EVENTS

38 Fall 2014 Collision QUARTERLY collisionquarterly.ca

The 2014 National Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) was held in Detroit this year. There had been concerns that the new location might reduce attendance

and hamper the overall success of the event. Those fears were not realized. One of the most common statements heard from both exhibitors and attendees was “NACE is back!”

There were several factors contributing to the success of the 2014 NACE expo. First, the strategy to partner with several other associations and events brought great value to

both exhibitors and attendees. Second, great interest was sparked by the rapid changes in vehicle design, construction, and reparability, most notably the introduction of the 2015 Ford F-150.

The week began on the afternoon of Monday, July 28, with an open board meeting for the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). The purpose of the meeting was to update the industry on a variety of topics, including rental day formulas, insurance company commercials, and clearcoat blending. The SCRS represents over 6,000

A new location, new partners, and the

introduction of new technologies made

the annual exposition a huge success.

Is Back!b y K e i t h J o n e s

NACE

Attitude alone made this year's NACE a success.

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collisionquarterly.ca Collision QUARTERLY Fall 2014 39

collision repair businesses and 58,500 professionals in the United States. Since 1982, the SCRS has been the largest American trade association solely representing the collision repair industry.

Tuesday brought the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). The CIC is the American equivalent of the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF). One of the highlights of this year’s CIC event was a panel that included several special agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security discussing the issue of counterfeit air bags. This has become quite an

issue for our neighbours to the south. Homeland Security, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and the collision repair industry are working together to combat this growing threat. Counterfeit air bags can be dangerous, even lethal. They have the potential to explode during a crash and may deploy prematurely. They also may contain harmful chemicals that can be fatal if ingested. This issue is certainly something that we need to be aware of here in Canada; it is something the Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) will be researching.

Another highlight was the insurer-

repairer relations committee at CIC discussing the “rental days” issue, specifically the variety of formulas used by private insurance companies. It all came down to cycle time, something the collision repair industry is striving to improve, on both sides of the border.

The next day, Wednesday, was the 2014 I-CAR Conference, which kicked off with the question, “Are you ready for 2025?” This year’s featured speakers were from Ford Motor Company, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

“It provided an excellent opportunity for shop owners, managers, and technicians to meet OEM engineers and learn about technologies that will soon be showing up in their shops.”

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On the tradeshow floor, it was one of the busiest NACE expos ever.

40 Fall 2014 Collision QUARTERLY collisionquarterly.ca

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Steel Market Development Institute, Alcoa, University of Michigan, and Robert Bosch LLC. The key topics covered were as follows:• Ford: CAFE, F-150, Collision Repair Service

Strategy• Light Weighting: Carbon Fiber, Advanced

Steels, Aluminum• Technology: Reinventing the Automobile• Driver Safety: V2X and Vehicle Data

All of the speakers were very insightful, providing information on the technology that is coming—and the technology that is already here. Along with the conference speakers, a wide range of I-CAR training was delivered, including the very popular 2015 Ford F-150 Structural Repair Training Course.

The 2014 NACE Main Exposition opened on Thursday, July 31. As usual, there were

a variety of educational opportunities, many focussing on the new aluminum repair methodologies for the 2015 Ford F-150. These sessions drew high attendance numbers, and the quality of the information was great due to the support from Ford and equipment suppliers.

“Advanced technologies, connectivity, and the Internet are changing modern automobiles.”On the trade show floor, it was one

of the busiest NACE expos ever. While the show might have been smaller than NACE ten years ago, the quality of the exhibits and the level of attendee enthusiasm were extremely high. As expected, the Ford Motor Company exhibit was very busy, showcasing the new 2015 F-150 model and offering reparability information and details about Ford’s National Body Shop Program. Also seeing heavy traffic on the trade show floor were the many equipment suppliers involved in the “aluminum evolution”; these included Car-O-Liner, Chief Automotive Technologies, 3M, Pro Spot, and Cellete.

Among the most interesting attractions were the live demos held at multiple locations throughout the expo hall. I-CAR, BASF, Car-O-Liner, 3M, BMW, General Motors, and Honda showcased new products, repair methodologies, and, of course, aluminum repair. One point of interest was the large number of people wearing Alcoa shirts attending I-CAR training, as Alcoa is one of the leading suppliers of aluminum to the automotive industry.

Thursday evening saw an industry first, with the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) hosted outside Canada. The well-attended event featured North American collision industry expert Vincent Romans giving an overview of the state of the Canadian and American collision repair and property and casualty industries.

Friday was also a jam-packed day, with two major events. First, the Telematics and Technology Forum provided an excellent opportunity for shop owners, managers, and technicians to meet OEM engineers and learn about technologies that will soon be showing up in their shops. Automakers and experts

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collisionquarterly.ca Collision QUARTERLY Fall 2014 41

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in vehicle security, telematics technology, and diagnostics and repair discussed how advanced technologies, connectivity, and the Internet are changing modern automobiles.

“Investment firms are apparently seeing the collision repair industry

as a good investment!”The second event of the day proved to be one of the best. The

Collision Repair Executive Symposium (CRES) brought together a host of collision industry experts to discuss topics such as marketing dynamics, capacity utilization, changing vehicle design, and collision repair shop acquisition. All were very good, but the discussion on acquisition proved to be the most interesting, ending the symposium on a positive note. The recent collision repair industry acquisitions by global investment firms such as Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman LLC, and Canadian firm OMERS Private Equity show increased confidence in the collision repair sector. Investment firms are apparently seeing the collision repair industry as a good investment!

As the conference came to an end, two things stood out: first was the positive attitude displayed by the people of Detroit, who showed pride in their oft-maligned city and in NACE’s comeback; second was the positive attitude of the attendees, their enthusiasm in embracing change, and in keeping up with the rapidly evolving collision repair environment. Attitude alone made this year’s NACE a success. n

Great interest was sparked by the rapid changes in vehicle design, construction, and reparability.