hammer & dolly december 2015
DESCRIPTION
Official Publication of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA)TRANSCRIPT
www.grecopublishing.com
December 2015Volume 9, No. 12
$5.95www.wmaba.com
The Perfect Customer Testimonial Inside the OEM Summit SEMA 2015: The Place to Be
3December 2015
4 December 2015
32NATIONAL NEWS
OEM SUMMIT TACKLES TECHNOLOGY TRENDS, PROPER REPAIRSSCRS offers a forward-thinking day in Las Vegas. BY JOEL GAUSTEN
Images © www.istockphoto.com
DEPARTMENTS6 Calendar of Events
6 WMABA Labor Rate SurveyAnnouncement
10 Editor’s MessageJOEL GAUSTEN
12 Executive Director’s MessageJORDAN HENDLER
18 Technician ofthe Month: Albert TorresJACQUELYN BAUMAN
21 WMABA SponsorshipPage
23 WMABA MembershipApplication
44 President’s MessageDON BEAVER
47 In Memoriam:Cortez Lamont Clark
48 Thomas Greco PublishingAnnounces New Website
50 Advertisers’ Index
CONTENTSDecember 2015
LOCAL NEWSNEW OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN WITHSHERWIN-WILLIAMSThe industry mainstay brings education toFredericksburg.
5December 2015
28MARKETING FEATURE
BUILDING TRUST AND CONFIDENCE WITH AVIDEO TESTIMONIAL - PART 1How to make customers your best advertising. BY LEE EMMONS
16
20
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22 WMABA FEATURERESOLUTIONS: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKINGFORWARD TO FROM WMABA IN 2016?Members tell us what they'd like to see in the next12 months.BY JACQUELYN BAUMAN
CIC RECAPCIC AWARDSHonoring some of the industry's best. ELECTRONIC PARTS PROCUREMENT:WHO BENEFITS?The need for realistic data intensifies.
SEMA FEATURESEMA 2015: THE PLACE TO BEHighlights and perspectives from the country's biggest auto show.
36
6 December 2015
December 1, 2015ADHESIVE BONDINGState Farm Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MDADHESIVE BONDINGN T Auto Body Inc., Alexandria, VABLUEPRINTING PROCESS & DAMAGE DISCOVERYCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VARACK & PINION & PARALLELOGRAM STEERINGSYSTEMSSouthern Collision Center, Chesapeake, VA
December 2, 2015PLASTIC & COMPOSITE REPAIRRefinish Solutions, Springfield, VAUNDERSTANDING & PREVENTING REFINISH DEFECTSManheim (Harrisonburg) Auto Auction, Harrisonburg, VA
December 3, 2015BLUEPRINTING PROCESS & DAMAGE DISCOVERYSouthern Collision Center, Chesapeake, VACOLOR THEORY, MIXING TONERS & TINTINGRefinish Solutions, Springfield, VASQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGHarrison Body Works, Richmond, VAMEASURINGCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MDSQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGAutomotive Collision Technologies, Randallstown, MD
December 8, 2015WHEEL ALIGNMENT & DIAGNOSTIC ANGLESHarrison Body Works, Richmond, VAWHEEL ALIGNMENT & DIAGNOSTIC ANGLESSouthern Collision Center, Chesapeake, VAWHEEL ALIGNMENT & DIAGNOSTIC ANGLESCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VAFULL-FRAME PARTIAL REPLACEMENTCanby Motors Collision Repair, Aberdeen, MD
December 9, 2015REPLACEMENT OF STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURESRefinish Solutions, Springfield, VA
December 10, 2015ALUMINUM EXTERIOR PANEL REPAIR & REPLACEMENTRefinish Solutions, Springfield, VAALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE DAMAGE ANALYSIS &SAFETYFrederick Co. Career & Tech, Frederick, MDAUTOMOTIVE FOAMSUni-Select USA, Baltimore, MDREPLACEMENT OF STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURESCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MD
December 15, 2015HAIL, THEFT, VANDALISM DAMAGE ANALYSISVirginia Farm Bureau, Richmond, VAMEASURINGCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VAVEHICLE TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS 2015Harrison Body Works, Richmond, VAPLASTIC & COMPOSITE REPAIRManheim (Harrisonburg) Auto Auction, Harrisonburg, VAALUMINUM EXTERIOR PANEL REPAIR & REPLACEMENTKeystone Linthicum, Linthicum, MD
December 10, 2015WMABA Membership Meeting and Social: Online Marketing Basics withAP Media, 6:30pm
McLoone’s Pier House, 141 National Plaza, Building E, National Harbor, MDFor more info, visit wmaba.com
January 13, 2016SCRS Open MeetingPalm Springs Hilton, Palm Springs, CAFor more info, visit scrs.com
January 13-14, 2016Collision Industry ConferencePalm Springs Hilton, Palm Springs, CAFor more info, visit ciclink.com
Industry training opportunitiesand don't-miss events. CALENDAR OF
EVENTS
December 16, 2015ADVANCED STEERING & SUSPENSION SYSTEMS DAMAGEANALYSISN T Auto Body Inc., Alexandria, VAWELDED & ADHESIVELY BONDED PANEL REPLACEMENTRefinish Solutions, Springfield, VA
December 17, 2015COLOR THEORY, MIXING TONERS & TINTINGKing Volkswagen, Gaithersburg, MDSTEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURES TECHNOLOGIES & REPAIRCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MDSQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGFrederick Co. Career & Tech, Frederick, MD
December 22, 2015STRUCTURAL STRAIGHTENING STEELCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA
December 29, 2015EXTERIOR PANELS DAMAGE ANALYSISVirginia Farm Bureau, Richmond, VA
January 6, 2016HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, PERSONAL SAFETY & REFINISH SAFETYAntwerpen Collision Center, Clarksville, MD
January 7, 2016SUSPENSION SYSTEMSCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MD
January 14, 2016RACK & PINION & PARALLELOGRAM STEERING SYSTEMSCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MDADHESIVE BONDINGFrederick Co. Career & Tech, Frederick, MD
January 20, 2016PLASTIC & COMPOSITE REPAIRAntwerpen Collision Center, Clarksville, MD
January 21, 2016ALUMINUM EXTERIOR PANEL REPAIR & REPLACEMENTFrederick Co. Career & Tech, Frederick, MD
January 28, 2016HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, PERSONAL SAFETY & REFINISHSAFETYCriswell Collision Center, Annapolis, MD
CLASSLISTINGS
www.i-car.com or (800) 422-7872 for info
WMABA 2015 LABOR RATESURVEY Announced
WMABA is pleased to announce the launchof its 2015 Labor Rate Survey, available online atsurveymonkey.com/r/wmabalaborratesurvey.The Survey is to determine the Labor Rate andbilling practices in the Washington Metropolitanmarket (VA/MD/DC). If you are a multi-location fa-cility, please fill out a survey for each of your indi-vidual locations. The rates that are requested forthis Survey are your retail/cash/posted rates, notan agreement rate for an insurer or wholesale ac-count. No shop names will be published whenthe results are released.
Some of the topics covered in the Survey include (but are not limited to):
the cash/posted rate for body labor, paint materials, mechanical labor, inside and outsidestorage, etc.;
the total square feet of the collision facility;the total number of office personnel; a shop’s use of a paint and materials calculator;a shop’s gross annual sales; a shop’s thoughts on charging or requiring
specific items during the repair process;the types of insurance offered to employees;
and the general economic state of the collision
repair industry on a scale.
Note: If you run out of time, make sure you atleast fill out the first page of basic Labor Rateinformation.
If you have questions or requireadditional information, please contactWMABA Executive Director Jordan
Hendler at (804) 789-9649.
7December 2015
8 December 2015
9December 2015
Rodney Bolton ([email protected]) 410-969-3100 ext. 250Mark Boudreau ([email protected]) 703-671-2402Kevin Burt ([email protected]) 301-336-1140
RT Plate ([email protected]) 703-929-8050Phil Rice ([email protected]) 540-846-6617
ADMINISTRATIONEXECUTIVE DIRECTORJordan Hendler ([email protected]) 804-789-9649WMABA CORPORATE OFFICEP.O. Box 3157 • Mechanicsville, VA 23116
STAFFPUBLISHER Thomas Greco
DIRECTOR OF SALES Alicia [email protected]
EDITOR Joel [email protected]
MANAGING EDITOR Jacquelyn [email protected]
ART DIRECTOR Lea [email protected]
OFFICE MANAGER Donna [email protected]
PUBLISHED BY TGP, Inc.244 Chestnut St., Suite 202Nutley, NJ 07110973-667-6922 FAX 973-235-1963
Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission from the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine are not necessarily rep re sen ta tions of TGP Inc. orof the Washington Metropolitan Auto BodyAssociation (WMABA). Copyright © 2015Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.
A DOSE OFLABOR RATEREALITY
Last July, my wife and I bought a newhouse. Two months later, we took a long-awaited trip to the west coast for a few days ofmuch-needed rest and relaxation. When we returned home, we quickly realized that thetemperature had dropped dramatically in thearea while we were away. On our first nightback, I turned the heat on and…nothing. Withme being a complete novice when it comes to
Joel Gausten(973) 600-9288
MESSAGEEDITOR’S
10 December 2015
WMABA OFFICERSPRESIDENT Don Beaver
[email protected] 443-539-4200 ext. 17061VICE PRESIDENT Torchy Chandler
[email protected] 410-309-2242TREASURER Mark Schaech Jr.
[email protected] 410-358-5155SECRETARY John Krauss
[email protected] 703-534-1818IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Barry Dorn
[email protected] 804-746-3928
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
home repairs (as an appliance/equipment expert, I’m a pretty good writer), I called thelocal heating company to stop by and have a look.
Thankfully, the necessary repairs were minor and the technician was in and out in anhour. However, the amount indicated on the invoice will stay with me forever. The numberlisted on the bottom line read $130. Believe me, I had no issue paying the guy what hecharged; he has skills and knowledge that I don’t, and there’s a value to that. But here’swhat really got to me: He charged $20 for parts and (get ready) $110 for labor. For anhour’s work.
So there I was, willing to pay this technician more than $100 for an hour of time sim-ply because I didn’t know how to fix the heating system myself. I was willing to part withthat kind of cash in a heartbeat to keep my family warm at night. First off, consider that fixing a heater isn’t as important as...oh, I don’t know...repairing a collision-damaged automobile. Think about the fact that all of us in that house could have gone a few dayswithout heat with the help of a few extra blankets and been fine. Now, think about a seriously damaged – and potentially quite dangerous – car hitting the road without properrepairs because you guys are “asking for too much money” and “you’re the only one whocharges for that.” A few extra blankets wouldn’t help a vehicle owner or passenger who iskilled by a faulty, negligent or ignored repair based on price. I’d rather have my family becold than have them involved in a major accident.
You are more important to a person’s life than someone who repairs heaters, bicyclesor copy machines. You deserve so much more. It is my sincere hope that the auto body industry will one day receive what it has earned. It’s a worthwhile fight – never give up.
H&D
11December 2015
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S Jordan Hendler(804) 789-9649
IS THERESOMETHINGMISSING?
No matter how early you show up, howhard you work and how much you learn, do you still get the feeling you’re missing that extra “something”? The feeling of belonging,maybe? A pit-of-the-stomach sense that there’sa little bit more you could do to make a real difference?
That feeling is us.We plead to you all the time, asking for you
to join the association, come to a meeting or tohelp with our initiatives. This magazine gets toyou monthly, and while we strive to give you thelatest in industry information and issues, thereis still a measurable distance between you andthe association.
As our Board members can tell you, it’s not as hard as it looks. There’s no expertise required to lend a hand or even a pat on theback. This isn’t a ‘good-ol’ boys’ club becausewe do have women, too. It’s a mini-communityof repairers who want to see change happen. Itall starts with a Board meeting and hearingwhat happens there. Then it can grow.
Our meetings are a chance to rub elbowswith your peers, learn something new and evengive an opinion or two…or even three. This isalso where you can make that difference wewere talking about. Committees are a vital partof our organization; education, operations andlegislation are just a few.
MESSAGE
Check the WMABA website and newsletters for regular updates andreports from the Executive Director’s perspective.
12 December 2015
Be sure to submit your Labor Rate Survey data and book yourself for the nextWMABA Meeting (see page 6 for more information on both). Two things you can do tomake sure you’ve made a difference for your entire industry.
New Year’s resolutions are just around the corner! H&D
WMABA PRESENTS...WMABA MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND SOCIAL:ONLINE MARKETING BASICS WITH AP MEDIADecember 10, 2015 6:30pmMcLoone’s Pier House, 141 National Plaza, Building E, National Harbor, MD
For more info, visit wmaba.com
13December 2015
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14 December 2015
15December 2015
16 December 2015
Major paint distributor works towardeducating the industry.
NEWSLOCAL
When industry leaders are asked toidentify the biggest opportunity for improve-ment in the collision repair field, most ofthem will point to training. One distributorhas recently stepped up to the plate in orderto better the education in the area on theirproducts and more into the future.
In November 2014, Sherwin-Williamsopened their newest training facility in Fredericksburg.
“The building had been in the planningstage for a long time,” says Sherwin-Williams Area Sales Manager BrandonMeyer. “We sought out this project mainlybecause of location. Our nearest stores are in Richmond and Fairfax, and Fredericksburg is a booming market.”
The 4,500-square-foot building dedicates more than half of its space to a
training area, which houses a downdraftpaint booth and classroom so that the Sher-win-Williams staff can conduct training onhow to properly use their products.
“As of right now, we don’t have anyframe equipment, but we’re looking to bringin some of our vendor partners for trainingon their products,” Meyer explains. “We offerpaint training and certifications, but we’regoing to be growing in the near future.”
It is for this reason that Sherwin-Williams sought out WMABA Executive Di-rector Jordan Hendler.
“The industry is changing so fast thatthere’s not enough opportunities for learningand training,” offers Meyer. “We want to usethis relationship with WMABA to help the in-dustry grow, and hopefully get a youngergeneration involved. If they have a place
they can go to learn about the products, certain specifications, OE approvals and certifications, it’s beneficial to everyone. Wewant to use this facility for that purpose.”
Meyer believes that one of the advan-tages that this new facility provides is that it allows training to occur in a regulated andwell-supplied environment.
“Having the training on-site allows us tobring our customers in and show them newproduct and equipment trends after hours as opposed to getting in the way of their pro-duction schedules,” he says. “In a controlledenvironment like this, we have the opportu-nity to take the appropriate time to train atechnician on the application of our products,without sacrificing the time they should bespending repairing vehicles during the day.”
Sherwin-Williams is in the process ofcreating new training classes and prospectsfor the WMABA membership and local in-dustry in general. Keep an eye out for futuretraining opportunities from the paint distribu-tor by visiting sherwin-automotive.com orby emailing Brandon Meyer directly at [email protected]. H&D
NEW OPPORTUNITIESTO LEARN WITHSHERWIN-WILLIAMS
The Fredericksburg-based training facility contains adowndraft paint booth to provide hands-on experience
with Sherwin-Williams products.
Industry professionals attend a painter'scertification class to improve their knowledge on the subject and increasetheir value in the market.
17December 2015
“He deserves the Technician of the Month recognition because ofhis hard work, his dedication to Koons Ford and his ability to do any-thing and everything we ask him to,” says John Morris, body shopmanager at Koons Ford (Falls Church, VA), of one of his top techni-cians, Albert Torres.
Torres’ recognition doesn’t stop with just his manager. As Morrispoints out, he asked his paint team to submit nominations for thehonor, and they chose Torres for his outstanding work as well.
Like many technicians, Torres got his start at a young age. Begin-ning at age 12, he began working as a helper in a shop in El Salvador,spending half of his time at school and half of his time at the bodyshop. In 2002, he applied for a position at Koons Ford and has beenthere ever since. Just like when he first started in El Salvador, Torresstarted as a helper in the Koons Ford family, but quickly worked hisway up the ladder, becoming a technician in 2004.
In the 13 years that Torres has been with Koons Ford, he hasfound a number of things he enjoys about his position.
“Of course I love fixing the cars, but I also love training,” hestates. “I try to get everything right with my coworkers. If they need
help, I stop what I’m doing and I help them. I’m social with the people,and there are not many things I can’t do. I’m happy here.”
Satisfied in his position, Torres would like to continue where he isfor as long as possible.
“I would like to keep doing what I’m doing,” he explains. “Themore I do, the better I get. I just hope I don’t lose my patience. Thereare tough parts of the job, like frame repair, especially on big trucks.It’s a challenge, but I like to do it.”
Morris was excited to share the Technician of the Month opportu-nity with Torres for more reasons than just the team member’s out-standing work ethic and desire to take on new tasks. A 27-year veteranof Koons Ford, Morris himself received the Technician of the Monthrecognition back in the 1980s.
“It’s nice to keep things local,” Morris expresses. “Torres is a great worker, and I know there are a lot of great workers like him in thelocal industry.” H&D
THE MONTHTECHNICIAN OF
ALBERT TORRES
BY JACQUELYN BAUMAN
Hammer & Dolly chats with theWMABA community’s best and brightest.
If you would like to nominate someone as Technician ofthe Month, please contact Hammer & Dolly Managing EditorJacquelyn Bauman at [email protected]
Albert Torres has been a staple in the Koons Ford family for over a decade.
18 December 2015
19December 2015
Outstanding individuals recognizedfor their efforts.
20 December 2015
1. Jeff Silver (CARSTAR Mundelein) washonored with an I-CAR Chairman’s Award.
2. State Farm’s James Losel received the2015 I-CAR Jeff Silver Award.
3. Gary Wano, Jr. (GW and Son Auto Body,Oklahoma City, OK) received the TenPointComplete Completely Elite Collision RepairAward.
4. California-based repairer Jaimes Higueraof Caliber Riverside was the recipient of theMarch Taylor Award for Excellence in Tradi-tional Material Repair.
5. Dave Goldstein of Caliber (center) ac-cepted the 2015 VeriFacts ACE Award for Ex-cellence in Traditional Material Repairs onbehalf of Caliber Collision in Gainesville, VA.
6. Jeanne Silver (CARSTAR Mundelein) wasinducted into the CIC Hall of Eagles.
7. Marian Rodriguez of CARSTAR Mundelein(Mundelein, IL) received an NABC Excel-lence in Community Service Award.
8. Car Crafters (Albuquerque, NM) was presented with the 2015 NABC Body ShopImage Award.
9. James Moy (second from right) acceptedthe 2015 NABC Award of Distinction on behalf of Mid Island Collision (RockvilleCentre, NY).
10. DCR Systems accepted the 2015 Veri-Facts March Taylor Award for Excellence inAutomotive Refinishing on behalf of DavidShugart (Mike Johnson's Collision Center in Hickory, NC).
11. This year’s CIECA Outstanding Dedica-tion Award went to Phil Martinez of MitchellInternational.
RECAPCIC AwardsNovember 4, Las Vegas, NV
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10 11
THANKS
YOU
WMABA thankstheir generous
supportersof the newCorporateSponsor Programfor 2015!
We encourageYOUR SUPPORT
of those whoSUPPORT US!For more information about the sponsorship program,
please contact Executive Director Jordan Hendlerat (804) 789-9649
3M Automotive AftermarketAutomotive Training Institute
Certified Automotive Parts AssociationFinishMaster
Mid-Atlantic Paint & SupplyNational Coatings and Supplies
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2
www.wmaba.com
21December 2015
Winter is officially upon us. As theweather drops and the holiday lights go up,many people take the time to reflect on theyear they’ve had and plan for the next 12months to come. As any active WMABA mem-ber knows, the Board of Directors and the as-sociation’s supporters are consistently workingto improve the state of the automotive repairindustry in the Washington Metropolitan area.For the end of this year, Hammer & Dollyreached out to some of our readers and mem-bers of the association to find out what projectsand initiatives they are most looking forward tofrom WMABA.
One of the most popular answers amongrespondents was training into the new year.With everything that hit the market in 2015 –from aluminum-intensive vehicles to new partsordering systems like GM’s MyPriceLink
initiative – shop owners are dealing with afaster rate of industry change than ever before.
“One of the biggest things that I see couldhelp us in 2016 is OEM training and certifica-tion,” says Anthony Tossounian, manager atNational Auto Body in Rockville, MD. “Thatlevel of training will help us get away from ourdependence on insurance companies, helpingus fight back against insurer interference in ourdaily business.”
Kevin Maharaj, owner of D&V Autobodyin Sterling, VA, agrees with these sentiments.
“We definitely need to work on trainingand certification,” he expresses. “We don’thave enough outlets aside from I-CAR and afew other training opportunities through manu-facturers. Training is a top priority for us. Weappreciate that WMABA holds events andmeetings, and we would like that to continue
into 2016. Keep holding these events to helpus get an edge on the industry and on ourcompetitors.”
While a number of shop owners agreedwith these comments, some noted that com-munication should be a major focus of the as-sociation come January, especially to addressa major concern across all body shops – theLabor Rate.
“I think it’s important to get all of the autobody associations across the country talking toeach other to do something about the LaborRate, to make it realistic,” says Joyce Arndt ofRay’s Auto Body in Vienna, VA. “I think that’sby far the biggest issue we’re facing. Whetherthey work together through legislation to stopinsurers from restricting our rights, or whetherthe shops should do something on their own, ithas to be a cross-country issue. It’s the only
It’s always a good time to get involvedwith WMABA. If you’re reading this, your firstbenefit is already being realized: staying upon the news in our area and beyond.
Get Your Team JerseySupporting WMABA is an investment in the future of your
business and your industry. By becoming a member, you are repre-sented in all the places the Board or Executive Director goes.Whether at a tradeshow like SEMA or locally at the state capital testifying at a hearing, your interests are at the forefront. Though repairers often feel competitive, the association is a place for camaraderie and community. Here, we’re all on the same team.
The PlaybookThe association is your resource for all things. Whether you
have a question about current Labor Rate data, operations, customer interaction, insurer relationships, vendor products or na-tional news, your association is the place to ask first. Through ourrelationships nationally, we can even take issues to the forefront ofplaces such as the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, CollisionIndustry Conference or national contacts for insurers and vendors.
Locally, we research the governmental regulations and over-sight to make sure the repair industry is protected from any negativelegislation. Represented in both Virginia and Maryland, WMABAproposes and opposes recommended bills that come into the legis-lature during open session. Also, we work with consumer-relatedentities, government agencies and other related industry organiza-tions to ensure that the voice of the repairer and their customer areheard.
Call the GameAs a member, you decide your personal level of participation.
Do you have interest in committees to address particular issues youfeel passionately about? Would you want to be a Board memberand assist in guiding the direction of the association? How about sit-ting on the sidelines so you can focus on your own business? All an-swers can be correct! While WMABA would like to encourage yourspirit of volunteerism, it is solely up to you at what level you get in-volved.
The minimum is getting your membership; 2016 can WIN with your commitment to the betterment of your business and your industry. Sign up today! H&D
22 December 2015
MEMBERSHIP: GET YOUR QUARTER BACK
RESOLUTIONS: WHAT ARE YOULOOKING FORWARD TO FROM WMABA IN 2016?
FEATURE
23December 2015
way to get insurance companies to release theLabor Rate so we can operate effectively and fixcars properly and safely.”
Whether the communication is national orsimply local to the WMABA region, many shopowners agree that it’s the key to creating achange in the Labor Rate in our area.
“The Labor Rate should have gone up bynow,” adds Fredericksburg-based shop ownerMilton Parrish of Parrish Body Shop, Inc. “I’vebeen at this for 44 years. I’ve seen how the in-surance companies play body shops againsteach other, promising them things that theywon’t ever deliver. I left this area for a time, butwhen I came back 32 years ago, the differencein mechanical Labor Rates and collision LaborRates was just two dollars per hour. Now lookwhere we are. It’s causing the industry to kill it-self. Why would new talent become body menwhen they can make so much more being me-chanics? The insurance industry has scared usfrom talking to each other, but we need to. It’snot price fixing; it’s communicating.”
While communication is one step towardschange, legislation is another factor that
members have noted should be a focus for thecoming year.
“First and foremost, our shop is looking forlegislative efforts on the Labor Rate,” says LuizSantos of In & Out Auto Body in Rockville, MD.“If you look at Labor Rate surveys, there’s ahuge disparity just between here and across theriver. I think legislative initiatives are the primaryobjective we’re looking for from WMABA in2016.”
“It’s amazing to me that we’re still dealingwith the Labor Rates being so low,” adds BeauMorris of Mechanicsville, VA shop Collision One,Inc. “If we could get any relief there, it would cer-tainly help.”
With such a wide array of issues affectingthe automotive repair industry, some membersjust want WMABA to do their best fixing as muchas they can.
In the words of Nick Zavolas of Bailey’sCrossroads Auto Body in Bailey’s Crossroads, VA, WMABA should put their efforts towards “allthat and more.”
WMABA is a member-driven associationand is always looking for input from those who
participate. To contribute your ideas or to sup-port the industry in these projects and more, at-tend a WMABA meeting. For more information,contact Executive Director Jordan Hendler at(804) 789-9649, email her at [email protected] or visit the WMABA website atwmaba.com. H&D
Find more association updates atwww.wmaba.com.
WMABA members are the most vibrant, successful and vocal repairers in our area.They are quick to give feedback – open andhonest – to the association. We are gratefulto have such a great group of folks that wecan work on getting solutions for!
- Jordan Hendler
Executive Director’s Thoughts
2016 Membership Promo
ends April 1, 2016
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$200 OFF ANNUAL
Electronic ordering systemsaddressed at November 3 gathering.RECAP
Electronic parts procurement systems are all the rage intoday’s collision repair industry, but which stakeholder getsthe most out of this technology? If the CIC Parts & MaterialsCommittee’s November 3 presentation in Las Vegas was anyindication, more needs to be done to accurately provide ananswer to this ever-controversial question.
Appearing as a guest presenter for the Committee, FrankTerlep of Summit eMarketing Sherpas detailed the results of an“exhaustive” survey conducted in 2000 of shops that had imple-mented electronic parts procurement into their businesses. Theproject was commissioned by carstation.com, a now-defunctopen-standards Internet hub that enabled collision repair facilitiesto streamline parts purchasing and helped consumers, insurersand other participants in the claims process to locate shops,schedule appointments and access vehicle service informationand tools online. At the time of the survey, Terlep served ascarstation.com’s vice president of e-business solutions.
The carstation.com survey involved 25 shops with annualrevenue from $1 million to $10 million, measuring more than 30procurement steps at the shop level ranging from documentingdamage to returning parts.
“The average shop at that time was spending over 13 man-hours a day managing the parts procurement process,” Terlep ex-plained. “That doesn’t mean one person was working 13 hours;there were 13 man-hours being applied to the parts procurementprocess.”
Additionally, the survey revealed the bottom line savings atthe shop level generated by switching to an electronic processfrom standard parts procurement was $15.67 per day. The biggestareas of improvement for shops identified at the time of the surveyincluded parts labeling, reordering of parts, invoice posting intoshop management software and return and credit reconciliation.
Fast-forward to 2015, and there are currently 10 electronicparts procurement suppliers/platforms, technology has increaseddramatically and tens of millions of dollars have been spent. How-ever, Terlep stressed that there is a lack of tangible information onthe benefits of these advancements over the last 15 years. In hismind, the absence of this data presents a critical problem for thefield.
“All the money, all the time, all the effort, all the heartburn, allthe bad PR for poor [State Farm spokesman] George[Avery]...where is the benefit?” he asked. “Let me ask the shops,have you benefited from electronic parts procurement today? Yesor no?”
A resounding “no!” was heard from the crowd before Terlepadded, “I could ask the insurers, ‘Have you benefited from partsprocurement,’ [but] I’m probably not going to get an answer.”
In Terlep’s mind, it might be time for the CIC body to look intoa new study that provides current insight into electronic parts pro-curement.
“This is 15-year-old data,” he said. “My challenge to the in-dustry is, let’s have some real data...Let’s figure out what the ben-efits are or where the process needs to be improved, and let’sfocus on that.
“I think that the entity that needs the most help is the entitythat has the least amount of power, but the entity that touchesmore parts than everybody else – and that’s the shops,” headded.
In related news, PartsTrader received considerable praisefrom the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association(CIECA), who honored the parts procurement provider during the2015 CIC Industry Awards on November 4. PartsTrader wasnamed CIECA’s Electronic Commerce Company of the Year, whilethe company’s technical products manager, Scott Mason, re-ceived a CIECA Outstanding Contribution Award.
“The Board of Trustees extends [the Electronic CommerceCompany of the Year Award] to a company in recognition of [its]outstanding leadership, contribution and dedication [to] furtheringCIECA’s mission within the collision industry,” explained CIECABoard member Frank LaViola (Enterprise Rent-A-Car), who notedthat PartsTrader was the first company to officially and publiclyadopt the BMS Standard “for all transactions originating from acollision repair facility.” H&D
Frank Terlep (Summit eMarketing Sherpas) challenged the CIC body to gather “real data” on the effect and benefitsof electronic parts procurement programs in the industry.
ELECTRONIC PARTSPROCUREMENT:Who Benefits?
24 December 2015
25December 2015
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27December 2015
Customer testimonials have the power toaffect your bottom line. A survey conducted byDimensional Research found that 90 percent of consumers say positive online reviews influ-enced their buying decisions.1 As you approachyour online marketing, you have to considerthe fact that the people who are searching foryour business are looking for feedback fromcustomers. In fact, 88 percent of consumerssay they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.2
These statistics don’t just point to a trend;they give us powerful insight into the funda-mental reasons why people use the Internetwhen they’re looking for the services you offer.They want to know why they should trust yourbusiness. They’re seeking out evidence thatyou’re capable of performing the work theyneed done, and they don’t just want to hear itfrom you.
Some business owners see online re-views as a source of frustration. Virtually every
company has dealt with a difficult or unreason-able customer, and almost everyone has re-ceived at least one bad review. That’s just apart of doing business, and it is sometimes impossible to avoid no matter how good thework is. While it’s necessary to accept thatsometimes reviews will be out of your control,the worst thing you can do is discount their validity and ignore the situation.
Once you’ve accepted that these bad re-views will occasionally pop up, the best way tocounteract them is to drown them out by follow-ing these methods:
1. Encourage happy customers to post theirpositive feedback. Make it a part of youradmin process. Give customers a form explain-ing how to leave a review on Google+ as a partof the documentation you give them. You couldeven have an iPad in your lobby that your staffcould offer to your (happy) customers. If youhave someone you know who has had a great
experience, make it as easy as possible to direct him or her to the best review site for your marketing goals. (This is almost alwaysGoogle+, as those reviews will be the easiestfor other consumers to find.) Consumers understand that every business has a few negative reviews. You just want to make surethere are a lot more positive ones.
2. Take your most positive reviews and putthem in the spotlight. In the same way thatalmost everyone has examples of times thingsjust didn’t go the right way with a customer,everyone has examples in which they knockedit out of the park. Take those examples and putthem front and center by making them into a video you can put at the top of your home-page. Make it the featured video on your Facebook page and the trailer for yourYouTube channel. Use those testimonials as the backbone of your online content.
Video as Your “Backbone”What exactly do I mean by using video as
the “backbone” of your content? Any timeyou’re trying to communicate a message to themotoring public, you should try to back it upwith testimonials from your customers.
For example, if you’ve made a video advertising the fact that you’re a Volkswagen-certified shop, you probably have a voiceoveror an interview from one of your certified technicians in which he or she explains thebenefits of that certification. You can make that message more effective by bringing in acustomer who can vouch for the things you’resaying about yourself.
Remember, 88 percent of consumers trusttestimonials as much as they trust personalrecommendations. That’s powerful. When youuse customer statements to back up your marketing messages, you harness this power,making your content more credible and engaging.
MARKETING FEATURE
BUILDING TRUSTAND CONFIDENCEWITH A VIDEO TESTIMONIAL - PART 1
Lee Emmons is vice president in charge of AP Media based in Sykesville, MD. His public relations and marketing efforts on behalf of collision repair shops throughout the Mid-Atlantic have gained industry press coverage for thoseshops in trade publications and local media. He and his agency are certified Google Partners, with certifications in AdWords and in Google’s Video Advertising Advanced Certification. Marketing for auto body shops has become hispassion and personal area of expertise. You can visit his company’s website at AbsolutePerfectionMedia.com.
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29December 2015
Tips and tricks for maximizing your video marketing.
BY LEE EMMONS
Getting StartedObviously, the first step in creating a video
testimonial is choosing the customer. If you’regoing to use this testimonial to back up an im-portant marketing message, make sure youchoose a customer whose experience speaksdirectly to this message.
A great approach for a body shop is tospeak to a specific capability or certificationthat you possess. Choose customers who ownthe right brand of vehicle and ask them to talkabout their experience.
You’re asking for a significant commitmentin time and energy from this customer, so yourcustomer care skills have to be fully engagedthroughout this process. Make sure you’re respectful of his or her time, and are under-standing to people who might be nervous oncamera.
A Testimonial from a DifferentAngle
Here’s a tip: Not every testimonial has tocome from a customer. Sometimes, a business
that partners with you can do a great jobvouching for your capabilities. A good exampleof this is a testimonial from a sponsoring deal-ership. A dealership can be a great authoritywhen it comes to vouching for your skills with a specific brand of vehicle. They can speak di-rectly to the fact that they refer their customersto your facility because they know the quality ofwork you do will be up to their standards.
WMABA member shop Precision Collision(Northern Virginia) had my company (AbsolutePerfection Media) produce a testimonial videofrom the perspective of the service manager attheir partner dealership, Sheehy Volkswagen ofSpringfield. (The video can be viewed attinyurl.com/onzhbxc.)
This video addresses the dealership’sconfidence in Precision Collision’s training andexpertise in Volkswagen repair, in addition tothe great customer feedback they’ve receivedfrom the people they’ve referred. It is now thecenterpiece of Precision Collision’s Volkswa-gen certification page on their website, as wellas the featured video on their YouTube channeland Facebook page.
Next month, I’ll discuss how to make theright choices when conducting the interview,the pros and cons of using a script and the ma-terial you should consider including in conjunc-tion with the interview to ensure the mostsuccessful video possible. H&D
1. marketingland.com/survey-customers-more-frustrated-by-how-long-it-takes-to-resolve-a-customer-service-issue-than-the-resolution-387562. searchengineland.com/88-consumers-trust-online-reviews-much-personal-recommendations-195803
Testimonials, as Lee said, are the basis for most customer leads. Why wouldn’tyou want to monitor, create, solicit andpromote the positive feedback to get evenmore customers? - Jordan Hendler
Executive Director’s Thoughts
30 December 2015
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31December 2015
Left to right: Moderator Doug Richman (Kaiser Aluminum), Mark Szlachta (General Motors), Mark Allen (Audi of America) and Brandin Benson (Mercedes-Benz, USA) during“The Future of Aluminum in the Automotive Industry”
Left to right: Moderator Aaron Clark (Assured Performance), Jake Rodenroth (CollisionDiagnostic Services), John Ellis (Ellis & Associates), Eric Mendoza (Toyota MotorSales) and John Waraniak (SEMA) during “Tech Crunch – The Role of Programming &Diagnostics in Post-Repair Roadworthiness”
NATIONAL NEWS
32 December 201532 December 2015
Left to right: Moderator Steve Marks (I-CAR), Oliver Woelfel (Advanced Collision RepairSolutions), Klaus Reitzig (Wielander & Schill Engineering) and Jason Scharton (3M)during “Structural Connectivity – Understanding the Future of Automaker JoiningTechniques”
OEM SUMMIT TACKLES TECHNOLOGYTRENDS, PROPER REPAIRS
On November 5, automotive leaders fromaround the globe gathered at the Las VegasConvention Center for the 2015 OEM CollisionRepair Technology Summit. Hosted by the So-ciety of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)and held during the 2015 SEMA Show, the all-day event offered various insights into the past,present and future of OEM technologies andrepair procedures. Organized into four distinctpanel discussions, the Summit provided stimu-lating discussions on a variety of topics fromsome of the automotive industry’s most notedprofessionals.
Moderated by I-CAR Industry TechnicalSupport Manager Steve Marks, “StructuralConnectivity – Understanding the Future of Au-tomaker Joining Techniques” welcomed repre-sentatives from Wielander & SchillEngineering, Advanced Collision Repair Solu-tions and 3M for an engaging review of the ad-vanced structural joining practices beingutilized in today’s field. Jason Scharton, busi-ness development manager – automotiveOEM/collision repair for 3M, noted the escalat-ing use of adhesives in repairs (including onlower-tier vehicles), while Wielander & SchillChief Engineer/Director Klaus Reitzig wasquick to acknowledge the “millions” of self-piercing rivets currently being used by carmanufacturers.
With so many changes hitting the indus-try, the panelists stressed the importance offollowing OEM requirements to ensure thattechnicians are performing proper repairs withthe proper materials.
“The OEM information is more and moreimportant every day,” offered Marks. “Our intu-itive repair intellect doesn’t apply. You can’t as-sume anything anymore.”
Of course, following an OEM’s recom-mendations often means using a specific toolor piece of equipment. Why does a manufac-turer require certain equipment rather thantake a more general approach to what repair-ers should use? In Scharton’s mind, it comesdown to a difference between hard scienceand mere guessing.
“We have to identify something thatworks,” he said. “When [manufacturers] comeup with a recommendation, more often than notit’s because they looked and found [something]and are giving you what they found.
“We have to have a recommendation,” headded. “We know this works. It doesn’t meanthat nothing else will work, but if [a piece ofequipment] is off that list, then how do youknow?”
Before even beginning a repair, a techni-cian has to first determine what’s actually wrongwith the vehicle. Moderated by Aaron Clark (As-sured Performance Network), “Tech Crunch –The Role of Programming and Diagnostics inPost-Repair Roadworthiness” examined the rolethat diagnostic testing plays in repairing automo-biles. Jake Rodenroth, director of client servicesfor Collision Diagnostic Services (asTech),likened a repairer taking the time to run a pre-repair scan to a medical professional checking a patient’s vitals before moving forward withtreatment. This is a critical procedure that ashop needs to either do in-house or sublet – but never ignore.
“We don’t know what that damage entailsuntil we measure it,” he said. “How do we meas-ure a diagnostic network without a scan tool?”
If repairers are not regularly performing fullsystem scans on the vehicles in the shop, theycould be causing irreparable harm to the auto-mobiles in question. It is not uncommon for acar in 2015 to have dozens of sensors thatcould be negatively impacted by the repair if atechnician doesn’t know to look out for them. According to Rodenroth, jobs involving bumpercovers and paintless dent repair have amongthe highest numbers of codes in the industry. Arepair that appears correct at first glance couldactually cause the disconnection of a backupcamera, blind spot detector or another criticalsafety component.
In addition to this possible risk, panelistJohn Ellis (managing director, Ellis & Associ-ates) observed that there is a lack of genuinestandards on how manufacturers apply certaintechnologies in their vehicles. He warned thatthis results in “a fractured market” of “fracturedcodes” where no common ground exists between the OEMs.
“While we may all use the same supplierbase, we have very specific demands as OEMsto those suppliers so that what we get is unique[to that manufacturer],” he said.
Unsurprisingly, a scan tool is also neces-sary after the repair to ensure that the vehiclehas been restored to its full functionality. Thedays of merely performing a post-repair testdrive and light check are over.
“You can’t move [the vehicle] around theparking lot and think you’ve got it,” Rodenrothsaid, later adding, “We’ve got to quit relying onthe dashboard light. It just doesn’t tell usenough.”
Naturally, no in-depth examination of theOEM repair world would be complete without astrong focus on aluminum. Prior to moderating a panel on “The Future of Aluminum in the Automotive Industry” (with representatives fromMercedes-Benz, Audi of America and GeneralMotors), Doug Richman of Kaiser Aluminumgave a special presentation on how the materialis driving innovation within the field. During hisoverview, he addressed a very persistent indus-try misconception that has been heard since theintroduction of the aluminum-intensive 2015Ford F-150.
“There were some rumors going aroundthat there wasn’t any more aluminum, and thatwas going to constrain the use of aluminum inthe auto industry,” offered Richman, who servesas Kaiser Aluminum’s vice president of engi-neering and technology. “That couldn’t be fur-ther from the truth...The Ford programconsumes about 1 billion pounds of aluminum ayear; we make 25 billion pounds a year.”
The OEM Summit concluded with a paneldiscussion on “The Continuing Evolution of Advanced Steels in Automotive Bodies,” moderated by Dr. Blake Zuidema of Arcelor-Middal (the world’s largest producer of steel)and featuring participants from FCA, General
Motors, American Honda Motor Co. and ToyotaMotor Sales, USA. The talk offered views intosome of the biggest issues involving the contin-ued use of steel in automobiles. For one thing,most developed nations are strengthening theirfuel economy and carbon dioxide standards.This has led to an interesting era for automak-ers, who now have to contend with whatZuidema called “two basically competing goals.”
“To make cars get better fuel economy,you’ve got to make them lighter,” he said. “Tomake them safer, we’ve got to put more materialin and make them heavier.”
Later in the discussion, the panel tackledcommon industry concerns surrounding salvageand aftermarket products during the repairprocess.
“We don’t know where that [salvaged]part’s been,” offered American Honda Co. In-structional Designer Chris Tobie on the subjectof used parts. “We have no idea where that partcame off of. Has it been in a wreck before? Wasit up in the Salt Belt? All those things are goingto affect the integrity of that part’s future.”
Robert Hartman of General Motors cau-tioned that the use of aftermarket parts couldhave a negative impact on the repair of a GMvehicle. He also noted that his company doesn’tsee a lot of duplication of hard structural parts,but added that “there’s obviously [aftermarket]fenders, bumpers [and] hoods” that can also af-fect a vehicle’s crashworthiness in a subsequentcollision.
For information on upcoming SCRS-hostedevents (including the annual Repairer Round-table on April 20 at the DoubleTree by HiltonSeaTac in Seattle), visit scrs.com. H&D
Major repair topics addressed at SCRSLas Vegas event.
BY JOEL GAUSTEN
33December 2015
Left to right: Moderator Blake Zuidema (ArcelorMittal), Chris Tobie (American HondaMotor Co.), Joe DiDonato (Toyota Motor Sales, USA), John Hughes (FCA) and RobertHartman (General Motors) during “The Continuing Evolution of Advanced Steels in Automotive Bodies”
34 December 2015
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36 December 2015
SEMA FEATURE
On November 3-6, more than 170,000 automotive enthusiasts and professionals fromthe United States and beyond hit the LasVegas Convention Center for the 2015 SEMAShow. As anyone who attended this eventknows, nothing – not even a surprise hail stormon November 4 – could take away from themagic the Show produced. For the sixth year,the Society of Collision Repair Specialists(SCRS) worked with SEMA organizers to bringin both high-quality vendors and unmatchededucational opportunities for the collision repair industry. This year’s efforts resulted in the greatest exhibitor response and pre-registration numbers yet.
“I think SEMA and SCRS are successfulbecause they’re two organizations that bothdefine our successes by the experiences thatour attendees have,” offers SCRS Executive
Director Aaron Schulenburg. “We really putthat attendee experience at the center of whatdrives the work we’re doing. I think it comesthrough in the programming, the Show and theway the process works and how it feels whenyou’re there.”
Speaking from her company’s impressivebooth in Central Hall, BASF Automotive Refin-ish Marketing Services Manager Tina Nelleshad a fantastic time at the Convention Center.
“This has been a really good week forBASF,” she said. “We had several different activities to expand our presence at SEMA. Inaddition to having our main BASF booth inCentral Hall, we added a smaller booth in theCollision Repair section that focused on ourvalue-added tools and services. We also partnered with Custom Upfits in the outdoorbooth to perform spray demos. It has been an
extremely busy week with a lot of excitementfrom all directions, allowing us a great deal ofexposure. Our guests at the booth includedJay Leno, Chip Foose and Richard Petty;everyone had a lot of good conversations and a great time interacting with one another.We’re looking forward to seeing the positive results from our participation in this year’sShow.”
(Leno, Foose and Petty weren’t the onlybig names to take in SEMA. Other celebs spotted throughout the week include SocialDistortion singer/guitarist Mike Ness, proskateboarder Tony Hawk and TV personalityGuy Fieri).
American Honda Motor Co. was anothernationally recognized vendor that enjoyed foursuccessful days at SEMA.
THE PLACE TO BE
Spotted at SEMA: TV host Guy Fieri and his son Hunter checking out House of Kolor
2015:Roy Fordyce of O'Donnell Collision Repairs(Catonsville, MD) meets with Jay Leno
at the BASF booth
2015 marks a record year for theindustry’s largest national show.
“It was a great show,” shared Gary Ledoux,Honda’s assistant national manager of collisionparts marketing, on SEMA 2015’s final day. “The firstcouple of days were just phenomenal — we wereslammed both days from bell to bell. The third daywas good, and today we’re just starting out but it’sbeen great. I don’t know what the total number ofpeople was that came here; I don’t know the officialnumber, but it’s got to be a new record. It’s beenwall-to-wall people.”
Not surprisingly, SEMA also attracted vendorsdirectly involved in the WMABA region.
“This has been the best SEMA Show yet forus,” noted Joseph Kenny, II of Safety Regulations.“The Collision Repair and Refinish section is grow-ing by leaps and bounds each year. It’s such a goodthing. We keep coming back because there is justso much support – SEMA is just an awesome organization to work with. Every year, we do the
Instructor Shawn Collins (right) presenting"Live with 3M: 2015 F-150 Door
Skin Replacement”
2015 HIGHLIGHTS
Chris “Hawk” Wallingford REALLY likes SEMA.
2015 HIGHLIGHTS
39December 2015
pre-Show meeting and always get tips on howto exhibit and booth placement, and they justbend over backwards for the exhibitors tomake it a satisfying experience.
“We used our appearance this year to talkto people about changes in ‘Right to Know’regulations and GHS [the Globally HarmonizedSystem of Classification and Labelling ofChemicals], and it’s been well received by attendees,” he adds. “We’ve also been tryingto promote our Hawaii business, which isworking out well. This is the perfect place for it,since we get to meet with people from all overthe world this week.”
Pat O’Neill, owner and operator of Chesa-peake Automotive Equipment, sees a benefitin attending SEMA each year.
“It gives me a chance to meet with cus-tomers away from their businesses and meetcustomers I may not know,” he tells Hammer &Dolly. “We also get to see changes and im-provements in some of the equipment, alongwith new models of equipment from the manufacturers we work with.”
With so many people hitting SEMA 2015,it made sense that many vendors stepped uptheir game in the quality of their booths. PPG'sextraordinary Mardi Gras-themed display wasjust one example of the eye candy found onthe floor.
While SEMA offers a world of actionacross the main floor, SCRS presented a slewof special events and activities that gave colli-sion repair industry attendees a chance to experience even more. The OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit (see page 32) continued to be a crowd favorite, while the November 5 Repairer Driven Education (RDE)Sky Villa After-party allowed hundreds ofguests a rare opportunity to relax in one of thecity’s most opulent locations. Other industry-related events held during the week includedthe Collision Industry Conference on Novem-ber 3 and 4 (see pages 20 and 24) and anAASP National Meeting on November 4.
Always looking for an inside peek intonew developments in his profession, formerWMABA president and current SCRS Boardmember Mark Boudreau received considerablevalue from the OEM Summit.
“There was an entire day of vehicle and
material manufacturers discussing the comingtrends in steel, aluminum and joining technolo-gies,” he says. “[There was] information as wellwith regard to on-board diagnostics and mak-ing sure all modules are reset and informationis transferred...To me, all of those things addedthe greatest value in terms of the landscape ofwhat requirements will be needed for the colli-sion repairers of the future.”
In meeting rooms through the ConventionCenter’s North Hall, SEMA collision repair at-tendees had an opportunity to take in dozens
of RDE courses. This year’s extensive list ofpresenters included Hammer & Dolly TechnicalWriter Larry Montanez (“Aluminum DamageAnalysis and Joining Methods,” “Post-RepairInspections”), Tim Ronak of AkzoNobel (“Getting Paid for Investing in Facility, Equip-ment & Training”), California-based instructorToby Chess (“Welding Technologies – A Com-prehensive Tutorial on Modern Equipment,”“Repair Planning Considerations for WeldingComponents”) and WMABA mainstay Mike An-derson (“Business Financials: Balance Sheets,
Income Statements and Cash Flow”), amongmany others.
In building this year’s RDE schedule,SCRS succeeded in creating classes thatwould resonate long after SEMA wrapped upfor another 12 months.
“When we’re developing our curriculumfor the year, we emphasize to the people we’reworking with in the industry – who are poten-tially going to be delivering it – that we aregoing to put an emphasis on new, unique con-tent,” Schulenburg says. “We want somebodywho’s going to come to SEMA to go, ‘Wow! I’mgetting something that I couldn’t have receivedanywhere else,’ but it also helps the industrythroughout the year. We want to be able to turnaround to our affiliate associations – who areconstantly looking for new content and material– and be able to say, ‘Here is something thatwas uniquely featured at the SEMA Show thatyou can bring to your local market as well afterthe fact.’ If we can continue to develop newprograms at the Show, that means we can alsoturn around and give new suggestions to ouraffiliates post-Show.”
“[In the RDE sessions], you see the inde-pendent that is sitting next to the big MSO andthe independent is saying, ‘How can I be betterto compete with that MSO?’ At the same time,the MSO is saying, ‘I have to get better to com-pete with the independents next to me,’” addsDave Gruskos, president of Reliable Automo-tive Equipment, Inc. and RDE presenter (“Re-moving, Replacing and Joining AdvancedMaterials”). “We saw them all in the room – theMSOs, the independents, the car companies,traders, everyone. And they all came out of thesessions equally saying, ‘This was great. Wereally got something out of this.’ There truly issomething here for everyone. It’s not just forthe specialized expert. You have to be here.”
Boudreau was one of many shop ownerswho walked away from the RDE series im-pressed and inspired.
“SCRS did a fantastic job of making surethat the training that was made available wasrelevant to shop owners in improving the man-agerial, technical and strategic capabilities ofthe individual shop owner and the MSOs aswell,” he says.
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41December 2015
SEMA is hands down the place every repairer should strive to be when November hits the calendar. Make it a priority to make it there next year. Book at semashow.com for November 1-4,2016. - Jordan Hendler
Executive Director’s Thoughts
I-CAR also had a substantial presence atthis year’s SEMA, delivering a full slate ofclasses to attendees over all four days. Thistraining brought out some the finest instructorsin the field, was structured around the individ-ual’s role as a collision industry professionaland helped each attendee achieve the knowl-edge required to advance in the auto repairtrade.
In addition to helping already-establishedrepair professionals succeed, SEMA 2015 pro-vided the backdrop to some of the greatestsupport ever given to the American vocationalschool scene. On November 3, the CollisionRepair Education Foundation (CREF)awarded special grants to a number of schoolsthat applied for funds and assistance. TheFoundation’s efforts hit home this year, withTidewater Community College (Chesapeake,VA) receiving a $5,500 GEICO Grant. With for-mer WMABA President Clark Plucinski servingas executive director, CREF is a not-for-profitorganization dedicated to securing donationsthat support philanthropic and collision repaireducation activities that promote and enhancecareer opportunities in the industry. (More information is available at CollisionEducationFoundation.org.)
With the energy produced by this unfor-gettable event still being felt throughout the in-dustry, it is clear that automotive professionalsfrom around the world get a genuine thrill bybeing part of the largest event of its kind in theUnited States.
“You can’t get that anywhere else,”Schulenburg says. “Coming out of your busi-ness and going to an environment that feelsthat way is going to give you positive resultsand a really positive and unique experience.”
H&D
PHONE: 732-495-7900 FAX: 732-495-7904E-MAIL: [email protected] www.raeservice.com
VISIT US ON FACEBOOKwww.facebook.com/ReliableAutomotiveEquipment
42 December 2015
43December 2015
I would like to thank each and every one of you. It truly has been a privilege and an honor! Thenext message on this page in the January issue will be coming from our newly elected president,so I will leave you with this: If you really are tired of the current direction of our industry, do some-thing about it. I challenge each and every one of you to get to these meetings, get involved, stopgiving concessions, quit cutting corners for fear of losing a DRP, do complete and proper repairsand, most importantly, get paid for what you do. I have received many calls from disgusted shopowners and managers, and the common theme is, “What can I do?” Like I have said in many mes-sages before, progress starts with changes in your shop and your way of thinking.
(P.S.: Thank you to everyone at TGP who has kept my foot out of my mouth with their edits.)
NOT GOINGGENTLY...
MESSAGEPRESIDENT’S Don Beaver
(443) 539-4200 ext. [email protected]
I appreciate WMABA working on my behalf at the state capitol(s)!Here is my contribution to the legislative efforts.
Name: ______________________________________Company: __________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________
City:____________________________________________State: ______________________Zip: ________
Phone: ______________________________Email: ____________________________________________
Donation Amount: $50 $100 $500 Other ________________
Check Enclosed Credit Card (Visa, Amex, MC)# __________________________________________________________ Exp: ________
Name on Card: ______________________________Signature: __________________________________
WE NEED YOUR LEGISLATIVE CONTRIBUTION!
P.O. Box 3157 • Mechanicsville, VA 23116
I have always liked the saying thatthe goal in life is to not “go gentle intothat good night.” In the end, the objec-tive is to come fishtailing in — battered,torn, exhausted and screaming, “Wow,what a ride!” For the last two years, Ihave had the honor and privilege ofbeing the president of WMABA.
“Wow, what a ride!”I became president through a long
transition from being secretary, treasurerand vice president. Having been on theWMABA Board for many years, I havewitnessed sooooo many changes in ourindustry — many for the good (making adifference for the better), and many notso much. But what never changedthrough these many years was the sup-port and dedication of our membershipand the WMABA Board of Directors.
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47December 2015
In Memoriam
CORTEZ LAMONT CLARK
On October 13, the Fort Washington AutoBody family suffered a devastating loss. CortezLamont Clark was found murdered after beingmissing for three days. Clark had been with theOxon Hill, MD shop for a little over seven yearsas a B-tech painter’s helper.
“Cortez was an awesome dude,” saysLaura Gay, past owner of Fort Washington AutoBody. “He had an infectious laugh and infec-tious smile. He lit up the entire shop and wasthe glue that held us all together. He was theproblem solver. He was so very sweet and kind– it’s a tremendous loss. There was so muchpotential; when we gave him opportunities, heseized every one and wouldn’t leave the shopuntil every job was done 110 percent. I can’t
wrap my head around what happened to him,or why.”
On November 2, John David Allen was ar-rested for the alleged murder of Clark. At thetime this issue went to press, Allen was beingheld for second degree murder while armedwithout bail, and three additional arrests wereforthcoming for the remaining accomplices.Allen's next court date is set for December 11.
Cortez Lamont Clark was only 32 yearsold at the time of his passing. He was a vitalmember of the Fort Washington Auto Body family and will be remembered fondly by all ofthose who knew him. WMABA and Hammer &Dolly offer our deepest condolences. H&D
48 December 2015
THOMAS GRECO PUBLISHINGLaunches RedesignedWebsite
Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. (TGP), the publishers behindHammer & Dolly (as well as New Jersey Automotive, New Eng-land Automotive Report, AASP-MN News, Wisconsin AutomotiveNews and the NORTHEAST® Conference Journal), recently un-veiled a new, completely redesigned website. The fresh new de-sign of grecopublishing.com features a multitude of updates,including a refreshed interface with a modern aesthetic, an easilynavigable archive of old and new titles, information about theirnumerous services and more.
“Like the associations we partner with [AASP/NJ,AASP/MA, WMABA, AASP-MN and WACTAL], our company isalways looking for ways to evolve and advance the industries weserve,” says Thomas Greco, founder and president of TGP. “Bycreating a website that is full of educational, informative and en-tertaining content that is easy to navigate on every platform, wefeel we are well prepared for the ever-changing technical ad-vancements the future brings.”
Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. has been serving the automotive repair industry through regional, trade association-specific magazine publishing, advertising, trade show management and administrative services for over 25 years. To view the newly revamped website and to learn more aboutTGP or the NORTHEAST 2016 Automotive Services Show, visit grecopublishing.com. H&D
Networking.
Education.Innovation.
Technology.
IT’S ALL HERE.AASP/NJ’s
March 18, 19, 20, 2016Meadowlands Exposition Center
Secaucus, NJ
www.aaspnjnortheast.com
49December 2015
50 December 2015
ADVERTISERS’INDEX
Air-Tech Products ................................14
Alexandria Toyota ................................50
All Foreign Used Auto..........................39
AP Media ............................................29
Audi Group ..........................................13
Audi Silver Spring ................................IBC
Axalta Coating Systems ......................OBC
BMW Group ........................................26-27
BMW of Silver Spring ..........................IBC
BMW of Fairfax....................................3
CAPA ..................................................8
Chesapeake Automotive Equipment ..39
Empire Auto Parts................................41
Ford Group ..........................................17
Future Cure ........................................40
GM Parts Group ..................................25
Hendrick Honda ..................................14
Honda Group ......................................45
Hyundai Group ....................................30
Koons Ford ..........................................47
Malloy Auto Group ..............................7
Mazda Group ......................................49
MINI Group ..........................................19
Mitsubishi Group..................................31
Mopar Group ........................................15
Nissan Group ......................................43
Northeast® 2016 ..................................48
NuCar ..................................................11
O’Donnell Honda ................................41
Packer Norris Parts ............................4
Porsche Group ....................................9
Porsche Silver Spring ..........................IBC
PPG ....................................................IFC
Reliable Auto Equipment ....................42
Safety Regulations ..............................50
Subaru Group......................................35
Toyota Group ......................................34
VW Group............................................46
51December 2015
