Maine Legislature Holds Hearing on Right to Repair Legislation
Written by ASA staffThe Maine legislature recently held a hearing on LD 788, Right to Repair legislation, titled “Vehicle Owners and Repair Facilities.” The hearing was held in the Joint Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development.
Ken Boyce, the owner of Ken’s Auto Repair Inc. in Buxton, ME, presented testimony on behalf of the Automotive Service Association (ASA). He has 29 years of experience in auto repair.
Boyce made compelling arguments in opposition to the Right to Repair legislation throughout his testimony. He said:
“There are lots of conflicting opinions about the right to repair issue. In my opinion, this legislation has no purpose. All it would do is codify an agreement that was reached over a decade ago at the behest of the U.S. Congress after they expressed their desire to not inject themselves into the middle of the situation.
The Carlyle Group is selling its stake in Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., approximately 50,000 shares held by investment funds associated with The Carlyle Group. Goldman Sachs will act as the sole underwriter in a registered public offering of those shares. Hertz said the sale of stock by the investment firms represents practically the entire interest the funds held in Hertz stock.
Reuters reported that prior to the sales, CD&R and Carlyle were the second and third largest shareholders in Hertz, respectively, according to Thomson Reuters data. The three investment funds bought Hertz from Ford Motor Co. in 2005 for $5.6 billion.
Hertz operates its car rental business through the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands from approximately 10,460 locations worldwide. The company claims to have the second largest market share in the off-airport car rental market in the United States.
The Carlyle Group purchased DuPont's Performance Coatings unit earlier this year and operates the business as Axalta Coating Systems. Carlyle acquired Service King in the summer of 2012.
The 2012 Trade Show News Network’s “U.S. Top 250 Trade Shows” list has named Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) for the third year in a row.
The list represents the top 250 trade shows held last year ranked by net square footage in the U.S.
This year's ASRW event will become a two-day expo with three days of educational seminars.
ASRW is comprised of the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS).
“Out of the tens of thousands of tradeshows that take place in the U.S. each year, inclusion in this prestigious list is an excellent reminder of the size, scope and overall footprint ASRW continues to have not only in the automotive service and repair industry, but the tradeshow industry as well," said Lindsay Roberts, ASRW show director. “It’s a great accomplishment and we’re thrilled to be included again this year.”
In addition, Hanley Wood Exhibitions, which produces ASRW for the Automotive Service Association (ASA), ranked among leading show management organizations with five shows included on the list.
ASRW 2013 will be held Oct. 17-18 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, with education beginning on Oct. 16, 2013.
SCRS Recognize Standout Figures of the Collision Repair Industry
Written by SCRS staffThe Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) recognized a select group of professionals who have demonstrated outstanding service and accomplishment. The recognition was given at the association's annual Industry Achievement Awards and Reception on April 2 in Phoenix. The ceremony, a tradition that highlights the SCRS year, was presided over by newly-elected SCRS Chairman Ron Reichen, who also served as chairman of SCRS' Nominations and Awards Committee.
The first award presented was the SCRS Lifetime Achievement Award-Regional, which pays tribute to those who generously assist their local region. SCRS' Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg said, "The award is for people who inspire; people who have dedicated themselves to bettering the industry from which they have come."
AkzoNobel Opens Nominations for 2013 FIT Sustainability Awards
Written by staffAkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings Americas is now accepting nominations for the 2013 FIT Sustainability Awards.
As a global leader in sustainability, AkzoNobel launched the FIT Program in 2009 in an effort to bring awareness and create a desire for change within the collision repair industry related to this critical global issue. FIT which is an acronym for Focus, Innovation and Talent, the three key criteria for the award, was established as an expansion of the Most Influential Women in the Collision Repair Industry Program.
City officials in Marlborough, MA, will form a task force to inspect auto body and auto repair shops in the coming months after concerns that some might be doing work without the proper licenses or meeting environmental requirements.
Marlborough Code Enforcement Officer Pam Wilderman said that she has sent out 61 letters to businesses advertising auto repair or auto body work alerting them to the upcoming inspections, the Metrowest Daily News reported.
First Southern Automotive Repair Industry Conference Held in Biloxi, MS
Written by staffThe Mississippi Collision Repair Association (MCRA) and the Alabama Automotive Repair Industry Society of Excellence (ALARISE) co-sponsored the first Southern Automotive Repair Industry Conference and Exhibition in Biloxi, MS, on April 26-27.
Presenters included Aaron Schulenburg of SCRS, Rick Leos with Toyota Motors, Ray Gunder and his attorney Brent Geohagen.
The inaugural event was held at the Beau Rivage Casino and Hotel in Biloxi, MS, and kicked off Friday night with a reception and exhibition featuring more than 18 vendors demonstrating their products and services to over 200 attendees from collision repair shops from across the Southeast.
"The event can be best described as an unqualified success, both in terms of information presented and the impressive number of attendees from seven states," said Bill Fowler, MCRA member and president of Bill Fowler's Bodyworks Inc. in Southaven, MS.
Texas Franchise Tax Bill, Substitute House Bill 500, was recently placed on the General State Calendar and the bill could be addressed soon. Currently, automotive service and collision repair shops owned and operated by new or used car dealerships are taxed at half the rate used to tax independent automotive repair facilities doing identical work. The Texas state tax code classifies dealership sales as “retail” and allows their service and repair business to be included under that banner.
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality offers body shops the opportunity to receive free voluntary consultations under the agency's Oklahoma Star program.
The consultations are part of the DEQ's outreach to auto body repair shops, a program that has many purposes, agency Environmental Program Specialist Patrick Riley said.
Visits with auto body shop managers increase awareness of regulatory requirements like the federal "auto body rule" that went into effect in 2011 as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's effort to reduce hazardous air pollutants.
