—call your collision repair comrades, create a game plam and make 2021 the year you came out on top.

Happy New Year to all, from your friends at Collision Repair magazine.

Allison Rogers is the editor of Collision Repair magazine.

She can be reached at allison@mediamatters.ca.

SATA®Loyalty Program coins & more

SATA LoyaltyProgram ®

coins & more

1.

Download App & register

2.

Scan QR Code & collect coins

3.

Convert into rewards

The App is available in the App Store or Google Play Store

COINS

Scan the QR Codes in all our RPS boxes with the SATA Loyalty App, collect coins and convert them into attractive rewards for your bodyshop. Each RPS cup corresponds to one coin!

Further information inside booklet or at: www.sata.com/en-amn/service/coins-and-more

SATA Canada Inc. 125 Buttermill Avenue Vaughan, ON, L4K 3X5 Office: +1-905-660-1101 Toll-free: +1-844-554-SATA (7282) Fax: +1-905-760-1250 E-mail: contact@sata.ca www.sata.ca

TOUCH

electronic measuring system

DAMAGE DIAGNOSTICS, LIVE PULLING AND DOCUMENTATION The initial evaluation of the damaged vehicle is the first step of the repair process. Repair diagnostics can be performed on any lift, bench, or surface. Structural, mechanical and suspension parts can all be measured while on or off of the vehicle. Detailed pre-repair documentation shows the extent of the vehicle’s damage. Technicians perform live pull operations, with real-time feedback, while returning the vehicle to OEM specifications.

Post-repair documentation provides your customers the peace-of-mind to know their vehicle has been properly repaired.

spanesi-americas.com/products/damage-diagnostics/touch

Spanesi Americas, Inc. 123 Ambassador Dr. STE 107 Naperville, IL 60140

224-SPANESI (224-772-6374) www.spanesi-americas.com facebook.com/spanesiamericas