Concerns about the estimating databases, the reversal of the decision in the State Farm non-OEM parts lawsuit, the collapse of another consolidator and an ongoing battle over the "right to repair" were among the most talked-about topics in the collision industry this past year.

Here's a quick overview of the past year as viewed through a collection of some of the most memorable, important, interesting or enlightening quotes heard around the industry during 2005.

Guessing with the estimating systems

DiLisio

"The ADP issue caused problems across the industry for insurers, repairers and consumers. To try to stop that from happening again, we'd like to sit down with the information providers and figure out a better way to make sure there's full disclosure of any changes that come forward with any new CDs. This is one of the few times that we've worked collectively. We feel we can offer a better solution to the industry if we work collectively on this than if we worked individually."

- Lou DiLisio, at the time the chairman of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), announcing in January that SCRS, the Alliance of Automotive Service Professionals (AASP), and the Automotive Service Association (ASA), were jointly forming a taskforce to work on "macro issues related to the way the [estimating] database companies operate."

"We do want to assert our influence and get certain changes made, and some of those match up with insurers. In cooperation with them, we can have that much more influence to [push for] the changes that we're looking for. Obviously our primary focus is going to be protecting our members, the repairers, but there are, in many cases, good reasons for a cooperative effort with insurers."

- Darrell Amberson, a member of the multi-association database taskforce, explaining why insurers are being included in the taskforce's efforts.

Unwelcome guests

Loftus

"Why would you want the insurers in there? These are our issues. Insurers al-ready have a huge influence over the database providers. I respect the insurers. They are people making a living…But this [task force] is the one opportunity where you have [the database providers'] attention and you have the power and you give it away. Shame on you."

- Sheila Loftus, executive director of the Washington (D.C.) Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association, criticizing the national associations for including insurers on the database taskforce.

"We have some common issues [with insurers]. Disclosure [of changes made to the databases] happens to be one of those issues. The insurers are just as much looking for disclosure as the repair industry is. They've got people on their staff that do nothing but look through the databases to find out what was changed. You haven't known us to lay down yet, Sheila. We're not about to now."

- SCRS' DiLisio, responding to Loftus.

"Going forward, users will only be able to select panel bonding as an alternative to welding for those procedures where the OEM has explicitly approved the use of adhesive as a valid, alternative repair method."

- Tom Fleming of Mitchell International, announcing that in part due to feedback from the database taskforce, his company was reversing a change it had made to its database that allowed the user to select adhesive bonding labor allowances for many cosmetic panels even if the automaker had not endorsed panel bonding for that operation.

Hurricane relief efforts

"We have in place now the beginnings of what will be the Red Cross of the collision industry. If there is another hurricane or an earthquake that hits or whatever it may be that displaces people in this industry, I think we will have in place a vehicle that can help them in the future, so we can take care of our own, just as your family would take care of you if something happened to you."

- Chuck Sulkala, executive director of the National Auto Body Council (NABC), on that organization's relief effort for those impacted by this year's hurricanes.

Enlow

"We've never had vehicles coming out of that type of toxic soup, which presents unique biological hazards to our [shop] personnel."

- Rod Enlow of the Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) on the publication of his organization's recommended safety procedures (www.ccar-greenlink.org) for anyone coming into contact with the estimated 150,000-300,000 vehicles that were partially or fully submerged in New Orleans.

End of the world

"Cockroaches, and somebody walking around saying, 'What are we going to do about feather, prime and block?'"

- State Farm's George Avery, joking about the two things that would be left if the world were to end, during an ongoing effort at the Collision Industry Conference to define "where body work ends and paint work begins."

Check IDs

"Point-of-sale restrictions [on paint products] are something we've heard a lot about. The paint distributor, just like a bartender, should be asking for certification. They should not be selling it unless they see a certification."

- Kim Teal, an EPA Environmental Protection Specialist, on plans to include limits on the sale and use of automotive refinish products in new federal air quality guidelines her agency is expected to propose in 2007.