FenderBender - July 2022

FENDERBENDER.COM / JULY 2022

LABOR RATE REVIEW

PAG E 46

RECOVERING FROM A SHOP ACCIDENT Strategies & Inspiration for Collision Repair Success

MAKE IT

MODERN

NEW CHALLENGES CALL FOR NEW STRATEGIES TO STAY COMPETITIVE PAG E 3 8

Ahead of the Curve Like most business owners, Jeff Baggett of Classic Car Motoring was caught off-guard by COVID-19 disruptions. His pathway through can serve as a model of rising to the challenge.

PAG E 30

CAN DRPs AND OEM PROCEDURES PLAY NICE?

PAG E 36

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CONTENTS

0 7 . 2 2

|

JULY V O L U M E

2 4

|

N U M B E R

FEATURE

0 7

PROFILE

24 OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

30 ‘I FEEL LUCKY I SURVIVED’

Assessing the state of collision repair, from national legislation to shop-level headwinds.

A shop accident left Bryan Miller with major burn injuries, but don’t count him out.

BY STEVE BAUER AND STAFF REPORTERS

BY ALISON JOHNSON

Printed in the U.S.A. COPYRIGHT ©2022 BY 10 Missions Media LLC. All rights reserved. FenderBender (ISSN 1937-7150) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104. FenderBender content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS Send address changes to: FenderBender, 571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104.

July 2022

5

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CONTENTS

J ULY

QUICK FIX

13

10

PAST THE PAGE Pressing for Right to Repair conclusions

11

DRIVERS SEAT Time to say thanks

13

BREAKDOWN The student becomes the teacher

17

NUMBERS

What’s your succession plan?

19

LIGHT HITS

Service King reaches final agreement

20

SNAP SHOP

Crash Champions Bolingbrook

OEM wheels to you in 3 business days or less.

FIND US ON › CCC TRUE PARTS

› Mitchel

› OPSTrax

› APU Solutions

› Parts Trader

› Audatex

Scan Me

BlackburnWheels.com

Get up to speed. Gain access today!

July 2022

OEM Wheel Solutions

6

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STRATEGY

COLUMNS

34

THE SOP

43

ADAPT

Employee handbook fundamentals

Building the ultimate ADAS center

36

46

EDUCATION+ TRAINING

Harmony in DRPs and OEM procesures

38

CASE STUDY Overcoming unforseen roadblocks

FINANCE+ OPERATIONS

Responding to pay requests

23

THE BIG IDEA Retreat to ramp up

BY K E VIN R AIN S

49

COLLISION COURSE

When adjusters go virtual

BY TIFFANY ME NE FE E

51

OUTSIDE THE LINES

Image is everything

BY JASON BOGG S

36

STOP THROWING TEXTURED PLASTICS AWAY Throwing away bumpers with scrapes in the textured areas? Turn the job faster with Polyvance’s 3804 Flextex VT. Vary the texture from fi fin ne to coarse with one product.

polyvance.com 800.633.3047 July 2022

7

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CONTENTS

ONLINE EXTRAS

CL ICK ON THE L OGO BEL OW F OR PRODUC T INF ORMATION ADAPT

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions

Polyvance

AUTEL

CARSTAR

ProColor Collision

Auto Data Labels

Launch Tech USA

Spanesi Americas

TECH USA

Auto Job Central

LKQ Corporation

Sunbit

Axalta Coating Systems

Mitsubishi

TechForce Foundation

EDITORIAL

Matt Hudson Content Director Noah Brown Senior Digital Editor Hanna Bubser Digital Reporter Leah Marxhausen Special Projects Editor Steve Bauer Contributing Writer David Bellm Contributing Writer Jason Boggs Contributing Writer Caleb Brooks Contributing Writer Ryan Cropper Contributing Writer Zane Douglas Contributing Writer Tiffany Menefee Contributing Writer Mike Munzenrider Contributing Writer Kevin Rains Contributing Writer

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Jordan Beshears Steve’s Auto Body Sheryl Driggers Universal Collision Merry Green Precision Paint and Body Greg Lobsiger Loren’s Body Shop John Magowan Ernie’s Auto Body Stan Medina Certified Collision Works

READ WHAT THE PROS READ

ART AND PRODUCTION

Zach Pate Creative Services Director Jonathan Ricketts Art Director Olivia Curti Graphic Designer Morgan Glisczinski Graphic Designer Emme Osmonson Graphic Designer Lauren Coleman Production Artist

SALES

Chris Messer Vice President and Publisher 651.846.9462 / cmesser@10missions.com Andrew Johnson Associate Publisher 651.846.9459 / ajohnson@10missions.com Marianne Dyal Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 706.344.1388 / mdyal@10missions.com Chad Hjellming Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 651.846.9463 / chjellming@10missions.com Bob Marinez Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 216.533.8747 / bmarinez@10missions.com Martha Severson Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 651.846.9452 / mseverson@10missions.com Kyle Shaw Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 651.846.8480 / kshaw@10missions.com Dan Thornton Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 734.676.9135 / dthornton@10missions.com Sean Thornton Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 269.449.0257 / sthornton@10missions.com Kenzie Verschoor Associate Marketing Strategist (National Accounts) 651.846.9472 / kverschoor@10missions.com Matt Harper Regional Sales Manager 651.846.9551 / mharper@10missions.com Melody Todd Senior Marketing Strategist (Regional Accounts) 651.846.9468 / mtodd@10missions.com Autumn Morey Customer Success Representative 651.846.9460 / amorey@10missions.com Jen George Client Service Specialist 651.846.9465 / jgeorge@10missions.com

FENDERBENDER

Mariah Straub General Manager and Production Manager Meghann Moore Bookkeeper and Client Service Specialist Kate Fahlen Event Producer Meghan Horan Community Development Associate Tiffany Fowler Senior Digital Media Strategist Karley Betzler Administrative Assistant

HOW TO RE ACH US

571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104 tel 651.224.6207 fax 651.224.6212 web 10missions.com The annual subscription rate is $72 (U.S.A. only) for companies not qualified to receive complimentary copies of FenderBender.

BACK IS SUE S

“The opportunity to read about ways to improve your business from credible owners and manufacturers is priceless.”

Past issue single copies are $8.

Go to fenderbender.com/backissues

LET TE RS TO THE E DITOR editor@fenderbender.com

—Stan Medina, Owner, Certified Collision Works, Corpus Christi, Texas

ARTICLE RE PRINTS

For high-quality reprints or e-prints of articles in this issue call 651.846.9488 or email reprints@fenderbender.com.

Opinions expressed in FenderBender are not necessarily those of Endeavor Business Media, and Endeavor Business Media does not accept responsibility for advertising content.

July 2022

T O S U B S C R I B E O R R E N E W AT FENDERBENDER.COM/SUBSCRIBE 9

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VIDEOS

PA ST T H E PAGE

|

PODCASTS

|

WEBINARS

|

NEWS

GROUP PRESSES FOR RIGHT TO REPAIR ACTION THE M ASSACHUSET TS R IGHT TO R EPA IR

COA LITION has filed an Amicus Curiae brief with the federal court as a reaction to the delayed Right to Repair ruling.

According to a press release, the Amicus Curiae is essentially an urging for prompt decision making in this case without any more delays.

“During this delay, the automobile manufacturers are unfairly benefiting, winning new customers for their franchised dealerships, and consumers are losing,” The brief outlined, according to the press release. “A prompt ruling upholding the Act is necessary to remedy this situation, which is contrary to the will of the voters.”

As of that date, it will be over a year and a half since voters initially approved the Right to Repair and nearly a year from when the verdict was originally expected.

According to the press release, the brief also stated that “... delay has also been an integral part of auto manufacturers’ strategy in frustrating the ongoing efforts of consumers and independent repair shops to obtain fair and equitable access to vehicle diagnostic data needed to maintain and repair vehicles. Thus, the Committee submits this brief to request a prompt decision on this matter.”

Don’t Miss the News Don’t miss an ounce of collision industry news. Join thousands of your industry peers who stay on top of current trends by visiting fenderbender.com/news for all you need to know, every day.

@fenderbendermag

July 2022

@fenderbendermag

@fenderbendermag

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UNSPLASH

FENDERBENDER.COM/NEWS

DRIVER’S SEAT

THE COMMUNITY OF COLLISION REPAIR Bringing stakeholders together through good times and bad

OUR

SPECIALTY

AT

lots about the effects of COVID-19, the challenges in hiring, or Right to Repair. This month, we’re highlighting some of the other challenges affecting shop operations and what’s being done about them. You’ll read about challenges to labor rate practices, adoption of advanced technologies, and inflation’s impact. Again, no one shop is alone in fighting these battles.

Through those and the other offerings we have this month, I hope you’ll find a deeper connection to the community that has grown up around collision repair work. You’re an important part of that— thank you.

FENDERBENDER

is to feature real shops and the people who operate and staff them. We do that so often from issue to issue that it starts to feel automatic at times.

This month, I have to pause to recognize how grateful we are at the publication that we can call up various industry stakeholders, and they will share their stories and knowledge with us, free of charge, in order to help readers learn strategies and share challenges. That generosity can’t be overlooked.

That’s especially true for this issue. We first learned about Bryan Miller’s story last year from another news outlet, then from the Collision Industry Foundation’s work to generate some assistance after Miller was terribly burned in a shop accident. As an industry publication, we considered covering his story, but that’s only part of the equation. The real contribution comes from Miller himself, who was generous with his time and shared an account of his recovery that was incredibly honest and impactful.

The result is this month’s profile story (Recovery and Regrowth, p. 30).

Truly, we aren’t alone in this industry. By telling his story, I hope Miller finds a larger community of support. Perhaps some additional assistance will come his way. Maybe it will serve as a general reminder to others that shop work can be dangerous and safety is paramount.

Elsewhere in the magazine, you’ll find coverage of some of the top-level issues that collision repairers face (The Hidden Challenges of Collision Repair, p. 24). The idea behind this piece was that you’ve likely read MAGAZINE

July 2022

MATT HUDSON

CONTENT DIRECTOR

mhudson@10missions.com

11

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NEWS

Q U I C K

|

IDEAS

|

PEOPLE

|

TRENDS

F I X

BREAKDOWN

THE STUDENT BECOMES THE INSTRUCTOR

GETTY

A Minnesotan auto body program instructor is retiring, and one of his former students has been selected to take over

C ONSI DE R AT ION F OR T H E N E X T GE NE R AT ION of collision repair professionals is critical, but it can be a difficult concept to tackle. Discussing succession doesn’t always result in straightforward answers.

There is an opportunity to garner interest for future repairers through trade school programs that grant both an edu-

By HANNAH BUBSER

July 2022

13

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Automotive Technology Summit SEPTEMBER 2425 • DALLASFORT WORTH, TX

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT AT ADAPT 2022?

2 DAYS, 11 SESSIONS, 12+ HOURS OF NETWORKING, AND REPRESENTATION FROM THE ENTIRETY OF THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET

L E A R N M O R E A N D R E G I ST E R AT A D A P T S U M M I T. C O M

THE ADAPT: AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT IS A TWODAY EVENT PROVIDING SHOP OWNERS AND OPERATORS WITH A UNIQUE, UNMATCHED OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN DIRECTLY FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS ON THE MOST PROGRESSIVE AND PRESSING TECHNOLOGY TRENDS DISRUPTING THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET

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QUICK FIX

cation and real-life experience. Across the nation, many of these programs are shaping the minds of individuals who will eventually lead the way into collision repair’s future.

One such program exists at Minnesota State College Southeast in Winona, Minnesota. This school’s Auto Body Collision Repair Technology program has one particularly intriguing component: Former program head Tom Brandt is retiring and one of his former students, Brandon Boynton, has been chosen by the school to take over.

Work Together

Brandt began teaching for the program in 1986. He had actually been a student in it as well. He graduated in the spring of 1978, back when the school was called Winona Area Vocational Technical Institute.

Boynton graduated from MSC Southeast in 2014 as a student under Brandt.

“I can remember sitting in class even way back then thinking how it’d be fun to share my knowledge (which I really didn’t have a whole lot of at that point) with an up and coming group of techs.” Boynton says.

Passion for teaching is not the only thing Boynton and Brandt share. There are many similarities between the two, including the fact that they both have previous work experience with Fred’s Body Shop in Winona.

Additionally, the timing of their involvement as instructors with the program is also coincidental.

“I’m 28 now starting out and that’s exactly how old [Brandt] was when he took over the program as well,” Boynton says.

“It was meant to be.”

To prepare for this transition, the two have spent the past year working alongside each other, no longer as student and teacher, but as colleagues instead.

“The best explanation I can give is that it was comfortable,” Brandt says. “We worked well together. He had a solid background in the industry and he remembered what it was like being a student.”

For Boynton, the opportunity to work with Brandt has proved beneficial as he navigates all of the newness that comes along with it, from managing the auto body shop to helping with administrative tasks, inventory, general maintenance and more.

July 2022

“Don’t forget about trying to work in a little bit of teaching, too, to give a high quality education to a large group of beginner technicians,” Boynton says. “It’s a lot on your plate, so it’d be pretty easy to get overwhelmed. But luckily, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Tom and see all these moving parts.”

Embrace Change, Honor Tradition

The collision repair industry has undergone massive amounts of change over time. Addressing those shifts and potential challenges is important in order to properly prepare students.

Brandt’s career has given him the opportunity to see many facets of the industry over the years, from his previous experience teaching and consulting for I-CAR to writing for auto body magazines, working as a collision repair technician and more.

“The technologies that have developed over my career like computer databases, resources, computerized measuring and the use of digital photography have changed things. Cell phones have changed things immensely. Students are learning how to use their devices to document and to do research and to use the internet,” Brandt says. “Even to find out how to get a door handle off, it’s oftentimes faster to search a YouTube video than it is to go to a database.”

Brandt cites other changes, like the shift from full-frame to unibody vehicles, metallurgy and the changes in materials used and even the change from relatively simple welding techniques to vehicle specific techniques that have a more involved process.

While some of the content being taught has and will continue to change, the core of the teaching methods implemented by Brandt is something that Boynton anticipates keeping the same.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to maintain and build off of what he’s established already,” Boynton says. “[Brandt] has been such an inspiration to me. The auto body program wouldn’t be here without him.”

As a student, Boynton recalls Brandt implementing a hands-on approach while simultaneously incorporating critical thinking classes that went into why me-

15

chanical components do what they do.

This helped get students into the mindset of becoming a well rounded technician.

This is something that Boynton kept with him beyond his time as a student and into the multiple collision repair jobs that he has held prior to his current role as an auto body collision repair technology instructor. “[Boynton] was always more than willing to get involved in a project and try to absorb as much as he could. He was a good student,” Brandt says. “When he finished the program he even mentioned to me that someday he’d like to teach. I think it was in his mind the whole time that he wanted more than just fixing the cars. He wanted to help people learn to fix cars.”

The Future Awaits

Brandt strongly believes that programs such as the one at MSC Southeast fuel opportunities for independent shops to find real talent. This is especially crucial considering the current labor shortages felt throughout the aftermarket.

But shops need to be willing to put in the work, says Brandt. Many large companies in the industry are able to put students through school and ultimately recruit individuals that way. Brandt says that shops can use this strategy as well.

“If shops want to play a role in it, they need to get involved and look at how they can help sponsor a student or intern them while they’re in the program,” says Brandt. “There are opportunities in both directions for the students, and it’s more important that a student is fitted to the shop’s personality, be it they’re better in a small facility or a larger operation.”

Boynton looks forward to hearing from students in the coming years about their successes across the industry. One of the most rewarding parts of teaching for him is getting new repair professionals excited about all the possibilities that lie ahead.

Even though Boynton has built up his resume to successfully assume this new role, it is about more to him than paving his own career. It’s about carrying on what he’s learned from Brandt and continuing to inspire students.

“It’s pretty good to be able to take over for your mentor and let him ride off into the sunset,” Boynton says.

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QUICK FIX

NUMBERS

SUCCESS IN SUCCESSION

Q: Do you have plans to retire in the near future?

A C C O R D I N G T O T H E 2022 F E N D E R B E N D E R I N D U S T R Y

S U R V E Y, nearly 60% of respondents have no plans of retiring

in the near future, leaving little room for younger generations to take over control of the business. More alarming is that 32% of respondents don’t have a succession plan in place.

Yes

No

44%

56%

Q: What is your business succession plan?

UNSPLASH

32% 25% 15% 9% 6% 12% July 2022

17

No plan

Leave it to a family member or business partner

Sell to private buyer

Transfer to staff

Sell to consolidator

Other

fenderbender.com

QUICK FIX

LIGHT HITS

SERVICE KING REACHES FINANCIAL AGREEMENT

Service King Collision has entered into an agreement with financial stakeholders to provide Service King with new capital and to help reduce debt and extend remaining existing debt maturities.

According to a press release, the agreement is meant to position Service King for long-term growth. Service King will receive $200 million in new capital under this agreement. Additionally, net indebtedness by over $500 million.

Remaining existing funded debt maturities will be extended until June 2027.

"This agreement is an important step forward in strengthening our financial position by adding new capital and reducing our debt, positioning Service King to continue to grow and succeed over the long term," said David Cush, Chief Executive Officer of Service King in the press release.

"We are confident this recapitalization will allow us to further invest in the Company and our people, and enable Service King to continue delivering safe, superior auto body repair services to our customers across the markets we serve."

Under this agreement, Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. affiliates will assume majority ownership of Service King.

"We see significant opportunities ahead for Service King as the Company continues to deliver on its mission of being the national collision repair operator of choice across several of the country's fastest growing MSAs. We are excited to partner with Service King and its talented teammates and reinvest in the business to drive growth for the long term," said José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Clearlake in the press release.

Service King plans to continue operations as normal.

GLOBAL FINISHING SOLUTIONS PARTNERS WITH 1COLLISION

Global Finishing Solutions has announced a new partnership program with 1Collision, according to a press release.

1Collision is an organization of both independent and dealer-owned collision repair businesses that offers

July 2022

support in collision repair center operations. GFS provides finishing equipment and technologies to help body shops and collision repair centers in growing their businesses.

“As the preferred provider of finishing equipment for 1Collision, we are confident the support, expertise and stability of GFS will strengthen their presence in their respective markets, while giving them the equipment and finishing solutions needed to elevate their business,” said Jim Faragher, president of GFS in the press release.

CLASSIC COLLISION ANNOUNCES NEW FLORIDA ACQUISITION

Classic Collision has announced a new acquisition in Florida.

According to a press release, Classic Collision has acquired The Body Werks repair center in Holly Hill.

The Body Works has been in business for nearly 40 years, ser ving the Daytona area and beyond.

“We have gained a stellar reputation in our community because of our attention to detail and our dedication to clients, and we look forward to carrying this on with Classic," said owner Tom Prescott in the press release.

Classic Collision is a multi-site collision repair operator based out of Atlanta, Georgia.

“We are pleased to welcome the entire Body Werks team to the Classic Family.

We recognize their high service standards and look forward to building on that in Volusia County,” stated Toan Nguyen, CEO of Classic Collision in the article.

FORT MYERS: MAACO PARTNERS WITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE

A Maaco location in Fort Myers,Florida, has announced the launch of a partnership with Fort Myers Technical College.

According to a press release, this effort will support future auto body repair professionals.

“We’ve recently been able to enhance our efforts of giving back to our community by partnering with the Fort Myers Technical College,” said Justin DePasquale, owner, Maaco Fort Myers, in the press release. “As vehicles advance

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with innovation, so does the technology required to repair them. It’s important to show students the right way to repair and we’re happy to support however we can.”

DePasquale and his business partner Richard Leatherwood have been working together to support the school.

DePasquale went on to comment that his team has lent the school a plastic welder and even had an employee visit to help train the students on how to use it.

Currently, DePasquale is working with his paint vendor in an effort to gift the school a sun gun.

Throughout this partnership, DePasquale has been in consistent contact with an instructor at the school named Jeff Slack.

“He is one of the most determined teachers I have met. He wants to see each and ever y one of his students succeed, and when I got in touch with him to see how we could help, he was ecstatic,” said DePasquale.

“Now, I can’t wait to continue to help Jeff and his students!”

SAFELITE ACQUIRES FRONTIER GLASS

Safelite Group, the owner of Safelite AutoGlass, has announced an agreement to acquire the assets of Frontier Glass out of Buffalo, New York.

According to a press release, the transaction was completed on Friday, May 27.

“We’re pleased to welcome Frontier Glass associates to the Safelite family,” said Renee Cacchillo, president and CEO of Safelite Group in the press release.

“Founded in 1920, their focus on highquality work and stellar customer service nicely align with our mission and values, making this acquisition a terrific addition to our business.”

Safelite is known for vehicle glass repair, replacement services and recalibration services.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to utilize the skills and talents of their team while honoring their incredible legacy,” Cacchillo said in the press release.

“Together, we will deliver the personal care and memorable customer service we’re known for through the Safelite AutoGlass brand in every community.”

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QUICK FIX

1 SNAP SHOP

CRASH CHAMPIONS BOLINGBROOK

By MIKE MUNZENRIDER Photos by JUSTIN CASTERLINE

L O C AT I O N :

BOLINGBROOK, ILL.

CEO AND FOUNDER:

MATT EBERT

SIZE:

33,000 SQUARE FEET

S TA F F :

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A V E R A G E M O N T H L Y C A R C O U N T:

250, WITH CAPACITY FOR UP TO 350

NUMBER OF DRPs:

19

ANNUAL REVENUE:

$10 MILLION

3 Submit Your Shop Proud of your shop and want to show it off to your peers? Tell us about it at

SUBMISSIONS@10MISSIONS.COM.

July 2022

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1. TOWERING DESIGN

Crash Champions CEO Matt Ebert says the fast-growing MSO’s shop in Bolingbrook, Illinois, one of more than 200 in the network, is a flagship location.

Acquired by the company in July 2019, Ebert says Crash Champions-Bolingbrook was an existing 16,000-square-foot body shop, which was built-out to incorporate a neighboring building to get it to its current 33,000-square-feet of size.

Part of the remodel included adding Crash Champions’ distinctive tower.

“It just calls attention to the entrance, it’s very noticeable, it’s just the same as the arches are for McDonald’s,” Ebert says.

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2. OPEN OFFICE

The front of the shop is branded with Crash Champions’ colors and signage, and includes offices and a small waiting area for customers. Ebert says it’s “very simple and clean.”

“We keep everybody in [a single] office space–we don’t have a bunch of small offices. That keeps the group together,” says Ebert, adding that anybody at a desk can make eye contact with customers and greet them, and that the open office allows everybody, including vendors and customers, to overhear what’s going on.

“It’s helpful,” he says.

3. SHARED SPACE

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The shop’s floor is designed around a tech’s ability to move vehicles without having to interrupt others’ work, Ebert says.

The paint shop includes three Blowtherm paint booths, with a double-bay enclosed heated prep station, he says, with one booth built taller for painting Sprinter vans.

There are a couple Car-O-Liner frame racks, along with other shared tools and equipment, in the center of the shop floor, Ebert says, with generous space for parts in various areas, including a dedicated receiving door for parts orders.

Aluminum repairs aren’t needed so often as to have a dedicated space, Ebert says, so an area with a lift can be used both for mechanical work as well as for aluminum.

“You close the curtains, turn on the fans, and do the aluminum work,” he says.

4. DRIVE ON THROUGH

Ebert says Crash Champions’ Midwest locations include a drive-thru for intake and delivery of vehicles–it’s also a useful area for PDR work following a hailstorm, and can be used to store cars that have been washed in order to avoid having to wash then again.

“It’s nothing you need in Southern California,” he says, “ but in the Midwest, where it’s raining often, and cold in the winter, it’s great.”

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COLLISION C A S T

T H E N E W, REVAMPED COLLISIONCAST W E E K LY EPI S OD ES FEATU R I NG SHOP OWNERS, SP E C IAL G U ESTS , LEAD I N G INDUSTRY V ENDORS A N D F E N D ER B EN D ER COLU MNISTS

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE

PODCASTS

STITCHER

POCKET CASTS

COLUMNS

THE BIG IDEA

The Magic of Retreats Solitude, rest and rejuvenation can lead to competitive advantages Recently on a retreat I led for business own-

JILL MATTHEWS

ers I had someone offhandedly mention that they could not remember a time that they had ever intentionally been alone as an adult.

They did, however, remember many times in their childhood when they would spend a lot of time outdoors, alone, lost in their thoughts and imagination. They remembered those times being very rejuvenating and life giving.

But now, he said he couldn’t even go to the bathroom without one of the kids banging on the door trying to get attention.

He told me later while we were hiking that he didn’t even know how to spend time alone. It was almost as if he wouldn’t know what to do if he was alone. At a certain point in our hike I said, “You go that way and I’ll go this way and we’ll meet up at the main camp whenever you get back. The very first step toward practicing intentional solitude is simply to be alone with your thoughts. See you in a bit.”

I got back to the main camp and waited for him. And waited. And waited. At one point I was wondering if I should go and check on him.

Eventually, he emerged from the woods and back to the main camp. I asked him how it went.

“I just found this overhang and sat on a rock for 20 minutes. It was amazing!”

Take a Beat Intentional rest in solitude is the birthplace of inspiration. Great leaders throughout history and from around the globe have strategically practiced solitude. From Moses to Gandhi, Jesus to Martin Luther King Jr., Churchill to Lincoln— there has not been one great world leader who has not spent significant time in solitude and deep reflection. Solitude is the grist mill for great ideas, rejuvenation and clarity.

And yes, there is a great paradox here! To ac-

July 2022

complish much we must first rest. And to lead others well we need to often be alone.

In addition to rest, we also explored the idea of rejuvenation. I love the word rejuvenation! It literally means to be made young again. “Re” is the prefix that means again. And “juven” is where we get our word juvenile or young one.

How do we rejuvenate? On the retreats that I lead I encourage everyone to think about what they did in their childhood that made them feel alive.

If we can tap into those things that made us feel alive when we were young, perhaps that will provide clues to what will make us feel young and fully alive again.

For me I often reflect that as a child I was outside, typically playing or hiking in the woods. Then it was making trails and jumps and going through the woods fast on my BMX bike. As I got older I graduated to motorcycles and my trips through the woods got faster and faster. Eventually I got my driver’s license and just had to have a convertible! I found a 1969 Olds 442 ragtop and restored it—with much help from my dad and my dad’s team at his shop—over the summer before my senior year in high school. I used to love to take Sunday drives through local parks.

I also tried to see how fast it could go. Let’s just say I was chased but never caught. In short, what I realized in all that was that I really like to go fast in nature. When that dawned on me about 10 years ago, I immediately bought a motorcycle. I nicknamed it my “two-wheel therapy.” It turned out that riding motorcycles makes me feel young again.

How do you find rest in solitude? What did you do when you were young that made you feel alive?

I would love to hear from you! Email me and let me know. And if you’re looking for some time away we’d love to have you on one of our retreats.

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KEVIN RAINS

After 18 years in the industry, Kevin Rains sold his network of shops. He now coaches body shop owners and leaders and is the author of the upcoming book Launch to Legacy: The Small Business Roadmap to Success and Significance.

You can reach Kevin at kevinrains@gmail.com

EMAIL:

kevinrains@gmail.com

ARCHIVE:

fenderbender.com/rains

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TOPICAL

THE HIDDEN CHALLENGES OF COLLISION REPAIR Most in the industry are aware of the ongoing concerns about labor shortages and supply chain issues, but dig a little deeper and even more challenges loom

GETTY

By STEVE BAUER AND FENDERBENDER STAFF REPORTERS

July 2022

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TOPICAL

!

I T ’ S N O S E C R E T T H A T the auto collision industry continues to struggle mightily with the ongoing labor shortage and supply chain issues. But if both problems were solved tomorrow, what would shop owners point to when it came to overcoming their next set of hurdles to run a smooth, profitable business?

It’s a question that has a variety of answers, but if you pull the curtain back a little farther, it becomes clear that there are a handful that continue to (or will be) thorns in operators’ sides. Whether it’s growing concerns over receiving fair labor rates from insurance companies, keeping up with the rapid evolution of automotive technology, or most recently, the rapidly rising cost of doing business, there are plenty of topics to keep a collision repair owner awake at night.

The Battle Over Labor Rates

Stan Medina, owner of Certified Collision Works in Corpus Christi, Texas, says that he’s glad to see collision repair operators be more vocal about the industry issues.

“It's a very interesting time within the body shop industry,” he says. “I think that we’ve built some momentum over the last couple of years, and we’re kind of almost at this point of no return.”

He’s had difficult conversations with insurance adjusters who say they don’t pay out for certain repair processes. One strategy Medina has picked up is to do a lot of homework before dealing with insurers.

Make the case for why your labor rates are where they are—and provide evidence.

“Be consistent with them,” Medina says.

“We have a documentation that we use that says based on the economy and price increases and materials, it’s due for a labor increase. And we share that with them.”

When more repairers in a market are demanding better rates, insurers will take notice, he adds.

Keeping Pace With Advanced Technology

With OEMs continually evolving vehicle technology at break-neck speed, many shop owners are caught in the middle, having to make the tough decision on investing large chunks of their money into diagnostic and other high-tech equipment so they can properly service a car when it arrives at their lot.

Tim Wall, owner of TNT Body Shop in GETTY

According to the 2022 FenderBender Industry Survey, one of the biggest headaches for shop owners is the continued fight with insurance companies about underpaying shops for their labor during a repair process.

The issue hasn’t gone unnoticed by legislators, particularly in Massachusetts, where the state legislature is currently holding hearings on whether dealerships and auto body shops are being fairly reimbursed by insurers.

According to various news reports, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Massachusetts offered a recommendation that would involve a tiered approach to raising rates. It suggested an increase of $33 for the minimum reimbursement rate and yearly adjustments based upon the consumer price index.

News outlets like WWLP in Springfield, Massachusetts, reported on a rally by collision repairers to bring attention to insurer reimbursement rates. One Springfield shop owner said that 30 of his employees went to Boston for the demonstration, according to the news station.

Proposed legislation by the Massachusetts Automobile Dealers Association would aim to authorize the state Division of Insurance to establish the minimum for industry labor rates, which haven’t risen in 14 years.

Several other states, including California, Florida, and Michigan, are considering legislation that would regulate reimbursement rates.

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$ What Are Shop Operators’ Biggest Challenges?

According to 2022 FenderBender Industry Survey, while a shortage of qualified technicians and insurer influence on repair processes still weigh heavily on shop owners’ minds, the topic of low labor rates jumped significantly compared to 2021. And not surprisingly, with inflation on the rise, owners also noted the increasing cost of doing business was a growing concern for them this year.

Virginia, says although he’s aware of the need to invest in new tools to service vehicles, especially those equipped with ADAS, the price tag attached to that decision has forced him to dig deep into researching emerging technology trends and whether any investment he does make will increase his shop’s bottom line to the point it’s worth the price.

“My shop is located in a rural area, so although I know ADAS, for example, is becoming more common in cars, is it worth the massive investment I’ll have to make so my shop can service those specific vehicles?” he asks.

At the moment, Wall says he’s considering investing more than $100,000 into

July 2022

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TOPICAL

What is the single biggest challenge facing collision shop operators today?

Shortage of qualified technicians:

35%

Low labor rates:

22%

Insurer influence on repair process

Rising cost of doing business

Vehicle design advancements

Technology and tool needs:

Inconsistent repair standards

Training requirements

Industry consolidation

Parts choices (OEM versus aftermarket)

Other

Most Common Answer: All of the Above!

12%

<1%

<1%

3%

<1%

8%

15%

3%

<1%

SOURCE: 2022 FENDERBENDER INDUSTRY SURVEY

so to a large degree you’re out on an island when making these decisions.”

Inflation’s Crippling Effect

The rapid rise of inf lation across the U.S. has had a crippling effect on just about everyone. While consumers struggle with gas prices surging to and beyond the $4-per-gallon mark, and the rising costs of items from the hardware store to their favorite restaurants, businesses are hit just as hard by the rising cost of doing business.

According to statistics released by the U.S. Labor Department in April, the consumer price index leaped 8.5 percent annually, the fastest pace since December 1981.

That jump contributed to the U.S. Federal Reserve decision to raise interest rates in early May. Inflation now has notched new 40-year highs for five straight months.

Prices rose 1.2 percent from February levels, the sharpest monthly increase since September 2005.

Collision shop owners are feeling the crunch, too, as the cost of shop supplies and other essentials have in many cases forced them to pass those increases on to their customers.

“I’ve seen increases across the board when it comes to purchasing supplies for my shop,” says Mike Mashburn, owner of Mashburn’s Collision Center in Tennessee.

You’d be hard pressed to find an operator who isn’t concerned with increasing costs.

“The sad part about that is the inflation always falls on the smaller guys,” Medina says.

He says he tries to do the most he can within his shop walls. He talks to his staff about financial education and has brought in experts during a lunch and learn session to go over personal finance. This action doesn’t make the cost of goods cheaper, but it shows staff members that Medina cares about how they use their pay.

GETTY

new diagnostic and calibration equipment, but even that isn’t a guarantee his shop will reap the benefits when it comes to increased revenue.

“You have to walk a fine line between deciding exactly what vehicles your shop can afford to service and which ones aren’t worth it,” he notes. “I have a son who is primed to take over the business, and I don’t want to saddle him with crushing debt because of bad decisions I make now.”

Wall acknowledges that investing in new technology will have positive benefits for the shop, but he adds that there’s no clear formula all shop owners can follow.

“If your shop is located in a large metro area, then perhaps you have no choice but to invest in ADAS equipment,” he says. “At the same time, however, you really have to know your customer base, your market and whether you want to offer a service some of your competitors can’t or won’t.

Still, in the end there are no guarantees, and manufacturers offer little guidance

July 2022

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REAL STRATEGIES FOR COLLISION REPAIR SUCCESS

“This magazine has been a key component to our organization in keeping us up to date with new vehicle trends and technologies in our forever evolving industry.”

—Jonathon Best, Vice President, Fender Mender Collision, Charleston, S.C.

T O S U B S C R I B E O R R E N E W AT F E N D E R B E N D E R . C O M / S U B S C R I B E

A technician looks ahead after a life-changing accident

By ALISON JOHNSON

July 2022

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July 2022

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ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA CURTI

PROFILE

President, helping Miller was a simple decision: “At a time when it’s so hard to find employees, here we have a really nice, strong young man who wants to stay in this industry, who loves this industry. We’re committed to taking this journey with him.”

A Tech on Track Bryan Miller showed skills in areas like tattooing, and he took that talent into vehicle restoration and bodywork.

Escaped with His Life

B R Y A N M I L L E R R E M E M B E R S almost everything about the September night he almost died. He wishes he could forget.

First was the bang of a motorcycle backfiring inside an Ohio body shop, which triggered a combustible chain reaction. Then the pure shock and desperation as flames surrounded him and he raced to squeeze through a narrow window to escape.

Miller remembers screaming—he’s just not sure if it was in pain, terror, or both—ripping off his burning clothes and rolling around in the grass outside the shop. He remembers a helicopter ride to a trauma center in agonizing pain, followed by the news that he had suffered third-degree burns over more than 70 percent of his body.

Since then, Miller has battled through an arduous recovery, with 10 surgeries so far and at least another two

July 2022

on the horizon, plus ongoing physical therapy. Much of his skin remains dry, tight and scarred, still at risk of ripping into open wounds.

“I feel lucky I survived, but it has changed everything,” he says. “I was a healthy and fit guy, and now I get tired from walking like half a mile. I can’t go to sleep without reliving that night, over and over. But I’m getting stronger every day, and I’m not giving up.”

Miller, 32, dreams of returning to his career as an auto technician and painter.

He is humbled by the outpouring of support not only from his family, fiancée and friends, but from the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) and the auto body industry.

“Before this,” he notes, “I didn’t really realize how much people around me loved me.”

To Michael Quinn, CIF’s Board

32

Miller grew up in Batavia, Ohio, about 30 minutes outside Cincinnati. Like many a boy, he was drawn to cars early and spent hours playing with a Hot Wheels track in his backyard. He also enjoyed watching car shows on television.

After high school, Miller worked as a professional mover and a tattoo artist. In 2016, he joined a friend who had a job in a shop that restored classic cars, starting out with mostly cleaning duties. Within two years, he was doing painting, bodywork and framework.

“As soon as I started working with cars, I knew that was where I was supposed to be,” he recalls. “I loved taking something broken down and fix it up and make it beautiful, and all the technical and artistic abilities you needed to have.”

Miller mastered his skills as a painter/ combustion collision technician at two other Ohio-area companies before coming to Elite Auto Body, Cycle and Sales in Bethel, Ohio. He was working on his own motorcycle the night of the fire.

At about 9:30 p.m., Miller was putting on a new starter when a spark apparently triggered an explosion. He was trapped inside for about 1½ minutes before cramming himself through a window that he estimates was only a foot high and another foot wide.

“All I was just thinking, ‘I have to get out of here,’” he says. “I don’t know how I did.”

As the shop burned to the ground, a man and woman passing by on a motorcycle stopped to help. In Miller’s recollection, they waited 30 minutes for medical technicians and another 30 for a helicopter to evacuate him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Miller never lost consciousness. “That wasn’t a good thing,” he says.

Rescuers told Miller that if he’d been stuck inside the shop for even 30 seconds longer, he almost certainly would have died. Miller can be brutally honest: He

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says there were numerous days in the hospital when he wished he had.

In Recovery

The majority of Miller’s body was covered in third-degree burns. Only his face was miraculously spared, other than a few tiny spots on his nose and beneath his bottom lip.

Third-degree burns, also known as “full-thickness burns,” completely destroy the first two layers of the skin and extend into a fatty layer beneath. In Miller’s case, the flames ate away all of his sleeve and chest tattoos.

Daily wound cleanings and dressing changes in the hospital sometimes stretched as long as six hours.

“It was brutal, absolutely traumatic,” Miller says. “Not only having the procedures but anticipating them. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Surgeons also performed multiple skin grafts to cover Miller’s most severe burns and help them heal. He also survived a near-fatal case of pneumonia and later a bout with COVID-19.

Miller was in the Cincinnati hospital for 70 days. Just three weeks after he was released, he developed a dangerous infection and had to be readmitted, followed by a stay at the Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care until mid-February.

Miller’s biggest supporters have been his dad, Ron Miller—a diabetic struggling with his own health issues—and his fiancée Kassi Nellett, his girlfriend of six years. He moved back in with his dad in his hometown, and Nellett has never wavered in her devotion.

“She’s my rock,” he says. “She has spent hours changing my dressings. And my dad, he looks out for me and I look out for him.”

Miller’s loved ones, in turn, have been inspired by him. “I’m just happy he’s been given such an amazing opportunity to live,” says Nellett, who currently cleans houses for a living. “And more so, just about the courage and confidence he has to continue.”

Rebuilding

The road ahead won’t be easy, of course.

Miller must apply lotion throughout the day to keep his skin moist and do stretches each morning to regain the mo-

July 2022

bility he has fought for in physical therapy sessions. His skin constantly feels as if he’s wearing clothes that are much too small.

The skin across the middle of Miller’s chest is the most uncomfortable and prone to breakage. When that happens, he puts on a bandage and pushes on with his day. He has weaned himself off pain medications, which interfered with his mood and sleep.

Come fall, Miller likely will undergo surgeries to remove thickened scar tissue in both arms in hopes of improving his range of motion, possibly with more skin grafts. He also will continue in physical therapy this summer, typically for an hour per session at least twice a week.

Miller is working to rebuild strength in his hands, especially his dominant right hand, although mercifully both are still functional. He guesses the bottoms of his hands were not burned as badly as the tops because they were covered in thick calluses from working with cars.

Because Miller can’t sweat in any areas where he has skin grafts, he is at high risk for overheating and must be particularly careful in hot weather.

Perhaps the toughest challenge, however, are the near-nightly episodes of flashbacks as Miller lies in bed. “I just kind of go back to the explosion,” he explains. “I can almost feel the heat and pressure. It’s hard to deal with and hard to describe.”

Along with steep medical bills, Miller

eventually faces costs to find permanent housing, replace his tools and other belongings lost in the fire, and train for future professional opportunities that might accommodate his physical limitations.

While he’d love to paint cars again, Miller worries that his damaged skin might react poorly to certain chemicals.

Once he determines what role he can play in the auto industry, potential options include joining a friend’s restoration shop or getting a job referral through Quinn.

The nonprofit CIF, generally involved in disaster relief efforts, has been busy fundraising for Miller, including planning a live auction during July’s Collision Industry Conference meeting and gala in Pittsburgh. I-CAR also has committed to donate refinishing courses if wanted.

“Moving forward, we will see what Bryan needs as he recovers, and we will be there for him as we do that,” Quinn says. “This young man gives me strength every day. We will always be cheering him on.”

Despite lingering moments of frustration and despair, Miller is grateful to be alive. He stays busy by taking walks, occasionally enjoying his metal detecting hobby and, mostly, just hanging out with his loyal family.

“I am so blessed,” he says. “Sometimes I lose sight of that on my harder days; I wouldn’t wish what I’ve been through on anyone. But I’m very glad to still be around.”

To help, visit collisionindustryfoundation.org/donate and click on the “Donations for Burn Victim Bryan Miller” tab. Donations are 100 percent tax-deductible.

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LEARN

|

GROW

|

WORK SMARTER

THE SOP

HOW TO WRITE AN EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

Onboard employees and protect your shop with this important document

July 2022

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M AT T T H O R N T O N, owner of Parks Royal Body Works in Boise, Idaho, echoes much of the collision repair industry when he says, “The biggest stumbling block to getting your car fixed is dealing with the insurance companies.”

One way to onboard employees and to do it right is with a well-written employee handbook.

“I think it’s important for both the employer and the employee to have

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GETTY

S T R A T E G Y

dentiality, when that is 10,000 percent an illegal policy. There’s nothing cost effective about hiring attorneys to fix mistakes.

Different Ways to Do Your Handbook

one set of guidelines, one set of governing policies, to set a mutual level of expectations,” says Jon Hyman, an employment and labor attorney with Wickens Herzer Panza, an Ohio law firm.

Hyman says a body shop’s employee handbook is the first and best way to communicate with and set a tone for new employees. It’s also a way to protect your business down the line, should disciplinary or other issues crop up, as well as a means to promote company values.

“There are all sorts of things you can encourage employees to do just by putting a policy in a handbook,” he says.

Do you need to update your shop’s employee handbook? Is now the time to start writing yours from scratch? Read on for more tips from Hyman on how to create an employee handbook.

As told to MIKE MUNZENRIDER

This is not a contract.

Beyond that disclaimer, you want your employee handbook to include guidelines, not binding principles. Consider: It’s first and foremost a communication tool–figure out your tone, formal or informal, how you will describe the business, nail down your philosophy. The handbook is guidelines, but it can also communicate more about your shop than what to do, and what not to do.

Spend the money up front.

Anybody can go and Google an outline for an employee handbook, and there are some wonderful starting points out there, but I always caution against using them as endpoints. If you didn’t have your book drafted by an attorney, have it reviewed by one.

Speaking from a lot of experience, it’s always cheaper to have an attorney involved in writing it from scratch than to review, edit, and markup a handbook for a business. That Google book—you just don’t know who wrote it, what state it was for, and you can run into a host of compliance issues.

Spend the money up front so you don’t have to do it after—generally it’ll be $1,500 to $2,500 up front, and if you get into litigation over an error in the book, 10 to 100 times more should you need a lawyer on the backend.

Half the handbooks I’m given to review include one simple yet glaring error: They’ll have policies that say employee salaries and wages are confidential, they can’t be discussed, it’s a breach of confi-

Lay out policies.

Lay out policies in your handbook regarding employee discounts and education and training reimbursements or if that’s covered up front. You can use the handbook to encourage behavior, for instance, by stating that employees can get time off to do charitable work.

Policies You Need

There are literally hundreds of policies you can put into your handbook, it largely depends on the type of behavior you want to encourage. Then again, there are policies you need to put into writing no matter what: Explain how and when employees are supposed to work; always explain your attendance policy; if an employee can’t come to work, lay out how they should call in; explain what happens if they’re a no-show; how overtime is calculated; and the difference between exempt and nonexempt employees.

Leave yourself flexibility.

Even though your handbook is not a contract and you have that disclaimed in the handbook itself, you want to leave yourself as much flexibility as possible with the policies therin. Consequences for breaking policies can be explained as discipline, on up to termination.

Leave yourself flexibility to deviate from guidelines–from the employer standpoint, building into the document as much discretion as possible is always helpful.

GETTY

Every handbook should absolutely have a disclaimer reaffirming the at-will status of employees. Don’t inadvertently create a contract between employees and the business through something in your handbook.

Here’s what it must contain: “This is not a contract of employment, you are always and shall be an at-will employee unless someone signs a contract for you.

You can be fired for any legal reason and you will not rely on anything in this set of guidelines as binding.”

The handbook is guidelines.

If you’re an MSO with locations in different states, there’re a couple different ways to do your handbook. Do you want a different book for each state based on that state’s requirements regarding things like protected classes and family medical leave, or a single handbook that’s the lowest common denominator that includes all the same policies? I’ve seen handbooks that are 100 pages long with the disclaimer, “If you’re in California this policy only applies to you.” Use the same book for all shops and you might have employees in Mississippi wondering why they don’t get paid time off like the California shop employees.

You’re creating potential conflict.

July 2022

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STRATEGY

EDUCATION+TR AINING

CAN DRPS AND OEM REPAIR PROCEDURES COEXIST?

It’s a challenge, but vital to proper repairs

By M I K E M U N Z E N R I D E R

relations for Certified Collision Group. “You have to do it to avoid critical failure.”

To back up her assertion, Solls, who is in constant contact with CCG’s network of highperforming shops, points to the rapid changes in vehicle technology and those that are on the horizon, specifically the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, which will feature a “UltiBody,” according to GM’s chief engineer for battery trucks as reported by GM Authority.

“Cars have always been on a full frame or a unibody, but now we’re seeing a change in actual structure,” she says.

While the advancement of vehicle technology has been constant in recent years, body shop owners and industry experts frequently tell FenderBender that insurance companies seem to be unaware of newer and necessary repair operations, creating challenges in billing for repairs that follow OEM procedures.

“The fact of the matter is that [insurers are] reluctant to pay for operations that need to be performed that they question,” says Pete Tagliapetra, managing director of Datatouch, LLC, and a longtime industry GETTY

C A N S H O P S T H AT R E LY on DRPs also follow OEM repair procedures?

According to collision repair industry experts, the answer is “yes,” but it takes concerted effort, and an understanding of what’s at stake.

When it comes to following manufacturers’ procedures for each job that comes through your shop, experts say it’s no longer optional.

“I think it’s 100 percent vital to every operation, every repair, every time,” says Erin Solls, director of OEM and industry

July 2022

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vet with experience both on the insurance and shop sides.

That sentiment can come from shops outside of direct repair programs too, though experts say the way to carry out proper repairs both inside and outside of DRPs comes down to the same principles: training, documentation, and education.

Lay of the Land

With changing business models, just how prevalent are DRPs in the collision repair industry in 2022?

Solls says CCG doesn’t pump DRP information from its network shops, though the 2022 FenderBender Industry Survey can provide a snapshot of how many shops are involved in such programs.

Per the survey, which was conducted this spring, 35 percent of responding shops reported no involvement with DRPs; another 38 percent of respondents said they were on between one and three DRPs. Of the remaining 27 percent of shops that said they’re involved with four or more DRPs, the largest proportion, 17 percent, reported involvement in four to six direct repair programs.

With more shops on fewer DRPs, what does the survey say about the use of OEM repair procedures? Answering the question, “Does your shop pull and follow OEM repair procedures for most repairs?” 82 percent of shops said, “Yes,” another 16 percent said “Sometimes,” while 3 percent said “No.” Solls’ anecdotal experience with CCG shops, which are networked to share information and hold many OEM certifications, mirrors the survey findings.

“I talk to a lot of shops and they get it, they ask me, ‘Have you found an easier way to do it?’”

Both Solls and Tagliapetra, who, previous to Datatouch, was founder of NuGenIT, which developed software to pull OEM procedures based on estimates, agree that finding, absorbing, and then following such information can be cumbersome because there’s no agreed-upon terminology or format of documentation from OE to OE. Tagliapietra says the best body shops have folks dedicated to pulling repair procedures, and that third party providers like ALLDATA can be helpful in how they format the information to make it easy to find.

Beyond the time to find procedures,

July 2022

Solls says it’s then a matter of training up and giving technicians on the shop floor the skills needed to follow OEM repair procedures.

Educate and Document

Carrying out the operations called for in OEM repair procedures is one thing–how can shops deal with resistance from insurance companies, especially when a DRP is involved?

The answer involves bridging the gap between what shops know, and what the adjuster on the other end of the line may not know.

“The only option here is for the shops to inform the insurance companies,” says Tagliapietra, noting that many adjusters aren’t automotive damage experts, and that insurance culture makes them skeptics.

A turn away from estimates and towards detailed repair planning and blueprinting is one way to better document specifically what each repair requires.

“When a shop engages in a repair plan, the repair plan must include each procedure so they can support their request to be paid by the information contained in the repair plan,” Tagliapietra says.

“With all the new technology, you just can’t write a 30-line estimate and expect everybody to lay down and pay what you want to be paid.”

Solls echoes his point, noting that shops doing repairs the right way may find themselves on an island, with documentation alongside education being their best bet.

“You hear a shop saying that an adjuster says, ‘You’re the only one doing [this operation].’ You might be–the other shops in your area might not have the training, they might not understand.” she says. “That’s where we take the time, show the procedures, show where the information is coming from, show the technical website, show that it’s coming from the people who built the vehicle.”

Solls says putting procedural information into layman’s terms is also a good strategy.

“Document your procedures, justify them, talk with your adjusters.” she says.

Share the Knowledge

Educating adjusters is a piece of the puzzle, as is educating customers about how complicated their vehicles are, says Dominic

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Martino, the longtime owner of Gold Coast Auto Body, a more than $8 million per year shop in Chicago.

Gold Coast was previously part of a large insurer’s direct repair program, but is no longer involved with any DRPs. “It becomes a situation where, as an independent shop owner who is certified, you have to have a complete arm of your business that is educating guests and consumers in general,” he says. “Until consumers understand the [insurance] products they’re buying and the limitations of some of those products, we’re going to continue to have the conversation.”

Martino says a point of encouragement he’s seen recently is customers who understand the insurance claims process more fully through experiences with claims elsewhere, be it through homeowners insurance or in health care.

Solls says it will take an industry-wide push for OEM repair procedures to be better understood by insurers and shops alike, both those that rely on DRPs and those that don’t.

“As an industry as a whole … we just have to make more time and get the information out there, we have to talk to the shop down the street,” she says. “If you know the people at that shop, invite them to your shop, show it off, talk about documentation, show them what blueprinting is—if they don’t know what a blueprint is, they probably don’t have a framerack.

“It’s not a big secret, let’s share the knowledge, because bottom line, we need to fix cars the right way.”

fenderbender.com

STRATEGY

CASE STUDY

STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE

How one operator worked through major challenges

By DAVID BE LL M

July 2022

A L L B U S I N E S S A R E a form of organized chaos, and auto body repair shops are no exception. Besides the essential work of handling cars that come through the shop, countless other chores are needed to keep a shop running smoothly and thriving financially. Those tasks can be anything from sweeping the floors to conducting effective, timely employee reviews.

Unfortunately, when shops are busy, it’s too tempting to push such work aside, and those secondary responsibilities can fall through the cracks.

Most shop owners evolve their own unique methods for coping with this work behind the work of repairing cars. However, sometimes change comes abruptly, when a life-altering event jars the owner into a different path.

And that’s precisely what happened to Jeff Baggett, owner of Classic Car Motoring in Irondale, Alabama.

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CHUCK ST. JOHN

Competitive Markets Trends of ownership consolidation, population growth and industry growth all contribute to high competition in collision repair.

New Challenges Jeff Baggett, owner of Classic Car Motoring, put his employees first when COVID-19 threatened the health of businesses and the people who staff them.

CHUCK ST. JOHN

The Backstory

Classic Car Motoring is a family-owned and operated collision repair and automotive storage business, founded in 1978. Beginning from humble origins, it had grown significantly over the years, and in 2020 owner Jeff Baggett was preparing to take it to an even higher level, starting construction on a state-of-the-art, 140,000-squarefoot facility.

And then everything abruptly halted.

The pandemic gripped the world, and in early March of that year, Baggett was among those who caught the virus early.

With so little known about COVID-19 at the time, doctors grappled with his symptoms, and Baggett’s condition worsened quickly.

Aided by a home health care provider, he battled the disease for more than five weeks, and ended up missing two-and-half months of work. But he returned to his

July 2022

business with profound insight. “I broke down and cried. Going through all that made me look at life completely differently.

I realized that my whole team needed to work together. I’d thought about some of these things before I got sick, but after that, I could see that everyone in the shop had to be in on things. That was the only way it could work.”

to their specific duties and expectations.

Shifting how a company attacks the dayto-day chores of the business can disrupt motivation and morale among workers.

And in an era plagued by shortages of qualified employees, that can be a significant risk; good techs can choose where they want to work and may decline their new broader responsibilities.

The Problem

The Solution

Although Classic Car Motoring was well staffed and successful, it had fallen into a pattern of focusing too much on the bottom line, says Baggett. He knew there were many tasks that the shop could be doing better, but that it would take a comprehensive, team-oriented approach to make it happen.

However, that’s often far easier said than done. Veteran employees are used

39

Along with his newly-built facility, Baggett envisioned a whole different way of looking at his business. The details that often get overlooked would take on central importance to the day-to-day operations of the company. And for that, he knew he had to get all of his employees on board.

To start with, he shifted his entire focus from himself and his business, to his people instead.

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STRATEGY

“I realized that the most abused word we have in the English language isn’t a cuss word,” he says. “It’s the smallest word in Webster’s dictionary. And that word is I. When you take that word and use it in a sentence with your team, it’s what makes the wheels run off. You’ve got to take it out of your vocabulary, and you put yourself in the position of each employee.”

Armed with that newfound perspective, Baggett worked to deepen his relationship with his employees, to involve all aspects of their life.

“This year, for the first time, I’ve made a point of talking to every single employee for anywhere from an hour to an hour and 30 minutes about what they feel like, what they think,” he says. “And I made notes of every one of them, about what they thought

July 2022

it would take to make their lives better and easier here.”

Having strengthened his bonds with his team members, Baggett was able to more readily enlist them in the work of the smaller details in the business. But he also had to set aside his traditional roll-up-yoursleeves and do-it-yourself approach to taking care of things. Baggett had a tough time delegating for several years. He says it took practice, but it became a valuable tool.

With this idea, Baggett focuses on taking care of the little things as the day goes on, rather than ignoring them and letting them pile up into big jobs that nobody wants to tackle. He says that cleaning the shop is one of the best examples of this approach.

“My deal is not having to clean up at the

40

end of the day,” Baggett says. “And definitely not on the almighty Friday. So we don’t make messes. Everybody is assigned brooms, dust pails, mops, mop buckets and we have a ridearound floor cleaning machine.”

To reinforce the need to keep the shop organized and clean at all times, the new Classic Car Motoring facility was designed with an open floor plan, incorporating long, unimpeded sight lines and plenty of windows. Baggett often takes that sense of transparency a step further, giving customers full tours of the shop.

“I always tell my employees, ‘I’m not going to give you an hour warning to clean up,’” he says. “I walk customers through the shop, so they see us working. They see the shop is clean, they see that their car is clean, and they know things are taken care of.”

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CHUCK ST. JOHN

Transformational The past few years have had a major impact on the way Jeff Baggett sees his business and his role. “I have to give credit to my team, not me,” he says. “I can’t do all the things here.”

CHUCK ST. JOHN

The Aftermath

After reinventing his business and establishing it in his new building, Baggett was well on his way to bringing Classic Car Motoring to an unprecedented level, a super shop that set new standards for service, attention to detail and high volume of work.

But fate played its hand once again. In late 2021, the company’s newfound business methods were brutally tested, with a literal trial by fire.

“A customer’s car came in on a wrecker.

We hadn’t even touched it, and it caught on fire. We had a major catastrophe in the shop,” Baggett says. “My insurance guy said that 94 percent of the businesses our size wouldn’t have made it through that.

But we overcame it. It was a miracle. I give

July 2022

credit to the grace of God first, and second to our employees—our family. Because without them, we would have never made it through it.

“They pulled their shirt sleeves up.

They came in, they helped clean and they got us back going. We were only down three days. We’re still not through fixing the building. It’s been over a year. But we’ve made it through it. We survived.

And it made us so much closer, because we buckled down together.”

The Takeaway

From the difficult journey of the last few years, Baggett learned life lessons that have impacted every aspect of his business. He found a whole new outlook that has enabled him to weather the most severe setbacks.

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This new approach allows him to further refine the tiny details of his business that add up to the overall brand customers interact with.

Perhaps most important, Baggett discovered that the real value of his company is his employees, the people that do the work, take care of customers and make it possible to stay in business year after year.

He learned that those employees are the key to managing the thousands of little tasks that mount up every day in a fastpaced, successful company.

“I have to give credit to my team, not me,” he says. “I can’t do all the things here.

It’s a ‘we’ thing, man. I just happen to be the guy they go to if something bad happens or somebody wants a donation for the softball team.”

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STRATEGY

A D VA N C E D D R I V E R A S S I S TA N C E S Y S -

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CALIBRATING SUCCESS WITH ADAS REPAIR

LaMettry’s Collision exemplifies the opportunity and importance of ADAS in the collision industry with its own calibration center.

By HANNAH BUBSER

July 2022

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T E M S C A N B E an intimidating element of collision repair, mainly because they are a newer concept for most shops and involve a lot of moving parts. But proper ADAS repair on a vehicle involves much more than simply calibration.

In order to successfully navigate this vast and quickly changing frontier, it is imperative to have an approach that remains focused on the details.

This is a strategy that LaMettry’s Colli-

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STRATEGY

sion knows well. Their ADAS calibration center in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been an asset for their multi-location repair business in today’s automotive aftermarket.

“It’s important to remember that when we do a calibration, we don’t calibrate a system. We calibrate a component,’’ LaMettry’s President Darrell Amberson says. “And that component (for example a radar unit behind a grill), might be serving a number of different systems. The newer the car, the more sophisticated the technology and the more systems they’re serving.”

Some of the most common repairs that LaMettry’s sees customers bring in range from radar systems to cameras, and many of the sensors that lie in-between. The components that comprise a vehicle’s ADAS are vast, and therefore the process of repair often ends up being an educational experience for the customer.

“To many, it’s kind of eye-opening to realize how complex their cars are and all the things they’re supposed to be doing and paying attention to.” Amberson says.

This opportunity to learn and teach is not something that the LaMettry’s team takes lightly. The company began educating and certifying its techs in ADAS calibration and repair almost a decade ago, and when they started there was not as much information available then as there is now.

Because of this, the team had to put in the effort to learn a lot of this information on their own. Their self-motivation allowed them to see a greater opportunity for LaMettry’s overall. Instead of sub-letting ADAS repairs, they decided to try and do it all in-house, bringing relevant education to their team and technicians as well as their customers.

“We would much prefer to have control in house, gain the expertise to address whatever variables and issues we might run into,” Amberson says, “and also turn it into a profit center.”

Another reason for this endeavor is because safety is always top-of-mind for the team. The ability to have control over the state of repaired ADAS elements has been

important for them, and even more so for their customer base. This is because they are aware of what can go wrong when an ADAS system is not repaired properly.

“We have seen some issues, and they can be significant issues,” Amberson says.

“We’re talking about potentially collision causing issues.”

Amberson doesn’t shy away from the fact that there definitely are challenges to ADAS repair, especially when it comes to general troubleshooting.

“From our experience, just very roughly, 1 in 5 may not calibrate properly and there may be some additional issues,” Amberson explains.

In addition to navigating through these tougher aspects of the repair, Amberson notes that multi-location shops like LaMettry’s have to prioritize quality communication to ensure that everyone involved in the vehicle’s repair process is on the same page.

This is crucial for every aspect, from determining the procedure with the cali-

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bration center to speaking with insurance representatives and relaying information to the customer.

“There are a lot of moving pieces to the whole process,” he says.

Amberson notes that ADAS will continue to grow in the collision repair industry. Keeping its prevalence in mind, he relays that it is only going to become more and more important for shops to consider implementing training and education into their approach.

“I would highly suggest repairers look at it and make sure it is getting done properly,” Amberson says in regards to repair for ADAS elements. “Also understand that just sub-letting (a repair) doesn’t remove them from responsibility.”

For shops that are looking for a good place to start, he recommends I-CAR as a resource as well as talking to equipment manufacturers, reviewing factory repair information, OEM certification programs and forming good old fashioned contacts through networking.

Perspective Shift The creation of an ADAS calibration center is more than just building space and equiment.

New training and knowledge are needed to performs these jobs effectively.

ADAS calibration and repair does involve a lot of dedication, time and effort, but ultimately it is not for nothing. It gives shops a chance to educate and adapt as the future path of collision repair continues to be carved out, and customers will notice.

“If we’re really doing our jobs well, we should be talking to that customer when

they bring the car in. We should be asking them: ‘What system do you have engaged?

Disengaged? What reason?” Amberson says. “The more that we can educate them on it and help them understand how they work, how they behave, what the purpose of them is … they can make better decisions on what they want to turn off and what they want to leave on.”

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Education & Training 45

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STRATEGY

FINA NCE+OPER ATIONS

GETTY

PAY REQUESTS? IT’S COMPLICATED

H A N D L I N G PAY R EQ U ES T S from body shop employees can be challenging because there are so many factors to consider.

“You make those decisions based on how long someone’s been with you and the quality of work performed, their training, anything that they bring extra,” says Amber Alley, manager of Barsotti’s Body and Fender in San Rafael, California.

Knowing how much to pay your employees depends on a number of factors

By M I K E M U N Z E N R I D E R

July 2022

46

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Shops must also consider how such a request will impact their bottom line, as well as if it’s warranted.

“Pay is always difficult,” says Alley, who has worked in a variety of body shop roles throughout her three-decade career in the industry. “What [employees] think they’re valued at may not be what someone else has them valued at.”

Questions about pay aren’t just challenging. Your body shop staffing costs— wages, payroll, benefits and payroll taxes—according to Tim Ronak, a senior services consultant with AkzoNobel, should account for 30 to 35 percent of a shop’s gross profit.

Exceed that figure, he says, and “you make less money.” He also notes that shops work as economies of scale. Granting a request for increased pay or hiring on another employee at a shop that has sales of $150,000 per month will have a larger effect on the bottom line than doing the same in a shop that has $650,000 in sales per month.

With that figure as a starting point, there’s more to keep in mind–read on for tips and what else to consider when it comes to pay requests.

Cost-Benefit Ratio

A technician’s involvement in OEM training is an important factor when it comes to his or her pay, says Alley.

“Once a technician moves into a position of dedicating himself or herself to being more devoted or more involved, then those things always lead to a conversation of what that extra effort is worth,” she says.

Those extra efforts, she says, are altering dynamics within the collision repair world.

“The industry is changing. You’d have technicians who were in the trade for 20 years and you’d pay them on the top end of the scale [because of that experience],” Alley says. “Now there are technicians with less experience but more skills that warrant paying them on the higher end.”

New body shop positions are also being created, she says, citing the example of advanced driver assistance systems calibration technicians.

July 2022

“It’s very possible that with those positions we’ll see them bringing in some of the higher wages in the industry,” Alley says.

While paying to a technician’s skill level rewards training and commitment, Ronak reminds that the level of pay needs to work within a shop’s finances.

He uses the example of a theoretical technician who works 2,200 hours per year.

That tech is Mercedes-Benz certified, and between training, tuition, travel, time off and his or her welding certificate, the annual cost of maintaining that certification is $22,000.

In order to break even on that investment, Ronak says, and assuming the technician only works on Mercedes for half or his or her time, the shop would need to make $20 more per hour for the technician’s labor.

He adds that it’s “absurd” that “all of these costs are expected to be [covered] just in the labor rate.”

Outside Pressures

While shops must consider the return on investment in higher skilled technicians as well as the prevailing area labor rate (a subject so fraught it deserves its own article), Alley notes other pressures that can apply to the pay rates of non-technician employees.

“Technician-wise we don’t have a problem holding onto people–we invest and believe we’re on the higher scale, we have a very educated and competent team,” she says. “Some of the other positions are more challenging.”

When it comes to staffing porters, CSRs, estimator trainees and the like, she says her San Francisco Bay-area shop is up against a $14 minimum wage and entrylevel positions at In-N-Out Burger that pay $20 per hour.

“It’s hard to accept the fact of that to even remain competitive,” Alley says, adding that such pressures have moved her to think outside the box.

“It’s evolving, we’re all having to get more creative when it comes to pay plans to attract new talent,” she says.

One route Alley says she’s gone is bonus plans, team-based models based on

47

hours performed, though such plans can have unintended consequences.

“It often creates teams of one versus a whole team working towards a goal,” she says, “and it can also create quality issues when you have some people who are focused on quantity over quality.

“Shops need to be very creative if they go that route.”

Reviewed Performance

Another way to gauge an employee’s pay, both Ronak and Alley say, is through performance reviews.

Though a sometimes overlooked tool in the collision repair industry, Ronak says all the high-performing shops with which he works use reviews.

Alley says she carries out annual reviews with her employees, though they’re just a single factor in how she views staffers’ performances.

“I’m pretty involved in the day-to-day, so I typically know what an employee’s strengths and weaknesses are, and sometimes they’re based on training,” she says, noting that her focus is now on training that will help both the employee and the shop.

She says she has a training ladder that starts with adding employees to the I-CAR roster, and if he or she shows promise there, the employee will be assigned an OE to work toward certification.

Should that individual show improvement through that training, Alley says he or she could be in line for a $4 pay increase, which starts with a $2 pay bump at the beginning of the year, and the final $2 increase at the end of the year should he or she hit previously set goals.

Both Alley and Ronak say that compared to other skilled workers– dealership mechanics, electricians and more–collision repair technicians are underpaid.

“I think all of the industry needs to be working really hard to bring wages up,” Alley says.

“Cheap and fast is no longer a formula that’s going to work because someone has to pay the price for that,” she says. “These things have been done to our workers.”

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COLUMNS

COLLISION COURSE

Rise of the Virtual Adjuster How to advocate for your shop’s needs The title sounds like the next Star Wars spi-

noff, but with a twist. Instead of the evil Empire we have the big insurance companies trying to demoralize and keep the Rebels, aka the body shops, under their control. Yes, I know that sounds dramatic but try to tell me that it doesn’t hit home just a little bit.

In all seriousness, the virtual adjuster is here and is not going anywhere. You can make all the complaints you want, I feel the same way, but continuing to complain will get us nowhere. The shops are doing all the work for the virtual adjusters and continue to have to jump through hoops set forth by the insurance company. The complaints can go on forever. We can continue to wallow in our sorrows as the poor body shop that is getting taken advantage of or we can fight back and see how we can use the virtual adjuster to our advantage.

One of the biggest complaints I hear is that the virtual adjuster knows nothing. I actually think that is a benefit. I have found that the virtual adjuster, especially the third-party contracted ones, have not been schooled to deny everything that’s absent in their estimating software. Items on estimates that field adjusters would give a hard time over are being paid by the virtual adjuster. The key is you have to ask for what you want and you have to educate, notate and document what you want to be paid for. I want to reiterate: You have to ask for what you want. If the insurance companies have beaten you down and you no longer ask to be paid on items and procedures you actually do, then you have already let the insurance company win.

Educate Often, the virtual adjusters or third-party virtual adjusters have never been in a shop. They have basic training on vehicle repairs and are using estimating software to help. It is up to us to educate them on how a proper repair should be done, but please talk to them and explain things to them as if it was their first time. Use terms that anyone can understand and relate to. If you are asking for something, tell them why you need it or why it needs to be done. Give them the benefit of the doubt that if you explain yourself in a manner they can understand then more than likely they will pay for what you are requesting.

Notate A good best practice strategy when requesting items or procedures that are not generally seen on initial estimates is to list it in the repair group

July 2022

it goes with and notate it. On the line item, notate why the procedure is necessary or why the part or supply is needed. Then add a line note for each item explaining why that step was needed in the repair process. An example of a line note on body filler is “item needed to repair damage, item is a direct repair cost.” Don’t assume the virtual adjuster or even a field adjuster understand the steps of repair.

Creating a quick word document with template line notes for items that are commonly requested on repairs is a great way to help your estimators.

They can copy and paste the line notes quickly and easily onto the estimate.

Document Documentation is key when you are requesting items that the virtual adjuster may not know or understand. I know you shouldn’t have to do this, but that is neither here nor there. If you want better chances of getting paid for what you do, then you need to send in documentation. Invoicing for body filler. Pictures of parts in primer. Pictures of the vehicle masked up and ready to be blended. PDF’s from the manufacturer showing a required procedure or documentation showing how the repair is supposed to be done. All are examples of documentation.

Use the virtual adjusters lack of knowledge to your advantage. Educate them and lead them down the path of paying for a safe and proper repair.

Train them on the steps that are taken to repair a vehicle. Eventually, if shops across the country continuously request to be paid for everyday items and repairs we do, it will become standard practice for the adjusters to include those items in their initial estimates.

I challenge you to think outside the box. Take what I have said and shape it into a best practice for your shop. It doesn’t have to be done exactly as I described, each shop is different in their own ways, find what works best for your shop. If you don’t continuously ask the insurance company to pay the true cost of the repairs you are doing then how will they ever know what we are actually doing and how will we ever get anything to change.

Take all of your complaints about the big insurance companies and the virtual adjuster and see how you can twist it to your advantage. Find what works for your shop in the here and now and on the back end support your local, state or federal auto collision association as they fight to have legislation changed in our favor.

49

TIFFANY MENEFEE

has more than 20 years experience in the insurance business and now runs a collision repair shop in El Paso, Texas.

EMAIL:

tiffanykaymenefee@gmail.com

ARCHIVE:

fenderbender.com/menefee

fenderbender.com

COLUMNS

OUTSIDE THE LINES

Raise Expectations Dig into the details of your shop’s image star Andre Agassi broke onto the tennis scene and ran his iconic Canon commercials with the tagline “Image is everything?”

Agassi stood out in a sport in which every player wore all white clothes by wearing jean shorts and bold colored shirts with crazy patterns. He also had long hair, wore an earring and shared his emotions on the court. Today, most of us would not remember Agassi for his image if it hadn’t been for his eight major wins, but the combination made him one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, while playing a game on the fringe of the sports world.

What is the image of your collision center? It’s easy to meet customers’ expectations because their image of our industry isn’t very high. They expect a dusty, poorly lit facility when they show up. Are you meeting their expectations with that description? How about your attire? Most customers expect to be greeted by someone who looks like they just rolled out from under the car off their creeper.

If you are meeting customer’s expectations in either of these area’s you are setting yourself up for failure. The reason is that our industry also has a reputation of doing substandard repairs. So, when you give the customer what they expect up front, with your image (or brand), then it’s easy for them to expect you will continue to meet their expectations with the final product, which may cause them to choose a competitor for their repairs.

Take a look at your facility from the customer’s viewpoint. How clean is your office? Is it organized, or is there clutter? Do you eat meals and snacks in your office and leave the evidence around, like your office also operates as the break room? Does the customer have a place to sit that looks inviting?

If any of those questions were answered in the negative, the good news is it doesn’t require much effort or cost to change that. If you’re not the cleaning type, hire a professional cleaning service to come in and do a thorough cleaning. You might be surprised at how your office smells after that. Take some time to go through the paperwork piles on your desk and remove what isn’t necessary to be there, or stop by an office supply store and get some organizers to sort the papers in an orderly fashion.

What are you wearing to work each day? If

July 2022

someone saw you in the coffee shop on the way to work and you asked them, what do I look dressed for today, what would they answer? For the first 20 years of my career in the industry I wore dress pants to work every day. I’ll never forget the reactions of customers when they found out I was the one who was going to write the estimate. I could feel the confidence level rise in the customers as they felt they were dealing with a professional. Of course, I’m not saying that dressing well will get you more customers.

Remember what I said about Agassi, we wouldn’t remember him if his play on the court didn’t hold up. But I can tell you from experience that setting yourself apart in how you present yourself to customers will get a positive reaction almost every time.

How about the image of your building? Does it resemble a warehouse or a doctor’s office? Most customers expect to see a concrete building with no landscaping. The majority of body shops don’t look inviting. My dad was taught by a business owner early in his career to always have a little grass and landscaping at your building. It goes a long way in how a customer initially perceives you.

His first 3,500-square-foot building always had a patch of grass out front and some flowers. And the current shop has enough lawn to throw a BBQ and there’s several flower beds on the property. The place to park for estimates has pavers instead of asphalt. Many customers comment that they feel they’ve arrived at a doctor’s office or hotel when they pull up. Now how do you think the initial trust level is when they have that first impression? I’m convinced we have obtained first time customers due to the appearance of our building alone.

Now I’m just out of space here, but the last and maybe most important aspect of putting forth a strong professional image is to attract new techs to our industry. The old image of a collision center will not attract most young adults looking to get into a trade. But if your place is modern, well lit and looks professional, you will give yourself a leg up in recruiting young techs.

Andre Agassi was a great tennis player, ranking ninth on the all-time majors win list. But there are players who won more and are remembered less. If you want to be top-of-mind to customers and technicians looking for a place to work, it might be time to rebrand your image.

50

J A S O N B O G G S is the

owner of Boggs Auto Collision Rebuilders in Woodbury, N.J. He has attended the Disney Institute and Discover Leadership, and has studied lean manufacturing processes.

EMAIL:

jason@boggsauto.com

ARCHIVE:

fenderbender.com/boggs

fenderbender.com

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TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION Page 24

TOOLS BUILT FOR COMFORT AND EFFICIENCY AMY BOGNER, R E F I N I S H E R AT S A M M Y ’ S AU TO R E PA I R I N B U F FA LO, N Y

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GIRLS BEHIND THE GUN Meet two women who are changing the face of the automotive repair industry and painting their way to the top PAGE 20

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Introduction

The 2022 Painter’s Playbook We have seen many trends over the past 26 years that I have been with Dan-Am Company, and we want to highlight trends the refinish industry is currently seeing or will soon see in your shop or distribution channel.

Tony Larimer Director of Sales & Marketing, Dan-Am Co. The Exclusive Independent Distributor of SATA in the USA & Puerto Rico

We are seeing more than ever discussions surrounding product costs. Which leads to how do we cut consumption, or time to improve efficiency while delivering a great finish result to our customers in the paint or body shops. One of the decisions is which type of paint spraying equipment should I use. In the SATA family we have a large variety of guns for various purposes. Once we know what you are painting, from cars and trucks to fleet equipment or wooden furniture, we can start to narrow that down.

Eventually the question is often asked, do I use HVLP or RP®. In this edition Chris Springer, who is Dan-Am Company’s Industry Relations and Technical manager discusses both options of HVLP or Reduced Pressure technology. Both give us greater than 65% transfer efficiency and have surpassed the test protocol by SCAQMD who has the most stringent guidelines in the USA. Recently, this has become a widely asked question, so we feel it’s important to explain the difference.

Personal Protection Equipment continues to be an ongoing necessary part of doing business in the refinish world. We look at it regarding the importance of a NIOSH approved air supplied respirator, and the benefits of choosing that, and what requirements there are to safely use air supplied respirators in your facilities.

With the ever-growing need for being efficient, technicians must use methods

of controlling or setting up their spray guns to maximize the potential for finish results, speed, and product savings. This can also be very true as more shops and paint material manufacturers introduce UV products into the shops, where film build, and droplet sizes need to be controlled.

Jim Kvatek our Eastern Regional Manager at Dan-Am Company discusses the proper use and settings to achieve the balance of speed, efficient use of materials, material distribution in the spray fan pattern, and finish results.

At both Dan-Am Company and SATA GmbH & Co KG, we see the trend for more and more women joining the refinish and collision repair industry. We are seeing more women attending vocational school programs and entering this trade. Often with a very good eye for detail, including color has helped greatly to improve the industry. We look forward to this trend continuing to grow. We need great technicians in this industry, and women are helping to fulfill the need for trained specialists in the collision repair, welding, and painting segments of the market.

We are happy to be able to be a part of these trends and continue to try to do our part helping technicians and the business owners achieve success. We do this with high quality products, supported by training and technical support, and the delivery of goods in a very timely manner

3

2022

Table of Contents

Painter’s Playbook

Tips & Tricks Features 06

Painter’s Health How proper PPE can protect you in the booth and keep you painting longer and safe

16 Women in the Workplace

10

Maximizing Your Spray Guns Abilities Learn how three simple adjustments can help you make the most out of your gun

12

Why should I use an RP? Consider adding an RP gun to your tool box for improved automation and productivity

Tech & Tools

With an eye for color and attention to detail, two women are forging their path as some of the best painters in the industry

24 Technical Schools

14

Tech & Tools Four products designed to help you last as long as they do

4

Linking together with technical schools, the collision repair industry is setting itself up for future talent in the workplace

Tips & Tricks

The Right Tool For The Job Introduction by Chris Springer

Chris Springer, national accounts and industry relations manager at Dan-Am Company, discusses pain points in the paint department, must-have tools, limiting material waste, and characteristics that set the collision repair industry’s top performing painters apart from the rest.

What are the key attributes that set the collision repair industry’s top performing painters apart from everybody else?

The industry’s best painters know they need to have several different tools for the job. They never complain about needing to buy another paint gun because they understand this profession isn’t a “one tool does it all” approach. To be successful, you’ve got to have a large selection of paint guns– primer guns, sealer guns, multiple types of base coat guns, and clear coat guns.

The top performers are clean and organized. You don’t see trash on the floor or overflowing trash cans. You don’t see several half-mixed cans of color on their work bench. They are meticulous about their equipment. Equipment is cleaned and kept in good condition.

The best painters pay attention to every small detail, use production boards, and plan ahead. I still go to shops where painters get a list each morning of their top priorities for jobs that need to go out that day. Why does that painter not have a plan for the entire week of production so they can start addressing colors proactively?

Why are painters waiting for cars to get into the paint shop to start researching the color needed for that vehicle? Painters should be doing that when the car is checked into the shop during the blueprinting process.

Strong performers plan in advance and get started on jobs as early as possible.

Successful painters have a calm and positive attitude because they know what’s going on. They know what job is going into the booth next. They know about the color. They’ve already done a spray out and know the color matches. They are very well prepared for everything.

High performers also educate themselves. They actively attend classes. They go to paint company certification programs.

They are expanding their knowledge of the business. A real painter knows there’s more to this business than just pulling a trigger.

What are the biggest areas of paint equipment that many painters aren’t currently using that they definitely should be?

Sealer guns. Sealer guns that painters seal with today are typically old, demoted clear coat or base coat guns. Painter’s buy a new gun, they know their current gun isn’t as good as it once was but not completely worn out, so they demote it down to a sealer gun. The problem with that is VOC legislation. In 2003, you could have a sealer that had 4.2 pounds of solvent in it, and today it’s half the amount. If you’re taking out half of the solvent, then the solids content is increasing. When spraying sealer nowadays, painters have a tendency to dry out edges if they use a top coat gun. Sealer guns are designed in the way that they atomize to have a wetter droplet that still contains some solvent so when it hits the panel it lays down. Why would you take a gun that’s not good enough to spray clear, but instead use it to spray the first layer of everything else?

Then you have orange peel in your sealer that will translate up through the base coat and the clear coat.

Another piece of equipment is priming with minijets–priming with a smaller gun

to minimize overspray. Collision repair painters typically don’t prime huge spots, like the whole side of a Suburban. We’re typically priming a smaller spot where there was physical damage repaired. Why do painters always approach that with a full-sized gun–the same size they would use to paint a complete job? Doing primer with a much smaller tool keeps your overspray to a minimum and saves an incredible amount of material.

In addition to using minijets, what other tactics can painters implement today to limit their waste?

Also, follow all recommendations provided by the paint and spray gun companies.

Paint companies have specific recommendations and spray gun companies have published recommendations that mirror those. I work with all the paint companies to make sure we have gun charts that reflect the recommendations of paint companies. If you’re a shop that’s complaining about clear coat consumption, but you’re not following the correct recommendations, it’s the painter’s fault for not using the right gun settings in accordance with the material they’re using.

If you could give painters one piece of advice to become the top performer at their shop, what would that be?

Always be willing to learn. The day you stop learning is the day you’ve thrown in the towel because our business is ever-changing with new procedures and equipment. Look at the way SATA has done things with the introduction of a new gun about every five years. There are always improvements to make repairs easier and trouble-free. When paint companies change the technology of a clear coat, or transition from traditional to UV primers, those have different spray characteristics and require something different. Painters have to learn to adapt. They’ve got to be flexible and understand that no two jobs are the same. The more rigid you are, the more problems you have.

5

2022

Painter’s Playbook

Painter’s Health Personal protective equipment and safety should not be overlooked

By Chris Springer

I am excited that more and more shop owners and refinish techs are taking their PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) needs more seriously. Over the last year or so, I have been talking to and educating people about filtration and fresh air - almost as much as spray guns. Painters are wanting to protect themselves more so that they can do the job longer and healthier.

I grew up in this business, during a time when painters would say “I’ll keep painting until the chemicals take their toll on my body and I can’t paint anymore.” That always sounded strange to me. I would ask myself “why not just wear gloves when your mixing or wiping down a panel” or “why not get proper respiratory protection so you’re not breathing in these chemicals?” It makes me wonder what is the reason there are painters not using fresh air to protect themselves?

Is it education on filtration and breathable air?

Is it the cost of the equipment?

Is it comfort? Or that we have just “always done it this way”?

6

A shop’s air system is the heart of the operation The compressor feeds all the technicians in the facility, and for most of us, we couldn’t do our job without it. Also, the demand on air systems is growing as technology changes in products and processes.

Choosing the location of the compressor that supplies the breathing air system is crucial. If intake air is clean and free of toxic gases the remainder of the system should not cause any special problem.

However, if the compressor air intake is located inside a manufacturing plant, on the roof in proximity to vents and exhausts, or through a wall into an environment of auto exhaust, or within any toxic environment, there is virtually no chance that the system will function satisfactorily.

Filtration requirements If you are going to utilize a SATA fresh air hood, your compressed air must meet specific OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and CGA (Compressed Gas Association) requirements. I believe we have all heard that saying of “Grade D Breathable Air,” and most of us generally have no idea what that actually means. There are multiple levels of air quality, they are graded A, L, D, E, J and N. For example, Grade A air is typically industrial compressed air for use with air tools.

Grade D air is specific to OSHA breathing air. Grade D means it meets specific purity levels measured in ppm (parts per million).

These purity requirements focus on con-

taminants that are harmful to humans. Examples of those measured contaminants are: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, odor and other limiting characteristics.

These guidelines and specific levels can be found on ANSI (American National Standards Institute), OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) 29 CFR 1910.134 and on the CGA (Compressed Gas Association) CGA G-7.1-1989 Commodity Specification for Air. At Dan-Am, we are fortunate enough to represent the absolute best compressed air filtration in the industry. SATA Air Filtration started back in 1931, and continues today with some of the highest standards in air quality, offering two different filtration series in the US market. The quality of filtration is the same between the two series, the only difference is the amount of CFM that flows through the unit. The SATA 200 series filters allow for 72 CFM at 90 PSI, while the SATA 400 series filters allow for 129.9 CFM at 90 PSI. Here is a helpful calculation that I use when determining which series filter unit should go in a shop.

• Between 9-15 CFM of air consumed, per tech spray gun • Between 6-15 CFM of air consumed, per tech fresh air hood. For calculation sake and assuming highest demand, we can assume up to 30 CFM per tech • SATA 200 Series Filter Unit – can run up to two paint techs at the same time • SATA 400 Series Filter Unit – can run up to four painters at the same time

Tips & Tricks

Functional Scheme of Compressed Air-Supplied Breathing Protection With three-stage filter unit and SATA® air vision 5000 air regulator set

Hood

Belt Unit

With two-stage filter unit and SATA® air vision 5000 carbon regulator set

Hood

Spray gun Belt Unit

SATA breaks air filtration down into three stages The first filter stage removes water and oil by spinning the air through a cyclone tube and starts removing particulate by filtering the air through a sintered bronze filter. The first filter stage captures contamination down to 5 microns in size.

An added feature to the filter canister is an automatic float valve drain. Once a certain amount of water, oil and debris are captured in the first canister, a float raises, allowing the contamination to purge from the system without depressurizing. This allows for an uninterrupted work flow due to a clogged filter unit. SATA’s first filter unit has next to no maintenance cost, every six months, the plastic cyclone tube can simply be washed with soap and water to remove any oil or debris. The sintered bronze filter should be rinsed with solvent and blown off, from the inside out. For stubborn debris you can use a soft nylon brush to scrub the filter. Blow those pieces dry, reassemble the unit and you’re back in business for six months.

After the air passes through the first filtration stage, it enters the second filter stage. That stage houses a fine media filter cartridge that filters the

Spray gun

The large volume of CFM that the SATA filter units flow, allows for more technicians to perform on one filtration unit versus most of the competitive filtration brands. In many cases, SATA provides over double the amount of air volume.

7

SATAjet®100 BTM Application of Primer Materials Undercoat materials such as primer, sealer, filler and spray putty fulfill an important function within the paint process. Therefore, particular attention must be paid to the application of these materials, using a dedicated primer gun.

The SATAjet 100 B F RP and SATAjet 100 B F HVLP lend themselves perfectly for the application of waterborne, solvent based, and UV, primer and sealer materials.

The SATAjet 100 B P is specially designed for the application of polyester spray putty/filler.

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Tips & Tricks

air down to 0.01 microns. Once the air passes through the second filter stage, it is what we would consider 99.9% clean air. The second filter stage should be replaced every six months to ensure air quality.

After leaving the second filter stage the air has been removed of water and oil particulate, along with dust and debris contamination down to 0.01 microns.

To safely breath air from the compressed air line, one more critical step of filtration is needed to meet Grade D air quality level - hydrocarbons, oil vapor, odor and taste need to be removed from the air. These are removed in the third filter stage, which houses the activated carbon filter unit. As the air passes through the activated carbon filter any remaining contaminants are essentially absorbed, cleaning the air to achieve Grade D air quality level.

The air that passes through all three stages of filtration is now considered 100% clean, breathable air. The third filter stage needs to be maintained and filter replaced every three months to ensure air quality. Two-stage filters are ideal for a shop trying to deliver clean, dry air to a paint shop that is utilizing a solvent borne paint system, and does not require a painter to breath off the compressed air while painting. While three-stage filters are ideal for a shop needing clean, dry air for the paint shop utilizing a waterborne paint system, as well as Grade D air for breathing.

Fresh air breathing protection SATA has offered a NIOSH approved (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) fresh air hood since 1987. NIOSH is a division of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) that through standardized test methods has

an approval process and ranking for respiration filtration. We’ve all seen the N95 dust masks at the local hardware store, the N95 rating is part of the CDC NIOSH testing.

The SATA air star C™, SATA vision™ 2000 and the newest addition, SATA air vision™ 5000 all hold NIOSH approval numbers TC-19C-210, TC-19C-2101, TC-19C-0533, respectively. These series of SATA fresh air masks and hoods offer a regulated belt unit, which feeds from the regulator in the booth after the air has been filtered through all three stages of SATA filters. These three breathing options also offer an activated charcoal filter, mounted on the belt, that can be utilized in place of the third-stage filter unit.

Both methods deliver the highest quality of filtered air to the end user. To help determine which set-up is right for you, simply walk through the steps below: Does your shop use a waterborne or solvent borne color system?

Waterborne = three-stage filter for both paint materials and fresh air Solvent borne = two-stage filter for paint materials Will the painter use fresh air?

No = Stop after two stages Yes = How many techs will be using fresh air?

1-2 techs = You can either use the belt mounted charcoal filter or add the thirdstage onto your filtration setup.

3+ techs = It is more cost effective to add the third filter stage than to maintain that many belt units.

SATA offers three different supplied air respirators based on customer’s needs and comfort. For example, SATA offers the air star C™ half mask that is great for use in situations where other

face protection, such as welding shields, or grinding shields are necessary, but the technician needs elevated breathing protection due to gases, dust or even certain metals being used.

SATA also offers two choices in fullface supplied breathing Air protection, with the vision™ 2000 or the air vision™ 5000 hoods, which offer up different options in comfort, view, and protective needs. The full-face systems offer the highest level of protection for the techs entire head that is exposed to so many different products, which can cause health issues.

CO protection is a must One final necessary requirement, when a painter is going to breath filtered compressed air, is a CO monitor.

The OSHA guidelines state that the “Air System” must be monitored. So, somewhere in the compressed air system a CO monitor must be present for the detection of CO. Either an audible alarm or strobe alarm warns the technicians to remove themselves from the compressed air system, the X767 (Guardian) CO Monitor is recommended.

The X767 CO Monitor is connected to the compressed air system with an audible alarm that warns the tech to the presence of CO, if the alarm goes off, the tech should exit the area that requires the fresh air and remove the hood.

Calibration is very important, with the X767-PLUS CO monitor the shop should recalibrate every six months. The more you calibrate the instrument the more accurate it is.

Overall, the SATA filtration systems paired with the SATA supplied air respirator options are the best protection available to a paint technician.

9

2022

Painter’s Playbook

Maximizing the Abilities of Your Spray Gun

Learn how three simple adjustments can help you get the most out of your gun

By Jim Kvatek, U.S. Sales & Technical at Dan-Am Company The easiest thing to do when you purchase a spray gun is plug it into an airline and pull the trigger. But do you know what the controls on your spray gun really do? Do you know how to make the right choices and adjustments to achieve proper color alignment or change the final appearance of the finish?

These choices may be choosing a hose, dual wall vs. single wall, the length, a 3/8” ID vs. a 1/4’” ID hose, high flow fittings or smaller more restrictive fittings. You might choose vented cups or non-vented cups. You could add additional attachments on the bottom of your gun like filter balls, water traps, and regulators.

10

These choices will affect your gun due to air speed or air turbulence affecting your gun’s performance and impacting the consistency and quality of the final product.

On a spray gun there are three main controls offering the painter with a wide range of spraying options.

The first adjustment to consider is the air micrometer. The air micrometer has the ability to make an air pressure adjustment at the gun. This is a good choice for small adjustments, however if you need to make larger adjustments it is best to adjust the diaphragm wall regulator.

This allows for the air to be regulated down to a desired pressure that is delivered with a smooth consistent flow. This consistent air movement creates a softer feel, lower audible sound, and reduced overspray. Your air micrometer should remain as fully open as possible and used to make small air pressure adjustments or as a short-term solution during your painting process.

The air traveling through your gun has several jobs. It pulls the paint out of the gun (even gravity guns have an amount of siphoning effect), creates atomization of the paint into droplets, shapes of the spray pattern, and overspray control. The air pressure you choose will also dictate the distance in which you are going to achieve the best transfer efficiency during

spraying. This can be referred to as an air wall. Properly adjusted air pressure will reduce droplet bounce back from the panel and will also reduce the turbulent air that causes the coating to be lost in the flight between the spray gun and the object being sprayed.

The second adjustment is your fan control or flat/round control. This is the most common use of this control by painters.

As a painter, we tend to dial this control in to help spot in areas like fog light pockets that might be hard to reach. Most guns have at least two air passages from the fan control to the head of the gun. This control adjusts the airflow through those passages. This changes the air speed and air flow through the gun, changing the air pressure moving through the gun, pushing paint further and changing the wetting.

This can affect your color or final appearance. This control is used to help focus the air in the proper space to get the most even, full zone for wetting. Some guns need minimal to no adjustment to achieve a proper full wet zone, but other guns might need some help. If you adjust your air down and the pattern of your gun is still dog boned or narrowed in the middle of your pattern, you can use your fan control to adjust the wet zone and bring the wetting more to the middle of the pattern.

This is typically the last adjustment you

Tips & Tricks

make once your air pressure and needle settings are close, and you are looking for that perfect pattern.

The third adjustment to make is your needle/fluid control. A misnomer of the needle is that if you dial your needle in, it will simply change it from 1.3 to the flow of a 1.2. What people might not know is that leaning out the fluid rate will affect droplet size, application speed, and overall appearance. Your needle controls the flow of your paint. When pulled back, the fluid is introduced to the atomizing air, creating a fluid to air ratio that creates your atomized paint fan pattern. Think of the needle in the same way as a carburetor or fuel injection system and the trigger like the gas pedal/throttle of your car. When you change the fluid to air ratio, you may see your spray gun run lean, resulting in fine droplets, dry spray, light coverage/ texture. With greater fluid rates and low atomizing air, you run rich, resulting in wet droplets, heavy coverage and texture.

A wide-open fluid rate will allow the maximum amount of paint to flow from the gun, but what happens when you need to spot-in a small breakthrough?

The best adjustment to make is to dial your needle in completely and then turn the needle a half-turn open. Continue this until you have the desired size pattern you are looking for. You will notice that your air pressure will not change, and you will need to move closer to the panel to be able to spot-in with proper wetting with less risk of color shift. By limiting the fluid rate, you have less material introduced into your spray pattern resulting in a smaller spray pattern. This offers more control while spraying and gives you consistent results that are expected from a professional painter.

When purchasing a spray gun, do your research. Not all guns created are equal. Look into the operating air pressure range, recommended operating distance range, and even what kind of cups, hoses, or attachments the gun manufacturer recommends for best performance. This will maximize you and your gun’s performance capability.

Needle/Fluid Control:

By adjusting your needle you will reduce your fan pattern size without changing your air pressure. The pattern size changes due to the fluid to air ratio. This gives you more repeatable control with small repairs.

Fine Tune:

Adjust air pressure at the air micrometer for small precise air adjustments.

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2022

Painter’s Playbook

Why Should I Use an RP? How adding an RP to your toolbox can make your job easier and more efficient

By Chris Springer

I believe the best way to answer this question is to start with what an RP is and how it’s different than an HVLP spray gun. When SATA began making spray guns for the automotive refinish industry, the technology was cutting edge. We now reference those spray guns as “conventional” technology.

The definition of a conventional spray gun is more-or-less summarized as a spray gun that relies on air pressure to achieve fine atomization. The paint products that were being used were classified as low to medium solids and typically had high viscosity by today’s standards, and it was not uncommon to spray with a 1.6 or 1.8 fluid tip for both primers and topcoats.

And, if you wanted a finish to be flatter or smoother you only had two options. A painter could either lower viscosity with heat, commonly referred to as “hot cupping” lacquer or enamels by placing the spray guns syphon feed cup on a hot plate to warm the paint. Or you atomize the paint finer by cranking up the air pressure to 4565 psi, by increasing the air pressure, the paint was atomized into smaller droplets which resulted in a flatter, smoother finish and a better overall appearance.

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A negative of utilizing higher air pressure to achieve finer atomization and smoother finishes is its effects on transfer efficiency. Though a painter was able to achieve a better appearance, they often would put more paint in the booth filters due to overspray than they did on the vehicle.

Fast forward 30+ years later and there are now rules and regulations regarding spray equipment and their operational efficiency.

Just as there are regulations on the volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) in paints, there are regulations that apply to spray equipment. The current regulations on spray guns is that they must not exceed 10 psi at the air cap, or if that air pressure is in excess of 10 psi, the transfer efficiency of the spray gun must meet or exceed 65%. South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is one of the leading agencies that focuses on spray equipment testing and approvals.

Up until the late 1990’s, painters have been using a mixed bag of both conventional and HVLP technologies in spray guns. The industry focus on cost and material savings pushed painters to put down their old SATA jet 90’s and pickup the newly introduced HVLP’s. Initially HVLP spray guns were not welcomed with open arms. When compared to the more conventional spray guns, the HVLP spray guns were slower, felt choked for material and really had a negative reputation in the market. The SATA jet NR95 was the first industry accepted HVLP. This had more to

do with education than equipment, distributors and technicians alike were finding out through paint company training that HVLP spray guns needed a higher volume of air to run them properly. Spray booths started providing “high flow” hoses, couplers and fittings to accommodate the volume of air required to run these new spray guns.

In 1999, SATA really changed the game of vehicle refinishing with the introduction of the SATA NR2000 HVLP and the SATA 2000 RP. Not only was the NR2000 HVLP an improvement in form and function over the previous model NR95, but SATA blew our minds with the introduction of what we call today a “compliant” spray gun. The SATA 2000 RP was introduced to have the speed and wetting like a SATA jet 90, with the transfer efficiency and savings of a SATA NR95 HVLP. This new compliant spray gun met the standards of refinish equipment guidelines by focusing on transfer efficiency rather than the air pressure at the air cap. This allowed SATA to create a superior atomizing spray gun that still maintained 65% or greater transfer efficiency. However, by this time painters had started seeing the benefits of using an HVLP over conventional spray guns for color application. OEM manufacturers were starting to use colors that contain more special effect pigments and metallic flakes. These colors required better atomization and orientation than a conventional spray gun could provide.

The HVLP spray gun was really finding its place spraying basecoat color. While HVLP spray guns were doing a great job with color, they still weren’t a painters first choice for clearcoat application.

Even with ideal hoses and fittings, painters were still holding onto those jet 90s to spray clearcoat due to their speed, wetting and final appearance. This is where the new SATA 2000 RP really impacted the industry. In the hands of a trained technician, the SATA 2000 B RP could provide you with an incredibly smooth, glossy finish without sacrificing those application attributes painters expect. It was during this time that the unwritten rule of HVLP is used for basecoat, and RP is used for clearcoat was created.

Tips & Tricks Benefits of an RP An RP uses less cfm than an HVLP. In an instance where your compressor may not be able to keep up with an HVLP (15 cfm), an RP (10 cfm) can still perform well. As painters we have all had to spray a frame rail or core support while a vehicle is still on the frame rack. An RP is more forgiving of smaller hoses and couplers. While an HVLP relies on 3/8” inside diameter hoses and fittings to work properly, most hoses outside the spray booth are ¼”.

This rule was developed more by the painters rather than by SATA itself. SATA had a different vision for the RP’s future.

Fast forward 20 years later from the RP’s first introduction and SATA has continued to improve their spray guns performance. Today we have the SATAjet X 5500 series of spray guns in our arsenal.

With its introduction, SATA has changed the game again. The SATAjet X 5500 now has pattern choices available with it, the “I” and “O” patterns are both available in HVLP and RP, and truly allow a painter to customize their spray gun to their specific style and technique of spraying. More painters are really seeing the benefits of using an RP technology spray gun for more than just clearcoat. With todays variety of paint brands and preferences, it is difficult to make a blanket statement like “RP is the best option for basecoats”. However, we are seeing a significant shift from HVLP to RP for spraying basecoat since the introduction of the SATAjet 4000 B. Understanding RP and HVLP To better understand this shift, lets look at what makes an RP different than an

HVLP spray gun. An HVLP is limited to 10 psi at the air cap to perform atomization of todays high solids paint materials. That limitation is one major contributor to why we use smaller fluid tips today than we did 20+ years ago. A smaller stream is easier to atomize than a larger one. While that 10 psi limitation is put on the HVLP, an RP meets the rule of 65% or greater transfer efficiency. Thus, allowing it to utilize higher pressures at the air cap to atomize. A general rule is that an RP has 60% of the inlet air at the air cap. Meaning, if both spray guns are hooked up to a hose with 29 psi inlet pressure, the HVLP has 10 psi while the RP has 18-19 psi at the air cap. What that means to a technician is that while an HVLP is an excellent choice for spraying both basecoat and clearcoat, an RP can offer improved atomization.

The approach the X 5500 is taking with the pattern choices is nothing shy of brilliant. Now you have a range of fluid tips from 1.1 to 1.5 in HVLP and 1.1 to 1.4 in RP, and you can choose the shape pattern that best suits your style. Some painters prefer to be close to the panel with quick arm speed, while others prefer to be a little

further back and controlled. Now both painters have that option. But what makes the X 5500 even better is the gap between an HVLP and an RP’s performance has never been tighter. We are now seeing a substantial increase in the number of painters using RP technology for basecoat.

Painters are starting to see that when you pair the performance of an RP with the customizable pattern shapes of the X 5500 I & O, the combination is making their jobs easier. The improved atomization of the RP and the pattern shaping of the I & O nozzle set is allowing a painter to struggle less with those difficult colors. Overall painters are seeing improved application with an RP for both color and clearcoat.

In todays Automotive Refinish Industry, painters are being asked to do more with less every day. SATA’s entire line of RP technology spray guns allows painters to achieve incredible final appearance without sacrificing material savings. SATA RP’s are available in primer, sealer, basecoat, clearcoat and minijet spray guns. So, the next time you’re in the market for a new spray gun, ask for the world leaders in spray gun technology and pickup a SATA.

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2022

Painter’s Playbook

Tech &Tools SATA is a family owned business that values ecology, economy and social responsibility above all else.

SATA’s business model is designed to last and so are their tools. With a focus on comfort, efficiency, and durability, these new products will help you last in the booth as long as they do.

SATA® air visionTM 5000 Long days in the paint booth quickly begin to put a toll on your body. SATA is making your comfort a priority by adding new accessories, specially designed to add some padding and support to your work day.

SATA recently introduced a couple new accessories for the SATA air vision 5000 breathing protection system, the SATA air regulator belt plus and a new head fixation 2.0. The newly redesigned belt is longer and adjustable to comfortably fit a variety of sizes, and includes a band to secure any extra length and keep it fastened close to your body. Additional padding and sturdy new material keeps you comfortable and holds any air vision 5000 modules you may

Belt The SATA air regulator belt Plus part number 1030668, is comfortably cushioned with new pads.

These pads are thicker, narrower, and slightly taller to offer more support for the add-on units.

The belt is constructed with stiff, heavy duty material to prevent twisting or sagging when adding additional air vision 5000 modules.

The SATAjet® 1500 B SoLV High quality doesn’t always have to mean a high price tag. The SATAjet® 1500 B SoLV solvent spray gun offers great performance at an exceptional price. With the name, SoLV, short for Solvent, Low VOC and Low Viscosity, this spray gun is targeted at a specific segment of the collision repair industry and designed for full system applications. This spray gun includes a stainless nozzle set available in 1.3 and 1.4 nozzle sizes, with air pressure ranging from 7-29 psi allowing you flexibility, whether you like to work fast or take it nice and slow. The HVLP uses only 12.4 CFM of air volume at 26 psi inlet pressure with the RP version using only 10.2 CFM air volume at 29 psi.

These spray guns can be used with a 5 hp compressor. Whether you are a lifelong user or new to SATA spray guns, you can’t go wrong with the affordable and high quality SATAjet 1500 B SoLV.

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Responsible The reduced pressure (RP) version of the SATAjet® 1500 B SoLV has SCAQMD and EPA approval. You can be confident you're making the responsible choice when it comes to taking care of your environment in and out of the paint booth all without sacrificing quality.

Efficient With the slightly shorter, but wider fan, the spray gun is designed with low overspray and a low material consumption.

The air pressure ranges from 7-29 psi, allowing for a fast working speed.

Versatile The SATAjet® 1500 B SoLV is very flexible, and useful when spraying everything from lower solids alkyd enamels, and commercial coatings to high solids acrylic urethanes.

Tech & Tools Head fixation 2.0 The SATA head fixation 2.0 part number 1114256 features elastic bands that support the top of the head, with a comfort band for the forehead and comfort pad in the back around the adjustment knob. Both pads now come with Velcro for quick and easy attachment.

Spot Repair The minijet is designed to ensure perfect finishes in various fields of application and the special SR nozzles are perfectly suitable for spot repairs on vehicles.

need. The SATA head fixation 2.0 can be purchased to replace the head fixation that originally came with the hood. This new accessory provides support and comfort, incorporating padding and elastic bands to keep your head safe and comfortable. The new head fixation 2.0 will come standard on all new hoods this fall. Both accessories are of robust design and are available at your local SATA distributor.

The SATAminijet® 4400 B is the perfect compact spray gun, great for high build priming and mid-sized repairs to small detail work, especially in areas of difficult access. Whether you are trying to touch up a small scratch on the edge of a panel or just small stone chips in a blend area, the fan size is flexible and easy to adjust.

The SATAminijet 4400 B is now compatible with UV primers and products. Couple this with the SATA® RPS® UV black version cups for a combination sure to increase your productivity.

UV Compatible The SATAminijet 4400 B is a fantastic option when it comes to spraying UV primer. The benefits that come from spraying not only primer, but UV products through the minijet 4400 B is profound. Check with your paint manufacturer for specific recommendations. The most common setups for spraying UV primer range from the 0.8 SR up to the 1.2 SR.

Low Overspray The minijet offers unparalleled atomization and material distribution throughout the pattern, as well as the lowest amount of overspray of any paint gun!

SATAjet® K 1800 Spray Mix With the SATAjet® K 1800 spray mix high pressure coating has never been easier.

With the "spray mix technology" the paint material is applied at high pressure, creating a pre-formed airless spray fan. Through the air cap, compressed air is fed to this airless spray fan, which helps to shape it and enables an even droplet distribution.

The result is a homogeneous material application for highest surface quality. The new SATA spray mix spray gun is perfectly suited for both classic craftsmanship as well as for industrial applications. Thanks to the various adjustment options and the finely tuned nozzle range, it is the perfect choice when it comes to high profitability, high area output and high finishing quality.

SATAminijet® 4400 B

Maintainable The innovative, two-part clamplock paint needle system enables easier maintenance while the corrosion-resistant anodized surface makes it easy to clean and maintain for years to come.

Customizable The SATAjet® K 1800 spray mix has an adjustable fan size and is available in three versions with different nozzle sizes available for your individual setup.

Comfortable The ergonomic design in combination with the low trigger force of only 24 Nm enables fatigue-free working even during longer coating sessions.

This light weight gun is perfect for continuous and time-intensive coating processes.

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Automotive painters Natalie Haynes and Amy Bogner represent a growing fleet of the industry’s finest refinishers, and they come about it naturally.

By Carol Badaracco Padgett Images by Colin Gordon Photography, Janel Sealander & Kaleb Duncan Photography

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Natalie Haynes, painter at Ironmanz Collision Repair in Missouri Valley, Iowa.

Her Canvas is a Car

A superb eye for color, attention to detail, focus and tenacity.

These are just some of the traits of the most skilled automotive painters in the pack—today, many of them female.

This year, The Painter’s Playbook spoke with two celebrated women painters to learn their stories and journeys into a career inside the booth.

Natalie Haynes, Missouri Valley, Iowa Ask about her most memorable paint job and the young woman glazes over—the memory is fresh. “Oh yes! The top favorite paint job of mine is a 1959 Rambler Wagon complete refinish,” says Natalie Haynes, a painter at Ironmanz Collision Repair in Missouri Valley, Iowa.

“It is a two-tone pink color, which ironically is the original color of the car,” she states. “It was a difficult color to match because the formula is no longer available, but I figured it out and it turned out really cool.”

This particular Rambler belongs to her grandparents. “They were quite overjoyed and are still extremely proud to show off a paint job that was done by their granddaughter,” Haynes notes.

She is the full-time painter at her parents’ collision repair business, a mantle she took over at the age of 18. “Growing up in the shop, I was mesmerized by my dad and the painting,” Haynes, now 22 years old, says of her early teen years. “So I asked him, ‘What if I paint?’”

Her dad’s response was, “Absolutely,” and he invited her straight into the booth, teaching her everything he knew while she rounded out the mix with classes from Axalta.

Her dad and mom also gifted her a ’69 Camaro SS that needed a lot of work. “He

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said, ‘If you want to do this, you have to do the work yourself and then paint it.’” So she did. And as a result, “I fell more in love with cars and painting, which led me to become the full-time painter [at the shop], and I have been since 2018.”

Interestingly, before auto painting came into her life, Haynes didn’t consider herself to be especially creative. “Honestly, I’m not artistic—my sister got that. But I just watched dad in the booth and listened to other men talk. I listened for their knowledge and I picked it up and applied it myself in the booth,” she says of her trade.

Today, she has added still another notch to her resume. “I received a fouryear degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska Omaha,” Haynes shares, and she achieved this on top of painting full-time at the family shop. “I’d

like to be a police officer, while painting on the side, and I want to have a custom painting shop one day.”

Like Haynes, a growing number of women painters are coming into the field today and finding equally encouraging acceptance there.

Amy Bogner, Buffalo, New York Another woman in the growing ranks of female painters is Amy Bogner, a 39-year-old refinisher at Sammy’s Auto Repair in Buffalo, New York, who has a 17-year-long career in the automotive industry. Whereas Haynes’ initial encouragement came from her father, Bogner’s came from her “do-it-yourself-girl” mom, as she describes.

“So I picked up that way of life,” Bogner says. “I’m a do-it-yourself kind of person,

Perfect Match

Amy Bogner combined her love of art and cars into a promising career for herself.

and I was always into cars, had a lot of guy friends … and I was artistic.”

In her early 20’s, Bogner remembers paying someone to paint her car, a 1990 Acura Integra, with money tight and very hard to part with, and then she promptly got into a traffic accident. This fender bender, however, turned out to be the catalyst that got her into the automotive industry. “I thought, ‘I’ll try to fix it myself,’” she says. “So I got another Integra that was just the body, no engine or transmission.

And I started swapping out the damaged parts, learning as I went.”

This experiment led Bogner to take interest in an auto body program at nearby Erie Community College (ECC).

“It was a two-year program and I started working for a dealership one year into the program,” she says, working during

the day and taking weekday classes until 11 p.m.

Through her studies, she began to put together an old interest with her new one.

As the auto painter puts It, “Since I had wanted to be an artist when I was a kid, I found a way to do that and make money.”

Ever since those early days, she has put considerable time and effort into her training, going to PPG School in Pittsburgh twice and obtaining Platinum Certification in I-CAR, through both in-person and virtual classes. “I-CAR training Is popular if you’re going to apply for a job, because it assures the customer of the quality of your work,” she notes. “There was a lot of Q&A for that test. I had to put in a lot of hours to get certified.”

Bogner, like Haynes, appreciates the encouragement her family has given her

as a painter. “My 10-year-old son brags,” she says. “And my mom shows off the cars I’ve painted, saying, ‘I have a daughter and look what she can do.’”

Respect from employers and potential employers came, too. “I have a good reputation as far as collision shops in this area.

I’ve gotten jobs without having to apply, and business owners have contacted me,” she states.

Throughout the years, Bogner, like her young counterpart, has a list of phenomenal paint jobs that stand out from all the others in her mind. “For some reason, I love how red cars look after I have painted them, even though red is not my favorite color,” she discloses. “My Integra, which was the first car I ever painted, while I was in school, was a custom bright red with a purple pearl in it. I owned it for five years and ended up selling it on Valentine’s Day, of all days. I cried my eyes out.”

The drive down memory lane prompts Bogner to share another experience. “I painted a Dodge Challenger that was paint code PRR, and I loved the way it looked on the curves of the car. It really stands out in my memory and I painted it about five years ago.” She adds, “Another pretty cool story: 15 years ago I drove my first Corvette. It was owned by my boss at the time. It was also the first Corvette that I painted, and it was a 2001 red convertible with a black top, paint code WA9075. I remember thinking, ‘One day I want one of these.’ Last year I purchased that exact car.

So that’s my new baby.”

At present, the painter is working on a 1978 Ford Bronco. “She’s getting a complete paint job, and go figure, it’s going to be Candy Apple red Paint Code T,” Bogner quips.

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Her Canvas is a Car

Tips for Women in the Booth Women have what it takes For both Bogner and Haynes, who speak from firsthand experience, automotive painting is a natural fit for many women.

“For me, it’s a really good eye,” Haynes says of what makes women excellent refinishers. “For color, matching, and spotting mistakes to fix.” And she drills down on that thought, “Women have, in my opinion, an especially good eye for detail and color. We see differently than men when it comes to that.”

Bogner agrees, noting, “I’ve been told that women have a better eye for color— PPG said that. It has something to do with our eyes and genetics.”

Women are quick starts, too, and an ever-evolving subject, like cars, can hold their interest. For Bogner personally, she finds, “I like cars, driving them, learning how things work. It keeps me motivated.

With cars, there’s always something new to learn. They’re always coming up with new products and parts. The field is not monotonous and it keeps you on your toes.”

When it comes to dealing with co-workers in a historically male-dominated field, Haynes says women must tap into their strength. “Be tough. Men don’t always make it easy for you. Keep the thick skin,” she advises. “But you come to realize as a woman that you can do it. You’re just working in a man-dominated field, but there’s no difference in your abilities.”

Bogner is confident in women’s abilities to be great painters, as well, because she sees the evidence in herself and in her journey as a refinisher. “There are definitely more things that I pick up on, imperfections that I catch, versus my male co-workers.”

And she adds, “Again, attention to detail. It’s not just fixing the car and making money, it’s the whole pride in seeing my work and what I do make other people happy. I love seeing the customers and getting their opinions.”

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First off, painter Amy Bogner says getting into and thriving in the field of automotive refinishing won’t be easy. “Push through the hard parts and you’ll come through in the end, and have confidence in yourself and your own work,” she emphasizes. “When you see the impact you have on others, it’s worth it. Our attention to detail—and seeing what we’re doing for other people—it makes us happy to see them happy.”

She laughs as she adds this critical thought for any woman who would be drawn to paint. “You can’t be afraid to get dirty. And you have to be motivated, driven.” Then she adds, “I’ll admit I don’t enjoy all the steps of it, but the end product motivates me. You’ll need to take pride in that end product.”

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• Local/Regional Networking Events • Annual Education Conference • Educational Webinars • Mentoring Opportunities womensindustrynetwork.com

• Scholarship Program • School Outreach Program • Most Influential Women (MIW) Award

Her Canvas is a Car

Driving home positive results with social media There’s definitely a learning curve with social media, Bogner has found. “If you’re using social media to promote your talent, your art, your business, you have to be cautious in what you post. But there are ways it can really, really help you—it’s free advertisement.”

She adds that women must remember, “You’re showing what you’re doing and representing yourself and who you are as a person. People can watch social media and see if they want to trust you with their vehicle.”

Haynes takes a full-steam-ahead approach to social, saying, “Get your work out there and promote yourself as a young painter. I’m a small-town girl on Instagram and this magazine reached out to me. You never know what’s going to happen. One post can put you in a place that’s good for you.”

The ’69 Camaro SS Haynes owns (nicknamed Hysteria) has her own Instagram page, as it turns out: @hysteria_camaro. And through this page the young painter has developed a camaraderie with Girls Behind the Gun, @girlsbehindthegun, an organization that gives shoutouts to women in the automotive trade and offers support to young women in the paint booth.

Their futures in the field Both painters envision futures that include time in the auto shop and in the booth.

Even though Haynes has just finished her criminal justice degree, painting is not something she plans to leave behind. As she says, “I can always use my painting career to further myself and better myself, because the ability to paint is not some-

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thing that can be taken away. I look for those opportunities to grow as a painter because having many different skills is so valuable in life.”

As for Bogner, she doesn’t see herself painting full-time in the future, but she does envision owning a business. “I want to own my own shop and get involved in specialty cars,” she says, adding, “And I hope to paint the ones I’m really excited about.”

Her strong reputation in the industry, solidified through years of work that demonstrates her talent, will help her get the start she needs.

In her shop, Bogner sees a place for

Sheer Determination Required Being a successful woman in the paint booth will take moxie, there’s no two ways about it. But the field also requires a person to possess the virtues of patience and perseverance, according to painter Natalie Haynes.

“You won’t get it perfect the first time you paint. Stick with it through the failures, redos, and frustrating times,” she stresses.

“But you must stick with it and don’t get discouraged. It’s hard working in a more man-dominated field. But it pays off.”

In the end, she says, “You need to paint well and compete well in the field, but there are so many examples of women to prove that it is possible. Painting is humbling and rewarding. It just takes time to get it right.”

women. First, she plans to hire women employees in the mix, and second, she wants to cultivate a family-friendly environment, “so women feel comfortable coming in and knowing they’re getting honest, correct information that’s explained to them,” she says. And she wants her shop to have hours that accommodate men and women who work and have children.

The painter closes, “I definitely want women working there. I want to find them in their 20’s and bring them under my wing and teach them. Women are wonderful painters.”

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When the collision repair industry links arms with technical schools, a diverse workforce with serious mettle is the result

By Carol Badaracco Padgett

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It’s a two-way street. The combined efforts of shop owners alongside technical schools are what make the workforce of today and tomorrow stand strong and thrive.

Nobody appreciates this more than Tony Larimer, director of sales and marketing for Dan-Am Co. in the U.S., an importer for SATA, a worldwide leader in the field of wet paint technologies and manufacturer of spray equipment that every painter knows like the back of their hand.

Dan-Am Co. is closely linked with SkillsUSA, a U.S. career and technical school organization that serves nearly 400,000 high school, college, and middle school students and professional members enrolled in training programs in the auto refinishing trade. SATA GmbH & Co Kg in Germany is as well, with World Skills.

“We’re grooming painters who come into the collision repair industry, and we’ve been supporting this for the last 26 years,” Larimer states of SkillsUSA competitions at the regional, state, and national levels each year in June. He serves as technical chairman over the event alongside his cochair, Jessica Neri with PPG Paint. Neri is a SkillsUSA alum who went to work for PPG coming straight out of the competition.

To this end, technical schools across the nation that offer courses in the collision repair trade (as well as a multitude of other trades) vie each year to send their students to the prestigious weeklong competition.

At this June’s national competition, held for the first time in Atlanta on June 20-24, 2022, Dan-Am supported the event with necessities such as breathing equipment, spray guns, paint mixing cups, and a good deal more.

Chairman Larimer, alongside Co-Chair Neri work alongside many technical committee members from across the paint industry to bring technical and vocational schools and their students into the competition each year.

Larimer’s enthusiasm for giving students and competitors opportunities they otherwise probably wouldn’t have is readily apparent, along with Dan-Am’s commitment to helping technical schools when they need it most. “We’ve taken vocational instructors to the SATA factory in Germany,” he says as an example. “We also support schools in crisis areas, such as where there have been hurricanes, when the school needs funding and equipment by working through groups like CREF.” We have been fortunate that SATA and Dan-Am Company ownership have supported this great cause for 26 years in the USA. Along

Working Together

Tech schools and automotive companies are working together to train top notch painters and technicians

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with me, our Eastern Regional Manager Jim Kvatek is now a segment leader over the spot repair portion of the ART competition, and Brad Gravenhof, who is our manager of the Dan-Am Air Aluminum Piping division of Dan-Am also works at National Skills to help insure proper air volume is available to each part of the ART and CRT competitions.

As technical schools work together with companies like Dan-Am, SATA, and various auto refinishing shops around the country that mentor their students and give them a wealth of real-world experience, they are helping young people break into the industry, as well as the next generation of talent in the automotive industry workforce.

Larimer says that all technical schools need to do to get this top-level kind of support is ask—companies like Dan-Am and others, alongside auto repair shops in their area, are ready and willing to join forces with them and help teach and prepare up-and-coming automotive painters and technicians.

“If schools need help and training, whether curriculum or equipment solutions, these schools should contact us,” he stresses. “We and our representatives look forward to working with them.”

Teachers at U.S. technical schools routinely echo Larimer’s sentiments for helping automotive trade students who’ll become the industry’s next front line of technicians. And these schools and their 100% committed instructors express similar zeal for teaching the next generation of refinishers and giving them opportunities they may not otherwise have— like schooling combined with real-world experience working in auto repair shops.

Carl Rusch, a Vanguard-Sentinel Career & Technology Centers instructor in Tiffin, Ohio, is one of these instructors. He loves to teach kids the art of automotive refinishing and anything else they need to know about car repair. In addition to refinishing, Rusch teaches body repair, spot welding, aluminum welding, silica bronze welding, and a good deal more.

And when Rusch is finished, a student’s options are well rounded. “Kids can branch off to NASCAR, industrial painting, collision repair shops … whatever they want,” he says.

the the

the

40,000 Students 1,000 Programs $ 400+ Million (since 2009) donated directly into programs

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Vanguard-Sentinel is fortunate to have strong relationships with and support from auto shops in the area, but there’s such a need for internships for these students that Rusch is always looking for more shops to partner with.

“Feisel’s Frame & Collision [in Tiffin, Ohio] is the biggest help I’ve had,” he states. “They mentor my students and they hire my students.” And he adds, “Reineke Ford in Tiffin will also take the kids in a mentorship program, and they’ve also hired past students for their collision repair facility, and they’ll pay. Some of Reineke Ford’s employees who are past students are also on the advisory board for the Sentinel program. National Machinery [also local] hired one of my girl painters this year; they start our kids at $19 an hour doing industrial painting.”

Instructor Cal DeHaas at North Idaho College’s Parker Technical Education Center located in Rathdrum, Idaho, who teaches the school’s autobody and paint technology program, also reports having a strong experience through the tech school-auto shop teamwork approach to prepping auto repair students for the industry.

“We have mentorship programs, so second semester, if a student is eligible, they can go into an internship where they’re at school half a day and they work the other half,” he explains. “Those work out well, and we’re looking to increase the number of internships in the coming years. Many shops—they want this.”

It’s a win-win on both sides of the equation because serious students know they need these kinds of opportunities and are hungry for them, and auto repair shops have a desperate need for technicians. And Rusch reports that Vanguard-Sentinel has a strong track record of making the internship process work for everyone involved.

“Our students have a reputation of going out and doing well in these scenarios and being successful in these internships. And this type of program gets them off to a great start,” he notes.

Aside from real-world work experience for the students and a much-needed, expertly skilled workforce of technicians that the shops need, the technical school instructors say they work hard to instill

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Learning on-the-Job

Second semester students have the opportunity to intern at local shops, gaining real-world experience and helping fill the technician shortage

people skills and decent, positive attitudes into their students.

Rusch puts it like this: “Honestly, we’re big on character education here. I try to push respect on them. You need to learn respect for yourself, your clients, other people, and your vehicles.”

DeHaas, too, believes in teaching students lessons that go beyond the purely technical. “Along with teaching I have a passion for coaching—mostly girls basketball for roughly 20 years. I have coached youth, high school, then three years on the women’s basketball team here at North Idaho College. And I’ve found that there are a lot of similarities between coaching and teaching.”

Both require teaching of the fundamentals, DeHaas notes, for example, plastic welding, basecoat/clearcoat applications, color, sand and polish, and small dent repair when it comes to auto refinishing.

But the character fundamentals are the same for sports and work-life experiences, and they must be reinforced just like the skills students learn in the classroom and practice in the lab on mock-up cars.

“Repetition is the key to learning,” he says.

“The fundamentals and the why are taught in

the classroom first, but the light comes on for the learner in the lab environment.”

And then, students can take their skills—and their can-do attitudes—into internships, shop-mentor scenarios, and their first jobs after they graduate from school.

SkillsUSA is yet another way the tech schools and auto shops cross paths and work side-by-side, as Larimer attests from his professional standpoint at Dan-Am. And SkillsUSA is where both Rusch and DeHaas say they’re seeing the industry’s most deserving, goal-driven, and talented technicians take off toward high-power careers in the automotive industry. And chief among the SkillsUSA competitors and winners in recent years, both men report, are women.

As DeHaas says, “We participate in SkillsUSA every year, and we had a national champion in the auto refinishing category—a lady named Ashleigh Anderson. She came into our nine-month program with a background as an ER nurse and worked for a construction company, and she wanted a change.”

So Anderson came into the auto refinishing program at North Idaho College and competed in the state SkillsUSA compe-

Repetition Rules Cal DeHaas, an instructor in the paint and autobody technology program at North Idaho College’s Parker Technical Education Center, knows that practice makes as perfect as possible for today’s and tomorrow’s auto refinishers.

“You just can’t introduce a skill set and expect a student to perform it. The learner needs hands on repetition to lock that skill set in,” as he puts it.

“We break these skill sets down into detailed fundamentals, and our students practice these skills sets over and over and over until the skill set locks in. We then revisit these skill sets often through the use of mock-up cars and then, eventually, customer vehicles,” he states.

By the time his students get to internships at the auto repair shops, they’re ready for real-world auto refinishing—and ready to be the next successful generation of painters.

tition for Idaho. And from there she was awarded an opportunity to compete at the national level.

DeHaas says this about Anderson: “She has a great eye for detail and color. Very competitive. Very driven. She interviewed very well and carried herself very confidently.”

He adds, “She was a joy to teach, and she pushed us. She wanted to know the ‘why,’ and she wanted me to explain it, which I appreciate in students.”

Rusch, too, has immense praise for SkillsUSA and the many benefits it brings to the students who’ll become the workers in auto shops and in the industry as a whole. One of his school’s recent SkillsUSA winners, Seth Pine, would’ve had no chance at college, he says, were it not for the competition. “He went hard for this opportunity, and he got it. He won a toolbox and free college because he won Skills national,” he says, adding, “Tony [Larimer] from Dan-Am Company helped him out with discounted paint guns by SATA.” Other manufacturers are big supporters of the students, as well, both in the technical schools’ learning labs and in the competition setting. For example, “PPG is one of our leading supporters,” DeHaas says.

“We spray a lot of PPG products and their support for our program is unmatched.”

SATA and other spray guns are also in high use at North Idaho College, with DeHaas noting, “SATA is our students’ favorite gun to spray.”

For Rusch at Vanguard-Sentinel, PPG is also a strong supporter of the school at the regional competition level.

“Kathi Minut at PPG … supplies all our materials, whatever we need—cups, paint, strainers, everything. And all the students write thank-you notes. It shows respect, to me. Otherwise you’d have to buy those materials.”

Other manufacturer representatives that help the school big-time are PPG’s Jamie Redd in the training center in Columbus Ohio, he notes, and Patrick Klefee who has donated and delivered many pricey items.

Another professional industry organization that’s highly praised by both DeHaas and Rusch is the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), based in Hoffman Estate, Illinois, and affiliated with I-CAR. The organization was established in 1991 in response to the industry’s distinct shortage of well-trained, entry-level employees in the late 1980s.

29

Drug-Free Zone

Being Responsible

Students must take the program and their schooling seriously to obtain careers in the field

According to CREF’s website (collisioneducationfoundation.org), two-thirds of the collision repair schools in the country use the I-CAR Live or Advance-Tech curriculum.

“CREF has been great,” Rusch reports.

His contact at the organization, Melissa Marscin, has helped him with the resources needed to secure much-needed donations of supplies for the school, like safety glasses, for example.

DeHaas, too, is incredibly appreciative of CREF’s support of his school’s automotive refinishing program and its students. “We apply for the foundation grant each year and have received thousands and thousands in equipment and materials. It’s an absolutely amazing foundation. Our budgets have gaps, and we need these surprise donations,” he says.

Moving deeper into 2022 and entering 2023, both Rusch and DeHaas say a trend or movement they hope to continue to see at their individual schools, at schools across the nation, and in the

30

professional automobile refinishing industry as a whole is more women painters entering the field.

For DeHaas, “Over the years we average 1-2 female student per year, but I’d love to see more.”

And for Rusch, “Four females just graduated, and three more are coming in.”

For both instructors, no matter who the students are, they are relished and they are needed by the industry. “I love to teach these kids, and I’ve always had a passion for the trade. We have to help these young people,” Rusch says.

DeHaas shares, “These students understand that [schooling, mentorships, and competitions] are an opportunity for them to launch their careers. And there’s a desperate need for technicians, too.”

In partnership, technical schools, auto repair shops, and trade industry organizations can keep the industry strong, both men concur.

“You have to have good partners. To me, they help educate the future of the repair and collision industry,” Rusch closes.

“Respect and responsibility, these are two things we teach these kids,” says Carl Rusch, instructor in the automotive program at Vanguard-Sentinel Career & Technology Centers. A big part of that, for Rusch, is helping kids stay drug-free and rewarding them when they succeed.

Vanguard-Sentinel has a drugfree program that Rusch says is voluntary for the students. “We ask each student if they want to be in it each semester,” he says. “They pay $15 each and the school pays $52. And the parents are notified if they test positive, not us.”

He adds, “Our industry partners can then say, ‘Let’s see this,’ as part of the mentorship program, and if students don’t do it, they don’t want them.”

Rusch also tells students who want to participate that if they don’t have the $15, he’ll pay it.

“I tell them to get into the drugfree program. And I tell them that they’ve gotta stay straight,” he adds.

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