bodyshop business, september 2012

September 2012//Vol. 31 No. 9 www.bodyshopbusiness.com

Paint Evolution » Tech Tips » Website Design

ConsolidationMultiple-shopoperators are

growing in giantfashion. Are

they edging outsmall shops?

Consolidation

Show Issue

Circle 1 for Reader Service

Member, BPA Worldwide

Guess the Car ....................................................................................4Industry Update ..............................................................................12Tech Tips ....... ................................................................................20NASCAR Performance ......................................................................46Product Showcase............................................................................91

ConsolidationThe pace of consolidation has quickened within the last few years. What doesit mean for the industry and the single-store independents that must competewith multiple-shop operators?

ON THE COVER

24

50

58

81496

FEATURESTECHNICAL

The Evolution of PaintFrom the by-product of a bug to today’s environmentally friendly refinishes,auto paint has had a long and fascinating history.

SHOW PREVIEW

NACE Is In N’awlins!Who dat sey dey gonna be at the 30th annual NACE? Only all of your collisionrepair friends looking for the latest training, technology and networking opportunities.

64 Booth PreviewsTake a sneak peek at some of the vendors and their products that will be front-and-center at the upcoming industry trade shows.

SHOP TALK

Editor’s NotesChange is good...especially when it comes to fresheningup the look of your magazine.

Web Presence ManagementEast End Body Shop redesigned its website and is gettingpaid off with higher traffic.

Publisher’s PerspectiveNACE is our party...so let’s show up!

DEPARTMENTS

InsideSeptember

September 2012 Vol. 31 No. 9

BODYSHOP BUSINESS (ISSN 0730-7241) (September 2012,Volume 31, Number 9): Published monthly by Babcox Media,Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone(330) 670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Copyright 2012Babcox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Periodical postage paidat Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POST-MASTER: Send address changes to BODYSHOP BUSINESS,3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333-8318.

4 « BodyShop Business | September 2012

Guessthe Car


What vehicle MODEL does this picture represent? Fax your guess to (330) 670-0874. Include name, title, shop name, city, state and phone number. Or submit your guess withour online contest form by visiting bodyshopbusiness.com/guessthecar. The winner will be randomly selectedfrom correct entries and awarded $50.Entries must be received by Sept. 30. *Only one winner will beselected. Chances of winningare dependent upon thenumber of correct entriesreceived. Employees of Babcox,industry manufacturers andBSB advertisers are noteligible to enter.

Jon Porkka, general manager, Rotary Collision, Hyannis, Mass.

SOLVED!

Impale an “A” = (Chevrolet) Impala#114

#113

Sore end toe = (Kia) Sorento

Reader Contest! Win $50!

WINNER!

#112Eek!

I won?

See the October issue for winner of Guess the Car #113.

Changing our logo caused us someheart palpitations. After all, it had beenwith us since our start in 1982. One ofour graphic designers told me it hadbeen hand-illustrated more than 30 yearsago, and even though it was our callingcard and had attained national and inter-national recognition, we felt it looked abit dated and needed to be freshened up.

It’s amazing what goes into aredesign. There are almost an infiniteamount of “fonts,” or type sizes andstyles, to choose from. There are trendsto consider in both consumer and busi-ness-to-business magazines. Yes, just like

fashion, magazines followcertain trends in dif-

ferent eras. I guesswe felt like maybewe still had bell-bottoms on.

Of course, ourstyle has really

been changingand evolving

ever since we printed our first issue.Some changes were probably small andunnoticeable, others more drastic. Wefeel like our latest change fallssomewhere in between the two.

We know you love us for our content,which one reader recently described tome as “meaty.” But let’s face it, lookscount for something, too. If yourfavorite food was steak, you would prob-ably eat it regardless of how it was pre-sented on the plate to you. But howmuch better would it taste if it was pre-sented with balsamic reduction drizzledin a pretty pattern around it, with brightgreen leafy vegetables on the side? Weeat with our eyes first, as they say.

You probably noticed my new, bigger-than-life column photo, too, as well asour publisher Scott Shriber’s on the backpage. I’m sure my mom would appreci-ate the new glamour shot, but I’m notsure who else would. But hey, I think itmakes more of a statement.

We think we hit the mark, but thatjudgment is ultimately up to you. Whydon’t you drop me a line and let meknow if you like our new look? After all,it’s your magazine. Thanks in advance

for the feedback!

Editor’sNotes Publisher

S. Scott Shriber, ext. 229 ([email protected])

EditorJason Stahl, ext. 226 ([email protected])

Associate EditorGina Kuzmick, ext. 244 ([email protected])

Contributing EditorsCharlie Barone, Mitch Becker,Mark Clark, Mark Claypool,Erica Eversman, John D. LymanSr., Hank Nunn, Carl Wilson

Graphic Designer

Lisa DiPaolo, ext. 281([email protected])

Advertising ServicesKelly McAleese, ext. 284([email protected])

Director of CirculationPat Robinson, ext. 276([email protected])

Director of eMedia & Audience DevelopmentBrad Mitchell, ext. 277([email protected])

Subscription ServicesEllen Mays, ext. 275([email protected])

Tel: (330) 670-1234Fax: (330) 670-0874Website: bodyshopbusiness.com

Corporate

Bill Babcox, PresidentGregory Cira, Vice President,Chief Financial Officer

Jeff Stankard, Vice PresidentBeth Sheetz, Controller

A limited number of complimentary subscrip-tions are available to those who qualify. Call(330) 670-1234, ext. 275, or fax us at (330) 670-5335. Paid subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at: U.S.: $69 for one year.Canada: $89 for one year. Canadian rates includeGST. Ohio residents add current county sales tax.Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129 for oneyear. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mailpayment to BodyShop Business, P.O. Box 75692,Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. VISA, MasterCard orAmerican Express accepted.

Did you notice anything different about BodyShop Business over thepast two months? We hope you did. We redesigned the magazine topresent you with a more contemporary, aesthetically-pleasing look.So if we were ever accused of being all substance and no style,

well, those days are over!

Change Is Good

Jason Stahl, EditorEmail comments to [email protected]


IndustryUpdate

The San Antonio Con-vention Center in SanAntonio, Texas was thehost site for the pres-

entation of the 2012 AkzoNo-bel Automotive & AerospaceCoatings Americas (A&AC)Most Influential Women in theCollision Repair Industry(MIW) recognition ceremonyJuly 19. This year marked the13th year AkzoNobel has heldthis event. The program coin-cided this year with the I-CARIndustry Event and the Colli-sion Industry Conference.

Award honorees followed inthe footsteps of more than 70past recipients. They hold lead-ership positions within industryassociations, shop operationsand service sectors of the U.S.and Canadian collision repairindustry. They were selected fortheir contributions to the

organizations they represent, aswell as the automotive industryat large and their respectivecommunities. They are:

� Kim Parson – president,Automotive Collision Technolo-gies Inc. – Randallstown, Md.

� Catherine Mills – exec-utive director, Florida Auto-body Collision Alliance –Orange Park, Fla.

� Kim Roberts – manager,Fix Auto – Barrie, Ontario

“The collision repair indus-try’s collective strength,image and long-term sustain-ability is dependent on indi-viduals who have a passion, avision and a vested interest inits future,” said MargretKleinsman, general manager

New York Body Shop Owner

Cleared of All Chargesin Fraud Case

After a three-week trial, a jury of 12 Nassau County residentsunanimously found Lorraine Pilitz, owner of Autotech Col-lision Inc. in Rockville Centre, N.Y., not guilty of all charges

stemming from a 2009 auto accident in which Pilitz’s vehicle wasrear-ended by a GEICO insured.

The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office accused Pilitz andher towing and auto body shop of trying to receive extra fundsfrom GEICO. Pilitz maintained her innocence, testifying at trialthat she was only trying to obtain what she was entitled to underthe law.

The District Attorney Office’s key witness was RobertHochberg, a GEICO claims supervisor who testified that in twoseparate phone calls, Pilitz stated she had paid applicable New Yorksales tax when she registered her car from her company’s name toher name and that she was seeking reimbursement from GEICOfor that money, which totaled around $990. Hochberg further tes-tified that he then checked with the DMV and found that no suchtax had been paid, and reported that to the Nassau County DistrictAttorney’s Office. At trial, however, Pilitz and her lawyer, OscarMichelen of Cuomo, LLC in Mineola, N.Y., produced a taperecording of both conversations with Hochberg that showed Pilitzhad never made any such attempt and that, in fact, Pilitz stated thatshe had not yet registered the vehicle in her name so that the salestax would not apply.

AkzoNobel Recognizes

Most InfluentialWomen in Collision at Special Ceremony

for AkzoNobel A&AC Ameri-cas. “The leaders we’re hon-oring with this prestigiousaward all share these qualitiesand are among the top tier ofthose who continue to makethis a vital industry.”

The MIW program wasestablished in 1998, with thefirst awards being presented in1999 by AkzoNobel to bothrecognize and promote thecontributions of key leaders

representing a valuableresource pool for the collisionrepair industry. The MIW pro-gram also enables scholarships,administered through I-CAR,to be provided to deservingwomen seeking to advancetheir education and pursuecareer opportunities within thecollision repair industry.Throughout MIW’s 14-yearhistory, 69 women havereceived MIW awards.

(Left to right) 2012 MostInfluential Women Kim Roberts,Catherine Mills and Kim Parson.

(Left to right) AkzoNobel’s 2012 FIT Sustainability Honorees Carl andMarlo Vincenti of Oka’s Auto Body, Mike LeVasseur of Keenan AutoBody, and Mary Mahoney and Lee Broughton of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Continued on pg. 66

September 2012 | www.bodyshopbusiness.com » 13

Asold-out success in 2011, the MSO (Multiple-Shop Op-erator) Symposium provides high-end content to an ex-clusive group of high-end buyers. The symposium includesmultiple networking opportunities for MSOs and access

to all other ASRW events (show floor, educational conference andother key events). Registration is now available and is limited toqualified MSOs. Register today for this must-attend event!

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 12

WHERE: Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La.

WHO: Shop owners with 2+ shops

COST: $125

REGISTER: www.naceexpo.com

Schedule:8:30-8:45 a.m. – Welcome8:45-9:45 a.m. – Developing a Sustainable Culture

Facilitated by: Marcy Tieger, Symphony AdvisorsGuest Panelists:� Andrew C. Taylor, Chairman and CEO, Enterprise Holdings � Christine B. Taylor, Assistant Vice President, Enterprise

Holdings � Pam Nicholson, President and COO, Enterprise Holdings

9:45-10:45 a.m. – Strategic Brand Development: DifferentiateThrough Innovation

Facilitated by: David Lingham, IBIS Conference DirectorGuest Speaker: Sasha Strauss, Founder and CEO, Innovation

Protocol; Professor, University of Southern California

10:45-11:15 a.m. – Break

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Building Lasting Business RelationshipsThrough Performance

Facilitated by: Matthew Ohrnstein, Symphony AdvisorsGuest Panelists:� Bill Brower, Assistant Vice President and Manager, APD,

Personal Market Claims, Liberty Mutual Insurance� Patrick Burnett, Assistant Vice President, Nationwide � Michelle Dereszynski, Assistant Vice President, APD

National Operations and Strategy, Farmers Insurance� Susanna Gotsch, Director, Industry Analyst, CCC

Information Services�James Spears, Assistant Vice President, USAA

12:30-1:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30-2:45 p.m. – What a Difference a Year Makes Facilitated by: Matthew Ohrnstein, Symphony AdvisorsGuest Panelists:� Chris Abraham, Service King Collision Centers, CEO� Brock Bulbuck, The Boyd Group, President and CEO � Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Collision Centers, CEO � Duane Rouse, ABRA Auto Body & Glass, CEO

2:45 p.m. – Break

3:15-4:30 p.m. – Show Me the Money: Private Equity’s View of theCollision Repair Industry

Facilitated by: Rex Green, BB&T Capital Markets, Head ofConsumer Group

Guest Panelists: �Warren Feldberg, Partner, Champlain Capital Partners, LP� Lorin Knell, Partner, KCB Management� Luis Zaldivar, Managing Director, Palladium Equity Partners �TBA, The Carlyle Group� Other(s) to be announced

4:30-4:45 p.m. – Closing Comments

4:45-7 p.m. – Networking Reception

2012NACEDon't Miss the MSO Symposiumat NACE 2012!

Web PresenceManagement

Hunting for Web Traffic in Huntington

By Mark Claypool

Joe Doddridge, owner of East End BodyShop in Huntington, W. Va., admits he can’tget out of his own way sometimes. A sec-ond generation shop owner in his 30s, he

digs deep into all facets of his business. He readseverything he can get his hands on that may helphim run his shop, and he shares what he learnswith staff. Yet his staff aren’t usually as excited ashe his about change and new ideas. But this is com-mon, according to Michael Gerber’s “The E-MythRevisited.”

Sometimes Doddridge gets bogged down in thedetails of things. This paralysis by analysis can slowprogress – and it slowed down the process of build-ing East End’s new website, too.

Time to Change » About a year ago,Doddridge decided it was time for a new website.The first, from the early 2000s, was simply a pictureof East End’s building, its address and phone num-ber. The second version was createdaround five years ago. At that time,Doddridge wanted something simpleand generic.

The old site was doing okay insearch rankings, but because it wasn’tlighting the world on fire, Doddridgedecided he wanted to have a fresh,new, out-of-the-box look. Theirdeveloper did an analysis that revealedthey were lagging behind in searchrankings compared to their competi-tors. A new, fully optimized design


East End Body Shop’s old website (left) was generic looking.The new site (above), with the look of a leather boundnotebook, is radically different from other body shopwebsites.

would address this issue and drive more traffic to his site.

New Design » The process of designing thenew site began. Doddridge told his developer whathe wanted. Designs were created and submitted forreview and, hopefully, approval.

“The pitfall is having a vision of the website andthen getting bogged down in the process,” he said. “Iwish I had just turned it over to the professionals sothe process would move along.”

As a result, it took nearly a year to complete, butfinally www.eastendbodyshop.com was reborn.They hitupon a new design, something radically differentand non-traditional for a body shop website. Every-one loved it, so the design was converted toXHTML, the programming language many develop-ers use for website development. The website is alsobuilt in WordPress so the East End team can easilyupdate it on their own.


Doddridge’s team submitted content sug-gestions, and the site came together. The newdesign has the look and feel of a leather note-book and is superimposed over a schematic.The navigation buttons are like notebookpage tabs. The calls to action are on the upperleft side of the notebook: “Request an Esti-mate,” a status update, “Make an Appoint-ment” and Facebook and Twitter links. Belowthat is the “Get in Touch With Us” section.These calls to action help get visitors to dosomething once they land on the site.

Professional Image » Once Doddridge stepped aside, the develop-ment moved rather quickly.

“It came down to wanting to project aprofessional image in the market as a col-lision repair shop,” he says. “Our industrydoesn’t have the cleanest image, so wewanted to project that. I really like theinteractive features and our value proposi-tions on the site. I think it’s a good look,has some really cool features on it like‘Request an Estimate,’ the CCC repairupdate system we use and the

employment tab. Our employees wereexcited to see the new website up andonline. Everybody I talked to in the shopgave us positive feedback on the look.”

The site has been live long enough thatsearch engines are now indexing it andranking it. East End’s rankings are way upin Huntington and in their surroundingtowns, and they have lots of “page ones”and many “position ones.”

Their next move is to set up a Google+account to help boost their Google rank-ings a bit more. Read more about this innext month’s column.

Enhanced Rankings » Enhancedrankings means more people are findingEast End. Google Analytics tells us thatthey’re getting as much of 77 percent oftheir website traffic from searches, meaningpeople are indeed finding them. It’s no sur-prise when you look at their enhanced rank-ings. People are viewing more than threepages per visit, compared to the industryaverage of 1.7 pages. The average time onthe site went from less than a minute to

nearly three and a half. That’s quality traffic!So, the hunt for website visitors in

Huntington bagged a trophy…qualitytraffic and more cars to fix. BSB

BSB Contributing Editor Mark Claypool hasnearly 30 years of experience in workforce devel-opment, business/education partnerships, appren-ticeships and Web presence management. He’s theCEO of Optima Automotive (optimaautomotive.com), which provides website design, development,search engine optimization (SEO) services andsocial media management services. He’s also thedirector of business development for Metro PaintSupplies in Chicago. His work history includesvice president of VeriFacts Automotive, founderof Mentors At Work (now a division of VeriFacts),executive director of the I-CAR Education Foun-dation and the NABC, co-founder of the Collision

Industry Foundation and na-tional director of developmentfor SkillsUSA. He served, on avolunteer basis, as the Skills-USA World Team Leader for theWorldSkills Championships.

»|Web Presence|«



How much time is wasted in your shop trackingdown obscure problems and fixing them? A ve-hicle you repair that seems “good to go” cansometimes come back to haunt you with con-

cerns that may or may not be related to the repair. Elec-tronic and electrical systems can especially generatehard-to-diagnose problems.

Factory information is the answer. In many cases, afactory technical service bulletin (TSB) has been publishedthat provides a quick solution to a known defect or issue.

Customers frequently come back, honestly believingthat your repair is the cause of some new problem. Butthe problem may be a previously diagnosed “glitch” knownto exist on a particular vehicle. Armed with OE informa-tion, you can protect your shop and generate additionalrevenue by fixing the problem – not to mention enhanceyour relationship with the customer.

Here’s an excerpt from a TSB published by Toyotadescribing an electrical problem with some 2011 Sienna vans.

Condition » Some 2011 Sienna vehicles’ batteries maylose their charge overnight even though they were prop-erly closed and locked with the interior lights turned off.In the event that a parasitic draw exceeding two amps isdiscovered and the A/C compressor clutch is confirmedto remain on with the ignition off, this bulletin providesa repair procedure involving circuit inspection andreplacement of the integration relay.

Models » Certain 2011 Toyota Sienna vans producedbefore the production change effective VINs shown below.

Parts Information

Required Tools & Equipment » Manufac-turer’s diagnostic scan equipment or suitable equivalent.

Applicable Warranty » � This repair is covered under the Toyota Compre-

hensive Warranty, which is in effect for 36 months or36,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’sin-service date.

� Warranty application is limited to occurrence ofthe specified condition described in this bulletin.

Service Information » Always refer to ALLDATA Collision for safety procedures, identification of material types,recommended refinish materials, removal and installation proce-dures. Always refer to the manufacturer for questions relating toapplicable or non-applicable warranty repair information.

Inspection Procedure1. Confirm the vehicle is produced before the VINs

listed in the table to theleft.

2. If an abnormallyhigh parasitic draw of ap-proximately two amps isconfirmed with ignitionkey in the “OFF” position,proceed to Step 3.

3. With the ignitionkey in the “OFF” position,disconnect connector B41and verify the A/C clutchaudibly clicks “OFF.” If aclick is heard, proceed to Step 4 (Figure 1).

4. From the front side of the connector, confirmbattery voltage on A/C clutch B41 connector. If battery

TechTips

Mystery Battery Draw Can Drain Your Productivity

By Dan Espersen and Jeff Webster

DRIVETRAIN PRODUCTION CHANGE EFFECTIVE VIN

2WD 5TDKA3DC#BS0086905TDZK3DC#BS1622235TDKK3DC#BS1622235TDXK3DC#BS1622235TDYK3DC#BS162223

4WD 5TDJK3DC#BS0275535TDDK3DC#BS027553

PREVIOUS P/N CURRENT P/N PART NAME QTY

82641-08050 82641-08071 Relay, Integration 182641-08030 82641-08080 Relay, Integration 182641-08040 82641-08090 Relay, Integration 182641-08060 82641-08100 Relay, Integration 1

Figure 1 – B41 connector

voltage is present, proceed to Step 5.5. Replace Integration Relay.

Integration Relay Replacement1. Release the black retaining tabs at the

top of the relay using a pick or blade screw-driver (Figure 2).

2. Grasp and pull straight up on the in-tegration relay after both tabs are released.

3. Release all three connectors at thebottom of the integration relay (Figure 3).

4. Connect all three connectors into thebottom of the new integration relay and pushthe relay assembly down into the junctionblock until both black tabs click into place.

5. Confirm normal compressor clutchon/off operation with engine running andA/C on, and with vehicle turned off. BSB

Dan Espersen is ALLDATA’s senior collision program manager and holds an AA Degree in au-tomotive technology. He has 46 years of experiencein the automotive industry, including 19 in the collision industry.

© 2012 ALLDATA LLC. All rights reserved. All tech-nical information, images and specifications arefrom ALLDATA Collision S3500. ALLDATA is a reg-istered trademark and ALLDATA Collision S3500is a mark of ALLDATA LLC. Toyota and Sienna areregistered trademarks of Toyota Motor Corporationand/or Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. All other marksare the property of their respective holders.

»|Tech Tips |«



Figure 3

Figure 2


COVER STORY

The pace of consolidation has quickenedwithin the last few years. What does it meanfor the industry and the single-storeindependents that must compete withmultiple-shop operators?

Consolidation

By Curt Harler

It seems that every single week now, one of the major multiple-shop collision operators has acquired yet another store. It’s abuyer’s market, with declining accident frequency, higher costsand lower margins convincing some independents that the time

to exit is now. Still, despite all the consolidation going on, the majority of shops

in the industry are small, mom-and-pop single store operations.BodyShop Business’s 2011 Industry Profile report indicated that 91percent of those polled own a single store. But insurers are increas-ingly preferring to do business with multiple-shop operators (MSOs)for multiple reasons: single point of contact, consistency of product,strong brand (market presence), the ability to offload DRP admin-istration, strong KPI measuring systems, etc.

Market Trends » Consolidation is not unique to the collisionrepair industry. A host of other industries, ranging from home-town funeral parlors to local banks that used to knoweveryone personally, are under pressure to consolidate.There are many reasons why it has accelerated in thebody shop world.

“Market growth is nearly flat, and projected growthwill be anemic for the foreseeable future,” says Paul Gange,president and COO of Fix Auto USA, Anaheim Hills,Calif., a franchise that has network stores. He noted thatwhile there are more licensed vehicles on the road todaythan in 1980, declining frequency translates to no real in-crease in the total number of repairable vehicles. “Marginsare clearly not what they were a few decades ago, but thecollision industry experience in that regard parallels thatof other industries that have reached a state of maturity.The ability for a single operator or even regional MSOsto excel outside a network is becoming more challenging.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass of Brooklyn Center, Minn.,

Consolidation

is one of the operations that has been aggressivelygrowing its footprint across the U.S. It has gonefrom 92 stores in 2006 to 124 in 2012. Says DuaneA. Rouse, president and CEO of ABRA, “The in-dustry has been fragmented and is in an overcapacitysituation. Since the industry itself isn’t growingquickly, the better operators are taking marketshare from the marginal operators.”

Fix Auto President and COO Paul Gange: “Theability for a single operator or even regional MSOto excel outside a network is becoming morechallenging.”


COVER STORY » Consolidation

Caliber Collision of Lewisville, Texas, has hadpretty much the same growth rate in a six-yeartime period as ABRA, going by number of storesadded in the last six years. It has gone from 68stores in 2006 to 106 in 2012.

“Like many industries, the collision industry,which is dominated by small, independent shops,found itself with much more capacity than vehicles

to fill,” says Caliber President and CEO Steve Grimshaw. “This fact,coupled with flat-to-declining claims, higher expectations of customers,increased competition among insurance clients and the increased com-plexity of vehicles, made it a ripe market for consolidation.”

Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of CollisionRepair Specialists (SCRS), views consolidation as a double-edgedsword for single-store owners.

“Future prospects for single-location shops are fraught with sig-nificant challenges, regardless of consolidation,” says Schulenburg.“But competing in heavily consolidated markets has both advantagesand disadvantages.”

Schulenburg feels that consolidation spurred by MSO/franchisegrowth in a market is similar to the commoditization bred by chainsentering into a marketplace. “For independent single-location busi-nesses to be able to compete, they’re going to have to define theiraudience and target them in a much more direct and specific way.”

David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR, Kansas City, Mo., says he expectsto add 30 to 50 new stores in North America each year for the fore-seeable future. He has a good sales pitch to independents, offeringthem group buying power, education, training and a relationship withinsurance companies.

“There is a squeeze on profitability everywhere,” Byers says. “Smallplayers typically don’t have the same financial controls as MSOs.There is a need for capital improvement. And insurance carriers arealigning themselves with MSOs.”

Room for Everyone » If anyone believes that the independentshop will one day be extinct, they should quit their worrying, accord-ing to John Mosley, owner of Clinton Body Shop, Clinton, Miss.

“There definitely is room for the independent,” says Mosley. “Itdepends on how you structure your business. Independents are notgoing away. If you build a relationship and do a good job, the customerwill come back to you regardless of what choices the insurance com-panies give them.”

Says Marcy Tieger, principal with Symphony Advisors, “There willalways be a place for small, independent businesses, even with industryconsolidation.” Tieger says small business owners often forge strongbonds in their communities, and their “independence” can be a sellingpoint to consumers.

CARSTAR’s Byers believes it will be a long time beforeindependents are gone, but the day will definitely come.“There are 37,000 independents. We are the biggest MSOwith 400 stores. It will be years and years before the in-dependents are gone. However, I think the move to MSOswill rapidly accelerate.”

At the moment, no MSO has complete national cover-age. But that day might not be far off.

“It used to be if you had five locations, you were a bigguy,” says collision repair industry veteran Jim Keller.“Now you’re a large player only if you have 100-plus stores.

Keller is founder and president of the recently created1Collision Network in Milwaukee, aimed at helping in-dependents in Wisconsin and Illinois by offering an alter-native to MSOs.

“The big difference with us is that we are not buy-

Caliber President and CEO Steve Grimshaw:“The shops that thrive during this consolidation

will deliver better operating metrics andcustomer focus than those that don’t.”


ing you. You maintain ownership of yourbusiness but become part of a namebrand,” Keller says. He compares the1Collision brand to True-Value hardware

stores which keep the owner’s name butadd a logo. In this case, the logo is a large,red numeral one.

The 1Collision brand will start in Wiscon-

sin, Illinois and Iowa and branch into Min-nesota, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Missouri.Keller says it will, for the near future, remaina Midwest brand.



SCRS Executive DirectorAaron Schulenburg: “Single-location shops facechallenges regardless ofconsolidation.”

CARSTAR CEO David Byers:“There is a squeeze onprofitability everywhere.”

Symphony AdvisorsPrincipal Marcy Tieger:“There will always be a placefor small, independentbusinesses.”

Body Group CEO BrockBulbuck: “The MSO modelhas been proven to deliveron key performancemetrics.”


Measuring Performance » The onething MSOs have over single-stores, saysBrock Bulbuck, president & CEO of the BoydGroup Inc. (Gerber Collision & Glass), is aproven system to measure performance.

“The MSO collision model has been provento deliver on key performance metrics(KPMs),” says Bulbuck. He admits that 15years ago, not all MSOs delivered on thepromise of better KPMs. “But today, MSOsdo,” he says.

Service King’s Bonner also believes KPImeasuring favors consolidated operations.

“It’s difficult for an independent to offerreporting on a live, 24/7 basis,” Bonner says.

For any shop owner, measuring CSI, cycletime, touch time, etc., can range from a nec-essary evil to a fun part of the business. JohnnyMock, owner of Johnny Mock’s Auto BodyShop, Pittsburgh, Pa., readily admits he lovesmetrics and benchmarks. However, he indicatesinsurance companies go overboard with them.

“Insurance companies today have created amonster for us with dealing with customers,”he says.

Mock says his customers feel some KPI re-quirements are overkill. He cringes at the ideaof twice-a-day updates given every time a carmoves from one station to another. “Most cus-tomers want to know when the job is done,”Mock says. “Others give a CSI that you didn’tcommunicate enough. I can have an hour percar per week just in phone calls.”

As a larger shop with a good contingencyof support personnel, he can handle that. And,with their volume, even a couple of dingers amonth don’t hurt his statistics too much. Hefeels sorry for the shop that does 10 cars amonth and has two or three customers com-plain about communications. They could havea 30 percent “dissatisfied” rating.

Consolidation Regions » There areplaces where there still is little or no pressureto join a franchise or marketing group.

“We have no consolidators or MSOs in Ver-mont,” says Mike Parker, Parker’s Classic AutoWorks, Rutland. “I do feel that consolidatorsand MSOs are not in the best interest of afamily-owned shop like ours.”

While Parker is out of the war zone in Ver-mont, there’s a storm brewing in huge met-ropolitan areas.

Mock thinks Parker’s story is typical. Hebelieves that consolidation will take place mostquickly in the heavily urbanized areas whereeconomies of scale can be realized quickly.

“If you’re in a highly populated area, you’llsee more consolidation. In rural areas wherepopulation is thinner, you’ll see less,” he says.



“Future prospects for single-location

shops are fraught with significantchallenges – regardless of consolidation.”

— Aaron Schulenburg, executive director, SCRS


There, where a shop or two can dominate asmall market, MSOs will have a tougher timeachieving the numbers required for their busi-ness model. “MSOs will be choosy aboutwhere they locate.”

Addressing economies of scale, Boyd’s Bul-

buck says, “The advantages economies of scaleprovide include management expertise andcentral service opportunities. We can add en-hancements to our value proposition that arenot possible at a single location.”

According to ABRA’s Rouse, MSOs appearto be taking more market share. Independentsface the challenge of attaining the amount ofinvestment in equipment, training, technology,etc., necessary to remain competitive. Mockadmits there are challenges, but he finds itfun to overcome them.

“If you’re an entrepreneur and re-ally want to run your business andcontrol your own destiny, [being in-dependent] is the way to do it,” Mocksays. “Yes, it is frustrating. It is chal-lenging, but I love the logistics andfiguring the metrics to be successful.”

Mock knows whereof he speaks. Formany years, his was a CARSTAR shop.“I backed out of it,” he says, noting thathe wanted to run his own show. Today,with his son Jason a year or two fromtaking over the business, Mock is de-termined to stay independent.



Gerber Collision & Glass has beengrowing aggressively since 2006,

from 46 stores to 151.


Who Will Be the Victors? » ServiceKing’s Bonner believes there will be a majorshake-out in the next 12 months or so. Serv-ice King, with 45 shops across Texas, is thelargest MSO in the state and third largest inthe U.S. It was acquired by the CarlyleGroup, a $159 billion asset group, in lateJuly. Bonner moved up from CEO to chair-man, and founder Eddie Lennox retained anownership stake.

“The trend is for consolidation,” she says.“The biggest question is, who will be the suc-cessful consolidator? Who has the resources –the financial partners – and who has the abilityto attract the most profitable independents?”She sees room in the game for several, butnot many, victors to emerge.

This is not the first time the collision in-dustry has seen consolidation. The first waveoccurred during the late 1990s.

“During the first wave, we saw growth incompanies without infrastructure, standardoperating procedures and robust manage-ment systems in place that enabled MSOs tooperate effectively as one enterprise,” saysMarcy Tieger, principal with Symphony Ad-



Do-It-Yourself DRPs in Mississippi

Independents are missing a golden opportunity by not taking a “do ityourself” approach to providing service guarantees, say some Missis-

sippi body shop owners. They’re taking the bull by the horns.“A lot of associations are missing the boat by not offering guarantees,”

says John Mosley, owner of Clinton Body Shop. He’s one of several shopowners reviving the nascent Mississippi Collision Repair Association.One of their key goals is to compete with the insurance company andMSO multi-shop guarantees of customer satisfaction. The goal will be tohave a logo for every member of the MCRA. If you don’t like the work atone shop, or if you have a problem with a repair in a distant city, all otherMCRA members will back it up.

In addition, they’ll promote ICAR training and other programs to all oftheir members. This will allow any independent to get big-name certifi-cation as part of a local group of independents.

MCRA had an electronic billboard on I-55 near Jackson that alreadyhas garnered a lot of comment and interest.

“The best thing is MCRA will be 100-percent customer-oriented,”Mosley says. “We will work for the customer, not the insurancecompany.”

Although he admits it is an interesting option, this tactic does notworry a MSO operator like CARSTAR’s David Byers.

“I don’t think it’s viable for the long-term,” he says. “The purpose ofassociations is more to lobby for the body shop owner.”


visors, Irvine, Calif. Some of those MSOsare no longer around, she says. “The oneswho are still here would likely tell you thatthey’re doing things differently during thiswave of consolidation.”

CARSTAR’s Byers says the victors will bethose who get the most insurance work. Ofcourse, he feels that MSOs – with better KPIs(key performance indicators) and more train-ing – will lead the way.

Gerber’s size has allowed it to take on re-sponsibility of DRP oversight for its ownshops. “Insurers don’t have to spend infra-structure and money investing in that over-sight,” Bulbuck says. “It’s another economy of scale.”

The independent Mosley has no time forDRPs. In fact, he kept his shop out of StateFarm’s program for five years (they’re on Se-lect Service and he now participates in threeDRPs).

“Instead of putting your business out therewith good advertising and building a customerbase, shops went to DRP programs,” Mosleysays. He thinks this was a huge strategic mis-take. And, he is one of several shop owners in



ABRA Caliber CollisionRevision

Sterling Boyd ServiceKing

MSO # of Shops – 2006 vs. 2012

2006

2012

92

126

68

106

3329

64 63

46*

151*

20

50

*U.S. stores


Mississippi looking to change that (see sidebaron pg. 32).

A Different Consumer » The con-sumer of today is different, too. Fix Auto’sGange calls them “professional” consumers ofgoods and services.

“A consumer’s ex-pectations are shaped bytheir experience at thelocal Starbucks or otherservice encounters,” hesays. “They, in turn, im-plicitly anticipate insur-ers meeting expect-ations that have beenshaped by their retail experience – for speed, quality and best price, defying the value triangle.

“Insurers spend billions of dollars on ad-vertising, and the requirements for surpassingcustomer expectations continue to escalate –and perhaps unfortunately, at the same timeconsumer demand for better products anddifferentiated services also continues to evolveand increase.”

Says Caliber’s Grimshaw, “Although scalebrings an ability to invest in training, equip-ment and technology, and certainly improves

purchasing power, success is based on an in-dividual shop being able to satisfy customerswithin a 5- to 10-mile radius. It is a local busi-ness. This ensures independent shops will havea strong presence in this industry for a longtime to come.”

Grimshaw sees the industry adapting andbuying groups or franchising, giving independ-ent shops more power to gain access to clientsand improved purchasing power versus whatthey have today.

Schulenburg agrees that there will alwaysbe a place for small, independent shops asmany consumers prefer them over big chains.

“There is a large population of consumerswho would prefer to do business with small,local businesses,” Schulenburg says. “Whilelarger organizations can market their servicebased on size/presence/national guarantee,

etc., small business can play on the very pos-itive aspects that make a locally owned andoperated business unique to the community.It also may allow for those businesses to har-ness the ability to become more of a special-ized business, rather than a ‘general

practitioner,’ further provid-ing distinctions that create anappealing value proposition.This is also where taking ad-vantage of finding other con-sumer-oriented automotiveservice offerings (such as thethings that might be found atthe SEMA Show) can bolsterreturn consumer business

through an ongoing relationship that keepsyou connected to your customer base betweencollision losses.”

Big Attention » While losing one’s“independence” might seem like a sad occa-sion, there are numerous positives for join-ing an MSO. Perhaps the biggest factor istraining on the latest in paints and technol-ogy. Big guys get big attention from vendors.Vendors insist the little guys are important,too. They are, of course, but given the choiceof making a sales call to a person represent-



“Those who believe the right time to sell is

now will be able to get the value ofthe business before the value

diminishes,”

— Brock Bulbuck, president & CEO, The Boyd Group Inc.


ing 100 shops or two shops, where are yougoing to go first?

A shop owner who wants to “crystallizevalue,” as Bulbuck puts it, but still remain onthe management team may opt to go the MSO route.

“Those who believe the right time to sell isnow will be able to get the value of the busi-ness before the value diminishes,” he says.“Others want to create a career opportunityfor themselves.”

Says ABRA’s Rouse, “Since the independentis typically selling their business, we let themknow that our culture and commitment tothe industry will greatly benefit their employ-ees who will continue with the business afterthe owner leaves. For those who want to con-tinue to own their business, ABRA’s franchiseprogram offers proven operations processes,national purchasing power, ongoing trainingand recruiting support, as well as marketingand advertising support.”

Chains enforce standards and guarantees,which benefits both the customer and theshop owner. CARSTAR customers knowthat, should something go wrong, their

guarantees will follow them from shop to shop.

That’s also part of the benefit of an outfitlike 1Collision. It offers marketing planningand support services, e-Marketplace software,a performance management system to trackKPIs, a single point of contact with insurancecompanies, and educational and training pro-grams in tandem with strategic partners.

Members of MSOs receive ongoing sup-port to increase traffic, enhance insurancerelationships and to be the “best in class” intheir marketplace, 1Collision’s Keller says.The group charges a flat, monthly fee formembership and extra depending on thescope of marketing. For example, one bodyshop in Chicago hardly can afford $5,000 amonth for a billboard. But 10 branded inde-pendents probably can spend $500 each toget the word out.

Training, infrastructure, specialized man-agement techniques and pooled advertisingare among the benefits Bulbuck sees. “Thishelps us increase our customer-pay sales aswell as direct repair sales,” he explains.

Gerber has a centralized call center and a

centralized estimate desk that puts a secondset of eyes on damage estimates that are writ-ten at the shop level. “Essentially, we’re doingsome of the checking that was done by insur-ance companies under DRPs,” Bulbuck says.

Even the wider economy has an impact.“With people choosing not to repair theirdamaged vehicles for economic reasons, fewermiles driven and accident avoidance technol-ogy, among other factors, there are simplyfewer cars to repair and fiercer competitionfor those cars,” Tieger explains. “Combinethat with the growth of large-scale MSOs andthe enhanced relationships MSOs are able todevelop with insurers, and smaller shops haveto work that much harder to maintain orgrowth their market share.”

Insurance Impact » Many independ-ents point fingers at insurers for driving themto the wall. CARSTAR’s Byers has no doubtthat insurance companies would rather dealwith a MSO than an independent.

“Insurance companies are looking for fewershops on their lists,” he says. “What are thedownstream implications of that? From the




insurance company perspective, the MSO isthe way to go.”

On the drive to consolidation, insurers cer-tainly provide the fuel. “One of the interestingthings is how quickly the insurance carriersare moving to the MSO model,” Byers says.

Adds Caliber’s Grimshaw, “Insurance com-panies are looking at reams of research onhow to increase their customer’s overall satis-

faction while optimizing customer policy re-tention and minimizing customer churn.”

Grimshaw points to J.D. Power & Associateresearch in 2010 (see chart) that demonstratesgreater customer satisfaction results in less“switchers” and customers who “will shop inthe next 12 months.”

“One of the drivers for this wave of con-solidation is the influence of insurance com-

panies that are looking to contain cost andare demanding superior performance in areaslike cycle time and customer service,” Tiegersays. This requires the ability to make a fi-nancial commitment on things like trainingand equipment or a common technologyplatform with capability to interface with aninsurer’s systems.

“The bottom line is that keeping all theseballs in the air can be much harder for a smallbusiness than it can be for a larger enterprisethat may have people devoted exclusively tokey areas such as IT, training and HR,” Tiegersays. “One other consolidation driver has beenthe renewed interest of the financial commu-nity, which has been willing to invest in well-run companies, which has resulted in MSO growth.”

Mock credits, or blames, that move onthe number of consultants – many ex-shopowners – who gather information to developnumbers on profitability.

“They tell the insurance companies…thenthe insurance companies tell us we make toomuch money,” says Mock. “What gives themthe right to tell me how much money I canmake if I’m charging a fair rate on a job?”

“The shops that are achieving the most suc-cess in working with carriers are those thatare able to offer a product to the carrierswhich delivers on quality and customer satis-faction, while also creating a more efficientbusiness model for claims administration,”Gagne says.

Bonner says she believes the insurers arebeing driven by customers to offer servicealternatives throughout their region. “Insur-ers want to advise customers that they havea shop close to them,” she explains. A MSOis more likely to have a repair bay near thecustomer’s home, office or school than a single-site operator.

“It’s the customer that’s driving it in thisinstance,” Bonner says.

Tieger agrees. “We believe the repairerswho will best be able to compete in this envi-ronment will be MSOs that have multiple,consumer-oriented locations with geographicconcentration, highly-trained technical, man-agerial and administrative staff, load levelingcapabilities, high customer satisfaction, a com-mon technology platform with capability tointerface with an insurer’s systems, and cen-tralized estimate review and audit capabilities,among other attributes,” she says. Those top-performing repairers must be willing to com-mit to a service level agreement and KPI guar-antees with economic penalties and rewards,she adds.

Warranties boost satisfaction. CARSTAR’s




Byers notes that most MSOs offer regional ornationwide warranties. “People have one ac-cident every 6.7 years,” he points out. “Peoplemove just about that often, too.”

This gives the consumer a sense of well-being, Byers argues. “The consumer doesn’tcare about the ownership structure. He caresabout the brand. It’s just like any other retailstorefront brand. When the consumer has anaccident and needs help, they know a trustedbrand like CARSTAR.”

Rouse says he thinks there will always beroom for well-run businesses in this industry,regardless of the size. “If you own your ownbusiness, you’re in control of your own des-tiny, and you call all the shots,” he says.

Mosley would respectfully disagree. “This(consolidation) is absolutely insurance com-pany-driven,” he says. He winces at pro-grams like State Farm’s PartsTrader forparts bidding.

Others take the approach of selling thevalue of each independent’s metrics to the in-surance agencies. Part of 1Collision’s market-ing is making insurance agent calls. “We wantto build a relationship with the insurance in-

dustry, local insurance agents and our inde-pendent members,” Keller says. “We want toshow what shops have to offer and their per-formance statistics.”

Right now, one independent has the op-posite problem. Mock’s area just experi-enced a massive hail storm and business isgood. However, he has multiple steps totake before the insurance companies willapprove a job. “The insurance company isbeating the snot out of us,” he says. “Theywant to know how many ounces of clearcoatper panel you’re spraying.”

“We maximize DRP conversions,” Bulbucksays. Insurers recommend DRP to their cus-tomers and want their customers to use aDRP shop. With a large advertising and store-front presence, MSOs can help insurers meetthat goal. With 150 locations in 14 states and40 shops in the Chicagoland area alone, cus-tomers come to know the brand name.

“Companies with top-of-mind awarenesshelp increase the DRP rate,” Bulbuck says. Hesays this branding helps improve the con-sumer’s comfort zone since they have a top-of-mind name for trustworthy collision repair.

“The customer is the ultimate winner inthis,” Grimshaw says. “The shops that thriveduring this consolidation will deliver betteroperating metrics and customer focus thanthose that don’t. They will also be equippedwith the best trained employees, have accessto the best equipment, and have managementsystems and processes that ensure operationalconsistency in every location.”

On top of that, Grimshaw says customerswill be confident their cars were repaired topre-accident condition and all customer serv-ice expectations were met.

“Not all consumers buy goods at Wal-Mart,”Gange says. “The same is true for insurers.Value is defined differently. For some, losscosts are critical, while for others, customerservice is the primary metric. However, allinsurers embrace the need for effectively man-aging their budget and service experience,which is best understood in terms of L&AEand their respective service experience.”

Not the End » Despite all of the expec-tations and competition, independents don’need to throw in the towel.




“There always will be room for the goodindependent,” Bonner says. “There is a certaincustomer who likes to do business with an in-dependent. The independent might be locatedclose to the customer.”

Mosley opened a second shop about a 25-minute drive from the first in order to capturethose other customers. He knows there areother areas where he could place a shop that would cut that customer’s travel time even more.

Groups that focus on customer service, in-vest in training and equipment required to fixtoday’s increasingly complex vehicles, and in-vest in systems and processes required to driveconsistent operational performance will be theconsolidators of the future, Grimshaw says.

Mock’s secret sauce is to limit the amountof business he gets from any one company. “Idon’t like to see any one insurance companyover 13 percent of my business,” he says.Meantime, his percentage of customer-payjobs is increasing.

“We’re insurance friendly here,” Mock in-sists. “We try to work with them. But youcan’t kowtow to them all the time. You have

to be willing to say when things are not work-ing out. I just ask the insurance companiesone thing: Let me make some money and Ican take care of your customers for you. Ifyou’re not staying on top of your numbers,too much falls through the cracks.”

“The problem really is for the many repairfacilities that are unwilling or unable to lookat or accept the need to find new ways to de-fine their value proposition other than ‘we doquality work’ slogans,” Schulenburg says.

One Big MSO? » Will everyone eventu-ally become part of a MSO? “Never say never,”says Gange. The likely scenario for metroareas, he believes, is a small operator occupying a market niche based on location, technology skills or a specific certification/vehicle manufacturer.

“Growth-oriented operators who want tostay in the business will value a relationshipin which they can access the infrastructureof a large, multi-store network that under-stands how to drive performance, which isthe vehicle for continuing to expand theiroperations,” Gange says.

In addition to all the other factors, Bulbuckhighlights the advantages of economic scaleas a plus for MSOs in the collision business.“Because of the traction of consolidation, yousee financial capital being attracted to the in-dustry, whether through a public capital struc-ture like ours or private equity capital likewe saw with Carlyle Group’s acquisition ofService King (in 2012) or OnCap’s acquisitionof Caliber Collision Centers (in 2008).”

Grimshaw says such purchases show thatthe buyer believes Caliber is a well-run or-ganization, has a No. 1 or No. 2 position inevery market its operates, and is well-posi-tioned to grow both organically and via ac-quisition.

Does this mean the MBAs and CPAs willtake over the industry? “All of economics isrun by them,” Bonner chuckles. BSB

Curt Harler is a Cleveland-based freelance writerspecializing in the automotive, technology and en-vironmental areas. He’s the recipient of the Inter-national Communications Association IndustryAchievement award for his writing. You can reachhim at [email protected].



Track Talk

Now a strength coach in asport that piles up checkeredflags instead of touchdowncatches, Les Ebert leans onhis background of trainingpro football athletes tostrengthen today’s award-winning NASCAR pit crews.

“These guys are the unsungheroes,” Ebert said of NASCARpit crewmen. “They’re likeoffensive linemen in the NFL –they do all the dirty work.”

Ebert, a 39-year-old nativeof Circle Pines, Minn., is in hisfourth season as the strengthand conditioning coach forRoush Fenway Racing, includ-

ing the No. 17 team, whichrecently won the second-quar-ter Mechanix Wear MostValuable Pit Crew Award. It’san honor voted on quarterlyby each NASCAR Sprint CupSeries crew chief with an over-all year-end award going tothe season’s top-performingpit crew.

“Pit crews work really hardto do the things they do,” saidEbert. “Yes, they have a lot ofathletic ability, but to be able todo that repetitively in practice,race-after-race, month-after-month, they have to be in greatphysical condition.”

Ebert knows positions canbe gained – or lost – in a matterof seconds in the pits. His roleat Roush Fenway is crucial instrengthening some 70-plus pitcrew members so they canthrive physically on pit road.

“We run through workoutsfour days a week,” explainedEbert. “We do two total bodystrengthening workouts andtwo conditioning workoutsMonday through Thursday.We’re really fortunate – we

have the tools weneed to get theseguys in the best

shape possible.”Known to insiders as “Les’

House of Pain,” the RoushFenway Racing gym that Ebertoversees is a real “pumpatori-um” packed full of free weights,exercise machines and equip-ment to keep pit crewmen con-ditioned and durable over the36-week grind.

“Les keeps us in shape,which is really important withthe long season and hot weath-er,” said Cameron Cobb, jack-man on Matt Kenseth’s No. 17Best Buy Ford. “Ever since Lescame on board, I have lessaches and pains from doing myjob. Now, Les has given me afew aches, but it’s what youneed to win.”

“Les pushes us pretty hardwith our training,” echoed SeanWard, gasman on the No. 17.“Les expects a lot, but it’s worthit. The workouts help keep us inshape and prevent us from get-ting injured.”

Not long after graduatingfrom the University ofMinnesota-Duluth with adegree in physical education,

Ebert landed an internship inthe NFL under coach TonyDungy. He spent three years asan assistant strength coach withthe Tampa Bay Buccaneers,then six years with theJacksonville Jaguars.

When the job at RoushFenway became available whileEbert was still working in theNFL, he thought, “Well, I’ll giveit try.” Four seasons later, Ebert’stop-notch program is helpingproduce award-winning pitcrews like the No. 17.

“The 17 group is a talentedbunch of guys who have beendoing this for a while,” saidEbert. “They have good cama-raderie and they work reallyhard, and that allows them toperform at a very high levelunder pressure.”

In addition to Cobb andWard, crew chief JimmyFennig’s over-the-wall pit crewconsists of Justin Nottestad(front tire changer), CollinPasi (front tire carrier), JonMoore (rear tire changer) andRyan McCray (rear tire carrier).Andy Ward is the team’s pitcrew coach.

“We’re very fortunate to haveguys at Roush Fenway who canperform at a high-level, whetherit’s in practice or in a race,” Ebertsaid. “It’s an honor and a bless-ing to be here.”

By Kimberly Hyde, NASCAR

Les Is More: Roush Fenway’s EbertConditions Crews to Better Performance

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Dollar General 300Miles of Courage Oct. 12

Kansas Lottery 300 Oct. 20

NASCAR SprintCup Series

Good Sam RoadsideAssistance 500 Oct. 7

Bank of America 500 Oct. 13Hollywood

Casino 500 Oct. 21Tums Fast Relief 500 Oct. 28

NASCAR Camping World

Truck SeriesFred’s 250 powered by

Coca-Cola Oct. 6Kroger 200 Oct. 27

2012 NASCAR Race Schedules

From the gridiron to pit road: Les

Ebert spent nine years as a NFL

strength coach before joining

Roush Fenway Racing in 2008.

Les Ebert's program has helped put Matt Kenseth's pit crew at the

top of the sport.

Follow NASCAR Performance on Twitter and Facebookwww.twitter.com/NASCARauto ■ www.facebook.com/NASCARPerformance


Looking at past auto paint trends with the benefit of hindsight, thelogic and genius as well as the folly of some is revealed. Predictingfuture trends is difficult, yet somewhat possible if we consider thecauses driving changes in our industry: free market innovations,

government regulation, a marriage of the two, and unforeseen advantagesand disadvantages that perpetuate innovation.

TECHNICAL

Evolutionof PaintFrom the by-product of a bug to today’s

environmentally friendly refinishes, auto painthas had a long and fascinating history.

By Carl Wilson

Buggin’ Out » In thebeginning, cars werepainted at the factory withshellac-based paint appliedwith a brush. Shellac has

been around for thousands of years and isderived from the resinous secretion of the lacinsect found primarily in the Far East. It isn’tparticularly durable, and it gave way to nitro-cellulose lacquer in the 1920s, which isderived from plants. However, while lacquerincreased production due to its faster dryingproperties, it didn’t lend itself to being

brushed on. Hence, the debut of the spray gunin the automotive industry around 1924.

The creation of the spray gun is univer-sally credited to Dr. DeVilbiss in the mid-1880s. His device was initially created toatomize medicine for application in thethroat and mouth. Regardless of the atom-izer’s intended use, it revolutionized auto-motive painting, and thus allowed for futuredevelopments such as colors with sus-pended effects like metallics, which werepreviously unattainable with brush-appliedpaint. It’s an innovation that gave birth to

The

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nitrocelluloselacquer

acrylic lacquer

polyurethaneenamel

acrylicenamel waterborne

basecoat/clearcoat

alkydenamelshellac

automotivespray gun basecoat colors with

less than 3.5 lb./VOC

The Evolution of Paint

Spraying during the “alkyd enamel”days. (Photo courtesy of The FordMotor Company)


custom colors and multi-stage paints,which continue today.

1930s » We saw alkyd enamels cometo use in the 1930s. Still a product derivedfrom organic compounds, the glycerin usedin its manufacture was derived mainly fromanimal and vegetable fats. This enamelbrought increased durability and gloss, aswell as a wider range of colors. However,the slower drying time hindered production.

Again, the free market drove innovation, andacrylic lacquer was developed followingWorld War II.

Acrylic lacquer was a thermoplastic ma-terial that could be reflowed at high tem-perature, adding depth and gloss to thefactory finish. Furthermore, it brought speedand even more color possibilities to us. Wedon’t know the name of the insightful painterwho first swept up metal shavings, put them

in his paint gun and thought to himself,“Crazy…but I’m gonna try it,” giving birthto metallics. We also don’t know when hedid it. But we do know that paint manufac-turers recognized the trend, and metallicswere introduced in the 1960s.

Acrylic Resins » Further innovationbrought acrylic resins to enamels, andacrylic enamel hit the scene, a thermosetmaterial that can’t be reflowed with heat.Like lacquer, it dries through evaporation,but it also dries through oxidation of theresin.

Whereas lacquer is a film, enamel is acoating. At some point, a chemist figuredout how to make it more durable by addinga catalyst or hardener. This modified acrylicenamel was the bridge to urethane andpolyurethane enamels. But catalyzed prod-ucts yielded another heretofore unknown:isocyanates, a tasteless, odorless, colorlessgas that affects your central nervous systemand is cumulative. That is, it doesn’t dissi-pate. You retain whatever you absorb untilyou’ve absorbed all your body can handle,at which point you’re done painting. Pre-vention is the key here, and since about1987, all paint manufacturers have recom-mended a fresh air system.

EPA and OSHA » All along, thesetrends have been driven by the free marketin a quest for increased profitability, durabil-ity and production. However, in the 1970s,the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and the Occupational Safety & HealthAdministration (OSHA) were created, andour awareness of the environment and per-sonal safety rose as well as regulations thatspurred further innovations.

As a result of lead being phased out ofpaints, colors became transparent and cov-erage suffered. We saw a new trend with col-ored sealers or sealers that matched the valueof the color with gray tones. The paint thatpinstripers use today is a specialty coatingthat still contains lead, which is why a singlebrush stroke will cover.

C.A.F.E. » C.A.F.E. (corporate averagefuel economy) standards requiring betterfuel efficiency, as administered by theNational Highway Traffic and Safety Admin-istration (NHTSA), have resulted in OEMsusing more plastic on cars. This was a trendthat really challenged us early on, but the“plastic dragon” has now been slayed.

First, there were many different plastics,and they didn’t necessarily have the same re-


TECHNICAL » Evolution of Paint


finish approach. There was thermosetpolyester, polyethylene, polypropylene,thermoplastic, thermoset polyurethane,ethylene/propylene, etc. They each had theirown symbol: UP, PE, PP, TRU, PUR, PVC,TEO, etc. These days, the symbol is generallyon the plastic somewhere, but there was a daywhen you had to identify it with a grind orburn test. Once identified, you had to pursuethe proper repair/refinish procedure. And wehadn’t even heard of mold release agents, letalone how to remove them. It’s a simpleprocess now: properly clean/scuff it, use anadhesion promoter according to the particularpaint manufacturer’s direction, and viola!

Except now there is static electricity inthe plastic to deal with. Innovation solvedthat problem, too, with static-eliminatingwipes and sprays. Yet there are different ratesof solvent evaporation between plastic andsteel due to the cooling effect of evaporation.Therefore, there are different dry rates dueto the different substrate temperatures,which results in different metallic/mica orientation between the two. We’re still bat-tling that one.

1980s » The ’80s brought basecoat/clearcoat into the mainstream, though initiallythe clears lacked the solids necessary for UVprotection. Thus, we learned a new phrase:clearcoat degradation. There was also somewaterborne use going on at the OEM level, butall we saw in the field was some primer/ filler.

Stricter, tougher state regulations broughteven more changes. Rule 1151 in SouthernCalifornia required us to use heavy-bodied,high solids clears with less volatile organiccompounds (VOCs).

About this time, we also learned that ourexisting spray guns didn’t deliver the transfer


TECHNICAL » Evolution of Paint

Masking with newspapers? You gotta love the old days. (Photo courtesy of The FordMotor Company)

efficiency required by the state, and thus wewere introduced to HVLP, or high-volumelow-pressure. This had been around fordecades, but not in our industry. Most ofthe new equipment we got our hands onwas simply existing equipment that had beenmodified. Gravity-fed guns came into theirown here. That was another hurdle that hassince been cleared, but back then, in pro-duction, it felt like “the proving grounds.”

As lower VOC requirements gained trac-tion, it’s easy to see now that waterbornewas where we were headed. Most of theVOCs in the basecoat/clearcoat systemcame from the color, which was predomi-nantly solvents. Waterborne basecoat was alogical step.

Waterborne » With waterborne, wehave a need for cleaner air. In most cases,grade “D” air, which is water and oil free andnot less than 19.5 percent oxygen, isdesired. This is a breathable grade of airwhen used in conjunction with the properpaint protection equipment. New air com-pressors or, at a minimum, multi-stage filtra-tion systems will be going into shops toaccommodate this requirement.

We no longer have temperature-specificsolvents to accommodate 90 degrees or 60degrees ambient temperature. There is no“fast” or “slow” water we can add; as a re-sult, we have new innovations of spray-booths, both at the manufacturer level andthe “in-field retrofit” level. To maintain pro-duction, the booth needs to remain cleanand isolated, yet include disruptions of theairflow pattern to facilitate a rapid rate ofbasecoat evaporation. There is even a pul-sating airflow system for increased surfacetension disruptions.

Another benefit of waterborne is increasedconsistency of color application, resulting inbetter color match and improved color decksfrom the paint manufacturers. This lends itselffor parts to be painted off the car, avoidingthe traditional “jambing” of parts, thus improving cycle time.

It’s a safe bet that future trends will con-tinue to be driven by regulations for loweremissions as well as increased efficiency. Howthe free market accommodates that is yet tobe revealed. BSB

Carl Wilson has been painting for nearly 30 years,with formal training from the GM Training Center,ASE, I-CAR and multiple product and colorcourses. He currently works as a painter at RPMSAuto Body & Paint in Kailua, Hawaii. He can bereached at [email protected].



TECHNICAL » Paint

Gumbo. Crawfish. Beignets. Zydeco music. Beads. Mardi Gras. These aresome of the things that come to mind when you think about New Or-leans, or “N’awlins” as the locals call it. Not pronouncing it “N’awlins”would label you an outsider as much as saying “Ore-GON” instead of

“Ore-GIN,” or “LOU-EE-ville” instead of “LOO-UH-ville” would. However yousay it, collision repairers are bound to have a wild time as they go marching in tothe 2012 International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE), which will beheld in the “Big Easy” Oct. 10-13.

Maybe it’s the fact that NACE is the biggest all-collision trade show in thecountry. Or maybe it’s people’s hankering for a po’boy. Whatever the case, reportsare that housing is up 62 percent over last year, and the CARS section of the floor(mechanical) has doubled in size from 2011.

Who dat say dey gonna be at the 30th annual NACE?Only all of your collision repairer friends looking for thelatest training, technology and networking opportunities.

By Jason Stahl and Gina Kuzmick



Attention, Class! » If it’s training yourtroops that you’re after, NACE is the place.With more than 80 educational sessionsbeing offered, you’re sure to find the topicsyou need to brush up on.

If you need to reinforce to your staff theimportance of customer service, how abouttreating them to “It’s Not About the Car! ACustomer Service Review” by Bob Keith ofCARSTAR on Wednesday, Oct. 10 from8:30-10 a.m.?

Are you closing less than 50 percent ofyour customer-pay business? Then you couldprobably stand to take “Improving ClosingRatio on Customer Pay Work” by RobertRick of Gates and Steve Trapp of DuPont onWednesday, Oct. 10 from 8:30-11 a.m.

Are you trying to figure out why the newGeneration Y-er wants to do things his way inyour shop and not your way? You better notmiss “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” by BillHaas of Haas Performance Consulting LLC on

Wednesday, Oct. 10from 3-4:30 p.m.

Technical Training » If it’s technicaltraining you want, then look no further thanthe I-CAR Technology Showcase. I-CAR willprovide 11 training classes Wednesday, Oct.10, through Friday, Oct. 12. Each instructor-led (live) class will last four hours. Onlineregistration is available for $93/course atwww.ASRWevents.com.

Central Grocery is a restaurant and deli

located in the French Quarter. It’s famous for

inventing the muffuletta — a gargantuan sub

sandwich with layers of marinated olive salad,

cheese and spiced Italian meats. One is big enough

for two people, so bring a friend and share the love.

923 Decatur Street ■ (504) 523-1620

As its name suggests, the Napoleon House was once offered to the

emperor as shelter during his exile. Though he never actually made the

visit, the 215-year-old building welcomes artists, writers and bar-hop-

pers year round with its inviting, sophisticated atmosphere.

500 Chartres Street ■ (504) 524-9752

Clover Grill is open 24 hours to satisfy all your late night cravings. The

chefs cook their burgers under hubcaps and are also known for making

a killer omelet. Just don’t fall asleep at the table waiting for your food —

you’ll miss out.

900 Bourbon Street ■ (504) 598-1010

While its food isn’t characteristically New Orleans, Pat O’Brien’s is

home to the hurricane cocktail — a libation that’s as local as the

muffuletta and as dangerous as its namesake.

718 Saint Peter Street ■ (504] 525-4823)

I-CAR is a long-standing supporter ofASRW and will return to the event this yearwith some of its newest training, such as itsBlueprinting Process and Damage Discovery(BLU01) course. During this “live demo”course, students will learn how blueprintingcan lead to more accurate damage assess-ments and gain insights into applying theblueprinting process in their own shop envi-ronments. The live demo will include thedisassembly of a vehicle and steps to discoverhidden damage.

The blueprinting course will take placeThursday, Oct. 11, and Friday, Oct. 12, from10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the ASRW show floor andwill have a maximum of 15 students per ses-sion. The course costs $100/student, andregistration is available online.

The I-CAR sessions offered at ASRW2012 include:Wednesday, Oct. 10

8 a.m.-12 p.m. – Inspecting Repairs forQuality Control (QUA01)

1 p.m.-5 p.m. – Corrosion Protection(CPS01) / Hazardous Materials, PersonalSafety and Refinish Safety (WKR01)

Thursday, Oct. 11

8 a.m.-12 p.m. – Automotive Foams(FOM01) / Measuring (MEA01)

10 a.m.-3 p.m. – Blueprinting Process andDamage Discovery (BLU01)

1 p.m.-5 p.m. – Steel Unitized StructuresTechnologies and Repair (SPS07)

Friday, Oct. 12

8 a.m.-12 p.m. – Overview of Cycle TimeImprovements for Collision Repair(CYC01) / Steering and Suspension Dam-age Analysis (DAM06)

10 a.m.-3 p.m. – Blueprinting Process andDamage Discovery (BLU01)

1 p.m.-5 p.m. – Structural StraighteningSteel (SSS01)

Good Eats

SHOW PREVIEW » NACE

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NACE attendees can get their party on...on Bourbon Street.


SHOW PREVIEW » NACE

Back by popular demand will be the MSO Symposium,

which last year was a sold-out success. It will be held

Oct. 12 at the Morial Convention Center and will be open to

shop owners with two or more shops. Cost is $100.

Tailored to multiple-shop operators, the NACE guide says

it will “provide high-end content to an exclusive group of

high-end buyers.” And it has more than 12 sponsors to date.

One of the presentations will see a return of the leaders of

the largest company-owned MSOs in North America (the

“Big 4”) to provide an update on their business and take a

deep dive into their approach to developing their leadership

teams, growth strategy and future vision.

The schedule of events is as follows:

8:30-8:45 a.m. – Welcome and opening comments

8:45-9:45 a.m. – Developing a Sustainable Culture

A panel discussion presented by Marcy Tieger, Symphony Advi-

sors. Guest panelists will include: Andrew Taylor, chairman and

CEO, Enterprise Holdings; Pam Nicholson, president and COO,

Enterprise Holdings; and Christine Taylor, assistant vice presi-

dent, Enterprise Holdings.

9:45-10:45 a.m. – Strategic Brand Development: Differenti-

ate Through Innovation

Facilitated by: David Lingham, IBIS conference director

Guest speaker: Sasha Strauss, founder and CEO, Innovation Pro-

tocol; Professor, University of Southern California

10:45-11:15 a.m. – Networking break

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Building Lasting Business

Relationships Through Performance

A panel discussion presented by Matthew Ohrnstein, Symphony

Advisors. Guest panelists will include automobile physical damage

claims executives from the industry’s top insurance companies.

12:30-1:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30-2:45 p.m. – What a Difference a Year Makes

A panel discussion presented by Matthew Ohrnstein, Symphony

Advisors. Guest panelists will include: Steve Grimshaw, CEO,

Caliber Collision Centers; Chris Abraham, president, Service

King Collision Centers; Duane Rouse, CEO, ABRA Auto Body &

Glass; Brock Bulbuck, president and CEO, The Boyd Group.

2:45-3:15 p.m. – Networking break

3:15-4:30 p.m. – Show Me the Money: Private Equity’s View

of the Collision Repair Industry

A panel discussion presented by Rex Green, BB&T Capital Mar-

kets, head of consumer group. Guest panelists will include vari-

ous private equity firms. Discussion topics will include:

• Current state of the financial markets

• Why are investors attracted to the collision repair space?

• Why raise private equity?

• What are the key business attributes required to raise private

equity?

• What is the process to raise private equity?

• How are valuations derived?

• What happens after the private equity transaction?

4:30-4:45 p.m. – Closing comments

4:45-7 p.m. – Networking reception

MSO Symposium

There’s no escaping the French Quarter on a visit to NOLA. A staple of the town, it’s a bit of the pastpreserved with historic buildings and unique shops and restaurants. By day, it’s a charming place totake a stroll, but come night, it’s packed with partyers. Regardless, it’s entertaining at any time of day.Grab a po’boy and dig in.

Bourbon Street is a segment of the French Quarter that serves as the epicenter of nightlife. Betweenthe lax open container laws, abundance of bars and plenty of strip clubs, this area certainly has itstemptations. If drunken debauchery isn’t your style, visit one of the many restaurants or jazz clubs onthe strip and people-watch from afar.

If you’re looking for something subtler than Bourbon Street, then Royal Street’s the place to be. Thissection of the French Quarter is filled with quaint shops, elegant art galleries and aspiring jazz

musicians. Throw a street performer a chunk of change and stop by one of the street’sworld-renowned restaurants or antique shops.

Adorned with elaborate mansions and big, beautiful gardens, the Garden District offersa nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street. This area housed theNouveau Riche back in the 1800s and now serves as the residence of several celebrities.Take the St. Charles street car there, then admire (and maybe envy) the digs of SandraBullock and John Goodman.

For liquor aficionados, the Old New Orleans Rum Distillery is a place to get your drinkon without the chaos of Bourbon Street. Pay a small fee for a tour to see the rum-making process first-hand. Afterwards, you can taste a variety of the distillery’s finest spirits. Just be sure to get a ride back!

If you’re a history buff, then a visit to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is a must. Reportedly theoldest bar in America, this watering hole was built in the early 1700s and allegedly served as a base forpirate Jean Lafitte’s smuggling operation.

Sights & Sounds

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With 3D Intelligent Graphicsfrom Audatex, seeing is believ-ing. Our goal was simple: tohelp you create a faster, more

accurate estimate. Working with 3D Intelli-gent Graphics is easy and intuitive. You’ll beup and running within minutes. No specialtraining is required. Features include:

● Unlimited Zoom – Zooming on as-semblies or individual parts helps you iso-late, select and order the right part the firsttime – every time.

● Color-coded part types, specialsubstrate materials and selectedparts – Now you can easily and visuallydifferentiate between part types. Selectedparts are color-coded, allowing users toeasily check at-a-glance to ensure that alldamaged parts have been included in theestimate. Substrate materials color codingalso helps ensure that proper repair tech-niques are used.

● 360-Degree Rotation – For thefirst time in estimating software, vehiclesections, assemblies and individual partscan be rotated 360 degrees.

● Parts in Perspective – Eliminateguesswork by seeing vehicle parts exactlyas they appear in relation to each other.

ProductSpotlightAudatex 3D Intelligent GraphicsAn Innovative, New Approach to Estimating

Audatex 3D Intelligent Graphics offers 360-degree rotation, unlimited zoom, color-codedparts and substrate materials identification, making it fast and easy to create an accurateestimate.

Ready to see the future in 3-D? Come see us at the NACE show (booth #N1401)…

view an online demo video here: http://pages.audatex.us/3dgraphics ... or call 800-237-4968.


With NACE, SEMA and AAPEX just around the corner, you’re probably getting the itchto start spending money on equipment and products. Let the fun begin! The BodyShop Business NACE-SEMA-AAPEX Booth Previews 2012 is packed full of potential purchases.

If something in this paid-for sampling of products and services catches your attention, you canget more information by visiting the company’s booth at NACE (Oct. 10-13), SEMA (Oct. 30-Nov. 2) or AAPEX (Oct. 30-Nov. 1). If you won’t be attending any of these shows, fill out theReader Service card found in this issue between pages 76 and 77 and drop it in the mail.

The cordless EXT-LI28 HORNET is the latest offering from

Extractor. Powered by a 28-volt lithium ion battery, the HORNET

provides all the power and rugged reliability technicians have come to

expect from Extractor tools. The 28-volt motor generates over 3,000

strokes per minute, which improves your productivity, efficiency and

bottom line. The HORNET is competitively priced and would make a

great addition to any technician’s arsenal of tools or toolbox.

Booth Previews

NACE Booth #N1530 • www.extractortools.com • [email protected] • 877.628.8837


Motor Guard Corporation www.motorguard.com SEMA Booth 11167

Motor Guard hasbeen manufactur-ing a completeline of com-pressed air filtra-tion productsdesigned to de-liver clean, dry, oil free air for more than 45 years. Our Optima Spray Gun lineis unmatched for finishing quality.

We supplycollision repair profes-sionals withworld classtools designed to handle today’s high-strength steel and plastic panels. Our offering is highlighted by our full line ofU.S. manufactured Magna-Spot StudWelders and accessories.

Our refinishingaccessories, including thepopular StripeEliminator andSpin Doctorcleaning tools as well as a full assortment ofSanding Blocks, are designed to streamlineyour entire refinishing experience...makingyour job easier and cleaner than ever before.

Supplying High Quality Automotive Repair Tools for More Than 45 Years

Cleaning, drying and heating the atomizing air from yourexisting compressed air source can be accomplished withThe Solution by Martech Services Company.

According to Tom Wright, director of sales and market-ing, when placed near the point of use, The Solution willwork with the existing compressed air source. The four-stage filtration is outfitted with an automatic moisture dis-charger. Then the clean air is further filtered to removemoisture content for super dry air. A controller, with digitaloutputs, allows user to set the temperature of the atomiz-ing up to 165° F. The Solution is shipped complete with a3/8” diameter x 35-foot spray air hose.

“With the advent of waterborne paints becoming man-dated by government agencies, the need for this type and

Clean, Dry, Heated Atomizing Air From Your Existing Air Compressor

quality of atomizing airis crucial”, says Wright.

The Solution is a com-plete compressed airsystem designed toclean, dry and heat theatomizing air for today’sspray paint requirements. It is easy to use, simple to installand affordable to maintain. The Solution is the result of yearsof experience and testing to bring to the market The Solutionto today’s needs for atomizing air that works well with bothwaterborne and solvent-based paint systems.For more information on The Solution, contactMartech Services Company at (800) 831-1525.

Booth Previews


“In talking to the jury afterward, theyfelt the tape was certainly powerful evi-dence,” said Michelen. “But overall, evenwithout the tape, they felt there was noevidence that Ms. Pilitz was trying to doanything wrong. There was so littleevidence of any wrongdoing in this casethat I don’t know how it got out of thegrand jury, never mind all the way to trial.”

According to Michelen, about 10 jurymembers chatted with Pilitz for more thanan hour after the verdict was rendered.

“I’ve tried a lot of cases, but have neverseen a jury be this supportive of an accusedperson after the trial. They mostly just wantto get home,” Michelen said. “This jury,however, wanted to let Ms. Pilitz know thatthey understood that she should never havebeen arrested or prosecuted at all.”

The DA’s office also charged Pilitz withpossession of a forged instrument when itfound a DMV form in her shop bearing herfather’s signature, which they claimed wasforged. The judge presiding over the case,the Honorable George Peck, dismissed thatcharge for lack of evidence before jurydeliberations began.

“It’s a total vindication for me and mycompany,” said Pilitz. “I have had to fightGEICO and other insurers and severalincorporated villages for years just to letme run my business.

“I was paid monetary damages as well asgiven tow agreements. I had the highestsealed bid to tow in Rockville Centre, butthey took it away from me and gave the bidto an all-male towing company. All thetowers who presided at the opening of thebids could not believe what just took place.

‘This time, though, they nearly put meout of business with these charges, whichshould have never been brought in the firstplace. I’m so thankful that this jury under-stood what was going on and threw thewhole case out.”

»| Industry Update |«


Fraud continued from pg. 12

Florida Body Shop SeeingInsurers Pay Increased Labor Rate Gunder’s Auto Center, Inc., hasannounced that some insurers arenow willingly paying its increasedlabor rate, which went from $42 perhour to $48 per hour in June 2012.

Ray Gunder, founder of Gunder’sAuto Center, Inc., which has servedLakeland, Fla., and its surroundingcommunities for more than 44 years,determined that the current laborrates which were being offered byinsurers were insufficient to sustainprofitability and continued growth.

“It had been almost six years sincerates had moved, driving our netprofit into a danger zone,” said Gun-der. “Our business and our techsstruggling financially left me with nooptions. Every insurance employee Italked with certainly hadn’t missedtheir cost of living raises. If repairerssit around and wait for a hand-out,that will be what they will likely get. Ifelt that for my company and its teammembers to keep up with the risingcosts of living and for us to keepabreast of ever-increasingoperational costs, raising our labor


rates was necessary. We needed totake action, and we did.”

Once Gunder determined the newrates, they were posted in the shop’sreception area and each claims per-son and appraiser who Gunder’sdealt with were informed of the new rates.

According to Gunder, this increase,which he considered minimal, wasconsidered by many insurers to besubstantial and was met with resist-ance. However, based on his reputa-tion for not hesitating to act on behalf

of his customers in asserting theirrights for “fair and acceptable” com-pensation for “reasonable and nec-essary” repair costs, the insurerselected to pay the rate, albeit onlyafter making their concerns andobjections known.

Some insurers, however, have yetto pay the increased rate, accordingto Gunder. As such, Gunder’s has hadto file lawsuits on behalf of their cus-tomers via an Assignment ofProceeds and/or Power of Attorney.

“To date, two of these insurers

have asked our attorney what hischarges are to date, perhaps with thethought of conceding, paying ourrates and avoiding protracted litiga-tion,” Gunder said. “With regard tothe others, we’ve filed for discoveryand scheduled depositions with theirclaims people and I’m anxious to seewhat we find as it will no doubt leadto other issues to be used in futureactions...if and when they should be required.

“I’m sure all insurers areconcerned with having to pay othershops in the area if they payGunder’s, but I have to say that I’mstunned at how far we’ve come ingetting fair and reasonable compen-sation for things like PMC-Logicmaterial invoicing, mark-up on sub-let, parts return fees, and many otherreasonable and necessary charges,and have consistently heard thatother local repairers don’t requestsuch compensation, even thoughthey know Gunder’s is getting paidfor them. I’ve had appraisers tell me,‘Ray, I’d pay it if asked...but very feweven ask!’

“As for me, I’m not looking to fixthe world, I just want to fix my cus-tomer’s cars properly, pay my techsfairly for their efforts and provide formy family.”



New Ad Agency to Specialize in Body Shop MarketingA new St. Louis-based ad agency – B2BAutomotive Marketing, LLC, a subdivisionof Back 2 Basic Marketing – will offer mar-keting and design services for body shops,car dealerships and auto repair shops. Socialmedia, website development, search engineoptimization, email marketing campaigns,branding and graphic design come a la carteor combine into customized packages atvaried budget levels.

“Our existing clientele includes anincreasing number of auto body shops. Aswe worked with these clients, we found aniche that lent itself to an expansion plan,”said Back to Basic Marketing and B2B Auto-motive Marketing President Michelle Nel-son, who has more than 25 years ofexperience working with body shops nation-wide. “This is an exciting new initiative forBack 2 Basic Marketing, and we're thrilled togrow our business right here in St. Louis.”

For more information, visit www.btobautomotive.com.



Nu-Look Collision and Kevin Roys-ton’s friends and family witnesseda huge success with their Ride for

Royston benefit. The event included agroup bicycle ride, dinner, silent auctionand Nu-Look Collision’s Raffle for Roys-ton, which raised more than $22,000 forthe business’ lead metal technician.

Kevin Royston, who works at the Nu-Look Collision downtown Rochestershop, was riding his bicycle when he wasstruck by a hit-and-run driver inRushville, N.Y., on June 5. He had tohave the lower portion of his leg ampu-tated as a result.

The event drew a huge outpouring ofsupport for Kevin. There were 155 bicy-clists that took part in the group benefitbicycle ride, and several others thatattended the event and dinner. It was a

day full of love andsupport for Kevinand for HeatherBoyum, who wasrecently killed while bicycling.

Nu-Look Colli-sion’s Raffle forRoyston, along withadditionaldonations, raised$22,445 for Kevinand his family. Therewere 79 raffleprizes given away atthe event, whichincluded a $1,000 cashprize from Nu-Look Collision, a $400gift certificate to Prime Steakhousedonated from Nu-Look Collision, a 2012

7.3 Trek bicycle donated by Geneva Bicycle Center, and a $900 Snap-on Tools tool cart.

Nu-Look Collision’s Raffle for Royston

Raises Thousands of Dollars for Employee

Nu-Look Collision raised $22,445 for an employee who was struckby a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle.


The U.S. House of Repre-sentatives Committee onthe Judiciary’s Subcom-

mittee on Intellectual Property,Competition and the Internetrecently held a hearing on thePromoting Automotive Repair,Trade and Sales (PARTS) Act,H.R. 3889.

The bill’s sponsor is Rep.Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). The leg-islation also has five co-spon-sors, including Reps. BillCassidy (R-La.), Walter JonesJr. (R-N.C.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Ron Paul (R-Texas) andDennis Ross (R-Fla.). Lofgrenhas offered similar legislation ina previous congress. Witnessesat the hearing included W. NealMenefee, president and CEOfor Rockingham Group; Kelly

Burris, shareholder and chair ofGreen Technology PracticeGroup, Brinks Hofer Gison &Lione; and Jack Gillis, directorof public affairs at theConsumer Federation of Amer-ica (CFA).

The bill makes it not an actof infringement with respect toa design patent to: (1) make,test or offer to sell within theU.S., or import into the U.S.,any article of manufacture thatis similar or the same in appear-ance to the component partclaimed in such design patent ifthe purpose of such article isfor the repair of a motor vehi-cle to restore its appearance toas originally manufactured; and(2) use or sell within the U.S.any such same or similar arti-

cles for such restorations morethan 30 months after theclaimed component part is firstoffered for public sale as part ofa motor vehicle in any country.

Burris, in opposition to this bill, made the following comments:

“What substandard non-OEM parts translates to for thebrand owners, such as Ford,Chrysler and GM, is a tarnish-ment of their image because thereplacement part is presumedto be made by the OEM oncethe vehicle is back on the road.When the plastic is crazing orthe chrome is rusting,consumers will likely think thatthe OEM does not make qualityvehicles. And when the airbagdoes not deploy because a

cheap imitation bumper beamwas used in a repair, consumerswill also conclude that theOEM does not make safe vehi-cles. Although the Lanham Actcan protect some parts as Imentioned above, under theLanham Act, this erosion oftheir famous brands may bedifficult to prove, especially ifevaluated on the replacementpart level. All the more need tomaintain design patent protec-tion for the parts that will keepus safe in our vehicles andmaintain the quality that we asconsumers have paid for andcome to expect.”

Gillis also commented on potential effects of thePARTS Act:

“The lack of competition forrepair parts will seriously harmconsumers. Already-high acci-dent repair costs will skyrocket.



U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee

Holds Hearing on PARTS Act

Continued on pg. 74


Right now, in low-speed crashtests conducted by the highlyrespected Insurance Institute forHighway Safety, the cost of asimple 5-mph bump into a polecan cost thousands of dollars tofix. Why does it cost so much torepair these vehicles? Becausethe car companies are able tocharge monopolistic pricesbecause of lack of competition.”

ASA, along with 10 otherautomotive groups, recentlysent a letter of opposition tothis bill to the chairman ofthe Subcommittee on Intel-lectual Property, Competitionand the Internet. The letterhighlighted concerns aboutparts quality:

“Manufacturers ofunlicensed automobile partshave to meet only one basicthreshold: to produce a copy

that passes off as an originalpart. Those who produce suchparts incur no costs attributableto original design, research anddevelopment, and most impor-tantly, product safety testing.Accordingly, the manufacturerof the original product for

The labor rates that insurance companies paybody shops to repair damaged vehiclesaren’t high enough to cover the cost of

repairs, according to a recently released surveyof nearly 300 Florida collision repair facilities.

The 2012 Florida labor rate survey, commis-sioned by the Florida Autobody CollisionAlliance (FACA) and conducted by CSi Com-plete to ensure unbiased data collection andreporting, shows that while materials, labor andequipment costs continue to rise steadily, insur-ance company labor rates are not keeping pace

and, in many areas, have not increased in nearlyseven years.

Paint and material costs, says FACA, increaseeach year – sometimes twice in a year. Paintcosts rose for body shops by at least 3.9 percentin 2011, according to FACA, with some shopsseeing up to a 7.8-percent increase.

The respondents, 82 percent of whom wereindependent shops, turned in an average bodylabor rate of $44.14 and paint material rate of$25.96.



Florida Autobody Collision Alliance

Reveals Results of Labor Rate Survey

Continued on pg. 76

whom such unlicensed replace-ment parts are made does notknow how these parts will per-form with the rest of the vehi-cle and how their use willimpact the quality andintegrity of the original prod-uct. Automotive collision

repairers are very concernedabout the quality of replace-ment crash parts. Permittingthis intellectual propertyinfringement also exposes con-sumers to significant safety,performance or durability riskswithout their knowledge.”

PARTS Act ontinued from pg. 72


Jim Keller, a veteran of the collision repairindustry, has announced the creation of the1Collision Network, a group of midwest-

ern collision repair facilities that has created aspecific brand to market to insurers and con-sumers, as well as established a way to measure,manage and improve their performance in agroup environment.

Keller, who serves as founder and president ofthe 1Collision Network, has a background thatincludes being a multiple-shop owner, an execu-tive vice president of a corporate-owned consol-idator and a former board member and chairmanof the Automotive Service Association (ASA).

1Collision features marketing planning andsupport services, e-Marketplace software, a per-formance management system to track andreport key performance indicators, a single pointof contact with insurers, and educational andtraining programs facilitated through key strate-

gic partners. Members receive ongoing supportto increase traffic, enhance insurance relation-ships and to be the “best in class” in their market-place. The network also provides purchaseincentive programs with its strategic partners.

“Many shop owners today are looking for acompetitive solution in the marketplace to com-pete with the corporate chains,” said Keller.“1Collision provides the complete solution forthe single and multiple shop operator.”

Requirements to affiliate with 1Collisioninclude being a progressive business, meetingCIC Class A Shop criteria, displaying a record ofpositive insurance relations, committing tobranding requirements, and employing a staffthat’s committed to continuous improvement.

Qualified collision repair businesses interestedin becoming a 1Collision Network locationshould email [email protected] or call (414)289-7650.



“FACA is grateful for theparticipation of so many shops,and we’re pleased to be able toprovide this information to thecollision repair industry,” saidCathy Mills, FACA’s executivedirector. “But to most of us,this is not news – we’ve seencosts rise and margins shrinkyear after year with no move-ment on labor rates. Withoutreasonable and regularincreases in the amount insur-ance companies pay to repairvehicles, body shops are findingit harder to recover repaircosts. Shrinking margins makeit much more difficult toattract and retain skilled tech-nicians or to keep pace with theadvanced equipment and train-ing needed to work on today’snewer vehicles.”

Labor Rate continued from pg. 74 New Network of Body ShopsCreated to Compete with Corporate Chains




Automotive Service & RepairWeek (ASRW), which includesthe International AutobodyCongress & Exposition (NACE)and the Congress of Automo-tive Repair & Service (CARS),has announced that 13 paintand coatings companies aresupporting this year’s eventthrough exhibit space and inter-active sponsorships.

Confirmed paint companiesthat will exhibit at ASRWinclude:

� DuPont PerformanceCoatings

� BASF - The ChemicalCompany

� Sherwin-Williams Auto-motive Finishes Corporation

�Valspar� Matrix System Automotive

Finishes, LLC� Axis Performance Coat-

ings/Vogel Automotive Coatings

� Fashion Paint� Silver Sails PaintsAdditional coatings compa-

nies exhibiting at ASRWinclude:

� Beta Color

� Chemicar� ChemSpec USA Inc.� Lusid Technologies Inc.� Roberlo, S.A.In addition to exhibiting,

DuPont Performance Coatingswill again sponsor the OpeningGeneral Session/Keynote onThursday, Oct. 11, as well asthe MSO Symposium, and willexhibit in booth #1001. BASFis also sponsoring the MSOSymposium and will exhibit inbooth #1229.

“Attendees consistently askto see the major paint compa-nies on the show floor atASRW, and we welcome thesekey exhibitors to ASRW2012,” said Ron Pyle, ASApresident. “We appreciate thesupport of each of these com-panies, as well as their contin-ued commitment to theindustry.”

NACE NewsThirteen Paint Companies to Exhibitat 2012 NACE

SkillsUSA Winnersto Attend ASRW

Automotive Service and RepairWeek (ASRW) has announcedthat the winners of this year’sSkillsUSA Championships incollision repair technology andtheir instructors will attend theevent as featured guests at theASRW Awards Ceremony andOpening General Session.

The winners and theirinstructors will be recognizedat the Opening General SessionThursday, Oct. 11, as well asthe ASRW Awards event Friday,Oct. 12, held off-site at theNational World War IIMuseum. Tickets for each eventare $25 ($35 after Aug. 16).

“The SkillsUSA winnersrepresent the next generationof collision repairers, and weconsider it a great honor to be

Continued on pg. 78


able to recognize their outstanding workamong the industry at ASRW,” said RonPyle, ASA president and chief staff execu-tive. “We are thrilled to welcome the Skill-sUSA gold medal winners and instructorsback to the show.”

The SkillsUSA Collision Repair Tech-nology Committee requires students togo through a series of workstations toassess skills in the following areas: metal-

work, welding, plastic repair and struc-tural analysis. The overall appearance ofthe finished product, speed and propersafety practices are judged. There arewritten tests on estimating, structuralanalysis and an ASE exam. The studentsare also interviewed by the judges. Sev-enty-two competed in the CollisionRepair Technology Contest at the Skill-sUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City.


Circle 78 for Reader Service Circle 101 for Reader Service

SkillsUSA continued from pg. 77

2012 SkillsUSA Winners:Jason Lucius – SkillsUSA secondary gold medal winnerCarl Rusch – instructor secondaryJohn Stanton – SkillsUSA post-secondary gold medal winnerDanny Mays – instructor post-secondary“With the educational programs planned and networking opportunities, ASRW allows

an important forum for the collision repair community to become more involved in Skills-USA and the lives of the industry’s future workforce,” said Darrell Andrews, State Farmproperty claims trainer and SkillsUSA National Collision Repair chairman.

State Farm Insurance will sponsor the trip to ASRW for the winners andtheir instructors.


I-CAR AnnouncesTraining Scheduleat ASRW Automotive Service & Repair Week(ASRW) announced that I-CAR hasreleased its training schedule for thisyear’s event and will provide 11 trainingclasses beginning Wednesday, Oct. 10,through Friday, Oct. 12. Each instruc-tor-led (live) class will last four hours.Online registration is available for$93/course at www.ASRWevents.com.

I-CAR is a long-standing supporter ofASRW and will return to the event thisyear with some of its newest training,such as its Blueprinting Process andDamage Discovery (BLU01) course.During this “live demo” course, studentswill learn how blueprinting can lead tomore accurate damage assessments andgain insights into applying the blueprint-ing process in their own shop environ-ments. The live demo will include thedisassembly of a vehicle and steps to dis-cover hidden damage.

The blueprinting course will takeplace Thursday, Oct. 11, and Friday, Oct.12, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the ASRWshow floor and will have a maximum of15 students per session. The course costs$100/ student, and registration is avail-


Circle 102 for Reader ServiceCircle 79 for Reader Service

AMI Offers Free NACE ExpoPass to EstimateScrubber.comUsers VehicleOwnersGuide.com and theAutomotive Management Institutehave announced that users ofEstimateScrubber.com can receivea free NACE Expo Pass ($25 value)and a $50 discount coupon towardany conference purchase.

Added Toni Slaton, AMI execu-tive director, “AMI is pleased tomake this valuable opportunityavailable to EstimateScrubber.com users. As the world’s largestcollision repair event, NACE offersattendees a unique opportunity toattend a conference program withmore than 80 relevant and timelysessions and a trade show featur-ing all the products, services,equipment and technology avail-able to industry professionals.”

Continued on pg. 81


CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts hasannounced the addition of two Houstonlocations – CSI CARSTAR and PinnacleCARSTAR Auto Body – to its network ofcollision centers.

Cheryl Perdue, a 25-year veteran ofthe auto body repair business, runs theCSI CARSTAR shop, which has beenfamily owned and operated since itsfounding in 1983. Her husband, Trey, isthe general manager.

“By becoming part of CARSTAR, wemaintain our independence but are nowpart of the nation’s largest MSO, which willimpact us from a competitive standpoint,”

said Trey Perdue. “We also looked at thewhole package of what CARSTAR canbring to the table for us: better pricingthrough their buying power, corporaterebates, operational and marketing sup-port, and insurance relationships as well asthe opportunity to join a growing brand,not just in the Houston market but on anational scale as well.”

Martin Russell, who owns PinnacleCARSTAR Auto Body, has been active inthe industry for 20 years.

“My business is growing to a pointwhere I need assistance in managinggrowth,” Russell said. “The operational

and organizational support I will get fromCARSTAR will help me streamline mybusiness. I’m also looking at this as anexit strategy. I know being part of thenational CARSTAR brand will bring morevalue to my business when I do decide tosell. The fact that I have marketing andoperational support, buying power andDRPs will be very beneficial in the valua-tion of my business.”

With the addition of CSI CARSTAR andPinnacle CARSTAR Auto Body, CARSTARnow has six locations in the Houston areaand a total of eight within 45 miles of the city.



ConsolidatorsCARSTAR Adds Two Houston Shops to Network


able online.The I-CAR sessions offered at ASRW

2012 are:

Wednesday, Oct. 108:00 a.m.-12 p.m. – Inspecting Repairsfor Quality Control (QUA01)

1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. – Corrosion Pro-tection (CPS01) / Hazardous Materials,Personal Safety and Refinish Safety(WKR01)

Thursday, Oct. 118:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – AutomotiveFoams (FOM01) / Measuring (MEA01)10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. – BlueprintingProcess and Damage Discovery (BLU01)1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. – Steel UnitizedStructures Technologies and Repair(SPS07)

Friday, Oct. 128:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Overview ofCycle Time Improvements for CollisionRepair (CYC01) / Steering and Suspen-

sion Damage Analysis (DAM06)

10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. – BlueprintingProcess and Damage Discovery (BLU01)

1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. – StructuralStraightening Steel (SSS01)

“Offering I-CAR training courses atASRW is a huge value-add to attendees,and we’re pleased to once again partnerwith them in this capacity,” said RonPyle, ASA president.




I-CAR continued from pg. 79


C.D.E. Collision Damage Experts, aChicago-based collision repair com-pany, announced that it has acquired

South County Auto Body in Lansing,Ill. This facility is located at 2735Bernice Road and has been serving

the Lansing community for morethan 35 years. C.D.E. now has sixlocations in Lynwood, Ill.; Hammond,Ind.; Crown Point, Ind.; and two inSouth Chicago. C.D.E celebratedtheir 30th year in business by open-ing state-of-the-art facilities in Ham-mond and Crown Point, Ind.

“South County Auto is the premierbody shop in Lansing, known for theircommitment to a high quality repairand incredible customer service.We’re pleased to have their staffmembers join our team,” says ChuckFreiberg, president and CEO of C.D.E.Collision Damage Experts.

Added Chris Cardwell, vice presi-dent of operations of C.D.E. CollisionDamage Experts, “I’m very excitedabout this acquisition and feel thislocation is a critical part of ourgrowth strategy throughout Chicago-land and Northwest Indiana.”




C.D.E. Collision Damage Experts Opens Sixth Location in Lansing, Illinois

Global alternative asset managerThe Carlyle Group, together withmanagement and employees of

Service King Collision Repair Centers,has announced its closure on the acquisi-tion of majority ownership in the largestindependent U.S. chain of auto bodyrepair shops. Terms of the transactionwere not disclosed.

Founder Eddie Lennox retains a signifi-cant ownership stake in Service King. For-mer CEO Cathy Bonner is now chairman ofthe board of directors. Chris Abrahamserves as Service King's new CEO, whileJeff McFadden has been named president.Bonner and other personnel say the MSO iswell-positioned for national growth.

“Service King will be the premier colli-sion repair provider in the country. Weexpect our brand to be the gold standardfor excellence in quality of repair and serv-ice to our customers,” said Abraham.

Established in 1976 and headquarteredin Dallas, Texas, Service King operates 49locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Hous-

The Carlyle Group Closes Acquisition ofService KingCollision RepairCenters


ton, San Antonio and Austin metropolitanareas and has doubled its revenue and loca-tion count in the past three years. As itembarks on a national expansion plan,Service King in May announced its plannedentry into the Arizona market by partner-ing with Auto Body World Inc., which ownseight locations in the state.

Gerber Collision & Glass »| Industry Update |«



Gerber Collision & Glass Adds Locations in NorthCarolina, GeorgiaThe Boyd Group Inc. hasannounced the opening of twonew Gerber Collision & Glassrepair centers in North Carolinaand one in Georgia. The BoydGroup now operates 151 locationsin the U.S.

The first repair center islocated in Concord, N.C., and waspreviously known as Turn 2 Colli-sion. It is approximately 10,000square feet in size. The secondcenter in Havelock, N.C., previ-ously operated as Robert's BodyShop and is approximately 20,000square feet in size.

The new repair center inAlpharetta, Ga., is approximately10,000 square feet in size. It previously operated as CarsonAutomotive.

"The opening of these centersbrings our total locations in NorthCarolina to 19 and in Georgia to 13,as we continue to execute on ourgrowth strategy by adding newcenters in attractive locations toour North American footprint,"said Tim O'Day, president and COOof the Boyd Group's U.S.operations. "Concord is the largestcity in Cabarrus County, and thisaddition will help expand ourbrand in the Charlotte metropoli-tan area. Havelock is home to theMarine Corps air station CherryPoint, the world's largest MarineCorps air station with more than25,000 military personnel. TheHavelock location will allow us tobetter serve vehicle owners andinsurance partners on the NorthCarolina coastline. Likewise, thenew Alpharetta center will help usexpand service coverage in thenortheastern Atlanta area."

151Total Number of U.S. Stores:


The Society of CollisionRepair Specialists (SCRS)has announced that regis-

tration for the Repairer DrivenEducation (RDE) series at the2012 SEMA Show is up nearly300 percent year-to-date overlast year.

“The first two years of theRDE program brought a lot ofvery positive response from theattendees, and we believe that thenumbers clearly indicate that ourprogram at the SEMA Show isdelivering exactly what theindustry is looking for right now,”said SCRS Chairman Aaron

Clark. “We’ve worked hard toput together a program thatspecifically addresses solutions toexisting business conditions, andare glad to see the industryresponding with early approval.”

SCRS also reports an uptickin the number of multiple-shopoperators (MSOs) and interna-tional automotive businessesparticipating in RDE. Accord-ing to SCRS, the internationalrepairers currently signed upfor the 2012 RDE representmore than a dozen differentcountries. SCRS believes thatthe growth in both of these

types of participants reflectsthe universal relevance of theissues addressed in the RDEsessions and the benefit theinformation holds for collisionbusinesses regardless of loca-tion, business model or size.

SCRS says the number ofexhibitors in the CollisionRepair & Refinish section isalso up, with “double-digit”growth in the square footagethese exhibitors will occupy.

“In addition to the CollisionRepair & Refinish section of theshow, there are many collisionindustry companies that have

taken advantage of space that’savailable in other areas of theshow such as in Tools & Equip-ment (North Hall), Restyling &Car Care Accessories (NorthHall), Racing & Performance(Central Hall), Hot Rod Alley(Central Hall) and the First Time& Featured Exhibitors (UpperSouth Hall) section,” said Clark.“The presence that these compa-nies have throughout the showtruly demonstrates what an inte-gral partner the collision indus-try, and the businesses within it,has grown to be in the overallshow makeup.”



AssociationSCRS Says Registration for SEMA Show RDE Series Up Nearly 300 Percent Over Last Year

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), Automotive Recy-clers of Canada (ARC) and United Recyclers Group (URG), willcentralize their accreditation programs into one united accredita-tion and certification standard for professional automotive recy-clers. Named the CAR Gold Seal Accreditation Alliance, it aims to

Recycler Organizations Merge Accreditation Programs


The Automotive Aftermar-ket Industry Association(AAIA) has released the

2012 "Digital Collision RepairTrends: Industry Statistics &Analysis" report, which com-bines the latest available industrydata from original AAIAresearch, government and inde-pendent research sources. Thisonline publication is the seventhedition of this report series andwas designed to capture the sizeand scope of the collision repair

sector of the automotive after-market industry.

“Collision repair shop sales in2011 totaled an estimated $38.7billion, up 3.3 percent from$37.5 billion in 2010,” said Kath-leen Schmatz, AAIA presidentand CEO. “Independent paintand body repair shops made up$25.7 billion or 66 percent ofthe total market. Stats like these,and so much more, are featuredin this new study, which is justthe latest offering in AAIA’s

ongoing effort to provide themost current and essential mar-ket intelligence available to helpour members run successfulbusinesses.”

The report covers topics suchas fatalities from vehicle crashes,2011 retail distribution, collisionrepair shop sales and directrepair programs. Powered byNxtbook Media LLC, AAIA saysthis digital publication retainsboth the traditional design andhigh quality content of earlierreports but also provides addedvalue with many new functionalenhancements. Users can:

� Download Excel-basedfiles, charts, tables and graphsthat can be copied and pasted forpresentations.

�Turn pages with the click ofa mouse.

�View pages in a variety ofsizes and formats.

� Quickly locate what they'relooking for through a “wordsearch” feature.

� Save material for futurereference through the “book-marks” feature.

� Print the entire publication.

More Information »Copies of the new CollisionRepair Trends study are nowavailable – cost is $125 for AAIAmembers and $250 for non-members. To order, visitwww.aftermarket.org and click“Market Intelligence,” or callAAIA market research at (301)654-6664.



AAIA Releases 2012 Digital Collision Repair Trends Report

advance excellence among automotive recyclersaround the world.

Joining ARA's CAR and Gold Seal programson the initiative are URG's 8000 and ARC'sCanadian Auto Recyclers’ Environmental Code(CAREC) programs. These programs have servedto identify the top tier of certified professional

automotive recyclers.In addition, ARA and ARC agreed to jointly

fund the creation of a Web-based administrativeplatform for the CAR Gold Seal AccreditationAlliance that will allow for enrollment and track-ing of the program from the participating auto-motive recycling companies worldwide.

CIC Administrator Jeff Hendler to voicetheir displeasure with the decision to place“a [very partisan] insurance guy at the helmof CIC.”

“Within minutes of sending out my ini-tial press release, I received statementsfrom several members speaking to theirdisappointment with thisdecision,” says Bryant. “It ismy hope that the industrycontinues to speak outagainst not only this ques-tionable act by the CIC innominating Mr. Avery, butalso regarding thePartsTrader program itself.”

AASP-NJ LegislativeCommittee Chairman andlongtime board memberBrian Vesley was among thefirst to convey his concernson the matter.

“What I know about Mr.Avery from his public posi-tions…is that for many years, he has beenthe spokesperson for the narrowest self-interest of insurers and his employer,”Vesley wrote in a message sent on Aug. 3.“Mr. Avery’s professional abilities are notin question; rather, the issue is the inher-ent conflict between his history of publicadvocacy of controversial insurerprograms and the less partisan responsi-bilities of the CIC chair. Mr. Avery and hisemployer should decline the nominationif they value the integrity of the CollisionIndustry Conference.”

Another AASP-NJ member, MattCasiano, said, “Find a suitable candidatewho can best guide the membershiptoward [CIC’s] original mission andvision statement. [Avery’s appointment]will be giving State Farm exactly whatthey want – ushering in their new Parts-

Trader plan and once againinflicting serious damageon another attempt by ourindustry to unite in theface of a future that isdaunting, at best.”

Another longtime AASP-NJ member shop echoed thesentiments of his associationcolleagues: “I strongly urgeyou to reconsider yournominee; put that power inthe hands of someonewho…has a trueunderstanding of the strug-gles that shops like mine gothrough every day to keep

customers safe and pay our bills.”

More information » AASP-NJencourages any repairer who would like tomake their opinions known on the appoint-ment of George Avery to CIC chairman tocontact current CIC Chairman MichaelQuinn at [email protected] and CICAdministrator Jeff Hendler [email protected].

For more information on AASP-NJ,visit www.aaspnj.org.




According to AASP-NJ, a record num-ber of its members have been step-ping forward to voice their

displeasure with the July 18 appointmentof State Farm’s George Avery to CIC chair-man.The members’ action comes inresponse to AASP-NJ Executive DirectorCharles Bryant calling on repairers acrossthe country to speak out against StateFarm’s parts bidding program.

“We feel the timing of this decision isunfortunate because of the perception itcreates,” Bryant stated in his message tomembers. “Mr. Avery holding this posi-tion represents an obvious conflict ofinterest as CIC continues to address thisemotionally charged and industry-chang-ing parts program.”

Bryant then urged members to contactcurrent CIC Chairman Michael Quinn and

AASP-NJ Members Speak Out

Against Appointment of Avery as CIC Chair

George Avery

CARFAX has introduced a freeRepair Advantage Programwhich it says will promote col-lision repair facilities and thequality of their work to mil-lions of used car buyers andsellers who view CARFAXreports every year.

“Every day, CARFAXreceives thousands of accidentand damage records that appearon CARFAX Vehicle HistoryReports,” says CARFAX’s ChrisBasso. “However, there’s littleto no information availableabout the subsequent repairs tothese vehicles. As part of this

program, shop owners canshow that quality repairs weremade at their trusted facility.”

CARFAX says that bodyshops providing this informa-tion helps complete the story ofa reported accident and subse-quent repair.

“Participating shops moreeffectively market their business,build trust in the repair and helpmaintain their customers’ vehiclevalue,” says Basso.

Once a shop signs up, CAR-FAX extracts the vehicle-spe-cific information from theirshop management system. A

simple data connection regu-larly sends the repair details toCARFAX.

Currently, collision repairfacilities have branding oppor-tunities on the CARFAX reporteach time their repair recordsappear, but CARFAX plans onoffering additional marketingmaterials in the future.

So far, almost 200 collisionrepair facilities have becomemembers of the program.

For more information, con-tact Don Elliott at [email protected] or (317)941-9001.

Total AutomotiveFeatured on SpeedChannel's 'Truck U'Total Automotive'sDeluxe Hinge Repair Kitfor 1999-2007 GM C/KSeries trucks and SUVswas recently featured onthe Speed Channel'spopular television show,"Truck U."

In the episode, titled"Cam Am Fix," showhosts Matt Steele andBruno Massel breakdown the installation,features and benefits ofthe Deluxe Hinge Kit andPRT (Pin Removal Tool).Since the first airing ofthe episode, Total Auto-motive has received aspike in online orders,according to businessdevelopment managerDerek Flom.

The episode will airmultiple times over thenext two months. Viewthe segment online athttp://truckutv.com/?p=1840.


Corporate News

BASF has announced that it is expanding its globalautomotive refinish training network. In Hanoi,Vietnam, a new Refinish Competence Center(RCC) has just opened, with new training centersin the pipeline for the U.S. and Italy.

Influenced by an increasing number of trainingrequests, BASF states that the additional network oftraining competence centers will furtherstrengthen its position as a leader in an industryfocused on customer intimacy and education.

From various Asia Pacific countries includingAustralia and China to the U.S., France and Ger-many, BASF offers training for its automotiverefinish customers at its RCCs. The training net-work comprises more than 50 training centers,where painters practice and perfect the use ofautomotive paints.

At the RCCs, BASF says participants learn fromprofessional trainers who share industry knowledgeand tips participants need for high-quality and tech-nically perfect automotive refinishing.

In 2011, approximately 12,000 paintersattended training courses at the RCCs worldwide.In Asia Pacific, more than 2,000 painters from vari-ous body shops participate in professional trainingcourses at one of the RCCs each year.

“These days, painters need more than traditional

training," said Ken Marshall, head of AutomotiveRefinish Coatings in Asia Pacific for BASF. "For thisreason, we offer training courses at the RCCs thatfocus on both the quality and the efficiency of theseminar participants.”

In Italy, an RCC is under construction inCesano Maderno. At the same time, there areplans for the construction of a new RCC inAtlanta, Ga., where operations are scheduledto begin in mid-2013. The existing RCC inSydney, Australia, and the location at Refin-ish Excellence in Jakarta, Indonesia, arenow being renovated. Also, the RCC inClermont, France, is under constructionfor a full upgrade.

BASF says its training concept is geared tothe international market, with all RCC loca-tions being equipped with the latest technol-ogy in order to create an optimum learningenvironment for all seminar participants.

“Whether in the United States, Vietnamor France, we work with the same high stan-dards at our RCCs worldwide," said JürgenBook, who is responsible for BASF’s RCCs inEurope. "In order to achieve excellent results, ourRCCs have state-of-the-art equipment and featurebest in the industry trainers.”

BASF's Global Automotive Refinishing Training Network Expands

CARFAX Introduces Repair Advantage Program for Body Shops


Party time!It’s It’s Party time!

BodyShop Business is celebrating 30years of service to the collision repairindustry…and so is NACE! To honor the 30-30 mark, we’re hosting a party together at theBodyShop Business booth (N1129) on Friday, Oct. 12 from 2:30-4 p.m. at NACE in New Orleans.All body shop personnel at the show are welcome tostop by and reminisce with BodyShop Business andNACE. Complimentary refreshments will be flowingwhile supplies last, so don’t miss out!

Party time!


The Society of Collision RepairSpecialists (SCRS) hasannounced that it will be offer-ing a presentationtitled, "BiddingWars: A GlobalView on the Possi-ble Impact ofInsurer Involvementin Parts Procure-ment," at the SEMAShow at 12:30 p.m.on Thursday, Nov. 1in the Upper NorthHall of the LasVegas ConventionCenter. It will fea-ture Rex Crowther,editor of Panel Talk Magazine inNew Zealand, and David New-ton-Ross, editor of The NationalCollision Repairer in Australia andThe New Zealand CollisionRepairer.

This session will provideattendees with a global per-spective on the economic

impact of NewZealand-based bid-ding programs,procedural impactsthey have had oncycle times andestimating prac-tices, and changesthey have had onrepairer/supplierrelationships. Itwill also include ahistorical overviewof the nationalrollout, changes

made to the program alongthe way and market impactfrom inception to present day,including market response atvarious points throughout thepast eight years.

“Having seen firsthand theimpact PartsTrader has had onthe industry here in NewZealand, and hearing howdifferent both PartsTraderand State Farm are saying it isgoing to be in the U.S., Istruggle to see any advantagefor repairers, or much realadvantage for State Farm,”said Crowther, who has beeninvolved in the New Zealandcollision repair industry since1967. “This makes me suspi-cious of the end game, as allrepairers’ margins are vulner-able through this program andsurely any insurer is out tomaximize their profits fortheir stakeholders.”

As a former owner of twoAuckland, New Zealand-based repair facilities for 28years, Crowther is no

stranger to repairer reactionto programs such as these. Inaddition, he served as theexecutive chairman of theNew Zealand Collision RepairAssociation from 1999 to2004, representing a mem-bership base that performedmore that 80 percent of theinsurance-paid collision repairwork in the country. He hasalso served on the board of I-CAR New Zealand for thepast 10 years and was chair-man for two years prior tostepping down in April 2012.Since 2004, Crowther hasbeen on the board of theMotor Industry TrainingOrganization (MITO), whichis responsible for all motorindustry apprentice andadvanced training.

To register for this RDEseminar, visit www.semashow.com/scrs. For more informa-tion on SCRS, visitwww.scrs.com.


AAPEX 73AFC Air Filtration Co. 52Aframe Spray Booths 26Airomax/U.S.Body Products 74Airvantage Tools Inc. 42Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists Inc. 84Amerex Corp. 82Anest Iwata USA 29Audatex 47, 63Automotive Mgmt Institute 84Bendpak Insert, 80Blair 28Car-O-Liner Co. 5CCC Information Services 6-7Cebotech Inc. 54Certified Auto Parts Association 23ChemSpec USA 55Chief Automotive Systems 15CJJ Inc. 16Coastal Boot 69, 79Col-Met Spraybooths 70CrashWriter 81Dent Fix Equipment 21DIRECTV 48-49Dominion Sure Seal 44DV Systems 66

Eagle Abrasives 27Evercoat 3Extractor 38, 64Farecla Inc. 4Garmat USA 10-11Goffs Curtain Walls 86Gordon Auto Body Parts Co. Ltd. 68H & S Auto Shot Mfg Co. 40Herkules Equipment Corp. 56Induction Innovations 80Innovative Tools & Technologies, Inc. 39Island Clean Air 32Kaeser Compressors 43Kayco Spray Booths 78Lancer Insurance Company 34, 64LiftMaster 57Lone Star Alliance 79Malco Products 17Martech Services Co. 65, 78Martin Tool & Forge/ Martin Sprocket & Gear, Inc. 82Matrix System Automotive Finishes LLC 72MMLJ, Inc. 56Mobile Spray Technology 30Motor Guard Corp 65, 86NACE 13, 89NAPA 67

NRD LLC 83PPG Industries Cover 2 -1Pro Spot International Cover 3RBL Products 83Reflex Truck Liners 51Rubber-Seal Products 36S.A.I.M.A. of N. America 37Safety Regulation Strategies 22SEMA 71Sherwin-Williams Co. 45Shop-Pro Equipment 35Spray Tech 53Steck Mfg Co. 22Suburban Mfg. 85Tite Spot Welders 85Total Automotive 9Toyota Cover 4Transtar Autobody Technologies 31UCoat It America, LLC 76UniCure Spray Booths 59Urethane Supply C.o 33Valspar 18-19VF Imagewear, Inc. 61Wedge Clamp Systems Inc. 81Wizards Products/RJ Star Inc. 41

ADVERTISER INDEXCOMPANY NAME PG. # COMPANY NAME PG. # COMPANY NAME PG. #

SCRS to Offer Session on Parts Procurement at SEMA Show

Rex Crowther


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»| Product Showcase |«

Aggressive Sanding Toolsia Abrasives’ siabite 2511 File Belts containself-sharpening ceramic grits and are designedfor heavy-duty metal work. This product con-

tains highly active grinding agents to achieve aggressive removal rates whileextending the life of the product. It also contains a secondary topcoat grindingaid to reduce heat buildup. Engineered for demanding metal applications, it canbe used on stainless steel, high-alloy steel and super alloys. sia Abrasiveswww.sia-abrasives.com


Produce Accurate, Tight HemsMalco’s DH Pneumatic Door Hemming Tool produces accurate, tight, clean hems withoutblemishing any part of a new door skin. The technician simply removes the old door skinand preps the door shell in the usual way. Slightly angling the upright lip of thereplacement door skin with a hammer and dolly and flattening the point ofentry for the Hemming Tool will ensure a smooth operation. The anvil maybe positioned flush against the outer edge and finished side of the door skin.The high impact, ABS polymer anvil will not smudge or scratchthe metal surface. A narrow seaming wheel fits flush against theanvil fence and will not distort metal or leave tracks. It’s com-patible with most shop air supplies and accepts any quick-connect hose adapter equipped with a male 1/4-inch pipethread. A 45-degree brass elbow fitting facilitates easy hoseclearance when the tool is in use. Malcowww.malcoproducts.com


Create New ProfitCenter with RentalsLancer’s commercial automobile insurancecoverages allow body shop owners to establishtheir own rental fleet and turn it into a newprofit source. Instead of referring customersto an outside car rental company, build yourown on-site. Lancer Insurance(800) 782-8902 x3027

www.lancerinsurance.com.


Remove Micro-PinholesEvercoat’s 440Express Micro-Pinhole Elimi-nator is designed to be a shop’s insurancepolicy against micro-pinholes in glazingputty. Testing shows that, after use, up to 90percent of rework caused by micro-pinholeswill be eliminated. Evercoatwww.evercoat.com


Quality Breathing AirThe Personal Air Breathing Unit is a com-plete, belt-mounted 20 SCFM system thatprovides Grade “D” breathable air for aproper NIOSH-approved respira-tor. With theprovided 54-inch tool airhose assem-bly, it willallow for abypass of air fora paint spray gun.It includes a built-infilter and a carbon monoxide monitor withboth audible and visual alarms. Martechwww.breathingsystems.com



»| Product Showcase |«

Free Lightweight FillerEvercoat is hosting its “Save Some Green, GetSome Gold” promotion. For a limited time, shopscan receive one free gallon of Evercoat’s newEverGold lightweight filler when they purchasetwo each of any of the following putties: MetalGlaze OEM, Metal Glaze, Glaze Coat or Easy

Sand. EverGold is a newly formulated lightweight filler speciallydesigned to give professionals the performance of premium body filler ata value price. EverGold is easy to spread and levels to a smooth finish. Itcontains ZNX-7 for superior adhesion and is tack-free for easy sanding.Evercoatwww.evercoat.com


Sand Heavy-Duty SurfacesEkaforce is a paper base that has flexible and high-wear resistance characteristics, making it an idealtool for sanding and polishing metal and fiberglass.Its flexible B-weight paper backing offers durabil-ity, while its aluminum oxide grain coating pre-vents premature clogging. It’s offered in 5- and6-inch sheets, rolls and disks, and is available in 80-180 and 400-1,200 grit counts. Uneeda Enterprizeswww.sandpaper.com


Protect Yourself fromWelding SparksLightweight and flexible, Goff’s Weld Blan-kets are designed to be draped over materi-als, equipment, vehicles and vehicleinteriors to provide protection from weld-ing and grinding sparks, molten and hot

metal debris, and torch-cutting spatter. These blankets are constructed with a durable,tear-resistant, soft carbon fiber material that can withstand temperatures up to 1,800° F.They’re ideal for use on surfaces that cannot have an abrasive material cover such as auto-mobile surfaces, glass, upholstery, plastics, electronic components and leather. Goff’s WeldBlankets are stock sized at 80 x 72 inches and are packaged in a reusable container.Goff’s Enterpriseswww.goffscurtainwalls.com


Quick Dent RemovalThe RADiTAP Rapid Dent Removal Systemis an air-actuated, long-reach pick solutionfor paintless dent removal and auto bodypanel restoration. Use it to access dents viadoor and gate latch openings, trunk andengine compartments, and wheel wells. Itoffers adjustable air power to vary the speedand intensity of the pick action while mini-mizing arm, wrist and hand strain. Fouruser-defined configurations for head and

pick types, plus interchangeable 18-, 36-and 48-inch drive shaft lengths, allow multi-ple setup combinations. A versatile ball tipand maneuverable wedge attach directly tothe desired shaft length and employ a recip-rocating action. Use the ball tip to work outdents in flat and rounded body panel loca-tions by applying air-leveraged, repetitivesmoothing action from any angle. Thewedge can reach into misshapen crevicesand sharp profiles. A right-angle pick assem-bly uses interchangeable steel and polymerblunt tips to provide a controlled, vibratinghammer-like action.Malcowww.malcoproducts.com


Wheel Repair Service Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists is seekingcollision shop owners who would like toincrease their revenue by adding on-site

alloy wheel repair and wheel straighteningto their list of services. Features includelow start-up cost, brand-certified trainingand a patented system. Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists Inc.www.awrswheelrepair.com



Classifieds

MarkiNgpeNdepot.coMCollision Shops, Towing, Auction Sites,

Dealers, Recyclers, OEMs

Tow Pro $2.50Autowriter $3.50Posca $3.50Bopagla $2.00Unipaint $3.86MPD-15 $1.30Volume Discounts!

Call 888-906-9370 or online atmarkingpendepot.com Order your Wheels at:

www.newwheel.comor 800-486-0931

• Original Equipment Wheels In Stock• Limited Lifetime Guarantee• 1000s of Wheels In Stock• Affordable Prices

We ship from eight different locations:Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Los Angeles,Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami

Alloy Wheel Remanufacturing

www.morganmfg.com

Body Shop Tools • [email protected]

3/8" and 1/2" Diameter heat treated alloy steel slide hammer hooks.

3/8" Diameter right angle hooks now available. Part No’s JR-16R & JR-16RF

1-800-472-4551Wholesale Body Shop REFINISHING SUPPLIES:Sherwin Williams, Sunfire, Spies, House of Color, Dimen-sion, AWLGRIP, 3M, Marson, Fiberglass-evercoat, USC,SEM, Mequires, Pin Stripe, Binks, DeVilbiss, SATA, Tools& Equipment!

Great Service & Lowest Prices.Paints Plus, Stover, MO.

www.paintsplus.com


»| Classifieds |«

Body Shop Inventory & Web Softwareby Rossknecht Software www.rossknecht.com

A Windows® inventory system for BodyShops that also salvage vehicles or havenew/used parts to sell – vehicle and parts

inventory, invoicing, reports, instant sales totals,bar-code labels, digital pictures, electronic cata-log of body parts. NEW: Put your inventory on yourWebsite included.No monthly fees. $895 complete. Free Demo [email protected] phone 303-884-5315

www.bodyshopbusiness.com

BodyShop Business Classified

Help wanted • Business for sale Equipment for sale • Software...

and so much more!Call Tom Staab today at 330-670-1234 ext. 224

It’s Our Party... So Let’s Show Up!

This meeting every year provides all of usin the collision sector with an exclusive iden-tity and event to serve our individual needs.Whether it’s technical training, managerialcounseling, new equipment needs or justinformation on industry trends, it’s all thereunder one roof.

The Automotive Service Association and theevent planners do an excellent job every

year of finding the hot topics andproducts so you can stay as current

and cutting edge as possible.New Orleans is a fun city

that’s rich with history. Proba-bly the only thing better thanits history is the food. We’vededicated several pages in thisissue (pgs. 58-62) to things todo and see while you’re in theBig Easy, and we hope you find

it informative.

Speaking of history, this is also bothBodyShop Business’s and NACE’s 30th anniver-sary. Together, both organizations have beenserving you and the industry for 30 years.What better reason to get together and cele-brate? Please stop by the BodyShop Businessbooth (N1129) on Friday, Oct. 12, from2:30-4 p.m. and enjoy some refreshmentswith us. We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

Not all industries have the luxury of havinga dedicated trade show like NACE. It’s atremendous asset to all of us. In order to real-ize its benefits, you need to attend. There’splenty of time to make your plans and headfor New Orleans. You won’t be sorry you did,and for those of you on the East Coast, it’s alot shorter trip than next year’s location in Las Vegas. So let’s all make plans to meet at NACE.

See you in N’awlins!

Publisher’sPerspective

S. Scott Shriber, PublisherEmail comments to [email protected]

Ican hardly believe it’s that time of year again. NACE is right around the corner, andthis year’s event in New Orleans promises to be excellent. It’s mind-boggling to seeall the content and available activities on the agenda.

bodyshop business, september 2012

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