Life Changes or Industry Changes Don’t Happen Without Major Effort
Written by Toby ChessI want to start this month’s column with a personal reflection on some life changing events that happened to me last year.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
The last Saturday of September I woke up about 1:00 a.m. with a pain in my chest. It felt like a 500 lb gorilla was standing on my chest and the pain was excruciating. Not being the brightest person in the world, I got into my truck and drove myself to the hospital. When I told the nurse in emergency that I was experiencing chest pain, she rushed into a room and hooked up an EKG monitor and blood pressure gauge. My blood pressure was 170 over 90. Not real good (I am on blood pressure medication). The ER doctor came in and told me that I did not have a heart attack or a stroke, but there was something not working right with my heart and set up an appointment with a cardiologist the following week. Five hours later, I came home, hooked up my welding trailer and conducted an I-CAR structural steel test (Again, not the best move, sometimes my brain works in reverse). Monday, I made an appointment with a cardiologist for the following Friday.
On that Wednesday, my daughter gave birth to an 8 lb baby girl named Hayley, and for my wife and me, our first grandchild.
I will tell you that being a grandparent is a tremendous experience. The best experience of all is that I haven’t had diaper duty yet.
On Friday, I had my appointment with the cardiologist. I had another EKG and he determined that I had a mild case of Atrial Fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF or A-fib) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). It is a common cause of irregular heart beat, identified clinically by taking a pulse. Chaotic electrical activity in the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart result in the muscle fibrillating (i.e., quivering), instead of achieving coordinated contraction.
Keenan Auto Body’s First Responder Training Brings Together PA & DE Communities
Written by Toby ChessI’ve long supported and done my best to contribute to first responder training. These brave and dedicated public servants have a lot to deal with and a lot to prepare for. Whether it’s a building fire, hazmat situation, medical emergency, or vehicle extrication, they can’t prepare without the training, tools, and equipment necessary to get the job done. I was happy to be able to contribute some skills to training conducted recently in Pennsylvania, which drew first responders from two states.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
We held the training on Tuesday, October 25th at Keenan Auto Body East in Clifton Heights, PA, and on Wednesday, October 26th at Keenan Auto Body South in West Chester, PA. The events were organized and sponsored by Keenan’s. Keenan VP and COO, Michael LeVasseur introduced Keenan Auto Body’s First Responder training program.
With over 5.8 million car crashes per year it’s imperative that first responders are equipped with the knowledge to extract vehicle occupants in the quickest most efficient manner, especially in crashes when the difference between life and death is on the line. Collision repairers have the vehicle expertise that first responders need and can contribute to the cause.
Recently, however, it’s become evident that vehicle responders need more experience with modern vehicles, which have otherwise unfamiliar and even dangerous features to contend with.
SEMA’s Repair Driven Education and Government Regulations
Written by Toby ChessSEMA is just around the corner and many of you will be attending the trade show and SCRS repair-driven education. I am teaching a class on how government regulations will impact the collision industry right now, but for those who cannot attend, I am going to highlight my presentation here. Let’s look at the US Government CAFÉ (corporate average fuel economy) standards. By the year 2015, the CAFÉ standard for the industry (cars and trucks combined) is 31.6 MPG (35.7 for cars and 28.6 for trucks). How will these standards affect body shops?
To view a PDF of this article with photos please click HERE.
First, cars will need to get lighter and smaller. The use of aluminum will increase. You will see more hoods, deck lids, fenders and other body parts being made from aluminum. Many aluminum hoods are double paneled with virtually no access to the back side. Most shops today do not the capability to repair this type of damage. What is needed is an aluminum stud gun.
The unit pictured first comes with the stud gun and a number of hand tools for repairing aluminum. The machine pictured second is just the stud gun with the puller. You will need to invest in hand tools because aluminum tools can’t be used on steel components because of the likelihood of galvanic corrosion. Dent Fix, Reliable Automotive Equipment and ProSpot are a few examples of companies that sell aluminum repair equipment. You will also need to invest in training. Repairing aluminum is not difficult, but there are a few techniques that need to be learned to achieve a successful repair.
You will also see smaller vehicles. With smaller cars, you will see an increase in the use of ultra high strength steels in cabin reinforcements for passenger protection. Nearly all manufacturers require full replacement of these reinforcements and that will lead to more total losses. Let’s look at Federal Motor Vehicle safety standard 216A.
There is No Such Thing as a ‘Bad Decision’ in Business
Written by StaffFirst let me say that there is no “right” answer to most of the challenges a collision owner faces today. Things that worked in the past will no longer cut it today and we need to constantly re-invent the wheel. I will give some examples of ways to cautiously move forward in today’s market.
To view a PDF of this article please click HERE.
One example is advertising, in the past we would get a bigger yellow page ad, and maybe we would do newspaper and maybe some TV. In today’s market the consumer rarely picks up the phone book and newspaper sales are at an all time low, while TV is still questionable with DVR’s people can fast forward through your expensive 30-second commercial.
Another example is purchasing equipment and your ROI. In the past a shop would buy a thirty thousand dollar frame rack or measuring system and they would be able to close a sale based on something they had that their competitors didn’t. Today, repair standards and requirements to repair a collision have become so advanced that most decent collision facilities have the same equipment. So purchasing a large piece of equipment in today’s market most of the time offers “no” return on your investment.
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.
Arizona’s Auto Body World Expands to Chandler with Eighth Location
Written by David BrownAuto 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.
Reorganized Lehigh Valley Collision Repair Association Now Serves Pennsylvania
Written by David BrownThe re-energized Lehigh Valley Collision Repair Association is serving eastern Pennsylvania, including cities such as Allentown, Easton and Bethlehem. The one-year-old group comprises 18 auto body repair facilities, jobbers, parts suppliers, information providers and rental car companies, says its president, Matt Dewalt, AAM.
“Our mission is to promote the professional image of our industry through safe, quality and ethical repairs,” explains Dewalt, vice president of Scott’s Collision Centers, which is celebrating its 40th year serving the Lehigh Valley.
“We want to educate and lead our members to better themselves by allowing the free exchange of ideas and assist with ongoing training,” he adds. “It is truly an organization made up of members who want to better our industry.”
His father, Scott, a past and current member of LVCRA, started their business in 1971, and today the two locations, in Easton and Stroudsburg, comprise 34,000 square feet and generate about $5 million in annual sales.
The original LVCRA has roots at least 50 years deep and was very active in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, sponsoring golf tournaments, hosting monthly meetings and holding I-CAR and other classes, Dewalt says. At the time, Scott participated with his early shop, but membership dwindled and meetings stopped about 10 years ago.
The other day I received a report form Aaron Schulenberg, the Executive Director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, about a study done in Germany on collision repairs. Crash-test results and analysis of the impact of a non-professional repair on the performance of the side structure of a car (VW Passat) by KTI GmbH& Co. of Lohfelden, Germany.
To view the full text of this article with photos please click HERE.
The study took a late model VW Passat, with ultra high strength steel reinforcements in the rocker and “B” pillar, conducted a side impact at about 30mph, detailed all the damage, and rebuilt the vehicle using used parts, MIG welds, and an older Squeeze Type Resistance Welder. They did not use any OEM current replacement data, but they utilized common accepted repair methods used in the collision industry. They referred to those in the article as “10-year old repair methods.”
What was written in the introduction of the study is what I and others have been preaching for years.
“The new materials mean that body shops must continuously ensure that they are conversant with the requirements for new tools, procedures and information about the repair processes. New welding machines need to be used, training is required, and OEM information has to be accessed to make sure that the correct repair methods will be applied. Without this knowledge it is likely that an inadequate repair will be the result, potentially placing the car and its occupants at much higher risk in a later crash.”
“In parallel to the introduction of new materials, single component parts of earlier vehicles have been replaced by highly integrated, multi-material components on more recently designed cars. The production of a modern Body-in-White is characterized by complex manufacturing processes and bonding techniques. Taken together, the technical progress made by the OEM’s has resulted in corresponding new challenges for the repair shops. Repair shops must ensure they have well trained staff and are equipped with appropriate tools to cope with the techniques needed for professional repairs on today’s cars when they are damaged in an accident. If such techniques and knowledge are not available, a nonprofessional repair may lead to a significant reduction in the safety and quality of these cars.”
Pan American Steps Up to Host Firefighter Extrication Training
Written by Toby ChessPan American is a family-owned and operated independent collision repair facility with four locations throughout the Southern San Francisco Bay Area. President and owner Luis Alonso recently accepted Farmers Insurance Shop of the Year honors. They have been in operation since 1981, specializing in all types of collision repair and insurance work. They are also a Certified Mercedes Benz and Audi Repair Facility.
To view the text of this article with photos please click HERE.
Pan American believes in giving back to the community, and as an extension of that model the repair facility enlisted my help to provide extrication training for the local Fire Department.
Today’s vehicles are more complex than ever, and the fire departments are faced with difficult challenges when they respond to emergency calls involving trapped occupants resulting from a vehicle collision. Our goal is to help them be better prepared to deal with these challenges by providing hands on training. We teach safety and stabilization, hybrid vehicle precautions, how to deal with late model ultra-high strength steel, as well as six different extrication techniques. I’m proud to be part of this effort and I applaud Pan American for putting this event together.
Learn each day to deal with the issues you are faced with at the moment. We all make huge mistakes when we look too far ahead and begin to worry about what might or could happen eventually.
To view the full text of this article with photos please click HERE.
I ride mountain bikes, and have been for years, but recent circumstances have kept me off of my bike for quite some time. Last week I chose to break out my bike, fill up the tires, and go for a ride. I chose a route that I knew very well. It’s a short 12-mile loop with a big demanding hill at the end.
As I started my ride everything went as planned except I realized quickly that I was not in the shape I had been in the past. I was very familiar with this route because I had done the ride a hundred times or so. I knew the “Big Hill” that was waiting for me at the end, when I would be the most tired. As I continued on I really wasn’t sure I was feeling strong enough to do the “Big Hill.” I continued to think about the “Big Hill” constantly as I rode on. I realized that I was worrying about the “Big Hill” so much that I was adjusting the way I was riding and this was making me more tired. I was conserving energy by going slower then faster, (wrong technique) and was not feeling good at al. My entire focus was on the “Big Hill,” so much so that at this rate I may not even make it to the “Big Hill.”
