Tuesday - August 28, 2007

• Collision Industry Alliance Releases Fraud Awareness Circular - The National Collision Industry Alliance (NCIA) released a circular to raise awareness of the liability associated with performing substandard repairs. The circular reads: “Don’t Fall Into The Insurer’s Fraud Trap…Fix it Right…Bill it Right”.
• Ohio Court Ruling Could Impact Auto Damage Claims - An Ohio couple whose vehicle was wrecked are entitled to more than just the money it will cost to repair it, according to a state appeals court ruling that found the couple also should be compensated because the accident reduced the value of their vehicle.
• Industry mourns loss of collision repair legend March Taylor - “There is a huge void in the industry,” says Chuck Sulkala, executive director of the National Auto Body Council. “He has done so much for so many people in his own quiet way.”
• He doctors dings, dents - Norm Coonfer III employs the firm handshake and look-you-in-the-face approach typical of many new business owners. But his two-month-old body shop is anything but typical, and this is no ordinary entrepreneur.
• Christian Brothers expands into Georgetown - Christian Brothers Automotive Corp. has entered a new market with the opening of its newest location in Georgetown, a town about 30 miles north of Austin. -- The facility, located at 3723 Williams Dr. in Georgetown, is the Houston-based automotive repair company's first location in the Georgetown area.
• ROLAGS Committee in Early Stages of Resin Standard Development - The committee for the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard (ROLAGS) now is working to develop a standard for windshield repair resins.
• GlasWeld Launches New Technical Services Division - Acceptance of new ANSI standard for windshield repair spurs formalization of long-time department
• Rust and primer are the favorite colors at the Road Agents car show - The "traditional" hot rod is an accurate re-creation or period-correct restoration of a hot rod from the same era. -- Most rat rods appear "unfinished" (whether they actually are or are not), with just the bare essentials to be driven. More recently, however, a trend has arisen of making the vehicle appear "unsafe" or "scary," whether the vehicle actually is or not.
• Microsoft Automotive Business Unit Product Manager, Velle Kolde to Address Motor Press Guild - The Motor Press Guild (MPG), America's largest professional automotive media association, announces Velle Kolde, Automotive Business Unit product manager at Microsoft, will address members and guests at the September 4 luncheon. Kolde will discuss Microsoft's role in the automotive industry and the future of technology in the automobile.
• U.S. Steel buys Canada's Stelco to expand in automotive market - United States Steel Corp. is buying the Canadian steel maker Stelco Inc. for about $1.1 billion in a move expected to bolster its position as a supplier to the North American automotive industry.
• Dana may consider bankruptcy-exit offer - Dana Corp. has invited hedge fund Appaloosa Management LP to submit a firm and final offer by Sept. 21 if it wants a part in moving the troubled auto-parts maker out of Chapter 11.
• Delphi settles stock lawsuits - $320M to cover only portion of shareholder, employee losses
• Car parts dispute costs Ford $11m a day - Australia: Ford is losing $11.3 million a day in sales because of a strike at parts supplier Venture Industries, the Industrial Relations Commission has been told today.
• Honda Achieves Record Monthly Overseas and Worldwide Auto Production - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for the month of July 2007, including an all-time record for overseas and worldwide auto production for the month of July.
• Activists protest Toyota conditions - A group of Kentucky community activists including labor and church leaders will gather outside Toyota Motor Corp.'s oldest and biggest U.S. assembly plant today to deliver recommendations, including limits on the use of lower-paid temporary workers, to improve working conditions at the factory.
• Pueblo hailstorm damage in millions - A storm that brought hail the size of half dollars caused at least $19.4 million in damages in the Pueblo area, based on claims made to one insurance company.
• Insurance Technology: Then and Now - Whether on paper or online, ten years later, the personal touch still matters.
• New York regulators checking insurance practices - The state insurance superintendent is reviewing Allstate and Liberty Mutual insurance companies' practice of taking into account a policyholder's choice of auto insurance when deciding whether to renew homeowner policies, state officials said.

Monday - August 27, 2007

• CARS Sells Out Exhibitor Showcase Space - The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has announced all available space for the 2007 CARS Exhibitor Showcase has been sold. CARS 2007 will be held Nov. 1-3 at the Flamingo Las Vegas. The event will provide attendees the opportunity to visit with more than 60 participating companies in the CARS Exhibitor Showcase, featuring the newest technologies, products and services available to automotive repair professionals. 
• State Farm contributes $50,000 to I-CAR Education Foundation to Support the Collision Industry - State Farm Insurance Company contributed a total of $50,000 to support the efforts of the I-CAR Education Foundation in July 2007. The $50,000 contribution to the Education Foundation’s General Fund will support many of the Education Foundation’s programs and services.
• Solera Holdings, Inc. Announces Paul Gange as Vice President, Corporate Marketing - "I am extremely pleased to be working with Paul again," said Tony Aquila, Solera's founder, Chairman and CEO. "He brings a wealth of relevant industry experience to Solera and intimately understands the business and the needs of our associates and clients."
• PPG Industries opens research center in Suzhou - China: PPG Industries opened its research center in Suzhou city, Jiangsu Province today, Shanghai Daily reported. -- In May, the company has begun construction on its eighth manufacturing plant in China, which is located in Wuhu, Anhui province, to supply coatings to Chery, a Chinese automobile manufacturer. -- The new factory will begin operation on Jan. 1, 2008, and its output is expected to meet the demand for paint by one million Chery cars. -- PPG's seven other factories in China provide auto paints to BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, General Motor, Dongfeng Citroen and Hainan Mazda.
• Industry Reacts to Possibility of Required Windshield Etching for Modifications - Following the announcement by the National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) that it has learned that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is working on a new updated Z26 standard that may require all "modifications" (including repairs and replacements) to original factory-installed glass be marked on the glass so as to catalogue all alterations, the industry has been filled with a mixture of emotions about the possibility.
• NWRA Annual Conference Seminars Set - The seminar program for the National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) Annual conference has been finalized. This year's conference will cover topics from ethics and environmentalism to internet marketing and customer service representative (CSR) training.
• Introduction to Alternative Fuels - As the use of alternative fuels continues to grow, there is a growing need for technicians to be properly educated about alternative fuel sources as they relate to service issues.
• Car-repair shops get maximum mileage out of their used oil - If you run an auto-repair shop, you need to dispose of a lot of waste motor oil in a way that doesn't hurt the environment. -- And if you run an auto-repair shop in a place with cold winters - Athens, for example - you need to heat your building.
• CSK ProShop and NASCAR Launch Co-Branded Program for Auto Repair Shops - CSK ProShop Commercial Customers Can Offer Nationwide Repair Warranty
• ALLDATA Releases New Updates - ALLDATA LLC has issued its quarterly release, adding more than 330,000 pages of factory-correct automotive service and repair information to its core product.
• Tweedy Browne Buys FinishMaster Inc. - Tweedy Browne initiated holdings in Business Support Services company FINISHMASTER INC. -- FinishMaster, Inc. distributes automotive paints, coatings, and paint-related accessories to the automotive collision repair, automotive dealership, and fleet operator industries primarily in the United States.
• KAR Holdings, Inc. to Announce Second Quarter 2007 Results - KAR Holdings, Inc. announced today that it will be releasing its second quarter 2007 financial results on Wednesday, August 29, 2007. KAR Holdings, Inc. is the holding company for ADESA Inc., Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc and Automotive Finance Corporation.
• U.S. Automakers Endorse Knollenberg Legislation to Ensure U.S. Industry Voice in Trade Cases - The Automotive Trade Policy Council (ATPC), whose members include Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, has endorsed H.R. 1127, legislation introduced by Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) that would ensure that U.S. automotive companies and other U.S. manufacturers have a voice in anti-dumping and countervailing duty trade cases.
• Better Safe Than Sorry - At this time of year, inventories are critical in the auto industry--and I do not like what I see.
• UAW workers back House bill on fuel standards - Members of the United Auto Workers and several politicians gathered in downtown St. Louis this morning (Wednesday) to support a House bill on federal fuel standards
• Ford to show new small car concept at Frankfurt auto show - Ford Motor Co. will display a prototype next month in Germany of a subcompact it is developing to fill a big gap in its lineup.
• 'Smart' Cars Could Make Driving Safer, Researchers Say - Cars already automatically lock doors when they sense motion and turn on warning lights if they detect potential engine problems. -- But they are about to get smarter. -- The augmented cognition research team at Sandia National Laboratories is designing cars capable of analyzing human behavior.
• New Convertibles Equipped to Handle Rollover Crashes - Scored Well on Recent Crash Tests
• Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company Introduces Auto Insurance for Owners of Collector Cars - To meet the needs of the growing collector car market, a specialized category of automobiles with risks different from standard vehicles, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company has introduced insurance especially designed for collector car owners. 
• Progressive CEO sorry for spying on church goers - The head of one of the leading U.S. insurers in non-standard, high-risk personal auto insurance apologized on Thursday for some substandard behaviour - spying in church on people who had the sued the company.

• Insurance companies can dictate car shop repairs in Ky.  - If you're involved in a car accident, can your insurance company tell you how your car can be repaired? If you live in Ohio, the answer is "No," yet that's something of which a lot of motorists are unaware.
• Nationwide Insurance Renews Shop and Staff Customer Satisfaction Indexing Programs With AutocheX - Mitchell International, a leading provider of performance management solutions to the automotive insurance claims and collision repair industries, today announced a renewal agreement with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company for customer satisfaction indexing (CSI) services to be provided by AutocheX, Mitchell's voice-of-the-customer performance management group.
• Cloutier takes on insurance liaison role with PPG - Denis Cloutier has been named Insurance Services Manager, Eastern Canada, for the Automotive Refinish group of PPG Canada.
• Storm damaged cars, too - PA: Customers are starting to tell insurance companies and auto body shops how much of a pounding their properties took from Friday’s hailstorm.
• NWRA Issues Member Alert Regarding Possible Requirement of Windshield Etching for Repairs and Replacements - The National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) has issued an alert to its membership that it has learned that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is working on a new updated Z26 standard that would require all "modifications" (including repairs and replacements) to original factory-installed glass be marked on the glass so as to catalogue all alterations.
• Come Together - Neil Duffy: "This has been a very tough year for me in the auto glass business. In fact, I think it has been the toughest one out of my entire 26 years as an owner/operator."
• More emphasis needed on training and development - Body shops need to put more emphasis on training and development, according to David Lingham, who works in the collision repair industry in UK and Europe.
• An open letter to the Industry from Paul Tucker, Managing Director, UK and International Business - Audatex UK: "I understand from the ABP Web Site that some of our repairer customers are unhappy with our recent announcement concerning the re-structuring of our service/support fee."
• KE Autospray Leads Continuous Improvement with AudaEnterprise Gold - Audatex UK: Croydon-based approved repairer, KE Autospray is one of the UK’s first bodyshops to go live with AudaEnterprise Gold, Audatex’ latest estimating system. The move is part of the company’s continuous improvement strategy which also includes the implementation of PAS 125, the BSI standard for the body repair industry.
• NASTF celebrates first anniversary of incorporation - The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF), a group founded in 2000 to address the gap in information availability between OEMs and independent repairers, is celebrating its first anniversary as a 501(c)-6 organization by reviewing accomplishments including ongoing work on the Secure Data Release Model (SDRM), which will give appropriately qualified and registered technicians and locksmiths a means of accessing key codes and other types of security data and service support systems.
• AIAG Guidelines Aim To Improve Quality of Automotive Parts - New guidelines developed by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) aim to improve quality of automotive parts, helping to lower warranty claims and recalls. The automotive industry spent almost $12.8 billion in warranty claims in 2006, according to Warranty Week.
• Leading Online Custom Auto Accessories Firm Marks 10 Years on Internet - In 1997 a San Diego-based company specializing in selling custom auto accessories decided it was time to enter the fast lane on the information superhighway. Now AUTOMEGA® celebrates 10 years on Internet.
• Federal judge dismisses suit against 2 Dana execs - There is insufficient evidence that two top executives of Dana Corp. knowingly misled shareholders about the firm's financial problems in the months before its bankruptcy filing, a federal judge ruled yesterday.
• Ford enlists suppliers - After ranking last in survey, firm will add parts makers to product teams to encourage closer ties.
• General Motors Cuts Production Of SUVs, Pickups At Six Plants - U.S. automaker General Motors Corp. has cut production at six plants that make large sport utility vehicles and pickups, including the Chevrolet Suburban SUV and GMC Sierra pickup, reports said on Wednesday. The decision comes in the wake of higher gasoline prices as well as competition, especially from Asian counterparts, which have led to a decline in the company's sales. The decision will remain effective for the rest of the year.
• 3rd ex-Ford exec joins bid for Jaguar - Bob Dover, former chief executive and chairman of Jaguar and Land Rover , has linked with U.S. buyout group TPG Inc. to make a bid for the two automotive brands, the Daily Telegraph reported, citing bankers close to the matter.
• What’s Off the Record at N.H.T.S.A.? Almost Everything - If you want to know something as simple as who heads the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, don’t bother to ask the safety agency’s communications office.
• Side air bag rule in works - Stricter standards to be revealed in Sept. require devices by the early part of the next decade, design changes.
• Gas station owners allege price fixing - Nearly two dozen gas station owners in California sued Shell Oil Co., Chevron Corp. and Saudi Refining Inc., on Tuesday, claiming the companies conspired to fix prices for 23,000 franchise owners nationwide.
• A 'charity' it wasn't, lawsuit says about business - The outfit repaired and resold donated vehicles, but the proceeds didn't seem to help any charities, the suit alleges.
• Best Cars for College Students - We looked at price, safety, reliability and fuel economy numbers in choosing the list of the best cars for young adults.
• A claims adjuster with no feelings - If you've been banged up in an auto accident, at least you'll be dealing with someone in the insurance business capable of feeling your pain. Or will you?
• Farmers Insurance agent receives company’s highest honor - Magaly Brewton-Hight, a Farmers Insurance Group of Silverdale agent, received the company’s highest award for “outstanding overall performance.” Brewton-Hight joins a select group of people as a member of the prestigious Presidents Council.

• Mitchell International Wins a Multi-Year Contract Extension From Progressive Insurance - Mitchell International, Inc., a leading provider of performance management solutions to the automotive insurance claims and collision repair industries, today announced that Progressive Insurance, the nation's third largest auto insurer, has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Mitchell for auto physical damage (APD) claims estimating solutions.
• I-CAR Advantage Online: Collision Repair Overview for the 2007 Jeep Wrangler - The Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for 2007. The changes, especially the new features of the frame, are indicative of other vehicle maker trends in body-over-frame design.
• State Farm Insurance contributes $50,000 to the I-CAR Education Foundation to support the collision industry - State Farm Insurance Company contributed a total of $50,000 to support the efforts of the I-CAR Education Foundation in July 2007. The $50,000 contribution to the Education Foundation’s General Fund will support many of the Education Foundation’s programs and services.
• Long Island, NY I-CAR Volunteer Committee announce upcoming meeting - The Long Island, New York I-CAR volunteer committee will be hosting an open meeting for all interested industry professionals on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 from 10 a.m. – 12 noon.
• NABC's Recycled Rides program starts rolling - The National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides pilot program launched following a conference call earlier this week with the 10 repair facility members waiting to participate. Recycled Rides is a nationwide awareness project that assists members of the NABC to repair and donate recycled vehicles for families in need. As part of the program, participating members will donate refurbished family-size vehicles on Nov. 19.
• NACE 2007 initiates new Partnering Program with 15 industry groups - The 25th annual International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) has initiated a new Partnering Program with 15 industry groups agreeing to promote NACE and its many benefits to their members and supporters.
• Jeff Gordon to Race in Michigan Monday - The DuPont Automotive Finishes Hot Hues™ brand appeared on the deck lid of the DuPont No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS during the race. -- The DuPont Hot Hues™ palette of premium custom finishes can transform vehicles into a unique works of art. Hot Hues™ offers a diverse selection of vivid colors and special effect finishes.
• Keystone shareholder says to vote against LKQ merger - Keystone Automotive Industries Inc disclosed in a regulatory filling that its shareholder, Rockhampton Management UK LLP, will vote against LKQ Corp's proposed takeover of the car-parts maker.
• City to auction contents of auto business - PA: The city of York will hold an auction Saturday to sell the contents of business property acquired for a redevelopment project. -- Everything from hand tools and a hydraulic lift to fluorescent light fixtures will be for sale at the business known as Weaver’s Auto Body.
• Ozark Profile : Comer finds artistic fulfillment in classic car restorations - A quest for fulfillment led Chris Comer to start a business doing what he loves. -- Comer said that while the custom shop can do just about anything, it doesn’t work on insurance claims or perform maintenance on non-classics. It makes it more of a challenge, he said, but it’s worth it.
• Texas Entrepreneur Set to Start Building DeLorean Cars - In a nondescript warehouse in east Texas, mechanic and entrepreneur Stephen Wynne is bringing a rare sports car back to life. If he succeeds, he almost certainly has Michael J. Fox to thank.
• One Month Left to Register for the Auto Glass Technician Olympics and Windshield Repair Olympics - Registration for the Third Annual Auto Glass Technician Olympics (AGTO) and the Second Annual Walt Gorman Memorial Windshield Repair Olympics (WRO) closes exactly one month from today.
• AGRSS Holds First CAP in Rochester, Minn., August 8 - More than 100 insurance agents and a number of local dignitaries came out on August 8 for the AGRSS Council's first-ever consumer awareness program (CAP) in Rochester, Minn., on August 8, in conjunction with the Minnesota Glass Association (MGA), and AGRSS-registered companies Minnesota Glass Co., City Auto Glass, K&M Glass, ABRA Auto Body and Glass and A1 Glass.
• PPG Industries Inc. and Atrion Partner to Implement Global Product Stewardship System - Atrion International-the leading provider of solutions enabling compliance of regulated and hazardous materials-today announced that PPG Industries has signed a multi-year contract for Atrion's Materials Compliance solution, which becomes a technology backbone of their Global Product Stewardship (GPS) system.
• BASF Catalysis Research supports 'green' research initiatives at Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science - BASF Catalysis Research has made a three-year research commitment of $600,000 to the Earth and Environmental Engineering Department of Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science for graduate and post-doctoral studies into environmentally sound technologies utilizing heterogeneous catalysts.
• Automotive Manufacturers Announce Supplier Requirements at AIAG AutoTech 2007 - Automotive OEMs will present new requirements and updates to their suppliers in educational sessions at the Automotive Industry Action Group's (AIAG) AutoTech conference, which runs Aug. 21, 2007 - Aug. 23, 2007, at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Mich.
• RFID Solution Fights Counterfeit Tires - A new RFID system by Advanced ID and SkyeTek is being touted as a potential solution to counterfeit and gray market tires.
• Consumer Reports rates the Toyota Tundra and Chevy Silverado best among four, full-sized, crew-cab pick-ups - The Toyota Tundra and Chevrolet Silverado placed first and second in Consumer Reports’ tests of four full-sized, crew-cab pickups for the September issue. In separate tests of heavy-duty diesel pickups, the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 easily outpointed competitors from Dodge and Ford.
• US Auto Companies Target Mid-Sized Cars - Just a few miles from Toyota’s U.S. sales and marketing headquarters, George Tasker hasn’t had much luck selling mid-sized Chevrolets against Toyota’s Camry, the most popular car in America. But Tasker, the top salesman at Martin Chevrolet in Torrance, Calif., is looking forward to November when the new Malibu arrives in his showroom.
• People buy small cars even though they can be deadly - Americans are buying more small cars to cut fuel costs, and that might kill them. -- As a group, occupants of small cars are more likely to die in crashes than those in bigger, heavier vehicles are, according to data from the government, the insurance industry and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
• AutoCheck(R) Vehicle History Reports Feature Expanded Accident Information - Additional police report and exclusive frame damage information helps used-car buyers to make smarter purchase decisions
• “Call Center From Hell:” Disgruntled Call Center Employee Spills All - This is a long report that I hope you will read with interest, because it outlines what I have witnessed and observed during my 10 months of employment at the Audatex Call Center in Ann Arbor - the call center from Hell.
• Crawford Named Best Third-Party Claims Administrator by Business Insurance Readers - Crawford & Company has been chosen as the Best Third-Party Claims Administrator in Business Insurance's 2007 Readers' Choice Awards.
• Consumer Advocates Help Defeat Allstate's Efforts to Hide its Post-Katrina Pay-Out Procedures - Allstate Insurance Company will not be allowed to hide trial exhibits that include the company's pay-out procedures for Hurricane Katrina claims thanks, in part, to efforts by Public Justice, a national public interest law firm headquartered in Washington DC, and the California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR).

• Used Car Parts - OH: When you take a car in for collision repair, you're not always guaranteed to get new replacement parts. Depending on your state, your insurance company might make you get used parts. Some body shop owners are fighting the policy. 
• Call for Action: Proposed law could be good news for many car owners - A newly sponsored congressional bill would give all car owners the power of choice when it comes to who repairs their vehicle.
• Pitts hears independent stores' pleas for the 'right to repair' - PA: "We may have to tow the car back to the dealer to do something, which can make customers want to just take it to the dealer in the first place," said Barry Burkholder, president of Barry's Paint Shop, a collision repair shop in Ephrata. -- Burkholder said he faces the issue when trying to reset sensors on air bags or anti-lock brakes.
• WMABA Collision Industry Awareness Meeting - Doubletree Hotel: Richmond Airport - 5501 Eubank Rd - Sandston, VA: August 23rd, 2007 at 5:00PM
• I-CAR Education Foundation tabs Akzo Nobel's Taube - The I-CAR Education Foundation selected Akzo Nobel’s Roland Taube, market manager for the car refinishes Canadian market, vice-chair for the 2007/2008 board of trustees and executive committee.
• Group Revs Up Super’Stang to Grant the Wish of Child - The Northwest Indiana CARSTAR Business Group will pit stop its re-creation of a legendary 1967 Shelby Mustang on August 22 during the second annual Northwest Indiana Golf Tournament to benefit local Make-A-Wish® Child Rachel. The tournament will be held at the White Hawk Country Club, 1001 White Hawk, Crown Point, Indiana, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Local shop puts together special thank you for soldier - NH: The instructions for bodywork on Lee Arter’s 2002 Ford Explorer are explicit and underlined on the chart hanging up at GS audiowurks: “Pimp his ride.”
• Collision Revision, Inc. Appoints Alex Feliciano to Director of Insurance Relations - Collision Revision, Inc., a Total Vehicle Solution (TVS) Company, is pleased to announce that Alex Feliciano has been appointed to Director of Insurance Relations. Mr. Feliciano is a 17 year veteran of the collision repair industry and has spent the last 6 years on the Collision Revision Management Team.
• Special service at Special Touch - PA: No job is too big or too small for Special Touch Auto Body & Customs Shop, which recently opened and is located at 115 N. First St., Connellsville. -- Younkin and staff work exclusively with PPG Global paints.
• Solvent caused fatal leukemia - NZ: A young Christchurch painter's death from a rare cancer has prompted the industry to take precautions and "glove up" when handling potentially lethal paint products. -- Wayne Houghton, the chairman of the Collision Repair Association, has used Jason Gibson's story to urge staff at his Christchurch panelbeating business to take care.
• Automotive technicians could be in short supply as qualified students seek lucrative tech jobs - People who know cars know that it's getting tougher to find skilled mechanics
• Sturgis Police bust illegal auto repair shops - Sturgis, MI: An investigation by the Sturgis Police Department (SPD) has led to criminal charges against mechanics at three local auto repair facilities.
• glassBYTEs.com™ Launches Two Blogs - glassBYTEs.com™ is launching two brand-new web-based logs ("blogs") today, "View from the Trenches," written by Neil Duffy, owner of Auto Glass Menders in San Jose, Calif., and "For the Record," written by Penny Stacey, editor of glassBYTEs.com™/AGRR magazine.
• A driving force in the auto world - More women are filling traditionally male roles in the industry
• Welcome back: Second stint for Adesa exec - Jim Hallett was canned as an executive in 2005 after nine years at Carmel-based Adesa, the nation's No. 2 auto auctioneer. Now he's back as CEO. (2nd story down)
• NHTSA administrator will speak at Tire Industry Association event - Jim Ports, deputy administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will be a featured speaker at the Tire Industry Association (TIA) Breakfast with the President on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Ford paints 'eco-friendly' at its Avon Lake plant - Ford's Avon Lake plant is using a new painting technology that produces fewer greenhouse gases.
• Feds pan systems to prevent cars backing over kids - Data scarce, but some blame SUV designs
• Dawsonville man charged in suspected 'chop shop': Property owned by man searched a second time - GA: The owner of a Dawsonville grading company was arrested this week following a second search of his property on Ga. 53 where authorities suspect he operated a "chop shop."
• Former Kan. Agent Sentenced for Insurance Theft and Fraud - Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger announced today that the Kansas Insurance Department, along with Johnson County authorities and the Kansas Attorney General's Office, were involved in the case of a former insurance agent convicted of taking money from a Wyandotte County couple for non-existent insurance premiums.
• Boost your skills - Insurance and fraud groups are inviting insurance professionals to a half-day Insurance Fraud Seminar on Tuesday, Aug. 28, at the Indiana Government Center. -- The event is being hosted by the Insurance Institute of Indiana, the Indiana Chapter of the National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators (NSPII), the Indiana Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU) and the Indiana Department of Insurance.

• MQVP bankruptcy may steer CAPA toward industry-wide parts certification - A more-viable industry-wide aftermarket collision parts certification process could evolve from the pending demise of MQVP, which has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.