Cloudaccess - Joomla! as a service

Michael Antonelli has been appointed to the California/Nevada/Arizona Automotive Wholesalers Association’s (CAWA) Board of Directors representing Vantage Marketing Global, Inc, Grand Island, New York.

He was appointed by Chair of the Board, Mary Davis of NGK Spark Plugs in Sacramento, California. “Mr. Antonelli has served on our Manufacturers Advisory Council with distinction and has a long and diverse career in the automotive industry starting at General Motors and as the founder of Vantage Marketing Global, Inc.” said Ms. Davis. “Mr. Antonelli’s breath of industry experience will be a great addition to the board of directors and we’ll welcome his contributions to the automotive aftermarket industry and its trade Association out west”, said Chair Davis following the appointment.

CAWA is an automotive aftermarket trade association, which represents auto parts jobbers, warehouse distributors, retailers, manufacturers and manufacturer representatives in California, Nevada and Arizona. The Association provides education, legislative, regulatory and business support to the industry and its membership. It is one of the largest trade associations of its kind in the United States and recognized as a leader in the automotive aftermarket industry.

Visit www.cawa.org for more information.

BASF Automotive Refinish announced August 31 that it has named Vitor Margaronis as Marketing Director for BASF Coatings, North America. In his new role, Vitor is responsible for directing the marketing activities of the BASF Automotive Refinish, OEM, Industrial and Commercial Transport Systems businesses.

Vitor comes to the BASF North America Coatings team after a 10-year history that began at BASF in Canada. During his tenure, Vitor has held several management level positions with increasing responsibility in the areas of marketing, finance, logistics operations and project management.

Vitor has a Bachelor of Commerce degree and an MBA in Marketing from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

“With his deep understanding of BASF businesses, customers and markets, Vitor is an excellent addition to our team. His varied and diverse experiences across BASF position him well for continued success,” said Juan Carlos Ordonez, Senior Vice President, BASF Coatings North America.

To learn about BASF automotive refinish products, visit us at: www.basfrefinish.com.

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes fourth quarter training sessions will begin Oct. 3 and run through Dec. 19, 2011.  Its latest classes will be held nationwide at numerous metropolitan Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes training centers.  Collision repair industry professionals will learn intensive business-building and production-excellence through classroom, web and hands-on settings.

Classes consist of multiple courses designed to increase shop productivity and include numerous sessions on painter certification, AWX® waterborne systems, color adjustment and blending, key performance indicators, accurate estimating and workshop efficiency.

“Sherwin-Williams wants collision repair shops to become lean and green,” said Rod Habel, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Director of Training Operations. “You really can’t become green without first becoming lean and that means minimizing or even eliminating waste.  A number of our sessions introduce concepts that support sustainable practices that should ultimately increase most collision centers’ productivity.”

The upcoming curriculum has a strong emphasis on the company’s breakthrough AWX waterborne coatings technology, while other classes will focus on painting excellence with its other systems.
Further details regarding the 2011 fourth quarter scheduling for training sessions, locations, dates and specific course descriptions include the following:
2011 4th Quarter Training Schedule  

For the first time since 2003, the NACE expo will be held somewhere other than Las Vegas. From October 5-8, 2011, NACE will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. As of July, attendee registration for 2011 surpassed double the registration of 2010, a fact largely attributed to the new east-coast location.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Kathleen Moyer of Rex’s Body Shop and Garage Inc. in Vincennes, IN is very excited that NACE is being held in a new location in 2011 and hopes they continue alternating locations.

Luckily, this is what NACE has announced they intend to do, rotating the expo to different locations around the country in upcoming years in order to attract new attendees.

Though he and his wife attend NACE every other year, Shawn H. Moody of Moody’s Collision Centers in Maine is also happy for the change of scenery, pointing out that Orlando is a more family-friendly environment than Las Vegas, and therefore more likely to attract attendees who can correlate the trip to the expo with a family vacation to Florida. His absence from NACE in the past has often been due to the distance between Maine and Las Vegas, and he likes the idea of toggling the location between the east and west coasts.

Walking up to Brian’s Auto Body in Mount Holly, NJ, the first thing that caught my attention was the pictures of cars, wrecked and restored, on the front windows. As I learned from shop manager Tom Riches, the shop often changes these before-and-after pictures which are also displayed inside the lobby as well as in a booklet and on their website. Brian’s customers seem to like seeing their vehicle displayed at the shop. These photos underscore the motto of Brian’s Auto Body: employees should ask themselves if they would be happy with the repairs if it were their own vehicle. According to owner Brian Katz, “providing quick and high-quality repairs is the reason we’re still here.”

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Brian’s Auto Body employs thirteen auto body specialists. Their workforce is highly trained and professional, and they attempt to keep their workspace clean, functional, and attractive.

The shop is around 12,000 square feet in size, with eight repair bays in the front while the dry booths, prep deck and storage for completed vehicles are all found in the back of the shop. They use two Car-O-Liner vision liner frame racks, an AC machine, MIG welders, a prep deck and a tint system for painting.

Brian’s maintains certifications through ASE, I-Car, Honda, Subaru and Toyota/Lexus. The shop is fully licensed and insured, and they offer a lifetime guarantee on all repairs completed. Each vehicle goes through a quality check before being released to the customer.

Some readers will remember that last year I built a Pinewood Derby model car, raced it at SEMA, and took second place. I told myself last year that this year I was going to really stay within the traditional Pinewood Derby build using a single block of wood. A ‘Celebrity Pinewood Derby’ build is what they were calling it. It’s all about having fun and  auctioning off the cars  to benefit Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. I’m all about charities and fundraising and whatever I can do to give back.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

This year I decided to get creative and came up with a pretty cool design. There are rules in Pinewood Derby racing and building and so “maximum weight limit of this car cannot exceed 24 ounces, overall length shall not exceed 8˝ , overall width of the car shall not exceed 2.75˝ including wheels. The car must have approximately 3/8˝ clearance underneath the body of the car, the car must have 4 wheels, all cars must display at least one HRIA decal on the car.”

The organizers provide a basic pinewood car kit including a block of wood, 4 wheels, and two axles. “The only required component is a piece of the wood block which must be visible on the car. You are not required to use any wheels or axles provided. Any materials may be used for the body of your car.” So that’s cool, but for me, for a Pinewood derby build, I want to stay traditional and use a hand tool to carve it out. To me that’s the fun of building a pinewood derby car.

In an article in July’s Autobody News I wrote about Yelp and how shops have objected to the way this review site seems to perpetuate negative reviews on shops unless they’re members of the premium (paid) user program. If you missed it see www.autobodynews.com and search: Yelp. The question for many shops in this situation is: what can I do about it?

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Okay, let’s assume your name and the reputation of your shop has been thrown under the bus and now you want to fight back. Maybe it’s a bad review on Yelp, or maybe a disgruntled former employee has trashed you on the Web and posted a collection of half-truths coupled with some outright lies. Or, maybe one of “those customers” that is never be happy is posting negative things online about you and they are beginning to get noticed and starting to affect your business.

Okay, it looks bad and it can be very frustrating, but don’t panic—there are some strategies you can use to defend yourself online and clean up your damaged reputation in the process.

To get started, you can initially do some things on your own that can distance you from the snarky online comments or bad reviews about you and your business. If you have any even rudimentary computer skills, you can help yourself considerably by making the right moves. The basic rule here is always take the high road. Don’t’ respond directly to anything in a negative or combative fashion. If you jump in the mud with your online accusers, than all you’re really doing is adding credibility to their claims.

New car in the shop – front end looks like it ran into a tree. It did! So, what’s it going to take to get it back on the road? Well, it starts with you, the estimator. As an estimator, you need experience, good judgment, diplomatic skills and accurate information.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

As far as experience, judgment and diplomacy go, you either have them or you don’t. I can’t really help you there. But, when it comes to information, that’s a different story. Today, every model year brings innovations: Materials technology, electronic systems, finishes, vehicle drivetrains, steering and suspension… the list goes on.

Can you develop a repair plan just by looking? How about an educated guess, or calling your friend who worked on one of these vehicles once? Sorry, the old ways just don’t work anymore!

Information is the key
But not just any information. You need manufacturer’s information. OE procedures and guidelines are absolutely required to efficiently and effectively repair today’s vehicles. You need it to write a repair plan. Your Parts Manager may need it to order the correct parts the first time. And of course your technicians need OE information to make accurate repairs in the shortest amount of time possible.

BK Listings, an internet marketing company that provides industry-specific listings to businesses in the automotive industry, has expanded its services to include everything automotive. BK Listings was founded in early 2010 and is headquartered in Dearborn, MI.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

The company started with 3 employees; a web designer, a programmer, and Owner and Founder Bradley Brennan.

Brennan started BK Listings to offer industry specific and content rich profiles to businesses in the automotive industry and to offer customers an easier way to find the best shops in their area. BK Listings focuses exclusively on the automotive service industry—their motto is “anything and everything automotive.”

“You could never include the type of information you can with us on a Google or Yellow Page ad. They’re too general and don’t let your customers see what they need to see,” said Brennan.

BK Listings allows automotive businesses to list the industry-specific information customers searching for this type of business want to see, such as which insurance companies the shop has a Direct Repair relationship with and a complete list of services provided that distinguish the shop from the competition.

All of this information is searchable by users on BK Listings, so if a shop offers a certain service that people in their area want, customers will be able to search for that service and find that shop with ease.

by Bob Spitz—Management Success

I was talking with a fairly new shop owner the other day about the state of his business and the challenges of getting a new business off the ground. During the talk the subject of insurance adjusters came up.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

This particular owner, like many in the business, has a passion for his art. He is a master painter and does beautiful work. Like many new operators, he has some body techs but he is still the one who does the painting. He has goals. He wants his shop to be the best collision shop in his market and I have no doubt that with his drive he might make it. The reason I say might is due to the fact that he is currently stuck working in the back and trying to run the business which includes writing his own estimates.

He is experiencing his first case of true stress and it is starting to manifest itself in the way he handles people. He looks at adjusters as an enemy who is there to drive him crazy and whittle down his profits to the point where he is not making any money.

I asked him if he provides a space for the adjuster to work while the adjuster is in his shop. His reply was instantaneous and filled with antagonism. “Why should I do that? He is not here to help me!” I knew immediately that he was looking at the adjuster as an adversary and not a potential ally.

This July I did a presentation at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Salt Lake City on the need for OEM data prior to estimating and repairing today’s cars. I also included some additional discussion and presented examples of bumper reinforcements. I received a letter from a CAPA spokesperson stating that my demonstration “caused members of the collision repair industry to believe, mistakenly, that the part used in your demonstration was CAPA-certified.” I think that it is important that I give readers an accurate account of what really happened. I want to make this clear. I am not against the use of quality aftermarket parts in the collision repair process, but I am very much against being told to use substandard parts and then assuming all of the risks for their use.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

A couple of months ago, a shop in the Midwest received an estimate from a major insurance company calling for a certified front bumper reinforcement for a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. The shop had ordered from the A/M supplier a certified front-bumper reinforcement, but they received a non certified front bumper reinforcement. The shop’s tech did the right thing—he compared the damaged OE part to the A/M part and showed it to the owner. The was a considerable weight difference between the two parts. He ordered an OE part and sent the A/M part to me.     I purchased a new part and compared them. I found that A/M was not like, kind and quality. About the same time, I received a bumper reinforcement made by Diamond Standard for a 2003 to 2008 Toyota Corolla that was certified by NSF.

Dana Cooper, the owner of Brown Auto Body, a busy, modest-size shop located in southwest Iowa, has been in the collision industry for more than three decades. Cooper knows the value of reliable equipment and he’s convinced there’s no more important need in a shop than having a reliable air compressor. Not only is it critical for his painting needs but he depends on it for air tools needed to maintain his cycle times. That’s why Cooper was so pleased when his Keystone rep introduced him to Mattei compressors for the first time late last year.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

“With a machine like an air compressor, I want to be able to buy it and never worry about it ever again. We’re fixing 30-40 cars per month here, and it’s just another thing I don’t want to have to think about. We’ve had this Mattei unit for about seven months now, and they’ve been very good about keeping us on the right maintenance schedule. I know this is important. If my air compressor goes down, we’re dead in the water. Almost everything from buffers to paint guns depends on air. It would be like trying to fix vehicles without paint or techs—that’s how important it is to have a good air compressor that won’t quit or need service all the time.”

Darrin Cook, General Manager for Keystone Automotive Industries Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska has worked for Keystone for more than 22 years, so he’s seen (and heard) his share of air compressors of all brands, sizes and styles. It’s not just a lot of hot air when Cook enthusiastically lauds the quality and performance of Mattei’s rotary vane compressors.

TGIF (To Get It Fixed) Body Shop in Fremont, CA, is a 12,000 square foot, family-owned business that focuses on the customer just as much as the actual vehicle repairs.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

The shop has 17 employees, plus some part-time help, and is able to service about 120 cars per month. Last year the business grossed about $3 million.

The business was founded in 1980 by Richard Mello, who started the business with his own hands and tool box, and was able to grow the shop by word of mouth.

Richard’s wife, Kathy Mello, took over the business and now runs the shop with son Jason Cocco.

“We take the people into consideration as well as the repair of the vehicle,” said Kathy.

TGIF is heavily involved in their local community as well as the collision repair industry. The business supports local little league teams, several high school sports teams in the area, the Fremont Symphony, and several local business groups. Kathy is a Women’s Industry Network (WIN) member, Board member of the East Bay California Autobody Association, SCRS member and CIC member.

A body shop dropped off a 2005 Nissan Titan XE for a trailer light problem. It was hit in the rear and had folded the bumper under the body.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

This particular body shop I have known for years, and they pride themselves on doing a top notch repair on every vehicle that they are associated with. This truck was being a problem though. All the systems were working except for the trailer turn signal lights. To be thorough, they went back through each and every part that they had replaced or disturbed. They found nothing, not a thing—2 days of checking it out led to a dead end.

That’s where I came into the picture. As always, the first thing I want to see is the wiring diagram. You know, I’ve always said change is a good thing, this time, I should rephrase that to—it’s a good thing that “things change”—and I hope this does real soon, because, this was about the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.

It’s not the first time I have ran across trailer lights going through computer systems but it’s the first time I ran across only the trailer turn signals running thru the BCM (body control module) not the trailer park lights, not trailer brakes—nope, just the turn signals. Right there on the print, plain as day, R-trailer turn and L-trailer turn, oh please—what were you dudes thinking? (Referring to the engineers) What was the reasoning behind this?

The last time I wrote about a dealership it was a California multi-line dealer near Sacramento. This time it is a single franchise dealer in the metro New York area. You would think that they had nothing in common, but you would be mistaken. Both dealers are successful, and both have the same winning philosophy; customer service.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Acura of Westchester is truly unique. They are an example of the word “commitment”. Since 1986, they have taken good care of their customers, and their customers know it. The dealership is not on Main Street - you have to know where it is in order to find it. Apparently, once found they are never forgotten. In 2010, they were number one in the nation for Acura new car sales.

This dealer is an example of the benefits of stability. Customers see the same people, year after year. They become friends; confident that they will always have the very best service. Their service manager has been there for 17 years, and there has only been one GM in the history of the store! As I said, this dealer is unique.

The parts department follows the same pattern. Jake Dildine is the parts manager, and he has been there for 18 years. His commitment to customer service is amazing. Over and over, he stressed loyalty, relationship, attitude, pride, and dedication, but never price. His crew is just as dedicated; they all pitch in to answer four direct telephone lines; keeping three delivery trucks going full time. In response to increasing business, this dealer is open seven days a week!

Back when Galpin Motors’ Parts Manager Butch Lemen was 12 years old, he worked with his father in the aircraft parts industry, some time before the advent of personal computers. Computers are now indispensible in parts departments and body shops worldwide. But, although many body shops have embraced the software and the Internet methods, there are still a ton of shops out there that are reluctant to accept what Lemen calls, “the inevitable.”

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Lemen is a strong advocate for CollisionLink, the Internet-based electronic parts ordering system designed by OEConnection for OEM parts dealerships and body shops. By using the system, shops can save time and money while including more original factory parts in their repairs. CollisionLink’s price comparison feature is currently used by shops of all sizes, from little independent facilities all the way to large chains.

Lemen manages a multi-million dollar wholesale parts operation at Galpin Motors in North Hills, Calif. With 75 employees in his department and selling parts for the 10 brands they represent (Ford, Lincoln, Subaru, Mazda, Honda, Volvo, Jaguar, Aston-Martin, Lotus and Spyker), Lemen values the time-saving aspect associated with using CollisionLink.

“CollisionLink makes us more efficient and can save time for the shops that participate,” Lemen explained. “It frees up the shops’ time, because they don’t have to make phone calls searching for a part and/or waiting for a response. All of the correspondence through CollisionLink is handled via e-mails, and our parts people will call once we receive the order. It’s a streamlined process and allows shops to go on with the other multiple tasks that happen every day in your average body shop.”

by Charles Bryant,
Executive Director, AASP/NJ

There is no doubt that ongoing training in the collision industry is a must in order to keep the technicians up to date on proper methods of repair and safety related issues. The questions are Why isn’t the cost of such training being considered by the insurance industry when determining the labor rates that they are willing to pay for repairs? and Why isn’t I-CAR pushing or at least supporting this? Safe repairs equal fewer future claims, both in property damage and personal injury, especially on the type of vehicles on the roads today. Rather than taking the high road and take the cost of training into consideration, the insurance industry appears to be taking the low road by attempting to force shops to maintain I-CAR Gold Class Status in order to get on or stay on Direct Repair Programs without any consideration for the associated cost.

I-CAR too appears to be taking the position that insurer’s should simply force collision shops to maintain I-CAR Gold status, rather than attempting to take steps to help make training more affordable for shops.

Proactive body shops that are embracing the inexorable change to waterborne paint in states where the laws are looming, but not yet a reality, are anticipating an advantage over their feet-dragging competitors over the next few years. One of these forward thinking shops is Old Forge Collision Centers, a 20-year-old company with two locations in Pennsylvania that repair an average of nearly 200 vehicles monthly.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Old Forge’s General Manager, Bob Scarpello, 54, is a 30-year veteran of the collision industry and a former painter. Three decades ago, his first job out of tech school was as a painter’s helper and by continually learning and improving his skills, Scarpello eventually progressed up the ladder into upper management.
One of the first things Scarpello did when he was hired at Old Forge, was to take a long, serious look at converting both of his locations to waterborne paint, he told Autobody News.

“We were one of the first body shops in Pennsylvania to go with waterborne paint. When I came here in 2003, after reading everything I could get my hands on about waterborne painting systems, I realized that it would eventually be coming here. I mean, Europe has been using it for decades, and so what are we waiting for?”

In a previous column, I offered some of my thoughts on the decision of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) to make the Farmers Insurance “Circle of Dependability” (COD) agreement public, and to question some of the requirements of that direct repair program agreement.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

In doing so, SCRS said that “the industry is often disadvantaged by restriction of communication from participants of these program.”

I am little confused as to where the disadvantage lies? Okay, I am very confused. Explain to me the disadvantage. What would the advantage be if there were no restrictions? Shops should be deciding what is best for their individual business. That decision shouldn’t be predicated upon whether or not your competitor thinks it’s a good idea to participate. While SCRS makes a lot of good points in their press release, this is one it needs to reconsider. Go ahead and publish all of the major insurance carriers direct repair program agreements and see what it changes. Would it really improve the industry or help shops?

That said, here are a few more of my thoughts—some of which may surprise you—from an insurer’s perspective on the COD agreement and SCRS’s concerns about it.

The agreement states that Farmers has the right to inspect a shop’s books to validate and audit files to ensure proper payment and compliance with the program requirements. Why insurers continue to infuse themselves into the body shop’s business in this way is beyond me. It’s wrong and they have no business inspecting your books.

The skittishness among some in the industry about how formalized repair standards may be developed or implemented was evident during discussion at the most recent Collision Industry Conference (CIC).

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

At the meeting, the CIC-formed Repair Standards Advisory Committee offered an update on its work, including the hiring of a consultant to build a business case for the development and implementation of formalized standards.

Russ Thrall, publisher of CollisionWeek and a past CIC chairman and who co-chairs the advisory committee, said the goal of the consultant’s work is to present a report by November about what consensus exists within the industry about standards and a possible new organization to oversee the development and implementation of standards.

Thrall said that as of mid-July, the committee had raised $26,600 of the $60,000 it needs in sponsorships for the consultant’s work and the development of an industry forum on the topic in November. More than 50 percent of the 21 sponsors to date are collision repair businesses, 38 percent are suppliers and less than 5 percent are insurers.

Mike Condon, whose consulting firm has been hired by the committee, said he has conducted about 10 of the 40 interviews—about half with repairers and half with those in other segments of the industry—that he anticipates doing to prepare the report for the committee. That report, he said, will examine if there is support for the idea of a standard-setting body, and if so, how that body could be structured and funded. As part of the research, Condon also will examine standard-setting entities in other industries and in the collision repair industry in other countries.

Sometimes a negative, even tragic, event can lead to a positive outcome. When a serious fire hit Collision Solutions in Indianapolis, IN, and destroyed its paint booth, management took the opportunity to make lemonade from lemons.  The fire offered the owners a chance to rearrange the shop’s layout and take the leap into the world of waterborne. Instead of being paralyzed by the devastation, the shop bought a new cutting-edge ECO Expert paint booth from Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) and converted one of their locations to waterborne paint before any restrictions mandated it. As a result, Collision Solutions was soon turning out amazing paint jobs and their crew quickly became fully comfortable with waterborne and the numerous benefits offered by their new GFS paint booth.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

“We took a couple of the prep stations and replaced all of the old equipment with GFS equipment after looking at several companies. We went with GFS based on what people out there in the industry were telling us about the company and its track record.

Owner Aaron Clark, 40, is a second generation body shop owner whose parents operated a shop more than three decades ago. “I started working in our family’s shop when I was 16 and worked my way up from porter to technician,” Clark told Autobody News. “In 1994, my partner and I opened our own shop in friendly competition with my parents’ company. It was a very successful operation that eventually grew into a two-location business in the Indianapolis area.”

Auto Body World, the largest collision-repair company in Arizona, opened its eighth store in May at 6815 W. Chandler Blvd., near Interstate 10. “We’re conveniently located close to Ahwatukee, Sun Lakes and Tempe to better serve our customers in the East Valley,” says Mark Turner, the company’s president.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

The 34,000-square-foot 40-bay facility was formerly occupied by Advanced Auto Body. The existing down-draft Ameri-Cure booths were refurbished to Auto Body World standards. Here, and at all ABW locations, PPG Waterborne Paint, distributed by Finish Masters, is used exclusively.

The new facility is staffed by seven technicians and five administrative staff, and Turner hopes to increase the full-time employees to 28, led by Ryan Downs, the store’s general manager. The ABW administrative team includes David Fait, CEO, the 1999 Phoenix Chamber of Commerce “Small Businessman of the Year,” David Bybee, DFO, and Lorie Kinman, chief administrative officer.

The company was started in 1946 in South Dakota by Warren Fait, David Fait’s father. He relocated his company to Phoenix in 1962, building his first collision center at 27th Avenue and Maryland Street in 1968. David slowly built the business through the following decades.

If you’ve ever received a long sales letter, you may have wondered why it was four or more pages long—and who would expect you to read it all? In the days before the Internet, e-mail and Twitter, snail-mail marketing often included these long sales letters. At that time, statistics proved that recipients who read these long letters were often the ones who bought the product. My wife’s ex-husband was an ad copywriter who made a nice living from writing long ad copy, but no more. Today we’ve entered the era of the short message. Twitter is a prime example. Ad copy must be 140 characters or less. Most advertisers no longer believe people will read long copy. The assumption is most people have a very short attention span and a message must be fast, brief and dramatic to capture viewer interest and attention.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Institutional advertising might lead a shop owner to think all an ad has to do is have an attention grabbing image displaying the company name and product. Nothing could be farther from the truth. National corporate products have large advertising budgets and often simply try to keep the product name in front of the public eye. A gigantic billboard may have a huge photo of an attractive person drinking that company’s beverage and the company name might be so small you could miss it if you didn’t look closely. The thinking behind this is that repetitive viewings will encourage sales of the product. Unless you have very deep pockets, don’t even think about advertising like this. But one aspect of this kind of ad is very accurate: Repetitive viewing can result in a prospect trying or buying the product. The question is: what is the best media to use to convey that brief, repetitive message?

Signing a commercial lease is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, financial commitment your auto body repair business will make.  Commercial leases are easy to commit to, full of traps for the unwary, and very hard to get out of without significant pain and expense.  When you consider that a commercial auto body lease (five year lease at a rental rate of $5,000) is a $300,000 commitment, it really pays to develop a basic understanding of commercial leases and to learn how to avoid common pitfalls.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Commercial leases are binding:
A commercial lease is a specific type of contract.  In a commercial lease, the owner (landlord) of a building or land grants your body auto body repair business (tenant) the exclusive right to use some or all of the building or land in exchange for monthly payments of rent.  Commercial leases can be oral, though almost always the terms are spelled out in a very long written contract. Many commercial leases use pre-printed forms that are then further modified in the landlord’s favor by the landlord’s lawyer through an addendum attached to the back of the lease.  Commercial leases can be enforced in court and the landlord almost always has the advantage in a lawsuit because the contractual language favors him.

Understand the lease and bargain:
Your job is to understand the unfavorable terms and then bargain as hard as possible to improve them.  Even if you don’t completely succeed in eliminating unfavorable terms, you will know what you are agreeing to and be better prepared to fulfill the responsibilities that you are undertaking.

Some yelled “Fore” while others exclaimed “Duck!” but in the end, 62 golfers of varying skill levels participated in the California Autobody Association East Bay Chapter’s 25th Annual Golf Tournament at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord, Calif. on a sunny Saturday, July 30th.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Followed by a great dinner and raffle prize giveaways galore, East Bay CAA members and their friends played 18 holes while enjoying a rare day of good weather. Matt Patterson from Airbagservice.com won the grand prize, a beautiful deluxe BBQ with all the bells and whistles that was donated by Hertz.

If you haven’t played in a tournament like this and you’re not familiar with how these events go, here are three valuable tips: First rule: Always bring a ringer (or two). Second rule: Fudge your score (it’s not cheating unless you get caught and everyone else does it!) and Three: Have fun and don’t get too competitive (a rule many serious golfers always forget.)

U.S. Sen. John D. Rockefeller, D-W.V., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., have introduced a bill in the Senate titled the Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2011. The bill touches on several issues relevant to the collision industry, including broadening the authority of the secretary of transportation to:

● Conduct motor vehicle safety research, development, and testing programs and activities, including new and emerging technologies that impact or may impact motor vehicle safety,

● Collect and analyze all types of motor vehicle and highway safety data and related information to determine the relationship between motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment performance characteristics.

The legislation requires that the U.S. DOT conduct a study of crash data collection and report, after one year, to a Senate Committee and to the House Committee on the quality of data collected through the National Automotive Sampling System, including the Special Crash Investigations Program. The administrator of NHTSA will then conduct a comprehensive review of the data elements collected from each crash to determine if additional data should be collected. This review will include input from interested parties, including suppliers, automakers, safety advocates, the medical community and research organizations.

The Crozat family had a grand opening recently to unveil their newest G&C location in Novato, California.

From left to right, General Manager Shawn Crozat, Owners Teri and Gene Crozat, and Josh Crozat, the manager of the company’s Windsor location, were on hand for a ribbon cutting.

Approximately 70 people attended the event, including dignitaries from the City of Novato. The facility has the ability to handle 100 cars per month.

G&C purchased the business from Complete Auto Body and remodeled the shop for approximately $300,000, including the purchase price of the business as well as the construction costs, and subsequently signed a long-term lease with the building’s owner.

Teri is holding a plaque welcoming the business from the Novato Chamber of Commerce.

The keynote speaker for NACE’s Opening General Session will be Social Media Guru Chris Brogan. Brogan will headline the Opening General Session at ASRW 2011, Thurs., Oct. 6, from 8:30 a.m.–10 a.m.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Brogan is a noted author and journalist; he is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Trust Agents, and a featured monthly columnist at Entrepreneur Magazine. Brogan’s blog, chrisbrogan.com, is also in the Top 5 of the Advertising Age Power 150. Brogan is a marketing consultant and frequent speaker about social media marketing who educates businesses and organizations on how social software aligns with their strategies. He is the president and CEO of Human Business Works, an education and community company.

Brogan’s keynote presentation will focus on small business solutions, sales, lead generation and specific strategies—all as they relate to the use and implementation of social media.

“We carefully selected Chris Brogan this year and feel his presentation will be a highlight of ASRW,” stated Ron Pyle, ASA president. “Attendees can expect an entertaining and engaging presentation and also to walk away with ideas and solutions they can easily implement as soon as they get home.”

“Technology and the advent of social media in particular have changed the way we all do business, so we feel Chris Brogan is not only a timely choice for this year’s keynote presentation, but an extremely relevant one," said Harry Hall, DuPont North America Sales Manager—Refinish. “Brogan has become a leader in his field through his innate use of technology and connecting it to business, which parallels DuPont Performance Coatings’ philosophy of innovation as a leader in the collision repair industry.”

Mitchell International released their third quarter Industry Trends Report this month; the report focused on gas prices and their affect on car-buying and car value trends. This issue also discusses how volatile and sustained high fuel prices are impacting insurance claims beyond a reduction in miles driven.

Vice president of industry relations for Mitchell International Greg Horn talks about the role gas prices play in resale values of vehicles from fuel-efficient to so-called gas guzzlers.

“Fuel efficient vehicles tend to rise more quickly and reliably in value during periods of high gas prices than gas guzzlers, which fall in value,” Horn said in the report.

The insurance and collision repair industries need the accuracy of a true market survey method for valuing a total loss because constantly fluctuating fuel prices move too fast, with too great an impact, for slower traditional ‘book value’ valuations to accurately reflect the true actual cash value of total loss vehicles.”

Other valuable points of interest in the current issue of Mitchell’s ITR include:

When I first met Greg Coccaro, the owner of North State Custom in Bedford Hills, New York, I was immediately struck by his passion for his business, his customers and his industry. But it was his frustration with the inequities inherent in his chosen field that truly captured my attention. I listened as Greg explained to me what a DRP was, how his labor rate was determined by someone other than himself and what the practice of “steering” had done to his and other businesses like his. Having spent nearly 20 years litigating for and against insurance companies, I was aware of the power an insurance company can exert. However as Greg explained to me the realities of the collision repair industry, I was admittedly shocked by what I heard.

The Case of North State v. Progressive Insurance
In 2007, as attorney for North State Custom, I commenced a lawsuit against Progressive Insurance alleging that Progressive engaged in deceptive business practices and interference with North State’s business and customers. The case has survived two motions to dismiss, two appeals and a separate action brought by Progressive against North State resulting in two separate jury trials. (For a summary of the Progressive v. North State saga see autobodynews.com, Cocarro Case Takes a Wide Turn...). While the case against Progressive has not yet been resolved and in fact we expect a jury trial to be held sometime next year, a recent court ruling in the matter has significant impact for the industry as a whole.

The National Auto Body Council (NABC) has selected January 11, 2012 for its upcoming annual golf event fundraiser, which will again take place at the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort in Palm Springs, California.

The event is held in conjunction with the NABC’s open board meeting, which will take place the previous day, January 10.

Because it is a major source of funding for the NABC, the fundraising event plays an integral part in providing the resources that support the organization in its mission of improving the image of all dedicated collision industry professionals. Not only does it help NABC implement the programs and activities that define it and give shape to this purpose, it helps reduce the cost of NABC’s programs for participants, making them more affordable.

The fundraising golf event is open to both individuals and teams, and will be played using a four-person
scramble format. Breakfast will be served at the course prior to the 10 am shotgun start and the event will conclude with a buffet reception, awards ceremony, and prize package drawings. Transportation will be provided to and from the Palm Springs Hilton, the conference hotel, to the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort.

“As this event is the one and only fundraiser for the National Auto Body Council, we are excited that the new start time will allow for an entire day at the course,” said David Merrell of CSi Complete, who with Domenic Brusco of PPG is the NABC fundraising committee co-chair. “Without this event and the industry’s support we could not continue the mission and vision of the NABC.”

Making the event even more special will be a vehicle gifting presentation which is part of NABC’s Recycled Rides® program. The vehicle gifting will take place at the golf course before play begins.

Registration and sponsorship opportunities will open soon and the event has sold out on a regular basis.

Contact the NABC at 888-667-7433 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Nevada’s State Business & Industry Director Terry Johnson announced that two agencies within his department will see a change in leadership on August 1, according to Insurance Journal.

Division of Insurance Commissioner Brett J. Barratt has resigned his post, effective August 12. He will be relocating out of state for personal reasons. Amy Parks, currently Chief Counsel for the Division, will be the Acting Insurance Commissioner.

Labor Commissioner Michael Tanchek will leave his post to join the Division of Industrial Relations. Tanchek, a licensed attorney, will join the Division’s legal team. Larry Dizon, currently the Labor Commissioner’s Chief Investigator, will become Acting Labor Commissioner.

Johnson said that he will immediately begin recruiting for a new Insurance Commissioner and a new Labor Commissioner.

Parks and Dizon will serve as acting commissioners until final appointments are made.

The San Diego chapter of the California Autobody Association will hold their monthly members meeting on September 27th at 7PM at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, 2150 Harbor Island Dr. San Diego, CA 92101.

The main topic for the meeting will be “How to Capture, Service, and Retain More Cars, Customers, Revenue and Profit with Digital Marketing” with speaker Frank Terlep of Summit Software and Mobile Solutions, Inc.

Terlep is the author of the book “The Digi-Lean Collision Repair System”, and the inventor of the patent-pending “Help I Crashed My Car”, a next generation customer service, sales, marketing, advertising, and communication platform.

Frank will be discussing key topics such as 10 new digital marketing tools and technologies. These topics include Using Digital Marketing to drive more cars, customers, and revenues to your shop; Social Media; The importance of on-line customer surveys, reviews, and comments; Mobile; And the Digital Deals.

Mail your check and reserve your seats now.

Check In and “Meet & Greet” starts at 6:30pm. Meeting Starts Promptly at 7:00pm.

A Syracuse (NY) City Court judge has denied a motion by Nationwide Insurance seeking dismissal of an “assignment of proceeds” case brought against the insurer by Nick Orso’s Body Shop. The shop sued on behalf of two customers for repair costs not paid for by Nationwide, which argued that the customers’ policies prohibited them from assigning claimed losses to another party without the insurer’s prior permission.

Judge Rory McMahon, citing a decision in a similar case last fall also involving Nick Orso’s Body Shop, ruled that anti-assignment clauses are valid for assignments prior to a loss and claim (when that could impact the insurer’s exposure) but not after. Orso’s attorney argued successfully that Nationwide has no interest in preventing a post-loss assignment of proceeds “other than an insurer’s desire to make it as cumbersome as possible for the insured to obtain what is owed under the insurance contract.”

The judge, however, did not find that Nationwide’s motion for dismissal of the case was brought in bad faith, and he therefore denied the shop’s request to have its court and attorney costs paid for by the insurer.

State Farm will drastically reduce the size of its operations center in Parsippany over the next two years, moving about 500 New Jersey jobs to New York and Pennsylvania to cut costs and improve efficiency, the company said July 26 according to NorthJersey.com.

Most of the Parsippany office’s functions will be consolidated into its two other Northeast operations centers, in upstate Ballston Spa, NY and Concordville, PA. Some of the Parsippany employees will be offered jobs in those locations, the company said

The Christie administration was “proactive” in trying to persuade State Farm to keep the jobs in New Jersey, but the insurer’s decision was final, company spokesman Doug Nadeau said. Employees were notified July 24, he said. A bodily injury claims office and a sales training office will remain in Parsippany, but it is unclear how many will be employed there. The Parsippany center currently employs about 700.

“State Farm hopes to retain the largest amount of employees possible,” Nadeau said. Employees who do not want to relocate will be offered severance packages, he said.

A satellite office in Farmingdale, NJ, that employs a dozen people also is slated for closing and a claims office in Melville, NY will be consolidated into one in Lakeville, NY. The changes, expected to be completed by September 2013, are to “better serve customers and achieve business goals through increased efficiency, reduced expenses and establishment of more consistent operations,” Nadeau said.

The New York Insurance Association has noted that the 2000 Honda Civic is again the most frequently stolen vehicle in New York State, according to Insurance Journal.

The Hot Wheels 2011 study released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) examines data reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model, and model year most reported stolen in 2010.

The study found that the 2000 Honda Civic topped the list of the most frequently stolen vehicles in New York State for the fourth year in a row.

In 2010, the most stolen vehicles in New York State were:
1. 2000 Honda Civic
2. 1994 Honda Accord
3. 1991Toyota Camry
4. 1996 Nissan Maxima
5. 2000 Dodge Caravan
6. 2005 Nissan Altima
7. 2009 Toyota Corolla
8. 2009 Ford Econoline E350
9. 2002 Ford Explorer
10. 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee

“Auto theft continues to decline in New York State,” Ellen Melchionni, president of NYIA stated. “But drivers still need to take prudent steps to prevent their vehicle from being stolen.”

The Pennsylvania Collision Trade Guild will host their first fall collision industry seminar in October. The Coalition for Collision Repair Excellence (CCRE) will be held on Friday October 7th and Saturday October 8th at the Hilton Airport Hotel in Philadelphia.

The CCRE will focus on the legal aspects of running a collision business. Speakers will include attorneys Erica Eversman and John Parese and they will explain the proper use of authorization to repair and repair contracts, blueprinting and damage analysis, eliminating supplements, job costing profit including profit on paint and materials, final billing and collections, and assignment of proceeds.

Email the CCRE office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information or visit www.theccre.com or www.pctg.org.

The cost of the event is $495.99 per person. After Sept 15 the cost is $595.99. Cost includes breakfast and lunch both days.

For accomodations please contact the Hilton at 215-365-4150 ext. 33.

It’s no secret that young adults die at a much greater rate from injuries sustained in alcohol-related auto crashes than the rest of the population. According to the Texas DOT, there were 25,032 alcohol-related crashes in Texas that resulted in 1,057 deaths in 2010, says Irene Webster, traffic safety specialist for the Department of Transportation. Those crashes resulted in 16,877 injuries. The 20- to 25-year-old group in Texas accounts for only about 9 percent of the state’s overall population, but, “in 2010, 24 percent of people killed in alcohol-related crashes in Texas were between the ages of 20 and 25,” Webster said.

The department is launching the annual Drink, Drive, Go To Jail campaign and enforcement period at an 11 a.m., Aug. 30 press event at Wiley College, she said. TxDOT is joining forces with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and law enforcement agencies statewide to crack down on drunk driving as the summer winds down, Webster said.

From Aug. 19 through Labor Day on Sept. 5, law enforcement officers around the state will be working overtime to get drunk drivers off the road.

Red-light crashes fell 25 percent at hundreds of Texas intersections after traffic cameras were installed, researchers said in what was called the first statewide study of its kind, according to Insurance Journal.

The Texas Transportation Institute suggested its findings again showed the effectiveness of installing cameras to deter red-light runners. Yet backlash toward the cameras remains high, including in Houston, where drivers voted to end the city’s red-light cameras in a November referendum.

A federal judge later struck down the ballot measure, and Houston turned the cameras back on. According to crash data analyzed by the Texas Transportation Institute and released in the report, accidents fell by 28 percent at 31 intersections in Houston where the cameras had been up and running for two years. At least three dozen Texas cities use red-light cameras, according to the report.

“I truly think these cameras are doing what they were intended to do,” said Troy Walden, who authored the study and is a former College Station police officer. Critics argue otherwise, calling red-light cameras unproven and a scheme to generate revenue from traffic tickets.

In June, opponents referenced data showing a drop in accidents at red-light intersections in Houston after the city was forced to turn off the cameras following the November vote. The cameras, which Houston first installed in 2007, have brought in about $44 million in traffic fines for the city.

Texas is streamlining its system for vehicle registration fees. Under the new plan, all car and light truck drivers will pay the same fee across the state.

Right now Texas has 1,745 fee categories for vehicle registration. That’s right—nearly 2,000 different charges, depending on what kind of vehicle you drive, how much it weighs, how old it is and a plethora of other factors.

Kim Sue Lia Perkes is a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. She says the department didn’t have a crazy master plan to create such a convoluted system.

“It was just that as things got added on over the years, it began to develop into that.  And it was time, and I believe the legislature looked at this as it was time to have a reassessment of this. It’s just applying some logic to the system for everybody.”

Under the new fee structure, there will be nine weight classifications, most of them apply to heavy vehicles like tractor trailers. Car and light truck drivers will all pay the same base fee of $50.75.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced the appointment of Eleanor Kitzman of Austin as Texas Insurance Commissioner, effective Aug. 15, 2011, for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2013, according to Insurance Journal.

Kitzman will replace Mike Geeslin, who announced earlier this year that he was not interested in serving another term as commissioner.

Kitzman is the outgoing executive director of the South Carolina Budget and Control Board, and is past director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance.

She is also a former clerk for the Texas Supreme Court, and a past associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss and Feld. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and South Carolina Bar Association.

“I’m confident that Eleanor’s expertise in the insurance industry will make her a strong advocate for insurance customers in Texas, and I appreciate her willingness to serve the state in this capacity,” Gov. Perry said. “I’m thankful for Mike Geeslin’s service as insurance commissioner over the past several years, where he worked to protect Texans by ensuring that insurance is available and provided at fair rates, and look forward to continuing this strong leadership at TDI with Eleanor’s appointment.”

The American Insurance Association also congratulated in Kitzman on her nomination as commissioner.

“Ms. Kitzman’s significant insurance background makes her well-qualified to be the next commissioner of the Texas Department of Insurance,” said Fred C. Bosse, AIA Southwest region vice president. “Texas is a large state with diverse insurance needs. Her tenure as South Carolina’s insurance commissioner coupled with her efforts to reform that state’s auto and coastal insurance systems uniquely position her to run TDI.”

Prior to her appointment by Gov. Nikki Haley to run the South Carolina Budget and Control Board, Kitzman was employed by Goldman Sachs. She served as the director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance from 2005 to 2007.

Kitzman is a graduate of the University of Houston and earned her law degree from the South Texas College of Law.

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minnesota-based damaged vehicle repair company, announced July 13 the opening of a new repair center in Olive Branch, Mississippi. The facility, located at 7532 Craft-Goodman Frontage Road, will increase the total number of ABRA repair centers to 107 in 12 states.

Tim Adelmann, ABRA’s Executive Vice President of Business Development says, “ABRA built this repair center to meet the growing needs of vehicle owners and our insurance partners in the community of Olive Branch. ABRA’s long-term plan is to make it convenient for consumers to find a state-of-the-art ABRA repair center no matter where they happen to live or work.”

The repair center will eventually staff more than 20 new employees and is equipped with all the latest technology to maintain high standards and assure top quality repairs.

The repair center is one of ABRA’s newest prototype models consisting of more than 13,000 square feet and offers collision repair along with glass repair and replacement services with free mobile service to home or work.

Continuing its expansion, America’s Car-Mart broadened its buy-here, pay-here dealership footprint in Alabama. The newest rooftop is located in Albertville, AL, raising Car-Mart’s total in the state to nine.

Car-Mart now has 108 dealerships spread through Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

“Car-Mart has tremendous growth opportunities especially in states like Alabama. Albertville is our ninth location in Alabama, a state that has potential much like our home state of Arkansas, where we have 37 dealerships,” explained William “Hank” Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Car-Mart.

Henderson added the Albertville dealership will be managed by Brad Martin, “who is very excited to lead our efforts at this great new Car-Mart location.”

Elaborating more on the company’s future, chief financial officer Jeff Williams reiterated Car-Mart anticipates opening new lots at an approximate 10-percent annual rate.

The Florida Auto Collision Alliance (FACA) held its first-ever statewide convention and industry exposition May 19 to 21 at the Villas of Grand Cypress in Orlando, FL.

Vendors, technicians, managers and owners of repair centers across the state came together to examine best practices, new products,and efficient alternatives to conventional shop-management and supplychain systems.

The Florida Collision Repair Summit was held in conjunction with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)’s Improving Workshop Efficiency seminar. The co-sponsored program focused on the implementation of “lean” production practices designed to eliminate wasteful processes in body shop management.

The event drew in approximately 30 attendees in the classes, and 26 vendors set-up on the expo floor for the weekend, according to Cathy Mills, FACA’s executive director.

“The Summit was an excellent opportunity to network with peers, learn new skills, share expertise, and explore emerging products and services in the collision repair industry,” said Mills.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation will be presenting Lake Technical Center of Eustis, FL with a “Mini-Makeover” during the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) Thursday, October 6th in Orlando, FL.

Lake Technical Center was the only school in Florida that applied for the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s 2010 $50,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. Due to the school’s proximity to NACE in Orlando, the Education Foundation has been gathering industry supporters/donors to fulfill portions of the school’s $50,000 wish list that they provided as part of the grant application. School instructors, administration and their collision students will be on hand during a presentation at NACE to showcase how the Mini-Makeover donors have benefited the school’s collision program.

The presentation will take place from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. in the ASRW Media Center located inside the Orange County Convention Center’s West Building.

Scott Kruger, Executive Director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation, said, “Lake Technical Center was one of 52 schools nationwide that applied for the Foundation’s 2010 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant and the only school in the state of Florida to apply. As industry professionals from across the country will be gathering in Orlando for NACE this fall, we thought it would be a great opportunity to not only highlight the Makeover grant program, but also help this local school through the support of our donors and supporters. We invite industry professionals attending NACE and ASRW to attend the presentation to hear how Lake Technical Center’s collision program has benefited through the support of industry donations and to learn how to get involved with helping schools in your local area.”

I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair announced August 9 that James Roach of American Honda Motor Company has joined the I-CAR International Board of Directors as a Board Member.

James Roach has been part of the collision inter-industry for over thirty years and has been employed by American Honda Motor Company since 1978. Currently, Mr. Roach is Senior Vice President – Parts and Service Division of American Honda Motor Company. He manages a workforce exceeding 2,000 employees which are geographically placed throughout 18 locations in the United States. Mr. Roach oversees the areas of automobile customer service, parts and accessories marketing, service marketing, parts inventory procurement and distribution, technical operations, and the improvement of Lifetime Owner Loyalty and CSI for both Honda and Acura automobile customers. He is also responsible for the distribution of service parts and accessories for motorcycle, power equipment, and marine products.

The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) released on August 16 a new video illustrating the safety and quality of aftermarket auto parts. The video, which is available HERE, showcases actual high- and low-speed crash tests. The video's conclusions are based upon the crash tests as well as lump mass modeling simulations and quasi-static crush tests designed by engineers with extensive experience in automotive safety systems.

Side-by-side video taken during a high-speed crash test illustrates the simultaneous airbag deployment (down to the millisecond) for two 2006 Toyota Corollas, one outfitted with an aftermarket bumper reinforcement bar and the other a car company equivalent. This evidence undercuts with facts the false assertion by some car companies that airbag timing is affected by using comparable aftermarket components.

The high-speed crash data also shows the aftermarket- and the car company-equipped cars both delivering occupant safety well within the federal safety standards, with the car outfitted with non-branded car company parts actually delivering slightly better occupant protection as measured across 11 key injury criteria.

Chief Automotive Technologies recently opened its doors to the press to show off its new Chief Research and Specification Center in Irvine, CA.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Brent Johnson, Chief Global Specifications Manager, explained that the new 3,500 sq. ft. facility is used to measure every new passenger vehicle sold in the U.S. It is the newest of Chief’s four specification centers around the world. The others are in the Netherlands, Malaysia and China. This global commitment ensures that Chief can efficiently measure every vehicle produced in Europe, China and the Pacific Rim. Chief’s U.S. specification center was previously located in Omaha, NE. Prior to that, it was in Torrance, CA.

According to Johnson, Chief started measuring every new vehicle in 1993, but the company provides data on some models going back as far as the 1970s. Chief uses OEM measurement data as often as possible, but they still verify that data by measuring every car independently.

Johnson explained that it takes approximately 12-14 hours, or two days, to fully measure each new vehicle. Chief measures between 130 -140 new vehicles in its U.S. Specification Center every year. Another 300 vehicles are measured by the other three Chief spec centers around the world.

Although used car dealers and insurance companies are the types of corporations that seemingly benefit the most from the salvage auction industry, auto body shops are a less obvious, but equal beneficiary. If properly utilized, salvage auctions can help auto body shops to supplement their existing business by increasing their repair volumes and facilitating access to parts.

To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.

Fixing the Fixed Costs

Auto body shop owners have much of the same fixed-business costs as any other operation. The cost of land or rent, utilities, payroll and upkeep all add to an auto body shop’s overhead. That means that whether a shop repairs 10 cars or 50, the basic fixed cost of doing business will generally be the same.

By utilizing salvage auctions, auto body shops have the opportunity to better utilize their fixed-cost base. One way to use the auctions is to buy repairable cars to fill in work slots. A lot of the cars that are written off as a total loss are actually repairable. Auto body shops can buy these damaged cars through a salvage auction, then repair and resell them for an added revenue stream. Or, if a shop needs multiple parts from a car, it can buy the car, strip it of the parts it needs, and then resell the remainder of the car.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau on August 16 released its own list of the 10 most stolen vehicles in the United States.

And for the first time since 2002, NICB discovered thieves preferred domestic nameplates over foreign brands.

Among the top 10, Ford took three spots, Dodge held two and Chevrolet held one, while the remaining four were held by Honda, Toyota and Acura.

However, the top three positions continue to be held by Honda and Toyota models, a trend that NICB said has been consistent since 2000.

According to an examination of vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center in 2010, the most stolen vehicles in the nation were:

The tenth annual Collision Repair Education Foundation industry fundraiser, co-hosted by PPG Automotive Refinish, raised $60,000 through the support of the attendees and sponsors, doubling the amount raised during the 2010 event. Sponsors and participants enjoyed a day of golf at Stonebridge Golf Club in Salt Lake City, UT on July 21, 2011 and the funds raised from this event will go towards supporting upcoming scholarships and grants for collision schools and students.

Also in attendance at the fundraiser event was Kevin Cornia, collision repair instructor from Bridgerland Applied Technology College (Logan, UT) which was the Foundation’s 2010 $50,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover winning school, and several of his students. In addition to sitting at several of the holes to meet industry professionals, the students also hand crafted the 1st place team trophies for the event.

“The Foundation’s annual industry fundraiser has grown leaps and bounds the past 3 years and each year we raise more and more funds for student scholarships and school grants. Not only did the event sell out four months early but it also doubled the amount raised in 2010 and tripled the amount raised from 2009,” said Scott Kruger, Collision Repair Education Foundation Executive Director. “This success is due to our attendees, event sponsors and our co-host PPG Automotive Refinish. We plan on 2012’s fundraiser in San Antonio next July to be even better.”

Ford released their second comparative tests of Genuine Ford structural steel collision parts versus aftermarket counterparts on their Youtube account on August 8.

The video is described as a "video {that} shows parts comparison performance of genuine Ford parts vs. aftermaket collision parts using, computer aided simulation tests, crash sled tests, and actual vehicle crash tests data. In all cases, genuine Ford parts perform as designed. Aftermarket parts performance leads to questions of doubt concerning proper air bag deployment."

The video is hosted by Ford Repairability Engineer Larry Coan. Coan also describes Ford's own version of the "sawzall test," which they recreated following its popularity over recent months, where a Sawzall is used to cut into aftermarket and OEM bumper beams. The test has been duplicated numerous times and depicts the difference in difficulty between cutting through an OEM bumper beam versus an aftermarket bumper beam with a Sawzall. The test has been called into question by several aftermarket parts advocates, the groups call the test "unscientific" and question whether it provides a true measure of how a part will perform in a crash, however the intent is not to show whether cutting a support member more easily means it will fail, but rather that the materials are different. In the video Coan states that Ford's saw test yielded similar results to others depicted over the past year.

Ford's comparative tests were done with 05-09 Mustang and 08-09 Focus Bumper Beams, 06-08 F-150 bumper brackets and 04-07 F-150 radiator supports, and 05-09 Mustang bumper absorbers and isolators. Initial comparisons showed that part construction and weight were noticeably different between OEM and aftermarket parts. Crash simulations between parts also showed a large difference between impact reactions. Repair costs following such crashes also revealed a difference between damage sustained from crashes where OEM and aftermarket parts were used.

Watch the full video on Ford's Youtube channel HERE.

Drivers in Florida and Georgia will be able to start ordering the new Nissan Leaf electric car on July 25— but only if they were among the 20,000 who made $99 deposits during a fall online reservation period, according to reports made by the Florida Times-Union.

Nissan has sold 4,000 of the all-electric sedans since February in its first market phase in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington State.

Now the ordering process opens to consumers with reservations in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama.

The Leaf is an all-electric car with 48 lithium-ion battery modules, giving it an estimated 100-mile range.

Service King Collision Repair Centers recently hosted its first annual Charity Golf Tournament in Houston, which raised $35,000 to benefit families assisted by Houston’s AVANCE Parent & Child education programs.

The tournament was held at The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course. Having hosted successful golf tournaments benefiting charities for more than 16 years in the company's hometown of Dallas, Service King decided to expand their giving project to Houston.

“We were ready to extend our reach to the Houston community,” said Chris Abraham, vice president of Service King’s Houston market. “After touring an AVANCE center earlier this year and learning more about the organization’s early childhood and adult literacy services, we knew it was a perfect fit for our company.”

Tournament dollars raised supported several local charities, but primarily the AVANCE Parent & Child education programs. Additional funds were raised form raffles and a live auction that included autographed sports collectables showcased by the Houston Texans Cheerleaders.

The AASP-PA's Central PA chapter will hold the group's 4th Annual Sporting Clay Shoot on September 17, 2011.

Registration begins at 8:30am with a shotgun start time of 10:00am, ending at 2:00PM. The event will be held at the Central Penn Sporting Clays Club, 75 Quarry Rd Wellsville, PA 17365.

The shoot will include a round of 50 clay birds.  Form a team or come as an individual to join in on this outdoor event. A catered lunch and awards will follow the shoot.

Sponsorships are available.

New at shooting clay? No problem. New shooters will be paired up with experienced shooters.

Eye wear and ear protection is required for this event.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer 717-303-6166 or at the office 717-564-8400.

**Golf carts are available. Shooting instructors and loaner guns are also available.**

California Casualty Management Company, based in San Mateo, CA, presented its 2010 Customer Service Excellence Award to Gerber National Glass Services.

“We are very excited to receive the award from California Casualty,” said Mark Flasch, general manager of Gerber National Glass Services. “We are proud that our efforts have translated into the highest level of customer satisfaction for California Casualty policyholders.”

California Casualty Assistant Vice President Michael Lloyd said the Gerber National Glass Services Team provides excellence in customer service to company policyholders.

“We recognize that it is critical to acknowledge these efforts,” Lloyd said. “I was privileged to go to both of their Call Centers in Paducah, KY And Ft. Myers, FL recently to demonstrate how essential their daily work product is for California Casualty. We wanted to show Gerber’s associates how important their work is to our company and how much it is sincerely appreciated.”

For more information on California Casualty, visit calcas.com.

DuPont Performance Coatings has again committed to a comprehensive presence at NACE 2011, including the expo, educational sessions, and will sponsor the Opening General Session.

"DuPont Performance Coatings' participation in NACE is significant, and we're happy to announce this successful partnership continues for 2011," states ASA president and chief staff executive Ron Pyle. "They are a company based on relationships and strongly believe in supporting the collision repair industry at the industry's show."

DuPont Performance Coatings will be represented on the show floor during the expo and will sponsor the following sessions in the ASRW Conference Program:

• (WE19N) Wednesday, Oct. 5 - Lean 3.0 (Instructors: Steve Trapp and John Sweigart)
• (TH11N) Thursday, Oct. 6 - Parts Procurement Tips for Estimators Panel (Moderators: Mike Anderson and Ron Kuehn)
• (FR08N) Friday, Oct. 7 - E-Learning Resource (Instructors: Dick Elder and Steve Trapp)

The Florida Auto Collision Alliance's (FACA) Jacksonville Chapter held their 13th annual golf outing at Fleming Island Golf Course on May 26. The event was a huge winner for the group and another opportunity for owners, managers, support staff, insurance adjusters and vendors to build new relationships and rekindle old ones.

FACA’s generous vendors were particularly noteworthy participants and stocked the entire course with the very best food and drink.
FACA did an outstanding job with prize giveaways and ensured everything ran smoothly. The tee time was only delayed by 15 minutes—-not bad when you consider that more than 150 golfers had to be checked in and assigned golf carts before putting could begin. A big surprise was ex-NFL player Jeff Lageman defending the 16th hole, challenging all that came through to raise money for charity.

In the end, all went well and everyone had a great time and is looking forward to next year’s event. FACA issued a big thank you to Steve Carey, Cathy Mills and Dave McBroom for all their efforts.

For more information please visit www.facafl.com.

The Texas Auto Recyclers Association (TARA) will hold their annual expo and tradeshow September 29 throught October 1.

The expo will be held at the St. Anthony Wyndham Historic Hotel in San Antonio, TX. The TARA General Meeting as well as several other informative sessions will also take place at this event.

To register for the tradeshow and see more information please visit www.texasara.com or call 800-710-8272.

The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair announced the expansion of its GreenLink Shop program to include shops in New Mexico and North Carolina on July 28.

GreenLink Shop serves to promote consumer confidence in local auto shop environmental awareness and stewardship. It is an expansion of the CCAR-GreenLink Environmental Compliance Assistance Center and S/P2 Safety and Pollution Prevention e-learning program.

The recently certified shops are:

• Car Crafters, Albuquerque, N.M.
• Darrell Allen Body Shop, Burlington, N.C.

Repair facilities pursuing GreenLink shop recognition must maintain high standards of excellence in environmental, health and safety practices in four categories: employee training, safety compliance and environmental management. Separate criteria are established for auto service facilities and collision repair shops.

The Houston City Council will soon consider new auto repair industry regulations for the city amid complaints that some body shops are deceiving consumers.

The changes would be aimed at increasing transparency within the industry, said Lt. Wendy Bainbridge with the Houston Police Department, according to KHOU 11 News Houston.

The city is in the process of drafting an ordinance that would mainly require better record-keeping at body shops, cap repair work without consent at $100 and mandate a written estimate of any special fees.

Industry representatives, including the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA), applaud some of the proposed mandates but are quick to say others may end up bogging down reputable businesses, slowing their ability to serve customers.

“Crash taxes,” or accident response fees, are sweeping the nation. Cities in 27 states have adopted them in one form or another, including Dallas, Texas; Buffalo, New York; Toledo, Ohio; and New Haven, Connecticut.

But not every state has been eager to bill those involved in motor vehicle accidents for the services of responding firefighters and police officers. According to Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, 13 states, including neighboring Pennsylvania, have outlawed accident fees, preventing their municipalities from billing those injured in motor vehicle accidents for fire and police department services. New York may be the 14th state to ban crash taxes.

A Crash Tax for New York City?

Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed that drivers be assessed an accident response fee when the New York Fire Department (NYFD) responds to an accident or car fire. The proposal basically meant that if the NYFD responded to: – A vehicle fire or car accident with injuries, then drivers would receive a bill for $490.
- A fire without injuries, those involved would receive a bill for $415.
- An accident without injuries, motorists would be assessed a crash tax of $365.

New Jersey made massive change to the regulations for the personal injury element of auto insurance this month, with the intention of keeping rate increases under control, according to Live Insurance News.

The primary changes have to do with the ways in which a doctor will be permitted to bill for the treatments provided, and will recreate the way in which a claim that has been denied can be appealed.

While New Jersey has maintained its status among the more costly states in which to buy car insurance, its residents are paying lower premiums following former Governor James McGreevey’s changes, which were enacted in 2003 in order to encourage competition. However, more recently, rates have been climbing upward once more and officials are blaming personal injury expenses.

According to the Department of Banking and Insurance in New Jersey, in 2010, 97% of all rate increases were a direct result in an alarming increase in the personal injury claims being paid out. It also stated that $1.23 was being spent by insurers for benefits for every dollar that they made for personal injury premiums.

Hundreds of Teamster members and their families protested BMW's greed outside 50 BMW dealerships in 11 states -- California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New York and Virginia -- this past weekend. The protesters distributed leaflets and held banners that read "BMW: The Ultimate Misery." They informed BMW customers about BMW's plan to lay off nearly 100 Ontario, Calif. employees on August 31, 2011 and immediately re-open the parts distribution center with a cheaper, inexperienced work force.

Local 495, located in Covina, Calif., represents 68 workers at the Ontario parts distribution facility.

"BMW got bailed out with nearly $4 billion in low-interest federal loans and in exchange, they are mocking America's plant closing laws and destroying working families," said Randy Cammack, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42. "They've also hired Jackson Lewis, the top union-hostile law firm in the U.S., to help them outsource these good, middle-class jobs."

"BMW would never be allowed to get away with this in Germany," said Teamsters Local 495 Secretary-Treasurer Bob Lennox. "Many of these employees have worked there for 10, 20, 30 years. They think they can take an American taxpayer bailout and then treat their American workers in a way they would never dare to treat their German employees."

The National Auto Body Council (NABC) has announced that the nomination process is now open for the 2011 NABC board of directors election.

The election will take place as part of the NABC annual meeting which is to be held this year on November 1, 2011 at Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas during SEMA. Anyone interested in seeking a board position or in nominating an individual for a position should note that nominations remain open until Monday, September 2, 2011, as prescribed by the NABC bylaws.

To be eligible for inclusion on the ballot, one must be an NABC member or a representative of a member, and a written notice of intent to be included should be sent to NABC. To do this, you can contact the NABC administrative office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You may also send your notice by way of U.S. mail to the following address:

Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW), in conjunction with DuPont Performance Coatings, announced August 9 that noted author and journalist Chris Brogan will headline the Opening General Session at ASRW 2011. The Opening General Session will take place Thursday, Oct. 6, from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.

Brogan, who is also a marketing consultant and frequent speaker about social media marketing, educates businesses and organizations on how social software aligns with their strategies. He is the president and CEO of Human Business Works, an education and community company. He consults and speaks professionally with Fortune 100 and 500 companies such as PepsiCo, Microsoft and more on the future of business communications and social software technologies. He is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Trust Agents, and a featured monthly columnist at Entrepreneur Magazine. Brogan’s blog, chrisbrogan.com, is in the Top 5 of the Advertising Age Power150. He has over 11 years of experience in online community, social media and related technologies.

“Technology and the advent of social media in particular have changed the way we all do business, so we feel Chris Brogan is not only a timely choice for this year’s keynote presentation, but an extremely relevant one,” said Harry Hall, DuPont North America Sales Manager – Refinish. “Brogan has become a leader in his field through his innate use of technology and connecting it to business, which parallels DuPont Performance Coatings’ philosophy of innovation as a leader in the collision repair industry.”

Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) is pleased to announce BASF has committed to a presence on the show floor at the upcoming 2011 event. This year is the first since 2008 for ASRW to include BASF among its list of exhibitors.

“NACE is the premier event for the collision repair industry and we understand how important it is to represent the BASF brand among this core audience who uses BASF products,” said Chuck Soeder, vice president, BASF Automotive Refinish. “We look forward to supporting the industry by exhibiting at ASRW this October.”

BASF can be found in booth N1413 at the ASRW Expo.

“BASF’s participation in ASRW this year is truly significant for several reasons. Aside from our audience consistently requesting to see them on the show floor, their return is also the latest event in a growing list of positive turns ASRW has experienced this year, leading up to the Orlando event,” said Ron Pyle, ASA president.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is conducting a survey of 13 major insurance companies to determine their use of aftermarket replacement parts.

The survey was sent last week to Allstate, American Family, Farmers, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Mercury Insurance, Met Life Auto and Home, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm, The Hartford, Travelers and USAA, according to Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS. He said the survey was “an effort to bring further transparency to our understanding of carrier’s approaches to use of aftermarket replacement parts.” The survey was motivated by input from SCRS members and ongoing discussions stemming from aftermarket replacement parts, Schulenburg said.

“We are finding that members in different parts of the country are submitting conflicting reports about the policies of some major national insurance companies. In other words, we are hearing that in some cases field level practices may vary from official corporate policy on parts use. In some cases, an insurer may have a policy for use of only certified parts, but when a certified part is unavailable, the shop is instructed to simply select a non-certified part by the field adjuster,” Schulenburg said.

“It is also possible that, in those cases, some shops may assume that a non-certified part is what the carrier wants them to do, and may not realize that the insurer would prefer an OEM replacement part if the only available alternative is a non-certified part,” he continued. “Knowing what specific corporate policies exist, provides for a better, more transparent, understanding of the approach taken in settling a vehicle owners claim. “In the interest of transparency, and with an issue as important as aftermarket parts in structural repair, the SCRS board of directors felt that it would be worth our efforts to conduct this study, and share the results with the industry.”

To see the insurer survey, CLICK HERE

Toyota and Tesla Motors, Inc. confirmed August 5 that their jointly-developed RAV4 electric vehicle will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. (TMMC) in Woodstock, Ontario beginning in 2012.

"The Tesla-Toyota joint development team has agreed that building the vehicle at the Woodstock plant on the same line as the gasoline-powered RAV4, will streamline and simplify the production process and guarantee the highest level of quality control," said Ray Tanguay, TMMC Chairman, who hosted Canadian officials at the plant August 5 and thanked them for their support. "This is a great example of Toyota's determination to collaborate with companies with leading edge technology."

As previously announced, Toyota will pay Tesla approximately $100 million to supply the electric powertrain, which includes the battery, motor, gear box and power electronics for the RAV4 EV. Tesla will build the electric powertrains at its production facility in Palo Alto, California and then ship them to TMMC for final assembly into the vehicle.

The RAV4 EV will be sold at U.S. Toyota dealers through Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Details including pricing, volume and regional distribution will be determined and announced at a later time.

According to reports made by Bloomberg, General Motors Co. outsold Toyota Motor Corp. globally in the first six months of 2011 to become the world’s largest automaker after the record March earthquake disrupted production in Japan.

GM sales rose 8.9 percent to 4.536 million units in the half-year ended June 30, the Detroit-based automaker said in a statement yesterday. That compares with 4.13 million units at second-ranked Volkswagen AG and 3.71 million units for Toyota, including its luxury Lexus marque and affiliates Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd., according to statements by the companies.

Output at the Toyota City, Japan-based automaker slumped 23 percent to 3.37 million units in the half-year after the company halted production following the magnitude-9 temblor and tsunami in March. Toyota expects to enter a production recovery phase in September, one month earlier than previously announced, the automaker said Aug. 2.

In response to more than 50,000 letters from consumers who support the Right to Repair legislation, the Right to Repair coalition announced August 3 it has submitted language to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office for approval as a 2012 ballot question. The coalition is still aggressively pursuing passage of its original legislation but the deadline this week for ballot submissions comes at the same time as the continued legislative push.

“As the original sponsor of the Right to Repair legislation, I intend to push as hard as I can to show my fellow elected officials that the current legislation is the best way during these challenging economic times to provide cost savings and convenience for financially-strapped car repair consumers,” said State Rep. Garrett Bradley (D-Hingham). “But, with the deadline coming this week to submit ballot questions for 2012, the coalition is doing the right thing for motoring consumers by keeping that option open,” Bradley said.

Consumers across the state visiting local mechanics or neighborhood parts stores have been filling out support letters and sending them in to their state legislators. While the possible 2012 ballot question would achieve the same goal of allowing consumers to have their cars completely serviced wherever they choose without being forced to go to one of the carmaker dealerships, one option filed with the Attorney General includes language different from the current legislation. The ballot language would require new car dealerships to provide all the necessary non-proprietary repair information directly to consumers at the time of purchase of a new vehicle. This would put choice and convenience directly into consumers’ hands.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation will be presenting Lake Technical Center of Eustis, FL with a “Mini-Makeover” during the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) Thursday, October 6th in Orlando, FL. Lake Technical Center was the only school in Florida that applied for the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s 2010 $50,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. Due to the school’s proximity to NACE in Orlando, the Education Foundation has been gathering industry supporters/donors to fulfill portions of the school’s $50,000 wish list that they provided as part of the grant application. School instructors, administration and their collision students will be on hand during a presentation at NACE to showcase how the Mini-Makeover donors have benefited the school’s collision program.

The presentation will take place from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. in the ASRW Media Center located inside the Orange County Convention Center’s West Building.

Scott Kruger, Executive Director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation, said, “Lake Technical Center was one of 52 schools nationwide that applied for the Foundation’s 2010 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant and the only school in the state of Florida to apply. As industry professionals from across the country will be gathering in Orlando for NACE this fall, we thought it would be a great opportunity to not only highlight the Makeover grant program, but also help this local school through the support of our donors and supporters. We invite industry professionals attending NACE and ASRW to attend the presentation to hear how Lake Technical Center’s collision program has benefited through the support of industry donations and to learn how to get involved with helping schools in your local area.”

One in four American drivers could not pay for a car repair of $2,000 if faced with one today, according to the results of a survey released by AAA on August 3. The survey also found one in eight would be unable to pay for a repair bill of $1,000.

More than half of American drivers also said they are holding onto their older vehicle because they do not want the financial burden of a new one. And, one quarter of drivers admitted to neglecting repairs and maintenance on their vehicles in the past 12 months due to the economic climate, which AAA Automotive experts say can greatly increase the likelihood of their car needing a costly, major repair.

“Economic conditions have taken their toll on many Americans resulting in them neglecting their cars and leaving them at increased risk for very expensive repair bills,” said Marshall L. Doney, AAA Vice President, Automotive and Financial Services. “Many Americans rely on their cars for their livelihood and losing access to them could be financially devastating during an already troubling economic time.

“It’s important for drivers to not only continue to maintain their vehicles, but also have a financial emergency plan in place should they be faced with a sudden unexpected auto repair bill,” continued Doney.

Chrysler is recalling nearly 300,000 minivans for a possible heating and air conditioning problem that could inadvertently trigger the air bag, the second related recall in nine months. Chrysler, run by Italy's Fiat SpA, said in a letter to regulators on Aug 2 that certain 2008 Grand Voyager, Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles were affected by the recall.

The automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said condensation from the heating and air conditioner could leak onto a sensor module. This could lead to activation of a warning light and inadvertent deployment of the air bag. Dealers in North America will replace the component free of charge.

There was a recall last November to replace a heating and cooling drain tube in those model vehicles to eliminate potential condensation.

Nominations for the 2011 Pride Awards are open. Six nominees for the prestigious NABC award have already been identified, with more spaces available.

The Pride Awards, sponsored by the National Autobody Council (NABC) and now in their 16th year, provide a rare opportunity to openly openly celebrate everything that is positive about the collision repair industry, and the men and women that work in it. Truly a part of NABC’s DNA, and an integral part of its history, the awards spotlight the many collision industry professionals that selflessly donate their time, energy and financial resources to worthy causes outside the industry.

Because it has been around almost as long as the NABC, Pride boasts a rich legacy of past winners, each selflessly contributing to the world around them in their own unique way. From the Pena family adopting an orphanage in Mexico to Sam Metz helping the Reno police find a murderer, the industry time and again demonstrates its bravery, philanthropy, charity, and selfless acts of kindness.

“We are asking the industry to look for those humanitarians in our profession that should be brought to the attention of the general public,” says NABC Pride Chair Janet Chaney. “Chances are, they won’t have to look too far as that kind of character is all around us. To be able to assist in finding these brave, compassionate individuals who all too often fly under the radar is a humbling experience for me. I encourage everyone to nominate a worthy individual, and help us celebrate their good deeds.”

Gary Wayne Lawson passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by family, in Purcellville, Virginia on July 27, 2011.

Gary owned Circle Auto Body in Washington DC since the late 1970’s and was highly respected throughout the collision repair industry. He was also a distinguished member of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association.

Gary was a devoted family man and is survived by a large family.

In addition to his wife of 45 years, Linda Linhoss Lawson, he is survived by his mother “Dot”; a daughter, Gina Lawson Burns and her husband, Terry; a sister, Judy Lawson and her husband, George Dellyssee; two brother-in-laws, Kenneth Linhoss and his wife, Judy and Charles Linhoss; and three grandchildren, Trevor Wayne Burns, Kylie Renee Jenkins and Tanner Michael Burns. A daughter, Stacey Michelle Lawson preceded him in death.

Family gathered for visitation from 6pm to 8pm Monday, August 1, 2011 at the Enders & Shirley Funeral Home in Berryville, VA. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516.

To send condolences online, please visit www.endersandshirley.com.

At its annual meeting to kick off this year’s Industry Week in Las Vegas on October 30, 2011, the California/Nevada/Arizona Automotive Wholesalers Association (CAWA)  will install the following individuals to serve as officers for the 2012 year:

· Chair of the Board – Steve Sharp, WORLDPAC

· Vice Chair of the Board, – Ed Jimenez,  Riebe’s Auto Parts

· Treasurer – Ron Cannon, Charleston Auto Parts

· Secretary –  Ron Aparicio – Walker Products

· Immediate Past Chair of the Board – Mary Davis, NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) , Inc.

For more information please visit www.cawa.org.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is conducting a survey of 13 major insurance companies to determine their use of aftermarket replacement parts.

The survey was sent last week to Allstate, American Family, Farmers, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Mercury Insurance, Met Life Auto and Home, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm, The Hartford, Travelers and USAA, according to Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS. He said the survey was “an effort to bring further transparency to our understanding of carrier’s approaches to use of aftermarket replacement parts.”

The survey was motivated by input from SCRS members and ongoing discussions stemming from aftermarket replacement parts, Schulenburg said.

“We are finding that members in different parts of the country are submitting conflicting reports about the policies of some major national insurance companies. In other words, we are hearing that in some cases field level practices may vary from official corporate policy on parts use. In some cases, an insurer may have a policy for use of only certified parts, but when a certified part is unavailable, the shop is instructed to simply select a non-certified part by the field adjuster,” Schulenburg said.

“It is also possible that, in those cases, some shops may assume that a non-certified part is what the carrier wants them to do, and may not realize that the insurer would prefer an OEM replacement part if the only available alternative is a non-certified part,” he continued. “Knowing what specific corporate policies exist, provides for a better, more transparent, understanding of the approach taken in settling a vehicle owners claim. “In the interest of transparency, and with an issue as important as aftermarket parts in structural repair, the SCRS board of directors felt that it would be worth our efforts to conduct this study, and share the results with the industry.”

3M has come to the aid of 500 secondary and post-secondary collision programs across the country by donating Perfect-It Denibbing System Kits through the Collision Repair Education Foundation. This product donation, valued at $280,000, will ease collision department budgets by providing students with the opportunity to work with up-to-date supplies.

3M Automotive Aftermarket Division Business Development Manager Mark Algie said, “3M continues to be committed to all segments of the collision repair industry and through the help of the Collision Repair Education Foundation we are able to help a lot of great schools, instructors and students. We value what these schools are all about and what they do to prepare the next generation of techs, estimators and I’m sure some owners for our industry. We will continue to provide resources that will give these schools the ability to enhance their individual programs and prepare their students for a career in our industry.”

Collision Repair Education Foundation Executive Director Scott Kruger commented, “Since 2009, 3M has donated over $1.8 million in products to collision school programs through the Collision Repair Education Foundation. These products, whether they are new and exciting technologies or basic everyday materials, make a significant difference to schools and students as instructors can make the most of their annual budgets. We invite other industry organizations to join 3M and our other donors in helping supply and equip our collision repair schools and show our students that their education is highly valued by the industry.”

Weber State University Collision Repair Instructor Justin Tate noted, “On behalf of students, faculty, staff, and administration I would like to thank 3M and the Collision Repair Education Foundation for the donated kits. Your continued support is a huge factor in the continuation of our programs and we would like to express our thanks! You help to keep us on the leading edge and provide the best of the best!”

For additional information about 3M visit http://3mcollision.com/. Inter-industry organizations and individuals who are interested in supporting the Education Foundation and increasing the amount of assistance provided to collision schools and students should contact Education Foundation Associate Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed foundation.org.