wisconsin automotive news spring 2016

The Official Publication of the Wisconsin AutoCollision Technicians Association Ltd.

Spring 2016

www.grecopublishing.com

PLUS: WACTAL Spring Conference

Brings Repairers Together Inspiring Technicians

Through Restoration Work

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Spring 20162


3Spring 2016

2016-2018 WACTALBOARD of DIRECTORS

PresidentLarry TerrienMJ Collision [email protected]

Vice PresidentMark WilliamsWilliams Auto [email protected]

Secretary/TreasurerRonnie GossGoss Auto Body, [email protected]

TreasurerSue BlackDean’s Auto [email protected]

DirectorsJames BryhanBryhan's Body & Paint Specialists

Eileen HabermanGlen's Auto Body, Inc.

Mike MiyagawaM & M Auto Body Inc.

Michael TaylorZimbrick Chevrolet-Sun Prairie

Tracy BlackDean’s Auto Body, Inc.

Association AdministrationSue [email protected] / [email protected](800) 366-9482

LobbyistJolene [email protected]

Wisconsin Automotive News is published quarterly by Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc., 244Chestnut Street, Suite 202 Nutley, NJ 07110. Distributed free to qualified recipients; $48 toall others. Additional copies of Wisconsin Automotive News are available at $5 per copy.Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written per-mission of the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine are not neces-sarily representations of Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. or of WACTAL. Copyright © 2016 byThomas Greco Publishing, Inc. Cover image © www.istock.com

Spring 2016 Vol. 3 Number 3

ADVERTISER’S INDEX

PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.

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Axalta Coatings........................................OBCBody Shop Supply Co. ............................4Buerkle Hyundai ......................................15Dent Clinic ..............................................10Dentsmart ................................................13International Autos Waukesha..................15

LKQ..........................................................IBCMorrison’s Auto Parts ..............................6P&L Consultants......................................13Straight and Square ................................14West Bend Mutual Insurance ..................IFCZorn Compressor & Equipment ..............18

CONTENTSPRESIDENT’S MESSAGE........................................................5

We Want to Hear From You!by Larry Terrien

WACTAL “RECRUIT-A-MEMBER” PROGRAM ..................................5

LOCAL NEWS by Jacquelyn Bauman

Inspiring Technicians Through Restoration Work ..........................7

WACTAL Spring Conference Brings Repairers Together ....................8

Legislators Honored for Work on Behalf of Collision Repairers ..........9

WACTAL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ................................................11

Bob’s Auto Body, Boscobel, WIby Jacquelyn Bauman

TALKING TECHNICAL ................................................................12

Collision Repair: Where We’ve Been & Where We’re Goingby Larry Montanez III, CDA & Jeff Lange, PE

WACTAL BENEFIT PROGRAM ..................................................17

WACTAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION ........................................18


Spring 20164


“Recruit-a-Member”Member Program

For each member an existing WACTAL member recruits, the sponsoring (existing)member will receive a one-time $50 credit toward their membership dues.

There is no limit on the number of members an existing member can recruit.If the dollar amount of the credits exceeds the sponsoring member’s annual dues,

the excess amount will carry forward to subsequent years.

No monies will be paid out and credits cannot be cashed out. Credits cannot be split amongst multiple members.

The sponsoring member’s individual and business name must be listed on the new member’s Application for Membership as the sponsoring member.

If the new member had been a WACTAL memberduring the prior calendar year, no commission will be allowed.

This program can be rescinded or amended without prior notice. In the event theprogram is rescinded or amended, credits for applications received after the change will beprocessed under the new program. No credits will be issued if the program is rescinded.

5Spring 2016

The WACTAL Spring 2016 Conference and Trade Showwas a big success! (See article on page 8 for more information.)Feedback from those in attendance was very good. Between theseminars and speakers, the trade show vendors and discussionswith other WACTAL members, there was a wealth of informa-tion available.

The Spring Conference and Trade Show is so important toattend because it is the premier networking and training opportu-nity for WACTAL members, local vendors and even non-mem-ber shops. There may be other educational events throughout theyear, but this is where most of our members congregate – whichgives you the most bang for your buck. Having the chance tohear successful industry pioneers like Aaron Schulenburg, NickHardesty, Bill Morrison and Gary Arndt, as well as the ability toget face-to-face with vendors and fellow shop owners is invalu-able. We are all in the same fight and many of the problems youare facing are also being experienced by the shop down thestreet. Someone in your neighborhood might have the answer toone of your questions, and if you’re not coming out to this eventor ones like it, you’re missing out on a valuable resource.

While we appreciate the participation of all of those whodid make it out to this year’s annual convention, of course weare always looking to expand our attendance base for futureevents. At our last Board meeting, we discussed how we couldpossibly get more participation at these events. If you were notthere, what would it take to get you involved? In what part ofthe state would you like to have the 2017 Conference and TradeShow? What topics and speakers would you be interested in?What time of year/days of the week work best for you? Pleasecontact any of the Board members or the WACTAL office withyour thoughts and suggestions. Remember, this is your organiza-tion. You will get out of it what you put in!

Larry TerrienPresident

We Want to Hear From You!

WAN

President’sMESSAGE


Spring 20166


7Spring 2016

LocalNEWS

As the industry becomes more and more starved for newtechnicians, creating a passion for this field of work in the youngis an amazing thing. In February, Lakeshore Technical College(LTC) lit a spark for automotive repair students through a 1967Camaro restoration project, completed on behalf of the youngstudents of Plymouth High School.

The car, which was used for racing inSheboygan County in the ’60s and ’70s, was “pret-ty rusty and beat up” when it was donated to thePlymouth High School Auto Program, as noted byLakeshore Technical College Auto CollisionInstructor Jack Charles.

Although LTC had initially intended on onlydoing touch-up paint on the vehicle, the projectquickly evolved into something much bigger.

“Automotive education is like a tree – if yougive it water, it will grow,” Charles explains. “Thisproject was just one part of a much bigger picture.When I first came to LTC in 2009, the college hadold equipment and didn’t seem to have a lot invest-ed in it. I wanted to use this to raise the level ofperception of auto body repair so that peopleunderstand that it's a clean, high-paying, highlyskilled job – not just beating dents out of fenders. Sotwo years ago, LTC’s Executive Dean ofManufacturing, Trades and Agriculture, RichardHoerth, and I wrote a proposal for a grant to get state funding toimprove our program. We wanted to extend our one-year pro-gram to two years and train in the technology used today, suchas aluminum. We were awarded a general purpose revenuegrant of $263,000. That grew into expanding our facility andremodeling our education programs. This restoration project –much like the renovations to the school – evolved very quicklyfrom something small to something more intensive.”

The car restoration endeavor developed into the final project

for the most talented students in one of Charles’ capstone class-es, and the students took fervently to it, often working hours onthe job above and beyond what was asked of them. Charles esti-mates that about 1,000 hours of work collectively went into theproject.

On February 10, the finished vehicle was presented to thestudents of Plymouth High School who were visiting LTC.

“At the unveiling, the students were wild,” Charles says.“They couldn’t believe it. It exceeded everything they thought.We were given $1,500 by the school for the touch-up work; aftersponsorships for parts and paint, the whole job cost no morethan $3,000. The project spanned three groups of students andkids from every group have reached out to me on Facebookabout the finished project. They’re very proud.”

by Jacquelyn Bauman

Inspiring TechniciansThrough RestorationWork

Lakeshore Technical College students and instructors withPlymouth High School students around the restored 1967 Camaro.


Spring 20168

Plymouth High School plans to use the Camaro forinstructional purposes at its Tech Club and will use it as a promo-tional piece at car shows – including racing it at events such asNortheast Wisconsin Beat the Heat (a race and car show eventto promote traffic safety, drug and alcohol awareness and tobuild relationships between officers and kids of all ages).

“We expect that this project and this vehicle are going to getkids excited about taking automotive classes,” he expresses.“Over the next 10 years, there are going to be so many peopleretiring; there’s going to be a huge need for technicians and Ihope in a small way, this project has helped with that. This indus-try has been good to me. I’ve always been able to find work andit’s a field that will never be outsourced and requires a high levelof skill, translating to a higher level of pay. The goal is to inspirethese young people to have the desire to develop those skills sothat they can achieve the same level of success.”

For more information on Lakeshore Technical College’s auto-motive repair program, visit gotoltc.edu.

LTC Automotive Collision Instructor Jack Charles(right) unveiling the Camaro.

WACTAL Spring ConferenceBrings Repairers Together

Following another year of consistent participation and sup-port from vendors and attendees alike, the Wisconsin AutoCollision Technicians Association, LTD. (WACTAL) has reported

their Spring 2016Conference and Trade Showwas a success.

At the WACTALMembership Meeting onFebruary 26, held during theassociation’s Spring 2016Conference and Trade Showat Ho-Chunk GamingWisconsin Dells in Baraboo,WI, WACTAL President LarryTerrien, Vice President MarkWilliams and SecretaryRonnie Goss were all re-elected to their respectiveoffices for another two-yearterm. WACTAL member SueBlack was newly elected as

treasurer for the association. At the meeting, Terrien recognized Board member Art

Krolikowski for his dedication to WACTAL and to the collisionrepair industry. Krolikowski was quintessential in the passing ofConsumer Choice legislation that was signed into law onNovember 11. Through his consistent interaction with legislatorsand regular attendance to public hearings, the collision repairindustry’s voice was heard and taken into account. Having previ-ously served WACTAL as a director, vice president and presi-dent, the recognition was truly deserved.

Outside of the membership meeting, attendees of the con-vention enjoyed the many opportunities the event posed for thesharing of information.

“I felt like the classes were very valuable and that all of thespeakers in the seminars had worthwhile knowledge,” says RyanCarriveau of Merton Auto Body. “By the end of each of their pre-sentations, I had gotten a lot of really great knowledge. Theymade a lot of valid points that I hadn’t thought about.”

It was Carriveau’s first time at the convention, and as henotes, the chance to meet with his fellow shop owners was oneof his most appreciated parts of the weekend.

WACTAL President LarryTerrien (left) recognized

longtime Board member ArtKrolikowski (right) for hiswork on behalf of the

industry.


Spring 2016

“The ability to network and gain information is irreplaceable,”he adds. “I took two other people from my facility and we all gotsomething great from it.”

Steve Rainville of Fred Mueller Automotive shared similarsentiments about theConference.

“It was an awesomeevent,” he shares. “It was sucha good learning experience.When you go to these semi-nars and the guys talking areso successful, you can donothing but benefit from beingthere. I brought back informa-tion to my guys. It taught me alot and also reinforced a lot ofthe things I’ve already beendoing.”

One of the biggest things that Rainville took away from theevent is that he needed to work with insurers and work on rela-tionships with them.

“You have to have a relationship with insurance companies;it’s key to your business,” he expresses. “Almost 90 percent ofthe money that comes through here is from insurance compa-nies. We currently have programs with 17 insurers, which keeps

us very busy.” In addition to bringing knowledge and networking opportuni-

ties to repairers in the area, the event raised a significant amountof money for the WACTAL Scholarship Program. Auto Paint &

Supply (Waukesha), Dean’sAuto Body (Sheboygan), GossAuto Body (Menasha), Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells(Baraboo), Kolosso Toyota(Appleton), MJ Collision Center(Green Bay) and Williams AutoBody (Green Bay) all suppliedraffle buckets through whichmoney could be donated tosuch a worthy cause. WACTAL extends a big thank

you to all of its event sponsors.Gold sponsors for the event

were AkzoNobel Coatings, Body Shop Supply Co., BroadwayAutomotive and West Bend Mutual Insurance. Silver Sponsorswere Auto Paint & Supply, BASF and Dentsmart. BronzeSponsor was New Marketing Group. Hospitality Sponsors wereAkzoNobel Coatings, Body Shop Supply Co., Morrison’s AutoParts, Motors Service & Supply and PPG Industries.

Repairers from around the state gathered for a seriesof enlightening seminars.

Legislators Honored forWork on Behalf of Repairers

Throughout the end of 2015, Representatives Ed Brooksand Senator Howard Marklein fought to get Senate Bill 93 andAssembly Bill 119 – also known as the Auto Body Shop ChoiceBill – signed into law.With the help of WAC-TAL Director and ownerof Reedsburg AutoBody, Art Krolikowski,these two lawmakerswere able to draft legis-lation that was germaneto the collision repairindustry and its cus-tomers; in November oflast year, the bills becameAct 93. (For more

information on this legislation, see “Auto Body Shop Choice BillSigned into Law” in the Winter 2016 issue of WisconsinAutomotive News.)

In an act of appreci-ation, on January 15,Krowlikowski presentedBrooks and Marklein for-mally with plaquesacknowledging theirefforts in a ceremony athis shop.

“It took us nearly 10years to pass this con-sumer choice bill,”Krowlikowski said.“Consumers are now able

continued on page 16

Longtime Board member Art Krolikowski presented awards toSenator Howard Marklein (above left) and Representative EdBrooks (above right) for their work on legislation for repairers.

9


Spring 201610


11Spring 2016

WACTALMEMBER

SPOTLIGHT

Although dairy farming and automo-tive repair may not seem like they have alot in common, for Bob Biba, owner ofBob’s Auto Body in Boscobel, WI, workingon the farm created an almost unmatchedfoundation for his current career. Recently,Wisconsin Automotive News sat downwith Biba to find out how he got his startand how he continues his shop’s successyear after year.

Wisconsin Automotive News: Tell us alittle bit about how you got involvedwith automotive repair.Bob Biba: I grew up on a dairy farmwhere we did most of our own repairs onour big machinery; it was a big operationand it stood out pretty soon that I wasmechanically inclined. I loved cars so afterhigh school, I ended up at SouthwestTechnical College in Fennimore, WI. OnceI graduated, I started working at a shopwhere the owner, Edward Krechmann,was semi-retiring, which pushed me intomanagement really quickly. It was soonerthan I wanted, but it did me a lot of good. Irapidly learned how to do estimates andparts ordering and everything. By 1989, Ibought this shop and have been here eversince. I hired a guy to help me the firstyear, and then another guy to help me thesecond year, and we’ve been growingsteadily for the past 27 years.

WAN: How do you manage to maintainsteady growth in an often uncertainindustry?BB: We work to keep up with the times.We currently have three full-time techni-cians, one part-time tech, my wife in thefront office and myself, and with 13 baysand two spray booths, there really isn’tmuch we don’t do. When a change hitsthe industry, we’re the first to be ready forit. We were the first in our area to switchto waterborne paints. When airbags hit themarket, we learned how to replace them –we never farmed out that work. When alu-minum on the F-150 came out, we wentout and got the equipment and the schooling

done to do those repairs. It’s so mucheasier to take it one step at a time withthe changes rather than trying to do it allat once. If you get on the wrong side ofthe industry, it’s hard to catch up. I’m anadvocate that if the manufacturers aregoing to make the car a certain way, we’regoing to get the training to make sure thatit’s repaired the way they want it done. Imake sure my techs go out to I-CAR train-ing so that they’re always up-to-date. Ifyou’re trying to catch up to an industrythat’s already miles ahead, it’s difficult.

WAN: When did you become a memberof WACTAL, and why?BB: We were members for a long time awhile back. We rejoined because we sawhow important it is for shops to sticktogether. Insurers are overpowering us all

the time; they want to break the connec-tion between us because it’s easier tofight a little opponent than it is to go upagainst a big one. When the southwestWisconsin automotive association fizzledout, it allowed the insurers to take control.We need to be careful of that. More shopsshould get involved so they can realizewhat’s happening. Trying to work by our-selves just isn’t the answer.

WAN: What are some of the biggestchallenges you’ve faced in the field?

BB: Easily the biggest challenge is thepaint and material rates, as well as theLabor Rate. It’s difficult getting insurers topay us correctly when prices go up. As theprices for things rise, the payment for ourservices should match, yet it alwaysseems like the insurance industry is threeto five years behind. I’m pretty headstrongand I fight them when what they’re doingis unfair. I don’t always win, but I nevergive up. If other shops would do thesame, I don’t think we would be in this sit-uation, but it’s hard to fight this by your-self. We need more shops to stand up forthemselves. All of this is getting out ofcontrol.

WAN: Where do you see the industrygoing in the next 10 years?BB: I’m not sure where it’s going, but Iknow it’s not going to get easier. They’resqueezing the little guys who aren’t keep-ing up with the times out of the market.The only way to avoid it is to stop lettingour industry be dictated. You’ve got to doa great job and get paid for what you’redoing. Who knows better how to fix thecar than the expert who is doing thework? The adjusters come in and theydon’t know one end of the car from theother – and that’s the problem! My techni-cians are all top notch and know whatneeds to be done to fix the car and makeit safe.

WAN: What do you like to do in yourspare time away from the shop?BB: I have a big family so I like to spendtime with them, of course. I also still havea farm – I’ve always been a farm boy atheart – so we raise cattle and do somecropping. Plus, I’m a tinkerer. I repair andrestore machinery on the farm and I col-lect old cars that I’ve restored and rebuilt.There’s a toy shed full of them on myproperty. I love my cars; they’re all nicemuscle cars. I’m particularly proud of myPlymouth Prowler. I bought it brand new.It’s an awesome car.

Left to right: Luke Brown, Nate Hagemann, Mark Larson

and Bob Biba

by Jacquelyn Bauman

Bob’s Auto BodyBoscobel, WI

WAN


Spring 201612

About eight years ago, we said in ourclasses that within five to seven years, theindustry would have both regular DRPfacilities and OEM-certified shops thathave work driven to them like a DRP. Wepredicted that this would be the result ofOEMs following the example of theEuropean OEM Certified Collision RepairFacility (CCRF) programs. Well, this hasbecome a reality. Some of the OEM pro-grams are fairly easy to get on, while oth-ers require dealer sponsorship and exten-sive investments in equipment and train-ing. In the coming years, more and moreOEMs will adopt CCRF programs. Manywill have steel, aluminum and compositeprograms, while others may only be steelor aluminum. Some will have parts restric-tions, but all will entail equipmentupgrades and some sort of trainingrequirements. Repair facilities will need toinvest in equipment and training to be pre-pared for the near future or be faced withclosing their doors. However, we feel theword “Certified” is being over-used andimproperly used in many respects. Not all“Certified” programs are created equal.

Vehicle AdvancementsBMW was one of the first OEMs to

offer a steel-aluminum hybrid constructionmonocoque (unibody) back in 2004through 2010 with the 5 and 6 Series(E60/E63). Since then, the Audi TT(8J/8S), Porsche Panamera (970) andCarrera (991) and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (222) (to name a few) have adoptedthat hybrid construction design. Well, the2016 Audi Q7, 2016 Porsche Cayenne

and 2016 Cadillac CT6 are all hybrid-con-struction vehicles. It is rumored that otherswill follow this design construction in thenext two to three years.

BMW also announced the 2016 7Series, which is constructed from steel,aluminum and carbon fiber. Lamborghiniand Audi R8 will produce similar designs.We all need to think about how long it willbe before we see this design in more pop-ular vehicles.

We have all heard about the 2015Ford F-150 with its aluminum body. Well,GM has announced that by 2017/2018,the 1500 Series will be an aluminum bodyas well, and two other OEMs have saidthey will also produce aluminum-bodyvehicles in the next two years. How longdo you think it will be before vehicles likethe Ford Taurus or Mustang, ChevyImpala or Camaro, Chrysler 200 or 300 orDodge Challenger or Charger are con-structed with aluminum? We are at a hugecrossroads of advancement in vehicledesign. Are you prepared?

EquipmentEquipment upgrades and new pur-

chases will become more and more preva-lent in the next few years. Structuralrepairs will require anchoring from areasother than pinch weld flanges and multipleanchoring points, so apparatus upgradeswill be required. Rivet guns will be neces-sary for not only aluminum-intensive vehi-cles, but also for steel vehicles. Aluminumand silicon bronze (MIG Brazing) MIGwelders will be obligatory for numerousrepairs on new models, and carbon fiber-

reinforced plastic (CFRP) repair equip-ment will be compulsory for many shops.Investment costs of $75,000 to $200,000per shop are projected to just be able toperform repairs. Many shops need to sitdown and make a three- to five-year plan.

TrainingTraining will become almost mandato-

ry in the next few years. New materialssuch as advanced higher-strength steels,aluminum, carbon fiber and hybrid con-struction will require new techniques,equipment and materials. The new equip-ment, repair and replacement procedureswill demand training on how to use theequipment to perform the repairs.Technicians will need to learn the new pro-cedures and how to utilize the equipment to perform the mandated repair processes. Obviously, training will cost money andtime. Facility owners will need to allocatethe time and funds for the technicians’education. Expect to see other trainingoptions than what is currently available.

Joining MethodsMAG/GMAW will not be going away,

as there are many vehicles that haverepair procedures for sectioning thatrequire fillet welds, open butt joint weldsand butt joint with backing welds.Conversely, we will see less and less plugwelds and more STRSW requirements.And expect to see more rivet-bonding procedures on steel vehicles, along withdirect bonding to composite complementssuch as carbon fiber.

By Larry Montanez III, CDAand Jeff Lange, PE

TalkingTECHNICAL

Collision Repair: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going


13Spring 2016

ElectronicsElectronic components and comput-

er-controlled systems will increase evenmore in the next few years. Repair facili-ties will need to learn how to diagnosedamage to these systems and how toreinitiate, reset and/or aim them. Manyvehicles will require dealership servicedue to the proprietary computer systems, but all shops should have somesort of a code reader or diagnostic com-puter to be able to determine what sys-tems are not functioning. Remember,most systems will not set a MultifunctionIndicator Light (MIL) for a DiagnosticTrouble Code (DTC).

“Commercially Acceptable” and“Industry Standard”

Nobody is really sure who startedthese asinine phrases in the collisionrepair industry. Let’s look at their defini-tions:

Commercially Acceptable: Standardof work that is not perfect (as it has areasonable amount of imperfections) butis acceptable in accordance with general-ly accepted commercial practices.

Industry Standard: Generally accept-ed requirements followed by the mem-bers of an industry.

In the coming years, OEMs will besetting a higher standard for repairs notonly to their vehicles, but also for thevehicles repaired at their Certified RepairFacilities. Vehicle owners will no longeraccept a reasonable amount of imperfec-tions. As we have written before, there is


Spring 201614

no “industry standard” except what the OEM has set. We hear allthe time that a vehicle cannot be repaired back to pre-loss condi-tion and that even OEM repair procedures are not perfect. Well,that is just not true. Most of this negative attitude towards repairsand quality are generated from techs and facilities without theproper equipment, training and knowledge to know how tocharge the right amount for the repairs. We have seen an explo-sion of Post-Repair Inspection failures, with every line in thebook used to explain why the vehicle “had” to be repaired thatway. These are just excuses because people are afraid ofchange.

Change is coming fast, and we all must be willing to adapt toit.

TrainingTo become successful at anything, you will need to train and

practice (and obviously fail a few times). Your experience in colli-sion repair is extremely helpful, but you will also need to build yourrésumé, professionally called a CV (Curriculum Vitae). Here is a listof training you will need to assist in your goal of being a PRI techni-cian:

Experience as a technicianCurrent and ongoing structural repair training/certification from

multiple lines (Celette, Car-O-Liner, Chief, CarBench, Global-Jig)Current and ongoing welding certifications from companies like

ISO and AWSCurrent and ongoing OEM training certificationsCurrent and ongoing engineering education

Current and ongoing professional association membershipPeer-reviewed articlesSpeaking engagementsTraining engagements

This will not happen overnight. It takes time to build yourknowledge, experience and recognition in this field. One thing toremember is not to make such a big mistake that it ruins yourcareer. Everyone makes a mistake or two, but don’t be so off basethat it could prevent you from ever being hired again. Alwaysremember that we are a small community and news travels fast. Ifyou want to get involved in becoming a PRI technician or rising upthe ladder to a CDA, take it slow and study. Practice makes perfect.You will need to be proficient at photography, documentation,measuring and note-taking. All of these things will be used in theexpert report you will need to write.

PRIs will grow in prevalence as more and more vehicles withadvanced high-strength steel (AHSS) or aluminum are produced.This will all be due to many collision repairers’ refusal to invest inproper equipment and training, which is causing the current crop ofincorrectly repaired vehicles. PRIs are exposing the main issues inour industry, but they cannot address the solutions to ensure safeand proper repairs. Training, education and adhering to standardoperating procedures (SOPs) are some things to start with toensure that proper repairs are being performed. What you do todaycan destroy what you build tomorrow.

continued on page 16


15Spring 2016


Spring 201616

LocalNEWScontinued from pg. 9

to use the auto body shop of their choice, rather than beingforced to go somewhere unfamiliar to them because of an insur-ance company.”

“I am proud that Rep. Brooks and I were able to move thisbill through the legislative process,” Marklein said. “Thanks to thehard work and persistence of individual shop owners who aremembers of the Auto Collision Technicians Association, peoplewill be able to utilize local businesses they trust for repairs.”

“Across Wisconsin, auto body businesses work hard to buildstrong reputations and relationships with their customers,”Brooks said. “This law further enables these small businesses tocontinue providing quality service no matter the circumstances ofthe situation. I am honored to be recognized by WACTAL forhelping them to make this law change a reality.”

In order to continue moving the collision repair industry in apositive direction, shop owners need to get involved in their localpolitics. Find out who your representative is and make sure thatyour voice is heard. Act 93 is a perfect example of the ways inwhich we can create a better situation in our field for our busi-nesses and our consumers, simply through participation. If youhave any questions on how to get involved, contact the WACTALoffice or any of the WACTAL directors. WAN

TalkingTECHNICAL

continued from pg. 14

Larry Montanez III, CDA is co-owner of P&L Consultants withPeter Pratti, Jr. P&L Consultants works with collision repair shopson estimating, production and proper repair procedures. P&L con-ducts repair workshops on MIG & resistance welding, measuringfor estimating and advanced estimating skills. P&L also conductsinvestigations for insurers and repair shops for improper repairs,collision repairability and estimating issues. P&L can be reachedby contacting Larry at (718) 891-4018 (office), (917) 860–3588(cell), (718) 646–2733 (fax) or via email at [email protected] P&L website is www.PnLEstimology.com.

Jeff Lange, PE is president of Lange Technical Services, Ltd. ofDeer Park, NY (www.LangeTech. net). Jeff is a Licensed NewYork State Professional Engineer who specializes in investigatingvehicle and component failures. Lange Technical Services, Ltd. isan investigative engineering firm performing forensic vehicleexaminations and analysis for accident reconstruction, productsliability and insurance issues. Jeff can be reached at (631) 667-6128 or by email at [email protected].

WAN


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wisconsin automotive news spring 2016

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