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NORTHEASTERN NEWS
- AASP/NJ Member Donates Vehicle to Driver in Need
- Legislation Would Cut Business Taxes in NH Over 2-Year Period
- Pennsylvania Eyes Economic Recovery as Small Business Confidence Lags
- Ulster BOCES Auto Program Receives Donations from I-CAR Education Foundation
- Precision Auto Works of LIC Now a Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Center
Northeastern News
Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine
Maaco Employee Arrested After Police Radio Stunt
Harrisburg police arrested a man after they said he broadcasted "shots fired" on a police radio. Police said they thought one of their officers had been shot, but when they arrived at an auto body shop at 17th and Brookwood streets they quickly realized a worker inside had been playing with a police radio.
The radio call came from a police car that was being worked on at Maaco, police said. Police said the broadcast call was, “19th and Derry, I got a shooting, 19th and Derry I got a shooting! Back-up, back-up!"
Harrisburg police as well as officers from the surrounding area were called to the scene.
Police arrested a Maaco employee Carlos Albino, 22, within moments and determined there were no shots fired in the body shop.
"Carlos Albino came forward and admitted that he made the radio call from the police car. He claimed that he didn’t realize that the radio was activated," a police news release stated.
Albino will be charged with reporting false information to law enforcement. Police said Albino was also wanted on numerous warrants. He was wanted for a parole violation and six traffic warrants dating back to 2009.
The manager at Maaco declined comment on the incident.
"Cars & Coffee" Comes to New Jersey
Tom Elder, former president and current Treasurer of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ), is taking part in bringing the popular “Cars and Coffee” concept to New Jersey starting this Saturday, April 29 at the Knob Hill Country Lanes in Manalapan. “Cars and Coffee” is an informal get together for people with interesting cars to share their hobby in a nice relaxing atmosphere.
Remembering Ron Kromer, Jr.
On March 20, AASP/NJ (Alliance of Automotive Service Providers/New Jersey) lost one of its most valued participants with the passing of former Board member Ron Kromer, Jr. The second-generation repair professional leaves behind an unmatched legacy of strong association involvement including the organizing and promoting of numerous AASP/NJ events spanning several years.
“Ron was always full of energy, and ready to take on a new task,” remembers AASP/NJ President Jeff McDowell, who knew Kromer for two decades. “He inspired people around him with his level of enthusiasm for whatever he would take on. He was always on the cutting edge of whatever information was out there and tried to share that with other people.”
During his time with AASP/NJ, Kromer was directly responsible for overseeing several special events including the Ski Trip, the Day at the Races and the Fishing Trip. Additionally, he was instrumental in the formation of AASP/NJ Chapter One in 2001 and created a special “P-Page Checklist” that shops could use to identify typically-forgotten items on estimates.
AASP/NJ member Dan Hawtin, who knew Kromer for more than 30 years and worked alongside him in building Chapter One, remembers his friend’s willingness to roll up his sleeves and work for the benefit of his fellow technicians.
AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant credits Kromer for developing several intriguing marketing ideas for the association.
“When we ran into trouble finding enough chairs for AASP/NJ members a few times [at meetings], Ron decided to take charge and come up with an idea to solve the problem,” Bryant explains. “Ron gathered enough support from industry vendors to purchase a trailer and about 100 chairs that could be transported to any location we were going to have a meeting. He funded it by allowing those who donated to put their logo and name on the trailer; we would park the trailer in front of the location where we were holding the meeting. What a great idea for all!"
A longtime NASCAR aficionado, Kromer founded the Bayville chapter of the NASCAR Members Club, a fan-driven organization noted for charity work. His work with the group included organizing a special Pig Roast to benefit NASCAR Day, an event designed to assist underprivileged children.
In 2006, Kromer purchased Ultimate Collision Center in Brick, a business that had thrived in the area for nine years.
Like so many others in the AASP/NJ family, Bryant will never forget Kromer and all that he did to better this industry.
“Words cannot express the pain that I feel that Ron is no longer with us,” he shares. “He touched so many in the collision industry through the many projects and events he thought of and made happen. I will truly miss Ron, and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family.”
Acura Employee Faces 6 Years in Prison for $10 Million Theft
A former Acura dealership employee who stole $10.2 million from the Pittsburgh-area store where she worked could face six years in prison, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
In March, Patricia K. Smith, the former controller of Baierl Acura in Pine, Pa., pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges that included stealing $10.2 million over more than six years. She transferred money from Baierl to her own accounts more than 800 times from 2004 through 2011, according to the Post-Gazette.
URI Students Recycle Automotive Scrap
Two University of Rhode Island undergraduates invested their own money to buy 12 Dumpsters, and Scrap Specialists Recycling was born. Their enterprise operates out of 386 South Pier Road, and saves several automotive businesses hundreds of dollars every month by properly disposing of their recyclables — for free.
Buffalo NY Police Investigated by FBI on Towing-Repair
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New Jersey's Shade Tree Garage Wants Auto Related 'Junk'
Gather your old car parts, used motor oil, batteries, mercury switches and even old child car seats and bring it to Shade Tree Garage. The Morristown auto repair shop is one of the few in the area certified by the New Jersey Green Auto Repair Council and collects these materials for recycling.
Keenan Auto Body Opens its Avondale, PA location
Keenan Auto Body will hold the grand opening of its Avondale, Pa., body shop from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 3. Keenan has 10 repair facilities located throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Mike Orso Launches $3 Million Suit Against Three Insurers, Citing Capping and Shorting
Leif’s Auto Collision Centers, Oregon
A long-established New York auto body shop owner who has successfully won over $1 million from insurance companies announced recently lawsuits seeking nearly $3 million from the trio of State Farm, Allstate and Adirondack Insurance.
Watertown, NY, Shop Owner Shelves Plans For Second Location Due to Planning Board’s Site Concerns
The owner of a Watertown, NY, auto body repair shop said plans for an additional location in the town of Pamelia remain indefinite, following the County Planning Board’s site plan review March 27.
Junior J. Stefanini, owner of Body Pros, 17940 U.S. Route 11, submitted plans for a project that includes a 100-foot-by-200-foot auto body repair building, a 60-foot-by-160-foot retail plaza with four storefronts and a 50-foot-by-100-foot storage building on a 15-acre site on U.S. Route 11, next door to Space Age Pools and Spas. According to Andrew R. Nevin, senior planner for the Jefferson County Planning Department, the proposed business would generate about 20 employees. The Planning Board sent the project back to the town of Pamelia as “a local concern” with some comments made about the site’s layout.
“We’re noting that the local board should consider the need possibly to relocate parking to the side or rear of the buildings or require additional landscaping to buffer the front yard and this other side yard per their zoning law requirements,” Mr. Nevin said.
The Planning Board said the plans should also include more details about anticipated drainage from parking lots to assess the possible impact on a stream that runs along the back of the property.
While Mr. Stefanini said the submitted site plan may not necessarily the exact one he would want to construct, he is hoping to eventually offer more business to the Fort Drum community.
“Sometime in the future I look forward to building in the town of Pamelia, but as of right now, I have no plans of breaking ground any time soon,” Mr. Stefanini said. “It really just comes down to what it’s going to cost to build something.”
He added, “I hope to build a body shop out there in the near future and, hopefully, bring more jobs to the area.”