NORTHEAST NEWS (246)
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
Autobody News Northeast print edition is mailed to 8,000+ body shops monthly
H&V Collision in NY Recognized as Honda ProFirst Facility
Written by staffH&V Collision Center in Troy, NY, is now recognized as a Honda ProFirst collision repair facility.
Three other H&V locations in the New York communities of Colonie, Saratoga Springs and Queensbury are “on their way” to becoming qualified as a ProFirst facility, according to Gary Ledoux, Assistant National Manager for American Honda Motor Co. Inc.
The Industry Can Unify and Change; Many Have Made an Impact
Written by John YoswickTo view a pdf file of this article with photos, click HERE.
If there was a unifying theme to the presentations at the East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting held in Secaucus, NJ, in March, a statement by Charlie Bryant may have summed it up as the session opened.
“No one can tell me that we don’t have a chance to change things in our industry,” said Bryant, executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) of New Jersey, which hosted the event along with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). “I don’t believe that.”
Charles Bryant Updates Us On What’s Going On in New Jersey
Written by Chasidy Rae SiskTo view a pdf file of this article with photos, click HERE.
At the NORTHEAST show I was able to talk to Charles Bryant of AASP-NJ and ask him what’s going on in NJ in general. Here’s what he told me:
There is always something interesting going on in New Jersey. First, we are proud that the NJ-MVC has abandoned the proposal to license Mobile Auto Body shops in our state. That was a battle that took over two years to accomplish.
Show Attendees React to AASP 2013 Northeast Tradeshow
Written by Chasidy Rae SiskAfter spending such a wonderful weekend at the AASP Northeast Tradeshow at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, I was curious to see how my reaction compared to those more experienced in the industry. Several industry leaders and a few exhibitors took a moment to talk to me about their reactions to the tradeshow.
Jeff McDowell, President of AASP NJ, was pleased with this year’s event, noting that, despite the snow, turnout was better than he thought it would be, and the number of attendees and the show as a whole “far exceeded expectations.” Regarding the seminars, McDowell stated that they were all much fuller than expected. He found Larry Montanez’s seminars particularly useful, and in regards to the parts procurement panel, he stated “It was great; a lot of information got disseminated to people who weren’t fully aware of what’s going on.”
NORTHEAST™ 2013—Tradeshow, Seminars, and Insurer-Mandated Parts Procurement Panel
Written by Chasidy Rae SiskAASP/NJ hosted the 2013 NORTHEAST™ Tradeshow at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10. While the expo floor setup and number of seminars remained much the same as the past two years that I’ve attended, I was impressed with the great variety of exhibitors and seminar topics offered this year.
Insurer-Mandated Parts Procurement Program
For me, the highlight of AASP Northeast in 2013 was the panel on insurer-mandated parts procurement programs. On Friday night, from 6–8 p.m., Aaron Schulenburg, Executive Director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), moderated a panel discussion on insurer-mandated parts procurement programs. This seminar attracted a large number of attendees eager to discuss how programs such as State Farm’s PartsTrader may affect their businesses once it is instituted nationwide.
Pennsylvania Chevy Dealer Finance Manager Charged with 16 Counts of Theft and Forgery
Written by staffThe finance manager for a dealership outside Pittsburgh faces charges of forgery, theft and receiving stolen property for allegedly submitting phony signatures on customer documents and keeping money for himself.
Thomas Carrigan, 35, of Monessen, PA, was arrested March 5, according to police records. Carrigan was working as the finance manager at C Harper Chevrolet-Buick-Cadillac, in the Township of Ostrava in Belle Vernon, PA, police said.
According to police, Carrigan allegedly forged a customer’s signature on a contract after changing the amount of the down payment. A police “affidavit of probable cause” cited only one example, but Carrigan is charged with a total of 16 counts each of theft and receiving stolen property.
The current estimate of vehicles damaged as a result of Sandy is now set at 250,500 based on claims processed by insurance companies, according to latest figures released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
The complete list of states generating Sandy-related vehicle damage claims in descending order are:
New York 150,000
New Jersey 60,000
Connecticut 8,000
Maryland 5,500
Massachusetts 5,000
Virginia 4,500
Ohio 4,000
Pennsylvania 4,000
Delaware 2,000
New Hampshire 2,000
North Carolina 1,500
District of Columbia 1,000
Rhode Island 1,000
West Virginia 1,000
Maine 500
Vermont 500
The figures are for insured losses only and may change as additional claims are received and processed. Uninsured vehicles damaged by Sandy are not reflected in these figures.
Collision Care Auto Body Centers has opened its sixth location in the Greater Philadelphia area.
A former BMW dealership, Collision Care of Marlton is located at 120 Route 73 in Marlton, NJ. The 35,000-square-foot shop will employ 15 people.
Mayor Randy Brown served as master of ceremonies for the shop’s grand opening on March 7.
“When [Collision Care President] Val Fichera first contacted me indicating his desire to move into the former BMW location, my first response was, ‘Why?’” said Brown.
“At the time, the intersection of 70 and 73… was just tons of construction. Credit to Val and his vision, the intersection and Collision Care of Marlton is now an upscale and welcome addition to the booming Marlton area, and his company’s history has proven that it will serve our community well,” said Brown.
Accidental Fire at Starting Line Auto Body Shop in PA
Written by staffA Feb. 21 fire at an auto body shop in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, in Pennsylvania was ruled accidental. It is believed that the furnace, which used fuel oil, was the cause of the fire.
Over 55 firefighters responded to the scene at Starting Line Auto Body on West Trindle Road and tankers were brought in because there wasn’t a close enough water supply to fight the flames.
Freezing temperatures didn’t play a factor on fighting the blaze, and a heated tent was set up for firefighters standing by.
It took about 40 minutes to get the fire under control, and New Kingstown Fire Chief Curt Hall said hard working volunteer firefighters made that possible.
“Volunteer firefighters are hard workers. There’s not too many people that want to stand in the tent when there’s work to be done, so we had a good crew of personnel working today. The fire was under control quickly, and no injuries at this time.”
No one was in the auto body shop at the time the fire broke out around 7:30 a.m.
A broken headlight led to the arrest of a man accused of a hit-and-run accident that left another man dead.
Pacurie Huynh, 29, of Upper Darby, PA, was tracked down via a part ordered to repair the Toyota 4Runner he was driving when he allegedly struck the victim, Thomas Quercetti, 28, on Fourth of July last year.
Huynh was arrested Feb. 25 and charged with causing an accident that involved death and failing to give information, according to the criminal complaint.
Quercetti was walking home from a friend’s house about 1:30 a.m. on the shoulder of the 100 block of North State Road in Springfield Township, Delaware County, when he was struck by a vehicle. Police said there was no indication that the vehicle tried to stop.
The Long Island Auto Body Repairmen's Association will meet March 19 at 8 p.m. The meeting will be a Town Hall open forum to discuss claims problems and solutions. Members are encouraged to bring problems and resulting solutions to the forum for discussion. In addition, the meeting will feature a presentation on OSHA standards and compliance as well as a New York State Labor Department update. LIABRA will also review their legislative agenda for 2013. Enterprise Rent-a-Car will present information on their ARMS program.
LIABRA will meet at Greg and Bill's Auto Collision off Rte. 112 in Medford, NY.
