Have a happy and safe holiday weekend! We'll be back Tuesday!

• Industry Reacts Optimistically to California Auto Glass Regulations - glassBYTEs™: Many have shown optimism toward the California Air Resources Board (CARB) vote on Friday to adopt new regulations that will impact both auto glass in new vehicles and auto glass that is replaced starting in 2012.
• Auto Repair Legislation Stalls in Rhode Island - The Rhode Island Senate has declined to take up auto body legislation opposed by the insurance industry.
• AASP-MN Announces Fall Seminar Lineup - AASP-MN will host "New Metals & Repair Technologies," Wednesday, September 16th, from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., at Crystal Lake Golf Club, Lakeville and again in the evening from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., at Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis. The program will be presented by Dave Gruskos, Reliable Automotive Equipment and will cover materials in today’s vehicle bodies, repair methods for use on these materials, and how these materials affect the collision repair industry.
• C & C Collision to the Rescue - After a small accident, the insurance companies wanted to pay me a pittance and scrap my beautiful classic Beamer. What to do? I didn’t know what to do until I spoke to Nathan and Rett at C & C Collision.
• City South Auto Body shop expanding collision center - WA: Partners plan to add mechanical shop later, increase staff by seven
• Wilhelm Automotive in Surprise fixes car given to single mom - After her husband of 15 years passed away from debilitating heart disease, La Toyyia found herself raising her four children alone.
• King Collision to offer apprenticeships - The King Collision Center repair shops in Plymouth and Pembroke are developing an apprenticeship program that would offer opportunities for part-time work for teens enrolled in collision repair and graphic arts programs in high school. King Collision hopes to have a program in place by 2010. (last brief on page)
• Hot rodders keep spending despite recession. We love America. - The gearhead penchant for spending boatloads of cash on car parts is continuing despite the weak economy and dismal job market, says the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) market research department.
• Upcoming MVP Conference Will Focus on Accelerating Collision Shop Performance - PPG Industries’ MVP Business Solutions team will host a major conference for collision center owners and managers from across North America, Sept. 13-15 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. - The conference will center on the theme of "Accelerating Performance" and focus on helping owners and managers develop and utilize their leadership skills to implement change and maximize their business performance.
• DuPont Releases 124 New Coating Colors - Say “hello” to color. That’s 124 new colors to be exact. And most of them are shades of “green” -- not literally, but environmentally.
• GM Faces Supplier Contracts Ahead Of Exit From Bankruptcy - General Motors Corp. (GM) has to settle and restart billions of dollars in supplier contracts in what could be a key test of plans for a smooth bankruptcy exit, a person familiar with the matter said.
• Nissan invests in Tennesseans - Last week, Nissan North America announced plans to borrow $1.6 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy to build lithium-ion batteries and zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) at Nissan's Smyrna plant.
• Massachusetts Toyota Dealer Recognized For Outstanding Prius Hybrid Sales - The Toyota Motor Sales for the Boston Region has again recognized Acton Toyota of Littleton for outstanding sales results, this time for achieving the #1 sales rank for new Toyota Prius hybrid sales for the month of June in Toyota’s Boston Region.
• Ex-NHTSA chief fears new safety technologies will take back seat to new mpg rules, recession - When she headed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationfrom 2006-08, Nicole Nason was in charge of both auto safety regulation and federal gas mileage standards. Safety advocates have long argued the two roles are in conflict and many studies have shown that downsizing cars and trucks to meet fuel economy rules has led to thousands more traffic deaths.
• Recall Alert: Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator - Ford has issued a recall notice for certain 2009 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, in order to correct a brake lamp defect that could lead to an accident.
• Firestone Recalls 127,000 Defective Tires - According to Bridgestone, Firestone model FR380 tires (in sizes P235/75R15) suffer from a defect where the tire causes excessive vibration and groove cracking. As a result, "extended use could lead to tread distortion or tread separation and loss of vehicle control."
• Detectives slam brakes on shop: Owner of a hot-rod shop and retired LAPD auto theft detective among suspects - Authorities arrested four men Wednesday in connection with an auto-theft ring run out of a Canyon Country hot-rod repair shop, including the business’s owner and a retired Los Angeles Police Department auto-theft detective, officials said
• Fort Myers resident arrested in stolen truck fraud - A Fort Myers man is facing charges connected to the cloning of a stolen truck.
• State sues Modesto Midas dealer on fraud allegations - Seeks $222 million for what it calls auto repair scam
• Glad’s Response to Automotive Repair Suit -  Midas franchisee Mike Glad will aggressively defend against the civil complaint filed in Alameda County.
• Two California Men Arrested in Connection with Auto Insurance Fraud Charges - Farmers Insurance conducted reinspections of repaired vehicles from two Choice Auto Body locations in Newark and Santa Clara. Both shops were owned by Choi, and Powell worked as auto body manager at the Santa Clara location.
• New Meaning For Pay-Go - Recent experience has convinced me that the insurance industry is badly in need of better supervision for a variety of reasons.
• Zurich deal for AIG auto unit drives U.S. expansion - Zurich Financial Services AG said it closed its $1.9 billion acquisition of AIG's U.S. auto insurance business on Wednesday, and expects the business to bolster earnings at its Farmers division immediately.
• Car insurance rates fall 8%, state says - MA: Officials cite competition; critic questions timing
• Insurers get a lift from drop in tornadoes - U.S. tornado frequency fell in the first half of the year from the 2008 record, helping insurers including Allstate Corp. and Travelers Cos.
• Allstate Insurance recognizes William Garcia as regional champion - William Garcia, an Allstate exclusive agency owner, has been recognized by Allstate Insurance Co. with the regional champion award for high standards in customer satisfaction, customer retention and profitable business growth.

July 1, 2009 

• Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III to Keynote at the Fifth Annual International Auto Glass Safety (AGRSS) Conference - glassBYTEs™: Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III will address attendees at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on November 5, 2009, during the Fifth Annual International Auto Glass Safety Conference sponsored by the AGRSS Council Inc.
• Body shop owner queries Obama on health insurance reform - Gary Cloutier, owner of Cloot’s Auto Body of Westfield, Mass., and secretary of AASP Massachusetts/Rhode Island was one of 164 participants in ABC-TV’s nationally televised program, “Prescription for America,” which was broadcast on June 25. The show featured President Barack Obama in the East Room of The White House, and was hosted by ABC-TV anchors Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer.
• The White House - Press Office - Remarks By The President - ABC's "Prescription for America" Town Hall of Health Care
• Fast Moving Legislation Could Impose Auto Body Repair Tax on Rhode Island Consumers - The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is urging members of the Rhode Island House to oppose auto body repair legislation that could increase costs and make the auto body repair process more inconvenient for consumers.
• Aftermarket Parts Keep Auto Repair Parts Prices, Insurance Costs in Check - The availability of aftermarket parts for use in collision repair keeps auto replacement parts prices competitive and saves consumers billions of dollars in insurance costs, according to testimony delivered today by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI).
• New Services Designed with Women in Mind - FCC Collision Centers of Milpitas and Mountain View, CA are pleased to announce they have completed AskPatty.com's Certified Female Friendly training and is now Milpitas' and Mountain View's first Certified Female Friendly auto body group. To achieve certified status, their personnel completed 25 hours of training on how to better meet the expectations of the woman consumer.
• Tampa auto body shop is family's legacy - Angelo Traina Jr.'s life always has been centered at 15th Street and 28th Avenue. -- That is where Angelo's grandfather, Italian immigrant Giuseppe Traina, helped start a body shop business for his sons in 1926.
• Asahi to Supply Auto Glass for Mercedes - glassBYTEs™: Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. has signed a long-term agreement to supply auto glass for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and SUVs to be manufactured both in the United States and Europe.
• Court Authorizes GM to Pay Pre-Petition Claims of Essential Suppliers, along with Continued Assistance for Suppliers from U.S. Treasury  - glassBYTEs™: On Friday, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York issued an order authorizing General Motors (GM) to pay pre-petition claims of "certain essential suppliers, vendors and service providers." In addition, the court authorized the continuation of the troubled supplier assistance program and continued participation in the U.S. Treasury Auto Supplier Support Program for the auto manufacturer, which filed for bankruptcy on June 1.
• Hazen Auto Parts Maker Closing Plant, Putting 70 Out of Work - Hazen Powder Parts LLC, an automotive components manufacturer at Hazen, is shutting down by the end of August because of the fall-off in the car industry, according to a company spokesman.
• Cash for clunkers hits bump - Details not final in federal program to give buyers up to $4,500 to buy fuel-efficient vehicle
• Auto Industry's Wild Ride Gets Smoother - The state of the auto nation is shaky at the moment, but all is not lost. Offsetting the unrelentingly negative news are 2009 highlights like a 69 percent spike in Sorento model sales, a 48 percent increase in Sedona sales, and the successful launch of the economically priced Hyundai Genesis and Kia Soul, both targeting younger drivers
• GM CEO makes case for bankruptcy asset sale - General Motors Corp's chief executive told a U.S. bankruptcy court on Tuesday that the sale of GM's main assets to government-backed "New GM" must win court approval in order for the iconic automaker to survive.
• Ford, Honda or Toyota: who builds the best hybrid? - All three run on regular unleaded gasoline, but the Prius uses the least of it by far, returning 53 mpg without really trying. The Insight and Fusion Hybrid each returned about 40 mpg.
• 49-Year Auto Industry Veteran Takes Top Honor at One of the Nation's Largest Automotive Dealers - Hugh Whiles Awarded Sonic Automotive's 2008 O. Bruton Smith Award
• Consumer Reports Faults Honda Insight for Its Ride, Handling, Noise, and Rear Seat - "The Insight is the most disappointing Honda Consumer Reports has tested in a long time," said David Champion, senior director of CR's Auto Test Center. "The Insight is a noisy, stiff-riding car with clumsy handling that is nothing like the Fit on which it is based. Also, Electronic Stability Control is only available on the highline EX version."
• Cash for Clunkers scam - The official, government website for the program is www .cars .gov. Dealers and consumers do not need to pre-register for the program. -- But some fraudulent websites are popping up with bogus pre-approval sections that request personal information. The so-called phishing websites are trying to steal your identity.
• Hecker accused of inflating repairs, skimming difference - For years, Denny Hecker's Advantage Rent A Car inflated estimates on auto repairs and kept the difference for itself, the nation's largest auto insurer alleges in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Arizona.
• Mitchell's Head of Human Resources Jack Farnan Receives Lifetime Achievement Award - Mitchell International, Inc., a leading provider of information, workflow and performance management solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision Repair industries, today announced that the San Diego Business Journal (SDBJ) honored its Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Jack Farnan, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The SDBJ recognized Farnan as one of the most outstanding human resources professionals in the San Diego area.
• HSG to Manage Auto Glass Claims for Esurance - glassBYTEs™: Esurance announced today that HSG, based in Eau Claire, Wis., will begin processing all of its auto glass claim invoicing.
• Insure.com Announces the Most and Least Expensive SUVs & Minivans to Insure - Insure.com calculated average car insurance premiums for almost 300 vehicles, including SUVs and minivans, for model year 2009.
• AIG: 'Excellent' Chance It Will Repay Government; New CEO Likely Soon - American International Group Inc., the insurer rescued by $180 billion of federal bailouts, on Tuesday expressed optimism it will be able to repay government loans as it tries to rebound from punishing losses tied to derivatives.
• The Hartford Takes $3.4 Billion in Bailout Funds - Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. said Friday it has taken $3.4 billion of federal bailout money, the maximum it was authorized to accept, to bolster capital in the wake of large investment losses.
• Insurers Post Record Loss in First Quarter, ISO Says - U.S. property and casualty insurers, a group including American International Group Inc. and Allstate Corp., posted a record loss in the first three months of the year as investments slipped and claims exceeded premiums, an industry group said.