new jersey automotive may 2015

May 2015$595

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ALLIANCE OF AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS/NEW JERSEY (www.AASPNJ.org)AND THE AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY (www.ARANJ.org)

www.grecopublishing.com

TM

11th AnnualLou Scoras

Memorial GolfOuting Registration

NJA0515.qxp_NEW JERSEY AUTOMOTIVE 4/27/15 7:42 PM Page 1

2 | New Jersey Automotive | May 2015


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15 11th Annual Lou Scoras Memorial Golf Outing Registration

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT by Jacquelyn Bauman22 Thinking of Auto Repairers: The Amato Agency

LEGAL PERSPECTIVE26 Bad Faith Litigation: An Update

FEATURE32 NJ Suits Challenge Controversial FL Ruling by Joel Gausten

COVER STORY by Joel Gausten36 BACK IN FOCUS: THE PARTS PROCUREMENT DEBATE RETURNS

WHAT SAY YOU?47 How Has Obamacare Affected Your Business?

NO BRAKES49 Point of Pain

THE LIST51 What Would You Be Doing if You Weren't in Automotive Repair?

53 AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY Wharton Insurance Briefs

P.O. Box 734 Neptune, NJ 07753

EXECUTIVE DI REC TORCharles Bryant732-922-8909 / [email protected]

2013 - 2015 OFFICERSPRESIDENTJeff McDowell, Leslies Auto Body732-738-1948 / [email protected]

COLLISION CHAIRMANDave Laganella, Peters Body and Fender201-337-1200 / [email protected]

MECHANICAL CHAIRMANKeith Krehel, Krehel Automotive Repair, Inc.973-546-2828 / [email protected]

TREASURERTom Elder, Compact Kars, Inc.609-259-6373 / [email protected]

SECRETARYThomas Greco, Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. 973-667-6922 / [email protected]

BOARDJerry McNee, Ultimate Collision Repair, Inc. 732-494-1900 / [email protected]

Sam Mikhail, Prestige Auto Body908-789-2020 / [email protected]

Ted Rainer, Ocean Bay Auto Body732-899-7900 / [email protected]

Anthony Sauta, East Coast Auto Body732-869-9999 / [email protected]

Randy Scoras, Holmdel Auto Body732-946-8388 / [email protected]

Anthony Trama, Bloomfield Auto Body973-748-2608 / [email protected]

BOARD ALLIEDJoe Amato, The Amato Agency732-530-6740 / [email protected]

Mike Kaufmann, Advantage Dealer Services973-332-7014 / [email protected]

PAST PRESIDENT ATTENDINGTom Elder, Compact Kars609-259-6373 / [email protected]

PUBLISHERThomas Greco ([email protected])DIRECTOR OF SALESAlicia Figurelli ([email protected])EDITORJoel Gausten ([email protected])MANAGING EDITORJacquelyn Bauman ([email protected])ART DIRECTORLea Velocci ([email protected])OFFICE MANAGERDonna Greco ([email protected])CONTRIBUTING EDITORSCharles Bryant Tom Greco Jeff McDowellMitch Portnoi Dave Laganella Ron Ananian

Published by: Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202, Nutley, NJ07110Corporate: (973) 667-6922 / FAX: (973) 235-1963

www.grecopublishing.com

VOLUME 45, NUMBER 5 | May 2015

8 OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES10 PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

14 EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS MESSAGE28 MEET THE BOARD: ANTHONY TRAMA58 NJA ADVERTISERS INDEX

NEW JERSEY AUTOMOTIVE is published monthly and is sent to AASP/NJ and ARANJ members free of charge. Subscriptions are $24 per year. NEW JERSEYAUTOMOTIVE is published by Thomas Greco Publishing Inc., 244 Chestnut St., Nutley, NJ 07110. The editorial contents of NEW JERSEY AUTOMOTIVEare copyright 2015 by Thomas Greco Publishing Inc. and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher and/or editor. Articles in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Thomas Greco Publishing Inc. Cover and Images courtesy of www.istockphoto.com.

The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers/New Jersey

Joe Amato, Sr.Ron AnanianJim Bowers

Charles BryantDon ChardGuy CitroEd Day

Dave Demarest

Tom ElderBob Everett

Thomas GrecoRich Johnson Wes KearneyNick KostakisJim KowalakJoe Lubrano

Michael LovulloSam MikhailRon MucklowGeorge PetraskRuss Robson

Jerry RussomanoGeorge Threlfall

Cynthia TursiLee VetlandPaul VigilantRich WeberBrian VesleyGlenn VillacariStan Wilson

HALL OF FAME

CONTENTS



OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES

Throughout the years, youve joined me on my manyunique (some might say weird) food excursions. Whether itsthe hunt for blackened chicken or the perfect burger, youveall followed my long and winding road to taste bud heaven.Well, this tale may be the one that puts all the others toshame, because Im about to tell you about my hunt for theperfect pickle. Thats right, the perfect pickle.

Unlike most of my food cravings, I dont have any nostal-gic memories of pickles. To me, they were always just some-thing that came with a burger; I either felt like eating them, or Ididnt. However, there was one thing I knew: I hated sweetpickles. There should be some kind of warning sign on thembecause theyre deceptive little suckers. As I grew older andlearned to love an extra side of pickles with my meal, I was

often surprised when I bit into one of those horrible-tastingimposters. I can handle dills (thats for sure), but for me, thecaviar of pickles are those wonderful half-sours.

Over the years, I never found much of a difference inmost places pickles. Fuddruckers has excellent pickles.Unfortunately, these days, its easier to find Hillary Clintonsemails than it is to find a Fuddruckersat least in New Jer-sey. The Franklin Steakhouse in Nutley has good ones, butthey give them out as if they were bars of gold. When I ask forextra pickles, that doesnt mean four slices - it means fourpickles, dammit! I have to say, we had some fantastic picklesat the NORTHEAST show this year. Just ask Jeff McDowellor Anthony Sauta. They were witnesses to me downing about100 slices at the vendor party.

by THOMAS GRECO, PUBLISHER

Quite a Pickle



But I have yet to find a pickle that matches the exquisiteofferings found at Reins Deli in Connecticut. (Harolds Deli inLyndhurst comes closest.) We travel up to Massachusettsaround four times a year to meet with AASP/MA, and I mustadmit that one of the great rewards of that trip is stopping atReins, devouring 10-12 pickles and bringing back as manybuckets as I can to New Jersey. Unfortunately, betweenmy family and my office staff, those buckets dont last long.Before I know it, I get my Reins pickle itch again. Now, itsnot like Reins is in Fairfield or even New Haven. Its up pastHartford. Although I may be crazy, Im not that crazy. So Ibegan my quest to find out how I could get my belovedReins pickles to New Jersey on a regular basis.

Of course, Im no dummy. The first call I placed was toReins to see if they would ship to Jersey. Their response?

No, sorry, we used to ship but we had lots of problemswith spills and such, so we dont do that anymore.

Can you tell me where I can get them from the manufac-turer? I asked.

Sorry, thats a family secret. Ugh.Then, I remembered that one time we actually noticed a

sticker on one of the buckets that mentioned that the pickleswere manufactured in (wouldnt you know it) Camden, NewJersey. How many pickle manufacturers could there be inCamden? Not many, it turns out. I found out they were calledK&Z Pickles, and I promptly placed a call. Answering ma-chine. After a few weeks of getting the machine, I began toget frustrated. Was it really that hard to get these friggin pick-les???

After a few months, I found them on Facebook and mes-saged them through there. Wouldnt you know it; I got a re-sponse within 24 hours. I explained my situation and theysaid that the pickles that were sold to Reins were available inSaker ShopRites. What the hell is a Saker ShopRite? Wehave dozens of ShopRites in North Jersey (even one in Nut-ley), and I have never seen anything like those pickles inthem. As they explained to me, Saker ShopRites are inde-pendently owned stores mainly located in Central Jersey.

So I trekked down to the Saker ShopRite in Edison,walked up and down the storeno sign of K&Z pickles. Theonly fresh pickles they had in a bucket were something calledWorld Class. The only information on the bucket said that

continued on page 54


The weather is warming up, and youknow what that means: Its almost timefor AASP/NJs 11th Annual Lou ScorasMemorial Golf Outing! As in years past,

our 2015 Outing will be held at the pres-tigious Colonia Country Club in Colonia,NJ, and all AASP/NJ members, support-ers and golfers are cordially invited to

spend the day networking with industrypeers while benefiting a great cause. For those of you who did not knowLou, he was very passionate about theimportance of education and of further-ing the industry through supportingthose just starting out in it. Thats part ofwhy this event holds such a specialplace in the hearts of AASP/NJ. In plan-ning the annual Golf Outing in Lousmemory, we decided to create a schol-arship fund in his name so that a portionof the events proceeds could directlyhelp further the career of a collision re-pair student looking to break into thefield. Ten special students have beenhonored to date through the Lou ScorasMemorial Scholarship Fund, and we aimto help many more in the years to comethanks to the generous participation ofour sponsors, players and supporters. With that, I would like to invite any-one who has not yet signed up for thisyears Golf Outing to please turn to page15 and fill out the registration form, orsimply contact AASP/NJ Executive Di-rector Charles Bryant at (732) 922-8909to get in on this great event. If you dontgolf, dont worry; you can come for justour luncheon, our dinner or both. Wealso have multiple sponsorship opportu-nities available for the event, whetheryoud prefer a monetary donation orwould rather offer a prize or two for ourattendees. Dont delay; there is only ashort time left to become part of a greatday for a great cause. I look forward toseeing you there and working togetherto help strengthen our workforce foryears to come.


PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

HIT THE LINKS!by JEFF MCDOWELL

NJA


Just in case anyone reading thisarticle is not aware, the conduct of in-surance companies during the settle-ment of claims is regulated by a set ofrules in New Jersey commonly knownas the NJ Unfair Claim SettlementPractices Act and the NJ Auto PhysicalDamage Claim Regulations, dependingon whether the claim is for the firstparty or the third party. People in New Jersey have cometo rely on the regulations governing fairclaim settlements and have turned tothe New Jersey Department of Bankingand Insurance (NJDOBI) when an in-surer handles the settlement of a claimin an unfair manner. If one looks up theregulations referenced above, they willsee that they basically spell out how in-surance claims must be handled fromthe time the claim is first reported untilthe claim is settled, rejected or paidand the file is closed. In fact, the UnfairClaim Settlement Practices Act actually

states that its purpose is to promotethe fair and equitable treatment ofclaimants by defining certain minimumstandards for the settlement of claims.Certainly, one would be led to believethat such language would mean that aviolation of these regulations wouldcause an insurer some serious prob-lems. Unfortunately, that is not actuallythe case. To understand, further exami-nation is required. Right after the statement that thepurpose of the act is to promote thefair and equitable treatment ofclaimants by defining certain minimumstandards for the settlement of claims,the regulation says, which, if violatedwith such frequency as to indicate ageneral business practice, would con-stitute unfair claims settlement prac-tices in the business of insurance. It isabsolutely critical that readers under-stand the impact this statement has onthe regulations.

By inserting that statement in theregulation, its strength is diminished.Its like running a red light. We all knowthat it is illegal to do so; however, if thepolice were required to catch a personrunning the red light at least three orfour times within a week before theycould stop that person or give him orher a ticket, you can bet that very fewpeople would ever get stopped. Inother words, the law would be so wa-tered down that it would effectively be-come useless. It would be almostimpossible to catch someone runningthe red light that many times. The samegoes for the ability to catch an insurerviolating the regulations governing fairclaim settlements. As a result (for themost part), all the regulations do is givepeople the warm and fuzzy feeling thatthere are regulations that insurers mustfollow during the settlement of claimsand penalties when the regulations areviolated.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS MESSAGE

Insurer Abuse on Auto Property Damage Claims:Where Does the DOBI Stand? by CHARLES BRYANT



Please make checks payable to AASP/NJMail to: AASP/NJ, c/o Charles Bryant P.O. Box 734, Neptune, NJ 07753

_____ Check Enclosed OR _____ Bill My Credit Card___ Visa ___ MasterCard ___ Amex ___ DiscoverCard #: ______________________________________________Name on Card: ____________________________Exp. Date:____________________________________________Security Code: ____________________________Billing Address: ________________________________________________________________________________

11TH ANNUAL 2015 AASP/NJ LOU SCORAS MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING

Contacts: Charles Bryant: (732) 922-8909Randy Scoras: (732) 946-8388

The Colonia Country Club: (732) 381-9500www.aaspnj.org for more information or to register

PLAYER REGISTRATIONPlease list your players, company and phone number below:

Number of players: ___ x $225.00 = $ ____________________

Dinner only: ___ x $75.00 = $ ____________________

Hole Sponsorship: ___ x $400.00 = $ ____________________

Total Amount: $ ____________________

Sponsor/Shop Name

______________________________________

Street: ________________________________City: __________________________________State: ______________ Zip Code: ____________Phone: ________________________________Fax: __________________________________Email: ________________________________Contact: ________________________________

___ Hole Sponsorship___ Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze Sponsorship

All payments must be received prior to the day of the outing.

Monday, May 18, 2015THE COLONIA COUNTRY CLUB 300 Colonia Blvd., Colonia, NJ

10:00am Registration Begins11:30am Lunch Served1:00pm Shotgun Start

5:30pm Cash Bar6:30pm Dinner

This years outing is dedicated to the late Lou Scoras of HolmdelAuto Body. Part of the proceeds from this years outing will gotoward a collision industry scholarship fund.Ask about our

Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze

Sponsorship Opportunities

New Jersey Automotive | May 2015 | 15New Jersey Automotive | May 2015 | 15


Now, lets take a look at what aninsurer might face if they are caughtviolating the regulations enough to cre-ate what is referred to as a generalbusiness practice. One would normallythink that the insurer could face alawsuit if they violate the regulations.Unfortunately for the people relying on

the regulations for relief, the way theyare set up prevents anyone from filing alawsuit when the regulations are in factviolated, even if it can be proven as ageneral business practice. There is aprovision that does not allow for acause of action required to file a lawsuit,instead leaving it to the Department of

Insurance to resolve the issue. The De-partment is afforded the authority to en-force the provisions of the regulations,which includes investigating complaintsthat come in and ultimately fining the in-surers, if they choose to do so. The way the Department of Insur-ance determines if the regulations havebeen violated enough to create a gen-eral business practice is to conductwhat is referred to as Market ConductSurveys, where the Department will goto an insurer periodically and conduct asurvey to see if the insurer is followingthe regulations. The Department willusually pick one or two issues wherethere is a buildup of complaints andlook at a sampling of files having to dowith those matters to see if the insureris following the provisions in the regula-tion directly related to those things. Ifthe Department finds that the insurerhas violated the regulations enough tocreate a general business practice inthe area being surveyed, it can chooseto either warn the insurer to come intocompliance or can decide to fine the in-surer for the violations. Depending onthe severity of the violation, the finescan be substantial; however, they usu-ally are not. Now, even though this systemseems to be quite one-sided in thefavor of the insurers, we must workwithin the system until things change.The only way to do that is to makeenough complaints to trigger a MarketConduct Survey on the issue causingthe problem. Again, the Department willonly act when enough complaints arefiled to prove a general business prac-tice or when enough complaints comein to trigger a Market Conduct Surveyon that particular issue. Therefore, it isextremely important that members of

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS MESSAGE



our industry take the time to file a com-plaint when an insurer fails to follow theregulations governing fair claim settle-ments in New Jersey, even if it seemslike nothing is being done about theissue. A single complaint here and thereis not likely to result in much. However,when the complaints build up enough,the Department of Insurance is requiredto act to resolve the issue. One of the issues that AASP/NJhas pushed our members to complainabout is the failure of insurers to pay afair and reasonable amount to cover thecost of paint and materials. The NJ De-partment of Insurance has been shownthat the traditional method of determin-ing how much an insurer will pay for thecost of paint and materials (dollar figureper paint hour) is outdated, antiquatedand simply doesnt work because of thevariables involved, such as the differ-ence in cost or colors (white comparedto red, for example). AASP/NJ has as-sisted our members by creating ageneric complaint form to address theproblem. Some of our members areusing the form on a regular basis andflooding the department with com-plaints on this subject, while others aremaking a complaint here and there. Al-though we are aware that the com-plaints are building up on this subject,we need the majority of the member-ship to get involved and flood the De-partment with complaints on this mostdisturbing issue. The only way this reg-ulation will be effective is when thecomplaints build up enough to show apattern of abuse. We know it is hap-pening; we just need to prove it bybuilding up the complaints to a levelthat will prove a general businesspractice.

I hope the information provided inthis article will assist in understandinghow the regulations governing fair claimsettlements in this state work. Althoughit is a slow process, if the members ofthe industry and the insureds beingabused take the time to file a complaint,

the system will work. If anyone wouldlike to discuss any information providedin this article, I can be reached on theAASP/NJ Hotline at (732) 922-8909 orvia email at [email protected].


NJA


For over 20 years, The Amato Agency has been providinginsurance to a variety of different industries, but has doneso on an unprecedented scale in the automotive repairfield. With company President Joe Amato, Sr. having been in-ducted into the AASP/NJ Hall of Fame at the associations lastAnnual Meeting, it is obvious that the company has earned goodfaith in the industry. As a part of the AASP/NJ Board of Direc-tors, Amato has proven time and time again to have the industrysbest interests at heart. Ive never fixed a fender. Busted a lot of them, but Ivenever fixed any of them, Amato joked with New Jersey Automo-tive. But Ive been lucky enough to be on the Board of the asso-ciation, have gotten to know guys who own shops and have cometo understand their needs. We are constantly working to try andimprove our programs for association members. The Amato Agency currently offers garage policy plans andworkers compensation plans that are exclusive to associationmembers. This year, members who participated in Amatosgarage policy program got back 10 percent on last years policy. For workers compensation, many members receive a dis-count up front on a program that has paid out dividends everyyear it has been in place. Our last dividend payout for workers compensation waseight percent, Amato explained. It is no wonder why AASP/NJ member shops have signed upto be a part of this program.

As a small business, it is easy to feel like you are on an is-land by yourself, expressed Amato. By being an associationmember, you get benefits like this and more, plus you get repre-sentation at the State House, information on a changing industryand publications like New Jersey Automotive to keep you in theknow. Your competition isnt other small businesses - its thelarger companies that can offer employees training, benefitspackages, etc. Through the association, you can offer those samebenefits, creating an even playing field. As independent insurance agents, The Amato Agency repre-sents a number of different insurance companies, listening toyour exact needs in order to find the coverage that works best foryour business. Amato has the variety necessary to make sure thatyour coverage is individualized to your business. We team up with a number of different insurers because noone policy is going to be good for everyone, he says. Its im-portant to us to have a personal relationship with our clients sothat they know that theyre getting the best possible coverage fortheir business. In the automotive industry, it is often hard to find an insur-ance company you can trust. Luckily for these shops in New Jer-sey, theres The Amato Agency to take care of you. To request a free quote, call the Neptune office at (732) 530-6740 or toll free at (800) 763-6574. More information can befound online at www.amatoagency.com.

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT by Jacquelyn Bauman


Thinking of Auto Repairers:THE AMATO AGENCY

NJA

The team at The Amato Agency works hard to get AASP/NJ members the best possible coverage for their businesses.


What is the current status of bad faith litigation in New Jer-sey? The short answer is that it is alive but on life support. Whatit needs is strong legislative action to enforce the theories ad-vanced in the famous case of Pickett v. Lloyds, which was de-cided back in 1993 by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Whathas followed since has been repeated stops and starts and no de-finitive action by the Legislature in the Garden State. There hasbeen much confusion created by the courts in interpreting howthe Pickett case was to be enforced and determining how a badfaith litigation case was to be proven. That is, is the insurancecompany going to be on the hook for all damages in excess of aninsured defendants policy limits every time there is an excessverdict? Who determines when an insurance company acts inbad faith? A judge who heard all the evidence in a given case?The jury that heard all the evidence in the underlying case? Per-haps a new jury who hears about the actual decision-makingprocess of the insurance company hierarchy? These are some ofthe questions posed and answered by the New Jersey Supreme

Court in Woods v. NJM, which was decided in June of 2011. TheCourt held that NJM was entitled to a jury determination as towhether it acted in bad faith when it failed to settle a matterwithin the policy limits prior to the underlying action being triedin court. The practical aspects of this decision have had wide-rangingeffects. The decision regarding the supposed bad faith of the in-surance company is now one for a different jury than the one thathas already heard the underlying case. The proofs are of an en-tirely different quality and type. (That is, one must be able to dis-cuss the insurance company adjusters and supervisors

LEGAL FEATURE by Mitchell Portnoi, Esq.

Bad Faith Litigation:An Update





MEET THE BOARD

New Jersey Automotive: How did you get involved in the automotive repair industry?Anthony Trama: When I was in high school, I was involved in a work-studyprogram that allowed me to come work at a shop for half of the school day. Ifell in love with it and ended up getting a part-time job at my local body shop. Itfeels like Ive been doing this forever.

NJA: How long have you been a member of AASP/NJ?AT: I joined the association 15 years ago when I first purchased my business,Bloomfield Auto Body. My main reason for joining was to meet other people inthe industry. I wanted to learn as much as I could from them.

NJA: Whats one piece of advice you would give to someone who isjust starting out in the business?AT:My advice is that you have to focus on more than just your business. Youhave to see the bigger picture. Get involved in the industry as a whole. Getstarted up in associations like AASP/NJ. Its the only way to truly have a voiceand a say in what goes on. Its YOUR business. Its YOUR livelihood. You haveto care about what affects you and stand up and do something about it.

NJA: What do you like best about the work that you do?AT: My favorite thing about what I do is the pride that comes with rebuilding avehicle after a collision and seeing the customer completely satisfied and happy.My team works together to accomplish this. Theres a lot of stress on the con-sumer after an accident, and its great to work together to make that stress dis-appear from their lives.

NJA: What makes you proudest about your company?AT: Bloomfield Auto Body was established in 1949, over 60 years ago. Wehave been a part of this community for a long time, and were known for ourquality and customer service. Quality is our top priority.

NJA: Where do you see the industry going in the next 10 years?AT: Honestly, it makes me nervous to think about it. Vehicle construction andelectronics are getting more and more complex, which complicates things a bitfor our industry. If we focus on training, we can be properly educated on re-pairs, but theres a certain amount of dedication that comes with something likethat that not everyone seems to have. Not to mention the issue of the insurancecompanies and their involvement in our industry. It already puts obstacles in theway of running a shop; I can only imagine what its going to be like in the next10 years.

NJA: Who has had the most impact on you?AT: The people who have had the most impact on me personally have been myparents. They are fantastic role models for working hard and making the bestwith what you have. Plus my wife, who supports me on the rollercoaster of aride that is owning an auto body repair shop. She works in the business with meand helps to keep things in perspective when I feel like everything is goingwrong. When it comes to who has impacted me the most professionally, thereisnt one single person. But being around other people in the industry who aremore successful than me, such as other Board members, has helped me to learnso much about what it is that we do and how I can continually strive to improve.

Anthony Trama

The AASP/NJ Board of Directors constantlywork to improve the dailybusiness of not only association member shops,but for all automotive repair facilities in New Jersey. But what is thestory behind each one ofthese crusaders? New Jersey Automotive satdown with Board MemberAnthony Trama to learn a little bit about the background of one of these individuals who volunteer so much of their time to improve theautomotive repair field.

NJA


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FEATURE by Joel Gausten

NJ Suits ChallengeControversialFL Ruling


The ongoing and

much-discussed

Multidistrict

Litigation (MDL)

in Florida now

involves repairers

in the Garden State.

O n March 13, attorneys representingthe plaintiffs in two New Jerseycases, Quality Auto Painting Centerof Roselle v. State Farm, et al.andUltimateCollision Repair v. State Farm, et al., issuedresponses to the defendant insurers requestfor dismissal. These cases are part of theMDL filed by the Mississippi-based EavesLaw Firm. Currently, the Multidistrict Litigation isbeing heard in the Middle District of Floridaby Judge Gregory Presnell, who will be ap-plying the laws in his state to each case un-less it can be demonstrated by either thedefendants or the plaintiffs that a particularstate law differs from those in Florida. Bothof the responses to the New Jersey cases at-tempt to do exactly that by arguing that whatapplies in Florida law may not have the samelegal standing in New Jersey. For example, inhis January 21 order issued in A&E AutoBody, Inc., et al. v. 21st Century CentennialInsurance Company, et al. (one of the morethan 20 antitrust suits currently consolidatedin the Middle District of Florida), Judge Pres-nell dismissed one of the seven counts in theA&E case, quasi-estoppel, with prejudice,meaning that the plaintiffs cannot refile a re-vised argument for it. (Quasi-estoppel pre-vents one party from taking a positioninconsistent with a position that was previ-ously advocated, regardless of whether the



party to be estopped intended to misrepresent orconceal facts.) Although Florida courts have longrecognized that equitable estoppel serves as a de-fense, Judge Presnell stated that it was unsuitableas a plaintiff argument. Despite this ruling, the NewJersey responses state that New Jersey courtshave long permitted parties to assert quasi-estop-pel offensively as both a claim and a counter-claim, adding that the defendant insurersassertion regarding quasi-estoppel are contra-dicted by decades of New Jersey law permitting itspleading by parties. The responses offered thefollowing court cases to illustrate this position:

Kazin v. Kazin, supra: Quasi-estoppel soughtand applied against defendant husband in divorcecase, prohibiting him from asserting invalidity ofplaintiffs prior divorce to escape division of maritalassets and alimony after enjoying the privileges ofmarriage to plaintiff for several years.

Green v. State Health Benefits Comn, 373N.J. Super. 408 (App.Div. 2004): Appellate courtreversed prior decision of administrative agency,specifically to allow Plaintiff to present evidence ofher claims for estoppel and quasi-estoppel.

Gilbert v. Durand Glass Mfg. Co., Inc., 258 N.J.Super. 320 (App.Div. 1992): Appellate court af-firmed propriety of giving plaintiffs quasi-estoppeljury instructions where plaintiff was fired withoutwarning although defendant employer had unwrit-ten procedure of providing verbal and written warn-ings to employees prior to termination.

In both New Jersey suits, the plaintiffs allege(among other things) that the defendant insurersactions violated New Jersey code 56:9-3:

Every contract, combination in the form of trust orotherwise, or conspiracy in restraint of trade orcommerce, in this State, shall be unlawful...Forviolations of this statute, a party injured by the

proscribed actions of a defendant is entitled to tre-ble damages...Defendants herein have repeatedlyand intentionally violated this statute. The Defen-dants have formed and engaged in a conspiracy orcombination to impose maximum price limits uponthe Plaintiff for its products and services. Theaforesaid offenses have had the effect of eliminat-ing competition within the automobile damagerepair industry, elimination of some shops fromsubstantial segment of the automobile damagerepair industry for refusing or attempting to refusethe Defendants arbitrary price ceilings, and sub-jecting repair shops to collective control andsupervision of prices by the Defendants andco-conspirators. Plaintiffs have been damaged byDefendants violation of this statute.

The Quality Auto Painting complaint is availableonline at tinyurl.com/nx54239; the March 13 re-sponse can be read at tinyurl.com/k4u74ev. TheUltimate Collision Repair complaint can be read attinyurl.com/kknt8fr, with the March 13 responseavailable at tinyurl.com/l32hbz6. In related news, April 1 saw Oregon becomethe latest state to be added to the MDL, with a suit(Leifs Auto Collision Centers v. State Farm, et al.)originally filed November 2014 against a multitudeof insurers being added to the pile. The Oregoncomplaint includes a request for injunctive reliefprohibiting the defendants insurers from furtherengaging in placing into effect any plan, programor practice which has the purpose or effect of di-recting, advising or otherwise suggesting that anyperson or firm do business or refuse to do busi-ness with any plaintiff automotive repair shop withrespect to the repair of damage to automobiles.The full text of this suit can be read attinyurl.com/kqd839v.

NJA



COVER STORY by Joel Gausten

Last year, you couldnt open a trade magazineor attend an industry event without being exposed to the controversy surrounding insurer-mandated parts procurement. With the NewZealand-based PartsTrader building a presencein America through their partnership with StateFarm, both DRPs and independents spent severalmonths protesting the companys arrival on ourshores. And then the mandate went into effect,and the cries were mostly silenced. Until now. From shops in New Jersey leaving State Farmover PartsTrader to new arguments on the floorof CIC, it is becoming very clear that we havenot seen nor heard the last of the industrys pushagainst insurer control in the parts arena.



When one door closes, another oneopens. In the months leading up to PartsTraders arrivalin the Garden State, it wasnt uncommon to hear re-pair facility personnel express the concern that thisform of insurer-mandated procurement would elimi-nate a shops ability to use vendors of their choosing.Last year, this worry hit home for one longtimeAASP/NJ member and State Farm referral shopowner after PartsTrader became mandatory for Se-lect Service facilities in the state. As an owner of ashop that is factory-certified for three brands, hesoon found himself in a very uncomfortable positionand a tug-of-war scenario that no shop owner everwants to face. I must support my sponsoring dealerships, hesays. They send the work to me; I need to buy theparts from them. I cant be dealing with Tom, Dickand Harry across the country. After weighing his options, the owner walkedaway from his years-long agreement with State Farminstead of implementing PartsTrader in his business.Nearly a year since making that decision, he says henow faces almost daily battles with the carrier. Theyre constantly refusing to pay for things Ineed to do to make a proper repair, he says. Since Igot off their program, theyre flat-out steering every-thing they can possibly get their hands on away fromme. Pretty much with every State Farm [job] thatcomes in here, Im on the horn with some manage-ment person because theyre short-paying me. Additionally, he tells New Jersey Automotivethat a good percentage of these conflicts involve thecarriers insistence on writing for used suspensionparts. They flat-out refuse to pay [for] anything overand above a used suspension piece, he complains.Insurance companies have way too much control.They can pick, choose and do whatever they wantand nobody polices them. Its getting out of control. For one former Select Service shop owner, PartsTrader proved to be an unnecessary step in anotherwise efficient in-house parts ordering process. When I order parts, I want them when I orderthem, he says. I dont want to have to wait 30 min-utes to see if it comes back. If it doesnt go through,you have to do it again. It just wasnt time-efficient; Ididnt like it at all. Another AASP/NJ member tells us that he isable to achieve more efficient parts procurementsimply by maintaining relationships with his chosensuppliers. When I place an order, I usually email the ven-dors I use, and its done, he offers. If they have any questions, they call or email me. I have specific

people I talk to when I order parts who are good atwhat they do, and thats why I use them. With Parts-Trader, youre cutting out that interaction with a per-son where you say, I have this part that goes here,but I have no idea what the part number is; its not inmy software and I cant find it. Can you help me outand send me diagram of this area so I can see if I canfind it? PartsTrader was already weighing heavily onthis members mind when State Farm decided to re-move his business from their program over what hesays was a disagreement on parts usage. The reason Im not on the program with themanymore is because I was not cost effective, hesays. It was Big Brother looking at an estimate not knowing that I work on high-end cars and say-ing, Theyre not using used parts. Although he says he was relieved to no longerhave to contend with PartsTrader at his facility, hehas nonetheless faced a dramatic drop in his businesswith State Farm. I know there are a lot of long-term customerswho would come here, but theyre told not to, he in-sists. That bothers me; Ive had customers call andsay, Wed like to use you, but I was told that if wego there, they wont guarantee the work. I go, Theynever guaranteed it to start with. We did! The cus-tomers are getting bad information and getting mis-directed. Despite these issues, the member claims that hehas been able to weather the storm by signing onwith other insurer programs. In fact, one major car-rier that he was trying to get for a good 10 yearscalled on the very same day State Farm severed tieswith him. When one door closes, another one opens, hesays.

Did PartsTrader pay for you to be in thisroom? Despite the fact that PartsTrader went nationallast year (including in markets like Massachusetts,where it exists as a stand-alone product without aninsurer endorsement/mandate), inter-industry discus-sions on the company have been noticeably quiet inrecent months especially when considering the roarheard throughout the industry in the months leadingup to the systems arrival. However, the national industrys focus on PartsTrader and the very concept of mandated partsprocurement was re-energized during the April 9Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Atlanta,where the CIC Parts & Materials Committee held



a special panel discussion to take an in-sightful look into the inefficiencies of thecurrent parts procurement system. As thefirst real discussion on the topic held atCIC since PartsTraders national rolloutlast year, the event inevitably showcasedconflicting views on the ever-controversial

product and the overall use of electronicparts procurement in todays industry. Panelist and industry consultantDavid Luehr (Elite Body Shop Solutions)noted that his clients have shared bothpositive and negative experiences with thePartsTrader system.

I would say about half of them haveembraced it and are ordering everythingthrough PartsTrader, and the other half isstill fighting it, he said Do you think they should be fightingit? asked CIC Parts & Materials Commit-tee Co-Chair John Bosin. Thats a loaded question, Luehrreplied. They should probably not befighting the use of electronic parts pro-curement. Its not PartsTrader that causesthe problems; its a great system. Theproblem is how shops are being asked touse it. A new face to CIC, North Carolina-based shop owner Clint Rogers used his appearance on the panel to praise PartsTrader for improving efficiencies athis business. I think there was a lot of apprehen-sion in the industry about the PartsTraderprogram, he said. A lot of people feellike it was pushed on us. But I can tell youmy situation; I wanted to give it an honestrun. Before I was going to criticize some-thing, I wanted to see how it really was.Its hard to say something does or doesntwork until you give it a fair shot. Iswitched to 100-percent PartsTrader;every ticket I order goes through Parts-Trader at this point. Rogers also noted that he has not en-countered resistance from State Farm overthe types of parts he orders through thesystem. Im not seeing a line drawn in thesand that says you have to use the cheap-est part, he revealed. Thats not whatIm seeing in my market. In fact, Ive al-most never chosen the cheapest part. Thereason is, the cheapest part isnt alwaysthe most efficient or effective for that repair...Im personally not getting anypushback on that. None whatsoever. Interestingly, Illinois shop owner andfellow panelist Jeanne Silver (CARSTARMundelein) noted a much different experi-ence at her facility. I did get a phone call [asking], Whydidnt you pick the lower-priced part?she revealed. I think that is dependent onthe market you are in. Maybe in Raleighthey dont do that...but its been done tous. Above all, Rogers credited State Farmfor helping the industry embrace electronic


COVER STORY continued from page 37



parts ordering as a way to improve the re-pair process. It was time for us to make a change,he said. Unfortunately, part of the problemwas, as an industry, we werent driving thatchange. Lets be honest... no one was push-ing the electronic thing until State Farmcame along. CIC attendee Andy Ingalls, southeastregional vice president for Gerber Collisionand Glass in North Carolina, took issue withRogers suggestion that State Farm de-served credit for prompting the industryswidespread use of electronic parts ordering. There are systems out there; theyvebeen out there for years, he said. To saythat we went to electronic [ordering] be-cause PartsTrader or State Farm made us?Thats the most ridiculous statement Iveever heard in my life. Ingalls wasnt the only person whotook issue with Rogers words. Addressingthe panel from the crowd, SCRS ExecutiveDirector Aaron Schulenburg voiced thefrustration of those CIC attendees who aretired of sitting in this room and fielding

commercials. To that point, he askedRogers if he had received compensationfrom PartsTrader to participate in the CICpanel. Did you pay for yourself to enter[CIC] like everybody else? he inquired. Rogers responded that Schulenburgssuggestion was way off base, stressingthat he merely wanted to offer his honestexperience with the product and that PartsTraders financial contribution to hisappearance was nothing more than a $200plane ticket. If the product youre endorsing paidfor you to be in the room, and the rest of thepanel isnt being paid to be in the room toendorse other aspects or programs, I thinktheres something disingenuous to the audi-ence about that, and they deserve to know,Schulenburg countered. Did PartsTraderpay for you to be in this room? Yeah, Rogers replied. Reacting to the tense atmosphere inthe room, Silver defended Rogers partici-pation in the panel despite having his travelpaid for by PartsTrader.

The fact is, he uses a product thatworks for him, and he likes it, she said.To quote Hillary Clinton, What differencedoes it make? Earlier in the discussion, Silver laid outperhaps the most common concerns ex-pressed over the PartsTrader situation: One,at a time when the industry has multipleparts procurement systems available in themarketplace, State Farm shops were simplygiven PartsTrader to use. Two, what hap-pens if other insurers mandate other prod-ucts for similar use? Im a great believer in electronic partsprocurement, she shared. However, Idont want to go to five different systems,and I would have loved the opportunity tohave looked at another system [before PartsTrader]. Is it 100-percent efficient? No.Is it 100-percent correct? No. As seen at CIC and heard in conversa-tions with shops closer to home, PartsTraderisnt 100-percent popular, either.

NJA


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I have under 50 employees, so itdidnt really affect my business.They get their own healthcare, butit affected my personal healthcare.My premiums are lower, but my deductible is absolutely outrageous.

I had to make cutbacks, layingpeople off. Weve hit some hardtimes and our budget couldnthandle the transition. Its ashame; we lost some really greatguys. They just hadnt been hereas long as the others, so when thetime came to let people go, it hadto be them.

I know Im in the minority here, butI think Obamacare has worked outwell for us. I cut my employees in-surance program, but they get taxcredits for doing it themselves fromthe marketplace. Plus, because Imade those cuts, Ive been able togive them raises. Of course its notideal, but I havent heard any com-plaints yet.

Honestly, my costs havedoubled for a lower qualityplan.

My premiums rose by like 20 percent and the coverage is wayworse than what we had before.

Its so expensive to give healthcare to myemployees spouses that Im giving thembonuses if their spouses are on their own insurance plan, whether through the marketplace or through their own employer.

Despite the warnings andproblems, my company signedup for the Obamacare SHOPmarketplace and weve actuallybeen pretty happy with it. Notenough small businesses areaware of this resource.

CHESTER

CARTERET

TOMS RIVER

MORRISTOWN

EDISON

PATERSON

The plan I used to offer my employeesgot canceled and was replaced with amuch more expensive plan, which ismore than $1,500 more per employeeeach year. Its caused me to have tomake cutbacks in other areas.

WHAT SAY YOU?

BORDENTOWN



AND THIS IS WHERE OUR STORY BEGINS TODAY. A new customer looking for (in her words) a real mechaniccame in with a 2005 Honda Civic and requested an estimate onthe timing belt. It was her sons car; he was using it for college. Ithad been bought a year ago and the odometer showed just over90,000 miles, with nothing serviced. Her big question was, Howmuch is a timing belt replacement? I responded, How much ofit do you want replaced? Timing belts are still a very misunderstood component. If youknow little about them and can only understand one thing, make itthis: Sometimes when they break, they cause the engine to dam-age itself everything from cylinder head repair/replacement tocomplete engine assemblies. Thats the best case scenario. Some-times, the belt breaks in the worst possible location, such as whenan 18-wheeler is bearing down on you and getting out the way isa great idea. And yet with this catastrophic calamity hanging out on theedge, most people today only seem to want to know about thedollars, not about actually doing it right. As always, I broke downthe timing belt maintenance into bite-size, easy-to-understandpieces: Here is the minimum repair and here is the real world, theconsequences if the extras are not done and the benefits if you do.There are many more factors than most realize. She nodded herhead in agreement throughout the explanation. She even started toget excited because, as she put it, No one has ever explained a

repair like this; it makes a lot of sense to do it right! And thatwas it. I sold her the job, EXCEPT... I never saw her again; no reason why. Even though the esti-mate was in her budget after talking about it, she needed her hus-bands approval and I agreed. History has shown me that wheneveryone is on board, it cuts down the odds of another expertbeing heard from halfway through the repair.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS.... Human nature is a big part of auto repair, and both are a verydeep and dark study. I used to think that part of my job was toprovide a service, repair the broken vehicle and educate themasses. The longer I am doing this, the more I feel compelled toadd something else to that: justification. Especially with regard towhy I do things a certain way and why customers benefit from theprocedure. The difference between what customers see as impor-tant for daily survival dealing with their cars and what we as re-pair shops look for is far apart and growing. In the end, someone quoted a cheaper price, maybe less of arepair and with cheap parts probably something gypsy in nature.The job probably made little or no money just to drag anotherjob through the shop and put another nail in the why do itright? coffin. When you estimate auto repair, always keep in mind whatthat vehicle represents and who is driving it. Doing it right thefirst time ensures that you wont have to do it again for lack ofproper repair. It just makes sense for everyone involved. Thequestion is, are you logical enough to realize it, or is it just a point of pain to think about?

Til next time, Im Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, reminding youthat Good mechanics arent expensive; theyre priceless.Ron Ananian, owner of R\A Automotive in Waldwick, NJ (est. 1978), is heard weekly in 140 marketson his nationally syndicated radio talk show. He is a working technician and former AASP/NJBoard member. Beyond his radio show, Ron writes and speaks for the automotive industry attrade shows and events. Visit The Car Doctor online at www.cardoctorshow.com.

POINT OF PAIN Everyone has one a point of pain, that moment whendealing with a repair shop becomes a problem. It must behuman nature. Every week, I try to make sense of the howand why of this when dealing with automobiles and people. Itseems logical to me that reliability and mobility come to mindwhen dealing with a device that requires absolute safety. Be-cause of this, I want to have a good relationship with the per-son who is going to repair it. Then again, is that even possible today? Are we smartenough to know the value of a good relationship? We all won-der at one time or another. The central air conditioning at my house is serviced everyyear. The person who does this, at least to me, is very impor-tant, especially around mid-July. Its not about price; its aboutaccuracy, honesty and results. Does it do the job? Does it keepme comfortable? All of those factors allow me to focus on otherthings.

NJA

NO BRAKES by Ron Ananian



My wife always tells me Icould be a professional painin the a** if I wanted to.

Is there any job outthere that pays you tosleep? Because thatswhat I would be doing if I wasnt doing this. Mattress tester, I guess.

Even if I didnt do automo-tive repair, Id still be doingsomething with my hands.Id probably be in someother trade like air condi-tioning repair or plumbing orcarpentry or something. Icould never picture myselfworking a 9-5 desk job.

What would you bedoing if you werent inautomotive repair?

THE LIST

I honestly couldnt see myself doinganything but this. If I had to choosesomething, it would have to still be related to cars. My most out-there ideawould be professional race car driver.If Im looking at something less absurdbut more work, I wish I could havebeen an engineer and actually createthe cars I work on now. But I neverhad the money for that kind of schooling.

It seems like the field to get into nowadays would be tech stuff. Either

computer programming or IT services. Mysisters husband is a computer programmer.He works from home, works only about 40hours a week and still makes as much as

I do. Thats what I want to be doing. Same money, less amount of work.

Well, when I was a kid, I was really

interested in the weather. I

remember doinga report in the fifth

grade or somethingon tornadoes andbeing fascinated

with them. Maybe Iwould have been ameteorologist or a

storm chaser.

We reached out to some of our readers to find out whatthey would be doing if they werent in automotive repair.


Have you ever seen those ghost huntershows on television? I want to do that.Not actually hunt ghosts because I dontbelieve in that [stuff]. But Im sure thoseguys get paid a heck of a lot of money togo into old places at night and pretendthey hear things.

If I didn't work in collision repair, Id be in mechanical repair. I should have done that inthe first place.

I would have inherited my dads farm if Ihadnt done this.

Lets say I had to change careers tomorrow,Id pick the job that has the most carry-overfrom what Im doing now. Id get into welding ofsome sort, or paint airplanes for a living.Something where I could use tools I alreadyknow how to use and not have to do any extraschooling or much training.


ARANJ 2015 OfficersPresident Bob Dirkes / Dirkes Used Auto Parts

(609) 625-1718 / [email protected] Vice President Ian Szoboszlay / Ocean County Auto

(732) 349-0332 / [email protected] Vice President Darryl Carmen / Lentini Auto Salvage

(908) 782-6838 / [email protected] Vice President Joe Goodman / Leesville Auto

(732) 388-0783/ [email protected] Director Brian Snyder / Auto Recyclers of NJ

(609) 714-2339 / [email protected]

ARANJ 2015 Board of Directors

ARANJ The Automotive Recyclers Association of New Jersey


Mike Ronayne Tilghmans Auto Parts

(609) 723-7469 [email protected] Yeager EL & M Auto

(609) 561-2266 [email protected]

Rodney Krawczyk Ace Auto Wreckers

(732) 254-9816 [email protected]

Mike Caputo Lacey Used Auto Parts, Inc.

(609) [email protected]

Bert Witcraft Auto Express

(856) 728-8367Ed Silipena

American II Autos (609) 965-6700

[email protected]

Harry Shover Porchtown Auto (856) 694-1555Norm Vachon

Port Murray Auto (908) 689-3152

[email protected]

Wharton Insurance BriefsAn ARA Member

Personal auto insurance policies in NJ provide Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. PIP is yourmedical coverage for injuries that you sustain in an autoaccident. PIP pays for you or other persons covered underyour personal auto policy if the insured are injured in anauto accident. It is also referred to as no fault coveragebecause it pays your own medical expenses, regardless ofwho was at fault. PIP has two parts: 1) coverage for thecost of treatment you receive from hospitals, doctors andother medical providers and 2) reimbursement for certainother exposures you may have (such as lost wages or theneed to have someone take care of your home). You canpurchase both or medical treatment only. Business autoinsurance policies also provide PIP coverage; however, youneed to add additional PIP coverage and list the individ-ual name(s) on the endorsement. Without being listed onthe business auto policy, your personal auto policy PIPcoverage will pay your medical coverage. It is very impor-tant that you bring this information to the attention of youragent when discussing your business auto insurance cov-erage, especially if you are using dealer plates on your per-sonal vehicles. As always, if you have any questions, please call me.

Mario DeFilippis, AAI, Vice President800-221-0003 (1320) 908-513-8588 (cell)

[email protected]

NJA


they were made specifically for SakerShopRites. Since they were the onlything that resembled what I was lookingfor, I bought a bucket. I went out to theparking lot and opened them up. Theywere good, but they werent Reins. So Iheaded north to the Woodbridge SakerShopRite (which happens to be the sizeof a small city). Again, all they had wasthe World Class. Since I was halfwaythere, I figured Id swing by the SakerShopRite in Belmar (which was conve-niently located about a half mile from theWindmill). You guessed it. World Class.

The following Monday, I finally got ahold of the sales manager at K&Z Pick-les. I said, I have a strange question.

He said, I sell pickles. How strangecan it be?

My kind of guy. I said, I go to a deliin Connectic

Before I could finish, he said,Reins! Yup.

I explained my dilemma and he con-firmed to me that the World Class wereindeed the same pickles distributed toReins. When I asked him why theydidnt taste the same, he gave me aquick education in how many variablescan affect the way a pickle tastes. Headvised me to look for buckets that didnot have any cloudiness in order to getas close to the Reins taste as possible.

Last week, I headed back down tothe Windmill, picked up a bucket thatwas clear at the ShopRite and you knowwhat? Pretty damn near Reins. Pickledebacle solved.

As far as detectives go, Batmansgot nothing on me.

NJA

continued from page 9


OUT OF BODY(AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES



and

Micro-Mix Paintand

Materials Calculatorin Bergen, Passaic, Essex andHudson Counties in New Jersey.

CALLOffice: (973) 696-3176or Cell: (201) 452-0987

Mike LovulloDistributor for

understanding of the case and its potentialsignificance and determine why and howthose ideas became different than the real-ity that came about.) The fact is that thesebad faith cases have become extremelyexpensive to pursue and may only beworthwhile if the amounts of damages leftunrecovered are extreme and the insurancecompanys actions are truly egregious.This would be based on a case-by-caseanalysis at best. While the ideals of Picket v. Lloydssare still the law in New Jersey, the teethhave been somewhat removed by the Leg-islatures failure to act on what should bestatutory law and the Supreme Courtsprocedural protections afforded to an in-surance industry that arguably is alreadywell protected. Should you need any addi-tional information on anything related tothis topic, please call Mitchell H. Portnoi,Esq. at (973) 228-9900. NJA

continued from page 26LEGAL FEATURE


Acme Nissan ..............................................18Amato Agency ............................................23Audi Group ................................................30-31Axalta Coating Systems ..............................6BMW Group ..................................................40-41Bridgewater Acura ......................................46Cadillac of Mahwah ....................................20CCC Comp-Est ..........................................55Classic Audi................................................10Continental Auto Parts ................................27Cosmos Recycled Auto Parts ......................17Clinton Acura..............................................57Crashmax Equipment ..................................9Cycan Industries ........................................53Dover Dodge ..............................................45Empire Auto Parts ......................................55Flemington Audi..........................................5Flemington Group ......................................IBC

Fred Beans Parts ........................................4Future Cure ................................................42Glen Toyota ................................................OBCHyundai Group............................................24JMK BMW..................................................11JMK Saab/JMK Fiat ....................................8Klean Frame ..............................................55Maxon Mazda ............................................21Maxon Hyundai ..........................................52Mazda Group..............................................19Mercedes Benz of Freehold ........................8The Mike Kaufmann Dealer Group ..............16Mini Group ................................................35Mitsubishi Group ........................................38Mopar Group ..............................................25NORTHEAST 2016 ..................................58NUCAR.......................................................12-13Paul Miller Audi ..........................................50

Porsche Group............................................45PPG ..........................................................3PPGMS ......................................................26Prestige Motors ..........................................43Princeton BMW ..........................................29Princeton Mini ............................................27Sherwin-Williams........................................34Subaru Group ............................................56Town Audi ..................................................57Toyota Group ..............................................39Toyota of Hackensack ................................IFCValtek ........................................................54VIP Honda ..................................................48VW Group ..................................................46Westbury Jeep ..........................................44Wheel Collision Center ................................54

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