Make plans to attend the I-CAR Atlanta 4th Annual Rockin’ Car Show on Saturday October 6th, 2012. Show hours 10 am until 3 pm with Judging from 12 noon until 1:30 pm. Rain date is Oct 27th. 27 different classes and 3 Best of Show Trophies. Live music by The Fender Benderz! Held at Hooters located at 2102 Old Hwy 41 in Kennesaw, GA. Download the info flier – click here.
SOUTHEAST NEWS (283)
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi
Autobody News' SouthEast print edition is mailed to 6,500 body shops monthly
Thursday, 20 September 2012 16:21
Gunder’s Has 15 Insurers Paying New Labor Rate
Written by Barrett Smith“15 and Counting,” answers Ray Gunder. “That’s how many insurers, since this past August, have seen fit to pay our revised labor rates rather than to try and legally defeat what we deem to be ‘reasonable and necessary!’”
Gunder goes on to state: “It’s been a busy few weeks, and while 14 of the 15 insurers conceded without so much as a whimper, Infinity Insurance needed a bit of persuasion. With the help of our legal counsel, Attorney Brent Geohagan’s representation of Gunder’s Auto Center, Inc., they too came to the right conclusion and are paying our new labor rates for body and refinishing, as well as an elevated labor rate for frame/unibody repair. Of course they are also paying applicable legal fees and costs for the lawsuit as well.”
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Tuesday, 11 September 2012 21:50
I-CAR Atlanta 4th Annual Rockin’ Car Show is Oct. 6
Written by I-CAR staff
- Event: I-CAR Atlanta 4th Annual Rockin’ Car Show
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SOUTHEAST NEWS
Wednesday, 29 August 2012 15:42
Florida Automotive Dealer's Assn Warns on PartsTrader
Written by FADA
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SOUTHEAST NEWS
Media
Tuesday, 28 August 2012 16:03
GCIA to Host State Farm's George Avery for PartsTrader Discussion September 20
Written by GCIAUpdate: Location Change
State Farm's PartsTrader Discussion
Due to overwhelming response,
the meeting location has been moved to
Wyndham Atlanta Galleria
September 20 GCIA Meeting Will Feature George Avery from State Farm for an in-depth discussion on their PartsTrader Program
Early registration for this meeting has been excellent so we are requesting that you visit the GCIA website and complete the RSVP form as soon as possible. It only takes a couple of minutes and it will help us in planning this important meeting.
This meeting is open to all collision repair professionals and industry supporting vendor representatives. There is a fee of $10 (member/$20-non-member) per person to cover the cost of this very special meeting. This may be the most important collision industry meeting you will attend all year. RSVP today. Pay at the door - check or cash. Need to be invoiced, call Howard Batchelor at 770-367-9816.
The meeting will be held at the Wyndham Atlanta Galleria located at 6345 Powers Ferry Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30339; phone 770-955-1700 (get directions and reservations here).
GCIA has the following announcement regarding its September 20 meeting:
The September 20 GCIA Meeting will feature George Avery from State Farm for an in-depth discussion on their PartsTrader Program
Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard of State Farm's PartsTrader program being tested in several markets in the U.S. However, State Farm has not provided much in the way of details on the program. Industry media have been mostly unsuccessful getting State Farm to respond to requests for more information.
Now you have an opportunity to hear first-hand about PartsTrader from State Farm's own George Avery. Mr. Avery has agreed to be the featured speaker at the September 20th GCIA meeting. If you don't attend but one GCIA meeting this year, this is the one.
We're expecting a huge attendance so we are requesting that you visit the GCIA website and complete the RSVP form as soon as possible. It only takes a couple of minutes and it will help us in planning this important meeting.
Click Here to RSVP
This meeting will be open to all collision repair professionals and industry supporting vendor representatives. There is a fee of $10 (member/$20-non-member) per person to cover the cost of this very special meeting. This may be the most important collision industry meeting you will attend all year. RSVP today. Pay at the door - check or cash. Need to be invoiced, call Howard Batchelor at 770-367-9816.
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Thursday, 23 August 2012 16:03
Auto Supplier to Build $62 Million Plant, Create 220 Jobs
Written by staffAustrian auto parts supplier voestalpine Metal Forming, under its automotive body parts unit, plans to invest $62 million to build a plant near Cartersville, GA, creating 220 jobs.
The new facility will be its first in the Southeast. The industrial park is located at the midpoint between Atlanta and Chattanooga.
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The Boyd Group Inc. announced the opening of a two new repair centers in North Carolina and one in Georgia. The Boyd Group now operates 151 locations in the U.S.
The first repair center is located in Concord, NC and was previously known as Turn 2 Collision. It is approximately 10,000 square feet in size. The second center in Havelock, NC previously operated as Robert’s Body Shop and is approximately 20,000 square feet in size. Both centers are now operating under the Gerber Collision & Glass trade name.
The new repair center in Alpharetta, GA is approximately 10,000 square feet in size. It previously operated as Carson Automotive and is now also operating under the Gerber Collision & Glass trade name.
“The opening of these centers brings our total locations in North Carolina to 19 and in Georgia to 13, as we continue to execute on our growth strategy by adding new centers in attractive locations to our North American footprint,” said Tim O’Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group’s U.S. Operations.
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The Mississippi Collision Repair Association held its August 20 meeting at Uncle Buck’s restaurant in The Bass Pro Shop in Pearl, MS and the issues surrounding State Farm’s PartsTrader procurement program continues to be a big concern for members. In fact, the proposed program was the impetus that revived the association after many years of inactivity.
According to John Mosley, association past president and owner/operator of Clinton Body Shop Inc. in Central Mississippi, the August meeting included discussing proposed bylaws, collecting dues and nominating officers. Additionally, the meeting included an open discussion pertaining to the trials and tribulations of proper P-page logic estimating procedures and discussion regarding the issues surrounding State Farm’s pilot PartsTrader program.
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Over the past two years, David Floering—who has owned Eastern Auto Body and Glass, Inc. (dba as Eastern Towing and Recovery) in Boynton Beach, FL, for 24 years—has become something of an expert in fighting city government.
It all started in 2010 when he lost his towing contract with the city. Since then, Floering spends about a third of his work week sorting through piles of papers, investigating, filing complaints and pursuing his one-man fight against the city of Boynton Beach.
Floering, 51, takes full advantage of chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, which requires the government to disclose most records to anyone upon request. He’s filed 41 public records requests since 2010, asking to see all types of documents: police reports, emails and personnel files for top city officials. His research led to the fall of the town’s mayor.
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Friday, 10 August 2012 16:56
Insurers Pay Increased Labor Rate to Gunder’s Auto Center
Written by Barrett SmithRay Gunder, founder of Gunder’s Auto Center, Inc., which has served Lakeland, FL and its surrounding communities for over 44 years, determined the current labor rates which were being offered by insurers were insufficient to sustain profitability and continued growth.
Upon determining the true cost of operations, in June, 2012, the decision was made by insurers to increase the standard door labor rate from their previously posted rate of $42.00 to $48.00 per labor hour, a12.5% increase.
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Wednesday, 01 August 2012 15:12
Florida Autobody Collision Alliance Reports Labor Rate Gaps
Written by staff
The Florida Autobody Collision Alliance (FACA) recently commissioned a collision repair labor rate survey and the association reports that insurance company labor rates lag behind collision center costs.
The labor rates that insurance companies pay body shops to repair damaged vehicles aren’t high enough to cover the cost of repairs, according to a survey of nearly 300 collision-repair facilities across the state.
The 2012 Florida Labor Rate Survey, released in late July, shows that while materials, labor and equipment costs continue to rise steadily, insurance company labor rates are not keeping pace and, in many areas, have not increased in nearly seven years.
To view a pdf of the 2012 Survey Results, click HERE
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Wednesday, 25 July 2012 18:46
11 More Defendants Charged in Florida Staged Automobile Accident Ring
Written by staffThe United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida announced recently that 11 defendants were charged due to their roles in a staged accident ring. So far, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 26 defendants in less than 12 months for their involvement.
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