John Yoswick (148)
John Yoswick is an automotive freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the collision industry since 1988. He has a body shop in the family and is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com).
He can be contacted by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Is lean production a viable concept - or just the latest catch-phrase
Written by John YoswickFemale technicians: Helping your business and the industry draw on this untapped pool of talent
Written by John YoswickLoan arrangers: Shops capturing customers by offering financing
Written by John YoswickMost collision repair shops wouldn’t think of letting customers leave with their vehicle without paying. At Keenan Auto Body, it’s starting to happen more often – which is just fine, according to Michael LeVasseur, vice president and chief operating officer of the 7-shop company in the Philadelphia area.
Laws impacting collision repairs addressed in numerous states this year
Written by John YoswickI-CAR leaders, during the training organization’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, in late July, openly explained that the past year had been a tough one financially, but also pointed to a number of accomplishments as well as plans for the future that they believe will turn things around for the non-profit.
CIC: Responsibilities in Avoiding Unfair Trade Practices
Written by John YoswickCollision repair shops regularly decry the practice by some insurers of denigrating one shop in order to influence a consumer to select a shop in that insurer’s direct repair program (DRP). But could that DRP shop be found to be engaged in an unfair trade practice based on that insurer’s behavior?
Attendees at the 25th annual International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) in Las Vegas in early November may not have known it, but they were witnessing the last NACE in its current form.
Prior to State Farm launching a test of an electronic parts procurement program with its Select Service shops in San Diego, an insurer spokesman said the company is considering what role it can play in streamlining other aspects of collision repair claims.
Measure your shop and implement improvements using the web
Written by John YoswickAsk Bob Sipos of Chardon Square CARSTAR in Chardon, Ohio, how his shop is doing, and he can quickly rattle off a slew of current statistics that go far beyond monthly sales: productivity per technician, paint booth cycle time, gross profit per hour, sales per stall or per square foot.
Spirited group discusses industry issues at CIC in Vegas
Written by John YoswickTwo of the country's largest suppliers of re-manufactured alloy wheels say they support the development of industry standards for such wheels. Speaking at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November, Roger McClellan, vice president of sales and marketing for Transwheel Corp., said his company believes such standards are an "effective way to promote the industry and ensure the safety and satisfaction of consumers."
About 40 people from around the country - representing shops, insurers and industry vendors - met in Chicago in early May to focus on one issue: the image of the collision industry.
