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October 2008
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October 31, 2008

  • New ASA Benefit Powered by Mitchell 1 to Launch at ASRW - The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has announced a new member benefit that places key performance indicator (KPI) data at the fingertips of today's shop owner. Powered by Mitchell 1, ASA's newest Web-based member benefit - ShopMeter(tm) - provides national and regional averages on a number of data sets, including average repair order dollars, top 10 repair jobs, average parts sales and the most frequently serviced vehicles.
  • ABRA Opens New Franchise Repair Center - ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minneapolis-based damaged vehicle repair company, announced today the opening of their newest franchise in Greeley, CO. This repair center, formerly known as Weld County Garage, is the twenty-third franchise operating under the ABRA brand.
  • Librestream Announces the Successful Pilot of Its Onsight Mobile Collaboration Solution at Gerber Collision & Glass - With Onsight, Gerber was able to centralize appraisers in one location while improving service levels with customer service professionals at their repair centers.
  • Industry Reaction to Possible ROLAGS Changes Varies - glassBYTEs™: While the industry awaits the result of the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard (ROLAGS) Committee's upcoming vote about whether to limit the length of a crack deemed acceptable under the Standard, opinions are varied throughout the industry as to whether this will be beneficial or not.
  • LKQ reports 3rd-qtr profit surges on acquisition - LKQ Corp., which makes vehicle replacement parts, said Thursday its third-quarter profit jumped 72 percent, boosted by an acquisition last year. -- However, the company cut its full-year profit outlook, citing reduced driving, fewer insurance claims and lower commodity prices, and LKQ shares fell $1.86, or 16 percent, to $10.10 in midday trading.
  • LKQ Corp Q3 2008 Earnings Call Transcript - In recent conversations we’ve had with some of the larger insurance companies, their managements have indicated auto claims continue to trend downward with one thing as high as an 11% reduction over the prior year, although the average carrier has discussed reductions more in the range of 4% to 6%.  -- Contrasting the growth we are realizing with the decline in auto claims and fewer imported containers of aftermarket parts implies we may be wanting a greater share of the collision repair parts business in both recycled and aftermarket new product sales.
  • Copart is tops - Copart is once again listed as a leader among small companies, making Forbes Top 200 Small Companies list for the ninth consecutive year.
  • Ridgewater’s automotive programs in dire need of donated cars - The Ridgewater College auto technician programs have an urgent need for donated vehicles to be used for training students. -- The program usually receives 60 to 70 vehicles a year but has received only 10 so far this year, said Bobbie Mattison, executive director of the Ridgewater College Foundation.
  • Shelby Launches New Licensed Merchandise Website and Catalog - The website and catalog was a collaborative effort between CSL and Warehouse 36 founder Mark Luzaich. -- Riding on the resurgence of automotive icon Carroll Shelby, CSM president and entrepreneur Mark Luzaich will debut the new Carroll Shelby Merchandise website and catalog by co-sponsoring the "Food & Fast Cars-Full Bore" food demo at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
  • Top Coat - Many car enthusiast can back me when I say there's no paint job like a factory paint job (okay except when the big three experimented with water based primer in the early 90's). No matter how good the repair shop, they just can't lay it on like the factory which gets to bake in ovens to bond. Well, times are changing my friends and it's a good thing.
  • DuPont Performance Coatings Launches New Website - The easy-to-navigate design presents a bright and inviting appearance, with content that is based on customer feedback.
  • Suppliers post losses - Auto production drop, financial market crisis sour earnings reports for Lear, TRW, Visteon. -- Dave Andrea, a vice president for the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, said U.S. suppliers were already working to restructure when they were hit by the economic downturn.
  • Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant Employees Celebrate Production of the New 2009 Ford F-150 - Ford is celebrating the production launch of the 2009 Ford F-150, which offers unrivaled capability, unsurpassed fuel economy and the most choice in the full-size truck segment -- Ford will restore the third crew at Dearborn Truck Plant in January; the move will add 1,000 workers to the plant's production team -- Ford invested $148 million in tooling and equipment upgrades at Dearborn Truck Plant to build the new F-150
  • TOM WATKINS: The U.S. is having a fire sale; is China buying? - Opinion: Could China buy/bail out the domestic automakers? -- The value of Ford Motor Company and General Motors stock are at bargain basement levels. The chill of a potential bankruptcy swirl around the carmakers. China is sitting on mountains of U.S. securities/cash.
  • 2 face inspection sticker fraud charges - PA: The investigation that led the state police vehicle fraud unit to John's Auto Body in the Bristol Township section of Levittown began in Central Bucks in May.
  • Queens DA: Major No-Fault Insurance Fraud Ring Busted - Two corporations and 61 individuals have been charged with engaging in a widespread, multimillion dollar no-fault automobile insurance fraud scheme that sought to defraud insurance carriers by intentionally staging accidents, submitting false medical and bodily injury claims and arranging for unneeded treatment and costly and unwarranted medical tests.
  • Florida Insurance Fraud Case Lands Attorney in Prison - Broward County Circuit Judge Pedro Dijols convicted and sentenced Anthony Scalese, of Pembroke Pines on Oct. 24. An investigation by the Department of Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud led to numerous felony charges for stealing insurance settlement payments from clients, Sink said.
  • Deer Crashes Expected To Peak In November - WI: Don Robinson, an appraiser at Utzig Carstar Auto Body in Janesville, said he has been busy due to crashes with deer.
  • Deer Season for Cars - VA: Body shops are very busy right now. And drivers are nervous. A new report from the Highway Loss Data Institute says the number of people dying from animal-related crashes is climbing and it's not just November you have to worry about.
  • Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Q3 2008 Earnings Call Transcript - We are benefiting from mid-single-digit negative auto claims frequency and severity is virtually flat.
  • Allstate expected to stay calm after a stormy season - Neither the 47 percent overnight spike on Allstate Corp. credit default swaps nor its shocking first quarterly loss since 2005 was enough to faze analysts, who adjusted future expectations but continue to maintain a steady outlook for the auto-home-life insurance giant.

October 30, 2008

October 29, 2008

October 28, 2008

October 27, 2008

October 24, 2008

October 23, 2008

  • Driven Brands Accelerates Growth with Maaco Purchase - Acquires Pennsylvania-based leader in the US franchised automotive paint business
  • PPG to unveil waterborne solution for custom finishes at SEMA - PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) automotive refinish business will debut a waterborne-compliant solution for its Vibrance Collection line of custom colors and effects in booth #23093 at the 2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 4-7.
  • ROLAGS Committee to Vote on Changing Crack Limit to 6 Inches - glassBYTEs™: The Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard (ROLAGS) Committee agreed to vote on limiting the length of the crack as deemed acceptable to repair under the terms of the Standard during their recent meeting, held on Thursday, October 9, in Las Vegas.
  • Are you ready for Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW)? - Open during expo hours and located directly on the show floor at Booth N8609
  • clientONE Founding Partner Todd Hayes Selected as Trainer for Upcoming Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) Convention - A 20-year veteran and innovator in the auto repair and training industry, Hayes was selected by the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) to conduct his three-hour Automotive Management Institute (AMI) accredited training class during the convention. The class is entitled "Deal Your Shop a Winning Hand: Success Strategies for 2009" and will give attendees the chance to earn six credits toward their Accredited Automotive Manager Designation (AAM).
  • I-CAR Celebrates 25 Years in Canada at Canadian Annual Meeting - I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, held its Canadian Annual Meeting on October 17, at the Hilton Montreal Airport in Dorval, QC. The day-long event, which attracted nearly 200 collision repair inter-industry professionals, was held in conjunction with the meeting of the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF).
  • Blake's CARSTAR Collision earns top CSI award - Blake’s CARSTAR Collision Center in LaPorte, Ind., received the top customer satisfaction index (CSI) score among all 280 company franchisees nationwide.
  • Absolute Shine goes green - Monte Vista, CO: The business has “gone green,” offering the environmentally friendly basecoat and topcoat, along with enthusiastic experts to apply it.
  • K&J Auto Body opens on Highway 34 West - Park Rapids, MN: The Kruchowski family has teamed up to create a family owned and operated business for auto body restoration.
  • National Auto Body Council October Newsletter - IN THIS ISSUE: NABC Emergency Preparedness Brochure as Timely as Ever -- Sterling Autobody Centers Steps Forward to Become Newest NABC Corporate Member - Collision Industry Relief Still on Alert; Requests Industry's Help in Wake of Recent Disasters -- Volunteers needed for NACE booth! (Booth # N9405)
  • Rent-A-Wreck announces opening of New Locations in Baton Rouge, La and Fontana, CA - Prior to purchasing the Rent-A-Wreck franchise, Jim Levy has owned and operated a Fact-o-Bake collision repair facility in Baton Rouge for more than ten years. Rent-A-Wreck will operate alongside his body shop, and while his current shop customers will make up part of his base, Levy is eager to introduce his Rent-A-Wreck to the rest of the Baton Rouge community as a locally owned and operated solution to their transportation needs.
  • Proving Safe Repair – The Thatcham Method - UK: The primary aim of Thatcham’s Safe Repair Project is to validate repairs on vehicles where there are known substantial differences in panel joining methods from the processes used in manufacture. Particularly significant are the repair methods for key structural areas like front chassis legs or complete B-post reinforcements, where safety is paramount and the correct repair method intrinsically important.
  • Allegations of Bias Rock Panelbeating Industry - Windhoek, Nambia, Africa  – The Independent Panelbeaters Association of Namibia is standing its ground that the distribution of jobs in the multi-million-dollar vehicles repair industry is skewed with a few previously advantaged shops taking the lion’s share of the market.
  • Intl Automotive Body Conference & Expo open for registration - The International Automotive Body Conference & Expo (IABC) is open for registration and exhibition. It will take place on November 5-6, 2008, at Michigan State University's Management Center in Troy, Michigan.
  • DriverSide Announces Suite of Business Services to Aid Stagnant US Auto Industry - Precision Tune Auto Care First to Deploy DriverSide Customer Retention and Acquisition Tools
  • Salvage Customers Slow To Spend - CT: Brothers Harvey and Phillip Orenstein, owners of Yales Inc., an auto-salvage company on Maple Avenue in Montville, say they haven't seen the jump they'd expect during hard economic times. Sales even have declined a little.
  • GM Says It May Sell ACDelco Replacement-Parts Unit - General Motors Corp., trying to raise cash as a U.S. sales slump extends losses, said it may sell its ACDelco replacement-parts business.
  • Michigan Lawmakers to Ask Treasury, Fed to Aid Auto Industry - Michigan lawmakers are asking Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to use their authority to ``promote liquidity in the U.S. auto industry,'' according to a draft letter they plan to send today.
  • Chrysler Clears Stipulations - Vice Chairman for Chrysler says talks of his company being shopped by owners is not true. -- He adds that the company’s 85 year longevity assures him that the company has a bright future.
  • Toledo's Jeep North likely to lose up to 850 of its workers - Chrysler LLC is expected to announce this morning that it will eliminate between 800 and 850 employees at its Toledo Jeep Assembly complex because of slow sales of its products.
  • Will US car giants' merger dent China auto industry? - The three U.S. car-making giants are now plagued by the pervasive financial crisis. In order to weather the tough days, General Motors and Chrysler LLC are seeking merger, and Ford Motor mulls selling its 33.4-percent stake in Japanese carmaker Mazda Motor for cash.
  • Spycam: 2010 MazdaSpeed3 Caught at the 'Ring' - Latest Version of Mazda's Hot Hatch Gets New Hood Scoop, Probable Power Bump
  • A timeline of auto industry mergers - As speculation about a General Motors and Chrysler merger heats up, CBCNews.ca takes a look at a century of auto industry hookups and breakups
  • Car makers ride the green wave - Major car makers are falling over each other with announcements of plans to produce zero-emission electric drive and fuel-saving hybrid vehicles with experts agreeing that demand for such vehicles is so high that the industry will probably not be able to meet it fully in the coming years.
  • Ely firm’s new take on automotive plant - Dashboards, door panels and other internal car parts are usually made from injection-moulded plastics or glass fibre, but Ely-based Eco-Composites is developing a green alternative that it says offers advantages in cost, performance, and resource use.
  • Hella Electronics Help OEMs Meet Federal Safety Regulations - Automotive supplier Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. has developed a variety of driver assistance systems to help automakers meet proposed U.S. safety regulations.
  • State fines auto dealer $1,000, calls for its license - Wildcat Mitsubishi's owners were accused by the Arizona Department of Transportation of more than 20 violations of state law, including changing vehicle identification numbers on records and issuing temporary plates for previously wrecked cars that should not have been on the road.
  • Auto-insurance fraud hurts all motorists - OUR OPINION: Insurers aggressively should pursue the con artists -- The lawsuit that Allstate Insurance recently filed in federal court in Miami may be bad news for the defendants -- tow-truck operators, chiropractic clinics, auto-body shops, some policyholders and others -- but it could be a good omen for policyholders. It definitely will be if it emboldens insurers to aggressively pursue fraud.
  • IBHS Selects Location for State-of-the-Art Disaster Research Facility - The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today announced that it will build The Insurance Center for Building Safety Research in Chester County, South Carolina. -- The primary purpose of this $27 million multi-peril research facility -- funded entirely by insurers and reinsurers -- is to identify effective methods of minimizing risk and loss to homes, businesses, and communities resulting from natural disasters. The research center will have the ability to subject 1,800 sq. ft., 2-story homes and light commercial construction to a variety of hazards, including realistic Category 3 hurricanes, wind-blown fire (mimicking wildfire embers), and hailstorms.
  • State Auto Financial Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results - Quarterly loss of $0.37 per share -- Quarterly GAAP combined ratio of 116.2% -- Return on equity of 1.3% -- Book value per share $19.94
  • Travelers Profit Falls 82% on Hurricanes, Investments - Travelers Cos., the second-biggest U.S. business insurer, lowered its full-year earnings forecast after third-quarter profit fell 82 percent on costs tied to Hurricanes Ike and Gustav and investment losses.
  • Allstate reports $923 million quarterly net loss - Insurer realizes $1.3 billion in pre-tax investment losses

October 22, 2008

October 21, 2008

  • Either Act or React: by Dennis Liphardt - The economy stinks, some insurers continue to look at ways to take well deserved dollars out of your pocket, the cost of feeding your family has gone out of sight, gas and oil products are costing you a fortune, your employees want more money, your materials and supplies seem to increase in cost daily. Could there possibly be anything else to worry about? If what has happened to the repair industry in the last few years is any indication, the answer is a resounding YES! -- Email: denlip@mac.com  LIP SERVICE LLC Communication & Consulting -- A Florida Limited LiabilityCompany
  • PPG names David Knapp senior manager, MVP Business Solutions - Knapp has more than 15 years of process improvement, business development and strategic marketing experience in the collision industry. His experience includes aspects of collision repair center management including finance, marketing, process consulting, parts control and strategic planning. Prior to joining PPG, Knapp held positions at Akzo Nobel Coatings and CARSTAR.
  • N.J. auto shops want info from manufacturers - Independent auto repair shops in New Jersey want the state to require auto manufacturers to allow the shops access to the same service information the dealerships have.  - On Monday, members of the N.J. Right to Repair Coalition - including the N.J. Gasoline C-Store Automotive Association, AAA and the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality - pushed in Trenton for passage of such a law. The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee will hold a hearing and vote on the right-to-repair law Thursday.
  • Dealership Closings Make Right to Repair Act More Critical to Vehicle Owners -  Reuters reports that the number of U.S. car dealerships closing is expected to increase into 2009, with as many as 3,800 dealerships at risk of closure because of dwindling sales and tighter credit, according to a newly released study by Grant Thornton LLP.
  • New York judge permits suit against Geico to proceed - Two suits against GEICO Insurance filed by Nick Orso's Body Shop on behalf of customers for collection of shortages in repair allowance and legals costs will proceed after Judge Vanessa Bogan, of Syracuse City Court, denied a motion to dismiss them. The suits contain a total of eight claims and ask for $30,000.
  • Mitchell Unveils Hosted Shop Management Solution at NACE 2008 - New ABS(TM) Enterprise Express Edition Delivers Core Management System Capabilities for Single-Location Collision Repair Facilities With Fewer Business Requirements
  • Collision repair shop avoids data crash with SaaS - After losing electronic records one too many times, this auto-body shop turned to a software-as-a-service backup provider.
  • Industry not converting quickly enough to meet low-VOC deadline - The rate at which Canadian collision repair shops are converting to waterborne is becoming "extremely serious," says Partice Marcil of DuPont Performance Coatings. Marcil told attendees at the recent CCIF meeting that if conversions continue at the current rate, 2500 shops could miss the January 2010 target for switching to low-VOC coatings.
  • Gerber Tech Competes at AGTO for First Time - glassBYTEs™: Gerber Collision & Glass will be represented at the Fourth Annual Auto Glass Technician Olympics by Ricardo Perez, a senior technician from the company's branch in Skokie, Ill.
  • Boyd Group Income Fund announces October 2008 cash distribution - Boyd Group Income Fund today announced a cash distribution for the month of October 2008 of $0.01875 per trust unit. The distribution will be payable on November 26, 2008 to unitholders of record at the close of business on October 31, 2008.
  • O'Neil Printers and Safelite AutoGlass - A video case study of the O'Neil 4t Portable Printer in use at Safelite AutoGlass.
  • Slump in consumer spending hurting Valley repair shops - AZ: The hard times are trickling down to local auto shops, handymen and other repair businesses.
  • Visteon Technology Helps Drivers to Be More Aware of Surroundings - Visteon Corporation is supplying the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country with optional driver awareness systems that help make drivers more cognizant of their surroundings.
  • BASF Coatings at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas - New trends and hot cars by top designers
  • GM-Chrysler deal could spark 'significant downsizing' - The possibility of General Motors acquiring Chrysler raises the spectre of "further significant downsizing" in Canada and a car assembly plant in Brampton, could be the first to go, says Canadian Auto Workers president Ken Lewenza.
  • Montgomery Auto Maker Goes To 4 Day Work Week - AL:  Hyundai is shifting to a 4-day work week at its auto assembly plant in Montgomery because of the shaky economy.
  • Used-Truck Values Start to Bounce Back - Values for used pickups and SUVs continued to slowly rebound from recent lows in May and June, when gas first passed $4 per gallon, turning what had been a slow decline in demand for trucks into a rout.
  • In the LEED: Green certification will be the norm in a few years - It’s not often that commercial developers can call on car salvage yards for construction supplies, but Cawley Wilcox, the developer of Wilcox Plaza at Green Oaks in west Fort Worth, has done just that. -- The three-story skeleton of Wilcox Plaza, clearly visible from Interstate 30, is constructed of steel beams made of recycled cars from a Texas auto salvage plant.
  • ZF, Meritor win patent lawsuit filed by rival - ArvinMeritor, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, and ZF Meritor have won a patent infringement suit brought by Eaton Corp. on the ZF FreedomLine transmission.
  • 150,000 worth of airbags stolen from cars at St. Lucie salvage yard - FL: Someone reportedly burglarized more than 50 unlocked vehicles and made off with about $150,000 worth of airbags recently from Copart Salvage, according to a St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office report released Monday.
  • Court Rules Remounting Worn Tires Not Negligence Per Se - CA: State law precluding the installation of worn tires on a vehicle does not apply to dealers and retail sellers who merely rotate them, this district’s Court of Appeal held Friday.
  • Crash, claims, charges - Former state Superior Court Michael T. Joyce faces eight felony counts stemming from a grand jury indictment filed Aug. 15, 2007. The charges were based on an investigation by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service.
  • Lawmaker Wants Details on How AIG is Spending U.S. Loan - A top U.S. lawmaker has asked the chief executive of American International Group for details on how the company has used its $123 billion of taxpayer rescue funding so far.
  • The Era of Re-Regulation is Upon Us - Although the nation's attention is focused on the financial crisis it is worth thinking about how this mess will affect attitudes toward government intervention. -- The July issue of The Atlantic magazine, published before the meltdown began, looks at the "11½ Biggest Ideas of the Year." The return of regulation is one of them. After nearly three decades of growth-enhancing deregulation and regulatory reform, The Atlantic observes, "a major rethink is underway. ... Regulation is back."
  • Subcompacts costly to repair after crashes - According to a report released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, low-speed crashes can be more expensive for subcompact car owners because the bumper systems are not made to effectively absorb energy during a crash. -- But Stan Cyrus, owner of Vinson’s Village Body Shop, 6041 International Drive, said he has not seen a difference in repair costs between large and small vehicles following a low-speed crash.
  • Insurance Agency Network Selects Partner XE as Their Agency Management System - Strategic Insurance Software (SIS), a leading provider of agency management systems, announced today that Insurance Agency Network (IAN) has selected SIS' Partner XE management system. IAN, a partnership of agents focused on the Massachusetts market, determined that it needed a dynamic product that could handle its needs today and as it grows.
  • WebTech Supplies Hardware for Auto Insurer Telematics Program - WebTech Wireless Inc. has sold 3,000 WebTech Locators to Overview Mapping Ltd. for use in the initial phase of a telematics solutions project with one of the United Kingdom's largest automotive insurance companies.
  • Local Insurer Takes Lower Gas Prices to New Extreme in Chicago - Refueling Chicago is part of a national promotion to ease costs for drivers in cities across the country, and is a natural extension of infinity's low cost approach to car insurance. Dan Davis, a Division Manager with Infinity commented: "Gas prices and the economy affect everyone. Other insurance companies spend large sums on advertising. We'd rather provide a direct benefit to the communities we serve."
  • Earnings Preview: Allstate 3Q profit seen falling - Allstate Corp. is scheduled to report its third-quarter results Wednesday after the market closes. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

October 20, 2008

  • Allstate sues companies, alleging claims fraud - Allstate Insurance has sued 13 Florida companies, including auto body shops, tow truck operators, chiropractic clinics and their owners and some policyholders, alleging the group staged at least 17 auto accidents and filed fraudulent claims.
  • PPG to present seminars at NACE - Seminars to focus on color accuracy, throughput performance
  • AASP Will Host TPMS Program at AAPEX - A simple tire rotation is not simple anymore. All new vehicles sold in the U.S. are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems, and shops must be prepared to deal with all the elements of TPMS service including protecting against unintended costly damage to the customer's car.
  • 14th Annual Lights On For Safety is a Record-Breaker! - AASP-MN volunteers, with help from automotive technical students, conducted a free inspection and replacement of exterior vehicle light bulbs for the motoring public. 
  • Auto Glass Week Attendees, Don't Forget Your Ballots - glassBYTEs™: With Auto Glass Week in Las Vegas quickly approaching, attendees will need to remember more than just the usual packing list. With the week's events beginning on November 5, many will be traveling on an important date-November 4, when our nation's voters will elect not only a new president and vice president, but thousands of state and local leaders.
  • Mitchell, Collision Services Among Vendors Signed for AASP/NJ’s NORTHEAST 2009 Show at the Meadowlands - The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ), the state’s largest association of collision and mechanical repairers, is proud to announce that Mitchell International, Collision Services, Wheel Collision Center and Hella Inc., have signed on to exhibit at NORTHEAST 2009 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ. NORTHEAST 2009 will take place March 20-22, 2009.
  • Scene Genesis Names Insurance Veteran Director of Strategic Accounts - Scene Genesis, provider of technology to the insurance and autobody industries, named industry veteran Joe Cosgrove director of strategic accounts.
  • Shults Holds Repair Center Grand Opening - NY:  ''It's like nothing you've seen before,'' is how Tim Shults, president and owner of Shults Auto Group, described the new 12,000-square-foot Shults Accident Repair Center, which features DCR's unique patent-pending lean-based production process. -- On Wednesday, The Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems, owned by Mike Giarrizzo Jr. and Shults Auto Group, a 16-franchise dealer group headquartered in Jamestown, celebrated the grand opening of the new facility, which is located along Fluvanna Avenue.
  • Season for car-deer accidents is here - ND:  “It’s our living,” said Neal Klein, owner of Klein’s Collision Center. “In the summer about 50 percent of our work is deer-car, in the fall it’s up to about 75 percent.”
  • Auto shop gives break on repairs  - It was a case of "Extreme Makeover" meets "Pimp My Ride" as "NASCAR Angels," a vehicle-restoration reality television show, came to the aid of Phoenix resident Andy Royal. Royal, a co-founder of Singleton Mothers, uses the car extensively in her efforts to help single mothers who are dealing with cancer.
  • Lots of motorists neglecting car maintenance - Even minor work being ignored
  • Gary Manke: Help save neighborhood car repair shops - Millions of car owners in Wisconsin trust neighborhood repair shops to provide affordable and competitive automotive repair service. Unfortunately, car manufacturers are making it difficult for independent repair shops to obtain the technical information needed to repair today's vehicles. As technology becomes more sophisticated, the situation will become worse.
  • An Auto Parts Store Survives - Marsau's Auto Parts in Sterling, Colo., was founded right before the Great Depression and is still serving the community 80 years later.
  • PPG profit falls 39 percent - PPG Industries Inc. said third-quarter earnings fell 39 percent because of reduced demand for automotive coatings and costs to shut factories.
  • TRW Automotive Offers Forward Collision Warning Systems Across a Wide Range of Vehicle Segments - TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. today unveiled its range of Forward Collision Warning systems based on camera and radar technology that address a variety of customer and market requirements.
  • ACH plans to invest $82 million in Saline plant - Automotive Components Holdings LLC is spending $82 million to upgrade, retool and add new high-tech equipment to its Saline plant. -- That's on top of the $19 million the company has pumped into the facility since 2006 to ready it for sale.
  • Genuine Parts sales rise 13% - Led by a 13 percent sales jump in its electrical unit, Genuine Parts Co. said Friday third-quarter profit rose 2 percent to $131 million, or 81 cents per share, compared with $128.6 million, or 76 cents per share, in last year’s comparable quarter.
  • VW to renew efforts in U.S. - German automaker's upcoming models to take on Toyota and Honda in the American market.
  • Chrysler, GM deal confronts obstacles - Federal regulators, dealers and UAW could try to delay or prevent merger of Detroit rivals.
  • Two Resign From Ford's Board - Two board members of Ford Motor Co. resigned Friday just one week after the auto maker's chief financial officer signaled he would leave the company.
  • Automotive myths - it's amazing what people believe - Throughout history all societies have embraced beliefs that eventually proved to be untrue, and the internet has enabled the spread of myths of all kinds. Some of these "beliefs" involve the automobile and it's time to separate the facts from fiction. Take a look at these popular myths:
  • Hyundai Issues Two Elantra Recalls - Both involve possible airbag problems
  • Cadillac Recalls 2004 SRX - Transmission may slip out of 'Park'
  • Car buyers say they can't obtain titles - MO: Some plan to file complaints against Shift Motorsports
  • Beware of schemes that work to defraud auto insurance companies - Auto insurance fraud is an enormous problem in the United States and one that costs drivers millions of dollars each year. Unfortunately, some people do not realize the severity of this crime and are mistaken that insurance fraud is harmless and acceptable.
  • Deer-Vehicle Collisions Up 12.2% In Five Years - According to State Farm Insurance claims data, the number of deer-vehicle collisions in Iowa is up 12.2% from 5 years ago. That compares with a 14.9% increase over the entire United States.
  • Deer-Vehicle Collisions - PA:  Erie Insurance has been keeping track of these car deer collisions over the past 10 years and the trend seems to be going down as far as accidents are concerned. 2007 had the second lowest number of deer claims since 1998.
  • Horace Mann picks N. Texas - Insurer’s decision to consolidate claims offices means 150 jobs for Irving -- The Springfield, Ill.-based company is closing offices in Houston; Phoenix; Columbia, S.C.; St. Charles, Mo.; and York, Pa., and consolidating those operations in Dallas, where it currently doesn’t have a presence, and Raleigh, N.C., where it has an existing claims office.
  • Market woes hurt insurers - The troubled financial markets have hurt retirement plans and made it harder for some to get loans. -- Are rising insurance premiums next? Possibly. -- Claims payouts are no doubt the biggest drivers in setting home and auto insurance premiums.
  • Solera Holdings - Analysts are forecasting earnings growth of 52% - Solera Holdings is an integrated group of leading automotive claims solutions companies with the vision to continuously improve the automobile insurance claims processing industry worldwide. The Solera companies help customers automate and simplify their automobile claims process and improve their ability to monitor and manage their businesses through data reporting and analytics.
  • Farmers Insurance to Open Business Development Center in the Inland Empire - California's largest domestic insurer to offer over 250 new entrepreneurial opportunities throughout the region.
  • Progressive cuts 54 jobs in commercial auto group - Progressive Insurance has cut 54 jobs in its Commercial Auto Group, a division that insures contractors and other commercial vehicle uses. About half of the employees were offered other jobs within the Mayfield company.

October 17, 2008

  • Collision Repair Market Grows 5 Percent to $41.5 Billion in 2007: AAIA Analyzes Industry in New Report - “It is significant to note that over the past seven years, the collision repair market has increased at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3 percent per year compared to an overall aftermarket growth of 4.1 percent per year during the same period,” said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO.
  • Chief to Unveil Exclusive F-150 Repair System at NACE - Working side by side with Ford engineers and repair technicians, Chief Automotive Technologies has developed and will introduce at NACE a Design Based Anchoring System the company says will be needed to correctly repair collision damaged 2009 Ford F-150’s. 
  • SATA Spray Equipment hosts Chip Foose at NACE - He will be signing autographs on Friday, November 7th from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. in booth N1419. -- SATA Spray Equipment will also have Chris Jacobs, co-host of the popular TLC show Overhaulin', on hand to visit with attendees and sign autographs on Thursday, Nov. 6, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mitch Lanzini of Lanzini Body Works, whose work is frequently featured on the Overhaulin' show, as well as in numerous magazines and books, will be in the SATA booth during show hours both Friday and Saturday.
  • New Technology Seminars at the SEMA Show Aim to Help Small Businesses - To help small businesses solve common technology problems, SEMA is offering a lineup of free sessions at the 2008 SEMA Show about information technology issues that can keep business owners up at night.
  • Life After Shop Ownership - AutoInc: How to plan for retirement, explore a new career or just navigate a new road in life.
  • Tools are cool for this girl who beat the boys at their own game - NZ: Good listening skills and attention to detail helped Whangarei's Jemma Bond streak past her male counterparts and score a gold medal in auto spray-painting at a national apprenticeship competition.
  • Midas, CCAR Mark Six-Year Partnership Providing S/P2 Training for Company-Owned Locations - The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) has begun its sixth year of partnering with Midas International Corporation to provide CCAR's "S/P2" e-learning program to Midas company-owned locations in the U.S.
  • Paint makers' profit tops estimates - Sherwin-Williams, PPG Industries top Wall St view for Q3
  • BASF Coatings introduces waterborne basecoats in Romania - With its own distribution center, years of commitment and customer focus, BASF Coatings has a strong position in the growth market of Romania
  • Auto-parts suppliers, jobs dwindle - Jobs with auto-parts suppliers continue to trickle out of the region as domestic automakers slash production. Some suppliers have adapted, but many have not.
  • Lenders back idea of big auto merger - With his company burning through cash and auto sales sinking to historic lows, General Motors Corp. CEO Rick Wagoner is pushing hard for a merger with Chrysler, and lenders are lining up in support of the deal, sources say.
  • Will auto merger change biofuels plans? - Reports of possible merger talks between General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC continue to circulate even after all three major U.S. automakers – GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. – recently received a $25 billion loan package from the U.S. government.
  • China: Auto industry likely to consolidate - China's auto industry, the world's most competitive, will likely consolidate from next year as slowing demand and rising material costs crimp margins, an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said.
  • Automaker Ford cuts 450 jobs in Australia - Automaking giant Ford will slash 450 jobs in Australia as it battles falling sales and the global financial crisis, it announced Thursday, taking its total job cuts to 1,400 by 2010.
  • The Real Auto Crisis: Scared Buyers - Dealerships across the country are ready to sell cars—but the economy, not tighter credit standards, is keeping buyers away
  • Cars Built for Families - Designed by Women - Ten years ago, women -- especially moms -- helped make SUVs top sellers because of their roominess, safety and command view of the road. But, the rugged, off-road-ready SUVs were not originally designed with families in mind. Now, women are driving sales of a new generation of "family car," the crossover.
  • Auto Club Advises Drivers to Remove Fire-Related Ash and Soot From Vehicles - With parts of Southern California experiencing heavy smoke, soot and falling ash, motorists should take steps to remove fire-related debris from the exterior paint of their vehicles.
  • Auto Repair Fraud Can Threaten Lives: What You Need To Know - A trustworthy auto repair shop can keep your vehicle running safely and protect you and your passengers from life-threatening harm while on the road. Most body shops are honest, but some will put your life and safety in danger with cheap, shoddy and bogus repairs.
  • If your insurance company goes bust - Advice for consumers from the Better Business Bureau

October 16, 2008

  • AASP-MN Pushing Shop-Licensing, Outlawing of Insurer-Owned Shops - In the coming year, the Alliance of Automotive Service Professionals of Minnesota (AASP-MN) plans to continue its push of two legislative issues from previous sessions – to establish collision repair shop licensing and to ban insurance companies from owning body shops.
  • 2008 Features in Review - Collision-Insight: From industry trends, crimes and scams against shops, and state steering legislation, here is an update on some of the topics we have covered in recent months.
  • The CRA Opposes the BAR's Collection of Labor Rates - The CRA opposes using labor rate surveys to set labor rates. Since some repairers have asked the BAR to collect labor rate information, the CRA considers it vital that the reasons for its opposition to surveys be fully understood.
  • Wood's Letter to Mehl on Labor Rates in Surveys - This letter is intended to clarify the Collision Repair Association's (CRA) position on the Bureau's inclusion of labor rates in its proposed survey.
  • Women’s Professional Development Track Expanded for NACE 2008 - The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) is pleased to announce that the Women’s Professional Development Track has been expanded for 2008. This year’s track will offer six AMI-approved sessions to further develop the skills and careers of women who are directly or indirectly involved in the collision repair and automotive service industries. NACE will be held Nov. 5-8, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
  • No Excuse to Not Attend NACE - When you weigh all the benefits of attending, it's obvious that your presence at the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) is vital to your business.
  • SCRS affiliate members exchange ideas - "Representatives from more than fifteen of our state affiliate groups attended the event to hear what's being done in other states that they might be able to replicate, and to hear first-hand from SCRS' national leaders,” says Gary Wano, SCRS chairman, who co-moderated the meeting. “They also provided their input on what they'd like to see the national organization focus on, either continuing or adding to those items.”
  • AEGIS Signs on as Sapphire Sponsor for AGTO and WRO - glassBYTEs™: AEGIS Tools International in Madison, Wis., has signed on as a sapphire sponsor of both the Fourth Annual Auto Glass Technician Olympics (AGTO) and the Third Annual Walt Gorman Memorial Windshield Repair Olympics (WRO).
  • Ford Approves DuPont Cromax Pro Waterborne Basecoat - Ford Motor Company has granted global approval of DuPont Cromax Pro waterborne basecoat, per the requirements of Ford’s global refinish paint material specification WSS-M2P100-D. In addition to the approval, Ford has provided a training facility in Ypsilanti, Mich., and assisted in training Ford corporate, DuPont Refinish jobber and body shop personnel in the use of this new waterborne basecoat technology.
  • Global vehicle color popularity starting to shift, according to PPG - Black, white close gap in North America; blue gains global importance
  • Cars of Christmas - FL: 12 lucky local families will be getting a much needed Christmas present this year. The second annual Cars for Christmas is being co-sponsored again by Crossbridge Church, 19th Street Auto Center and Professional Auto Body Shop.
  • Ben's Auto Body honored at Commerce and Industry Dinner - Mexico, MO: Ben’s Auto Body was honored at the 24th Annual Commerce and Industry Dinner Tuesday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall. -- The event is sponsored by the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce and the city of Mexico to recognize a local business or industry for outstanding contributions to the economic growth of Mexico and for dedicated community service.
  • Family pitches in at Oro Valley auto repair shop - On a recent Wednesday afternoon, the smell of grease and oil fills the air inside a new auto repair shop in Oro Valley. All three bays are occupied with cars in different stages of repair. This is Jeremie Baird's dream made real.
  • Ford asks Toyota parts-maker to buy its Mazda shares: report -  US auto giant Ford Motor Co. has asked Denso Corp., a core autoparts manufacturer within Toyota Motor Corp., to buy part of its stake in Mazda Motor Corp., a report said Thursday. -- Denso, which wants to expand the current business ties with Mazda to which it sells auto parts, is likely to consider purchasing some of the shares, the business daily Nikkei reported, without citing sources.
  • Quartet of Dodge Rams To Accompany Trio of Challengers at SEMA - Backing up Chrysler's tuned Challenger trio at this year's SEMA show will be a quartet of Dodge Rams in specialty trim. The four Ram models will include the Ram TRXtreme, a special Ram R/T, the Ram Sportsman, and the Ram Mopar Street Package, all tricked-out by Mopar Underground.
  • Toyota Launches New Tiny Car - Looking to prove that small cars can still offer style, safety and spaciousness, Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday launched the compact iQ, its tiniest, most fuel-efficient nonhybrid vehicle.
  • NADA Elects Iowa Dealer as 2009 Chairman - The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has elected John P. McEleney as chairman for 2009. McEleney's election comes amid economic turmoil and concerns about access to credit.
  • Power and Associates Reports: Record-High Levels of New-Vehicle Buyers Turn to the Internet for Information as Buying Habits Shift to Smaller Vehicles - Consumer-Generated Content Proves Beneficial for Consumers during the New-Vehicle Shopping Process
  • Nissan recalls vehicles over air bag concerns - Nissan recalls more than 200,000 vehicles to fix sensor system that could affect side air bag.
  • RMA Announces New National Tire Safety Week Date - The Rubber Manufacturers Association today announced the eighth Annual National Tire Safety Week will be held June 7-13, 2009.
  • Thieves target salvage yards for VIN numbers - Auto theft detectives have learned that there are dozens of cars and trucks in the Albuquerque area that had their vehicle identification number switched
  • Know Your Repair Rights - Greensboro, NC -- You may be trying to save money... by driving your car longer instead of buying a new one. That means keeping up with maintenance.
  • Big Brother in your car - There's a Tom Petty song that is a hymn to the freedom of the open road – and to the random thoughts that run through one's mind as highway hypnosis begins to set in. Given the state of satellite technology as it pertains to our cars, however, the future holds, not the gleaming chrome of what was once America's love affair with the automobile, but the "white line nightmare" invoked by the gravel-voiced narrator of "The Road Warrior."
  • AAA Survey Finds Parents Unaware of Crash Risk For Younger Teens; Parents Knowingly  Allow Children to Ride in Cars Under Dangerous Conditions - An overwhelming majority of parents of teen drivers correctly identified the dangers of driving with multiple teen passengers (96 percent) or even one teen passenger (65 percent), yet nearly half of parents of teen drivers (47 percent) say their teen rides with another teen driver at least once a week.
  • At first meeting, state task force looks to reduce predatory towing - Have you ever felt Maryland's towing companies are out of control? Well, the towing industry does.
  • North Carolina Insurance Investigators Thwart Alleged Auto Accident Ring - North Carolina Department of Insurance investigators arrested five Halifax County residents for their roles in what investigators are calling an auto insurance fraud ring that netted the accused more than $25,550 in insurance payments from staged accidents.
  • Insurance company wins appeal in officer's death - WAUSAU, Wis. - The 3rd District Court of Appeals ruling overturns a judge's decision awarding Robert Etter's estate nearly $500,000 from State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.
  • Quality claim service makes a difference - Headaches, hassles and unnecessary strain in life can be reduced by researching the quality of claims service a company offers before purchasing an auto insurance policy.
  • Mercury General Corporation Announces Agreement to Acquire Auto Insurance Specialists - AIS is a major producer of automobile insurance in the state of California and the Company's largest independent broker producing over $400 million of direct premiums written, which represented 14% of the Company's direct premiums written during 2007.
  • State Farm Insurance grant to help develop Career Leadership Program - The University of Iowa's Pomerantz Career Center has received a $50,000 grant from State Farm Insurance, made through the UI Foundation to develop programs in its Career Leadership Academy this year.

October 15, 2008

  • Bayh's Anti-Piracy Bill Signed Into Law - “American businesses lose $250 billion every year because of intellectual property theft.  The U.S. auto industry estimates it could hire an additional 200,000 workers if we eliminated the trafficking of counterfeit auto parts. This new enforcement regime will treat the theft of American ideas as the serious threat to our economy that it is.”
  • I-CAR deciding its future in Canada - In the wake of declining enrollment, technical training provider I-CAR is seeking input from the industry to determine whether there is sufficient support for I-CAR to continue operations in Canada under the current corporate structure, or if alternatives should be considered.
  • I-CAR Education Foundation names executive director - Scott Kruger was named executive director of the I-CAR Education Foundation Sept. 29. He will be responsible for implementing the new mission of the foundation, which focuses on fundraising, grant research and the distribution of scholarship funds to schools and students involved in collision repair.
  • CCC Thought Leadership Publication 'Crash Course 2008 - Fall Update' Captures Forces Driving Volatile Marketplace -  According to Analyst Susanna Gotsch's research, insurers and repairers will eventually see the downstream impact of changing consumer preference through several factors, including: growing number of total loss vehicles, as consumers hold onto vehicles longer and repair costs continue to rise; -- The potential for heavier losses with the resurgence in growth of small vehicles; and, -- A continued decline in overall accident frequency as changes invariables such as driver age and behavior, vehicle safety, vehicle population and other factors drive this trend.
  • ALLDATA(r) Repair(sm) Provides Mode $06 Data - ALLDATA(r) LLC, the leading provider of vehicle manufacturers' service and repair information for professional repair shops, incorporates Mode $06 data in its ALLDATA Repair(sm) product. The $ in the name indicates the system's hexadecimal numbering system.
  • CSi Complete Newest ASA Member Benefit Provider - The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has announced another new member benefit agreement - a customer satisfaction indexing service through CSi Complete. Using a systematic approach to monitor business performance, CSi Complete offers traditional phone-based CSi market research while CSi Communicator offers automated but personalized phone-based technology.
  • Collision Centers Get Environmentally Friendly - Many Bay State collision centers are trying to become more environmentally friendly by changing the kind of paint they put on your vehicle.
  • First Woman to Compete in WRO - glassBYTEs™: Angela Poston of Windshield Repair Specialists in Boise, Idaho, will travel to Las Vegas in just a few weeks to compete in the Third Annual Walt Gorman Memorial Windshield Repair Olympics (WRO). She'll be the first female competitor to participate.
  • Car lover turns interest into business - Spring Hope, NC: Hayes, 41, has turned the old Toot-N-Tell building into the Uneeda Paint & Body Shop where he will do minor auto body repairs and paint jobs.
  • Bill Worsech passes away at 65 - MT: He was the manager of several auto-body shops. For several years, he owned and operated Main Auto Body.
  • People and products -  IN: Wendy Kinslow has joined Twin City Collision Repair as a customer service representative at the Farabee Drive location in Lafayette. -- Kinslow has 14 years of local automotive service experience. She is certified by all domestic manufacturers in customer service and public relations.
  • BY graduate attends WyoTech - Thomas Scott never imagined his participation in the SkillsUSA Club at Bartlett Yancey High School would lead to attending college but that's exactly what happened.
  • Mr. Norm 'Super' Challenger and Cuda headed to SEMA - One of the highlights of this year’s SEMA Auto Show is destined to be a high-powered Challenger modified by legendary Dodge dealer and tuner Mr. Norm. The outfit’s latest addition to its long-running ‘Super’ line of cars is based around the new Dodge Challenger, more specifically the high-performance SRT8 model, and it makes its world debut at the upcoming SEMA event.
  • Performance Coatings Receives Southeast Toyota Award - For the sixth consecutive year, DuPont Performance Coatings has received a “Business Partner Award of Excellence” from Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET).  This also marks the ninth time that DuPont has received the award since it was introduced in 1999.
  • DURA Automotive Restructures; Horn to Lead Glass Division - glassBYTEs™: DURA Automotive Systems Inc. has announced that it will restructure the company into four global business units, one of which will focus on glass and trim systems, effective January 9, 2009.
  • 45 More Jobs Gone - Molded Fiber Glass works towards closing Benefit Avenue plant. -- In 1953, MFG was chosen to produce all fiberglass reinforcement parts for the Corvette. This led to fiberglass reinforcement parts boats, which MFG commercialized in 1955.
  • Copart Makes Forbes Top 200 Small Companies List - Even in tough economic times, Copart is still a leader among small companies, making Forbes Top 200 Small Companies list for the ninth consecutive year. Copart was No. 79 on the list – moving up the list from its 140th position last year.
  • Auto Union Chiefs Wouldn't Back GM-Chrysler Merger - A General Motors Corp.-Chrysler LLC combination wouldn't win the support of auto unions in the U.S. and Canada because jobs would be lost, the labor groups' presidents said.
  • Toyota Announces First 'Green' Dealership in Western USA - Mark Miller Toyota celebrates its grand opening today at its new location at 730 South West Temple in Salt Lake City. The new dealership has been designed from the ground up with environmental standards in mind and expects to earn a Gold LEED Certification in the coming weeks. The grand opening ceremony on Monday, Oct. 13, kicks off with remarks at 5:30 p.m. and a ribbon cutting at 6 p.m.
  • Loan troubles drive change among local auto dealers - Shakeout likely to continue as buyers, banks adjust -- Keith McCluskey, CEO of McCluskey Chevrolet, is now expanding the hours at his auto body and services departments to include a second shift. As consumers put off buying a new car, they are more likely to have their old vehicles serviced and repaired to get another couple years out of them, he said.
  • Bergstrom Automotive cuts jobs at dealerships - Neenah, Wis. - An auto sales company with a strong presence in Wisconsin is reducing its workforce because of the tough economy. -- Bergstrom Automotive of Neenah has 33 dealerships across the state, selling domestic and foreign vehicles.
  • Business booming for repo man - Delinquencies in dealer-arranged auto and truck loans in the United States reached a record high of 3.13 percent in the final quarter of last year.
  • Elderly man charged $10,700 for car repairs - Tarpon Springs, Fl. - 80-year-old Harold Williams still enjoys driving his car to the store about once a day. He appreciates his 2006 Oldsmobile Aurora.
  • 18-wheeler with $500,000 in auto parts reported stolen - AL: A tractor-trailer containing approximately $500,000 in automotive parts was reported stolen from an Opelika industrial area sometime during the weekend, according to authorities.
  • Deer causes $1600 damage to Sheriff vehicle - Clay Center, KS: On Monday Clay County Commissioner accepted a low quote of $1,628.85 from Perfection Auto Body to repair a Sheriff's Department vehicle that had been damaged in a deer accident.
  • Avoidable deaths - NC: Sergeant C.L. Johnston of the State Highway Patrol wants people to have a healthy fear of driving. -- While not all accidents result in a death, most of them do result in a hefty repair bill. David Wiggins of Craftmaster Collision Repair in Kinston said that roughly 50 percent of his business comes from careless accidents.
  • State Farm says it isn't liable for man over stolen car suit - An insurance company has filed a federal suit against a Wood County man, claiming it should not be held responsible to pay any damages or defend the man in another lawsuit.
  • Progressive Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Groundbreaking Web Site by Making Online Customer Self-Service Even Easier - When Progressive became the first auto insurer to let customers access their policies online back in 1998, it revolutionized the way customers could interact with their insurance providers. Today, functionality that lets customers do everything from make policy changes to pay bills online has become the industry norm.
  • Reduced rate increases will save New York drivers $515 million in insurance - Governor David Paterson Tuesday announced that auto insurance rates for New York drivers will increase by an average of less than one percent, meaning New York drivers will pay almost $515 million less than what auto insurance companies were originally seeking to charge.

October 14, 2008

  • Frequency of total losses on the rise - A steady decline in the frequency of total loss vehicles since 2004 is changing, as total losses increased slightly in 2007, continue to rise in 2008 and are expected to continue that upward trend into 2009, according to research from Audatex.
  • Global Environment Benefits When Auto Body Shops Switch to Water-Based Paints - Fourteen million pounds of air emissions have been eliminated annually since tens of thousands of auto collision repair shops in more than 30 countries began using DuPont water-based paints rather than traditional solvent-based coatings, according to DuPont environmental data.
  • International Auto Glass Safety Conference Pre-Registration Closes Friday - glassBYTEs™: Pre-registration for the 2008 International Auto Glass Safety Conference sponsored by the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council Inc. (AGRSS) will close this Friday, October 17. The event will be held November 5 - 6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas during Auto Glass Week™ in coordination with the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE).
  • An Eye-Opening Trip to the Capitol: by Mike Schoonover, Collision Division Director - Last winter, AASP-MN Executive Director Judell Anderson asked me if I would go to the Capitol and testify on behalf of AASP-MN and the Minnesota collision repair industry for the proposed bill which would prohibit insurers from arbitrarily changing and/or manipulating the estimating databases.
  • Happy 25th Anniversary NATEF! - At the November 1983 ASE Board of Directors Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, John ('Jack') Pohanka, the initial NATEF Chair and an ASE Board Member, presented recognition plaques to representatives of the first automobile training programs to become certified by ASE.
  • Ford Seeks Best Customized Flex at the SEMA Show - The Ford Motor Company will once again recognize the most significant design achievements at the SEMA Show with its 2008 Ford Motor Company Corporate Design Awards.
  • Doug's Auto Body expands - Scott and Doug Otterbein, owners of Doug's Auto Body in Coopersville, have doubled the size of their facility to better serve their customers and to allow their technicians to make repairs more efficiently and easily.
  • Omaha Collision Shop Receives BBB Integrity Award - Dingman’s Collision Center in Omaha, Neb., recently received the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Integrity Award for businesses with six to 24 employees. These awards focus on demonstrating ethical business practices with customers, employees and community at large rather than a company’s growth, profitability or popularity. The Integrity Award winners were chosen by an independent panel of business leaders and members of the academic community.
  • Auto shops say South Georgians lax in maintenance - South Georgia auto repair and maintenance shops say they are seeing the effect of the tight economy.  Their business is way off since the gas crisis began.
  • Jemma grabs gold in skills challenge - NZ: The WorldSkills National Competition was held in Wellington in September this year with six Northlanders competing. -- Jemma Bond, who works at Rowsell’s Collision Repair in Whangarei, won gold in automotive refinishing and Kaikohe’s Marcel Woods from Renton Motors took gold in the automotive technology.
  • Insurance Auto Auctions Announces Opening of New Location in Reno, Nevada - Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. the leading North American salvage auto auction company today announced the opening of its newest location in Reno, Nevada which will serve to expand market coverage in the West-Central portion of the country. In addition, the location will enhance IAA's service to both vehicle provider and buyer clients in this area.
  • PPG to delist from former Philadelphia Stock Exchange - PPG Industries Inc. announced Monday it plans to delist from the fomer Philadelphia Stock Exchange on Oct. 24, the same day the exchange terminates its equity trading platform. -- Shares of Downtown Pittsburgh-based PPG continue to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PPG.
  • BASF Coatings paints and services for Belarus - Agreement signed with Minsk-based importer and dealer Sagbel
  • More auto jobs axed in Canada as sales slump worldwide - Chrysler to close three parts depots
  • Honda to start making Accords at Alabama factory - Honda Motor Co. says it will convert one of the two assembly lines at its Lincoln, Ala., factory so it can make V-6-powered Honda Accords by the middle of next year. -- The plant now makes the Odyssey minivan and Pilot sport utility vehicle.
  • GM to close stamping plant near Grand Rapids - The U.S. automotive sales slump worked its way to two Midwestern automaking towns Monday when General Motors Corp. announced it would close a Michigan metal stamping plant and stop making sport utility vehicles in Wisconsin by the end of the year.
  • Text of Chrysler CEO letter to employees - Chrysler LLC has had talks with General Motors Corp about a deal to combine the No. 1 and No. 3 American automakers at a time when both are struggling to cut costs and shore up cash, sources have said.
  • Germany Considers Aid for Auto Industry, FT Deutschland Says - Germany's government is considering aid for the country's auto industry, the Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing comments by Chancellor Angela Merkel on the financial-industry rescue package.
  • Auto roof-crush rule postponed - U.S. auto regulators are delaying for a second time a tougher vehicle roof-strength standard to prevent highway deaths.
  • Fire Destroys Auto & Body Shop - NC: There's nothing left to salvage after fire ripped through an auto body shop. -- Authorities are still trying to determine what caused the Rogers Auto and Body Shop on Mitchell street in Kinston to go up in flames early Saturday morning.
  • Auto repair leads to charges - Allentown, PA: A 28-year-old man fatally struck a woman with his car earlier this year, fled and then took his car to a repair shop, saying the damage was done when he hit a tire on Route 22, authorities said.
  • Troubled police chief can’t retire, keeps job - Northern Cambria, PA - Embattled Police Chief Kevin Stanek cannot retire, but he isn't fired, either, Borough Council decided Monday. -- He is accused of falsifying notes from a doctor allowing him to collect sick pay during a portion of the time he was suspended in May. -- Stanek and his wife, Debra, also are charged with insurance fraud related to damage their family vehicle received on their property in 2006, an unrelated matter.
  • Saddled With Debt, Some Decide to Torch Vehicles - Investigators estimate that hundreds of such crimes occurred in the Washington area in the past two years, although the exact number is unclear, and experts predict the number will increase because of the worsening economy.
  • Poll finds drivers not seeking new auto insurers, rates - Six months after auto insurance reform brought competitive pricing to Massachusetts, 75 percent of drivers have not shopped around for the best deal on a policy, according to a poll conducted for a group that represents insurance companies.
  • Customers happier with auto coverage - FL: Consumers are generally happier with their auto-insurance company than they are with their homeowners-insurance company, according to J.D. Power and Associates' 2008 Homeowners Insurance Study.

October 13, 2008

  • Labor Rate Survey Rules Nearing a Conclusion - CRA: The California Department of Insurance is inching closer to releasing long-awaited rules to clarify how insurers may use labor rate surveys in adjusting claims.
  • Member Alert on Labor Rates from Allen Wood - CRA: Within the last week we have forwarded to you information regarding the setting of labor rates via labor rate surveys. It appears that the insurers are gearing up to support a position on this issue.
  • Automotive Services Council of Kentucky (ASC) October Newsletter - DRP’s Then and Now -- more
  • C5 Corvette Paint Repair - On The Spot - The automotive-paint industry is an ever-changing world. When the first cars rolled off the assembly line, they were painted with a brush. The first Corvettes, meanwhile, were finished with lacquer paint.
  • New Lift System from Equalizer is Mobile and Versatile - glassBYTEs™: Equalizer Industries in Round Rock, Texas, has launched its newest glass-setting tool, the Gorilla Lift. The auto glass industry will have the opportunity to view this system at the Auto Glass Expo at NACE, but glassBYTEs.com™/AGRR magazine recently had the chance to gain a sneak preview of the system.
  • Stay competitive without cutting prices - Price cutting competitors are like rust on bare metal; as soon as you clean it off, it starts forming again. And, as soon as one price-cutting detailer goes out of business, there is another to take his place.
  • Potential disaster for consumers - Millions of car owners in Alabama trust neighborhood repair shops to provide affordable and competitive automotive repair service. Unfortunately, car manufacturers are making it difficult for independent repair shops to obtain the technical information needed to repair today’s vehicles. As technology becomes more sophisticated, the situation will become worse.
  • SUNY Canton Automotive Technology Program Receives National Certification - The program received certification by National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
  • Auto woes hit state hard - General Motors and Ford may grab the headlines when the auto industry is suffering, but the suppliers to their assembly plants, including a network spread across towns large and small in Kentucky, are suffering, too.
  • Scion Drops Details on Seven Custom Cars Coming to SEMA - Few manufacturers have embraced the aftermarket the way Scion has, and with SEMA just around the corner, details about this year's line-up are beginning to surface.
  • GM-Chrysler? - General Motors and Chrysler, which have been talking for months about various joint engineering projects, are now said to be talking about something much bigger--a potential merger.
  • Ford not interested in GM tie-up - General Motors Corp. approached Ford Motor Co. about a possible merger prior to contacting Chrysler LLC, according people close to the situation.
  • Mazda says no decision on Ford's stake sale - Mazda denied Saturday that a decision had been made by troubled Ford Motor Co. to sell its stake in the Japanese automaker but it didn't rule out a possible deal.
  • Toyota plant gears up for more production - IN: Workers at the Gibson County Toyota plant got the news the automaker is expanding. -- The plant in Princeton has seen a lot of changes in the past six months. It no longer will manufacture the Tundra but instead will roll the Highlander off the assembly line.
  • Hyundai may make small car in US - "Hyundai is considering producing the next model of the Elantra in the U.S. and we are preparing to supply parts for the car there," an official at a foreign car parts maker told Reuters by telephone, asking not to be identified.
  • Germany's Car Industry Crashes - For years, Germany Inc.'s best promotional vehicles have been the world-class luxury cars the country produces. Shiny Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars are like mobile billboards for excellence, from New York to Moscow, Buenos Aires to Shanghai.
  • Chrysler says it sues supplier over plant financing - Chrysler LLC has sued German auto supplier Getrag, saying the supplier failed to secure a pledged debt financing necessary to build a plant to produce fuel-saving transmissions for the U.S. automaker.
  • Orders Up as Auto Industry Tanks - Neighborhood electric vehicle manufacturer ZAP reported that its third quarter, which ended September 30, was its best ever, or at least since it launched the Xebra model in 2006. In fact, it shipped 200% more vehicles in the third quarter of 2008 than it did in the same quarter last year.
  • Chrysler models create buzz - Surprise unveiling of electric cars produces shock and skepticism among auto industry analysts
  • Nissan Reveals Three-Seat Electric Car At Paris Motor Show - A version of the electric car will be produced by 2010 for the US and Japanese markets before being sold in greater numbers and more countries by 2012.
  • BYD to Launch Electric Car in China - SHENZHEN, China -- Investor Warren E. Buffett invested $230 million to take a 10% stake in BYD Auto's parent company.
  • Ford expands use of biomaterials in production to reduce need for foreign oil - Deep inside the laboratories of Ford Motor Co.'s research and innovation center, one lab feels a lot more like a witch's pantry than a place for developing the green cars and trucks of the future.
  • Top 10 Scariest New Car Features - We like heated seats and high-end stereos as much as the next car shopper, but some of today's automotive features provoke more fright than delight.
  • AAA Offers Consumer Checklist For Getting Quality Auto Repair - Auto repair questions create major headaches for consumers, often causing motorists to dread taking their vehicle in for service.
  • Local man remains in critical condition after weekend fire -NM: Farmington resident C.J. Slade remains in critical condition at University Hospital Burn Center in Albuquerque following a Saturday morning fire at Star Collision Center that injured him and another man.
  • Auto shop fire in Welland - Canada: A fire broke out at Fix Auto Welland this morning. -- The fire was contained to the compressor room which supplies the body shop with heat and air conditioning, said an employee.
  • Air Bag Fraud: Underreported 'Life And Death Scam' -  The next time you buy a used car or go to an auto repair shop, will your car have working air bags when you drive it away?
  • Participants' insurance claims history raises 'red flags' in latest auto fraud case - Lawrence, MA:  Investigators with the city's auto insurance fraud task force consider their latest probe a classic "frequent flier" case.
  • AIG Hawaii hangs in the balance - AIG Hawaii is the third-largest auto insurer in the state, and has more than 300 employees statewide.
  • Massachusetts may end auto insurance appeals - The state's insurance commissioner, addressing a concern of some insurers, is considering eliminating the unique right under which Massachusetts drivers have been able to appeal auto premium surcharges they consider unfair for accidents caused by bad weather, road problems or some other abnormal circumstance.
  • Progressive Posts $684 Million Loss; First in 8 Years - Progressive Corp., the third-largest U.S. auto insurer, posted its first quarterly loss since 2000 after the company wrote down the value of investments, including holdings of mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
  • Parents set bad example behind the wheel  - October averages the highest number of teen auto insurance claims.
  • Deer Season Puts Auto Insurance Coverage to the Test - Few people read their auto insurance policy and are unaware of limitations and extent of coverage.
  • Insurance Industry Key to Wisconsin Jobs - The impact of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry on Wisconsin's economy and consumers was highlighted by Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Sean Dilweg during the presentation of a study to the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) Property and Casualty Advisory Council today.
  • AIG Crisis Highlights the Need for Insurance Professionalism - American International Group's meltdown may serve at least one (if not more) positive purpose: spotlighting the difference between the insurance professional and the non-professional.

October 10, 2008

October 9, 2008

October 8, 2008

  • 'Green' Automotive Clear Coat Technology - Two Kansas companies, Premier Paint 2000, Inc. & C3 Technology, LLC., along with Tech Line Coatings, Inc. in California are proud to introduce the first water-borne clear coat on the automotive paint market. This technology breakthrough is years ahead of the competition and exceeds EPA standards.
  • PPG Wins R&D 100 Awards for Two 'Green' Innovations - "We are extremely honored to have two of our green technologies recognized in the R&D 100 Awards program," said Dennis Kovalsky, PPG vice president, automotive coatings.
  • Division Holds Fall Meeting at Sherwin-Williams - Discussions address waterborne refinishing, legislative updates, lean processes, recycled parts
  • Fix Auto golf day raises money for epilepsy - Canada: The event honoured Josie Ferlito, a young employee of Fix Auto Ontario who died in a tragic car accident in December 2007. Funds raised from the golf tournament were donated to Epilepsy Ontario, a favored charity of Ferlito.
  • MAACO Upgrades to Audatex® Estimating™, Leading Software for Auto Collision Repair Professionals - Agreement for “America’s Bodyshop®” Covers 475 MAACO Centers
  • IGA Marketing Conference Pre-Registration Discounts End Soon - glassBYTEs™: Pre-registration for the 2008 Independent Glass Association (IGA) Marketing Conference will close in next week on October 17, 2008. The event will be held November 7-8 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas and is co-located with the International Autobody Congress and Exposition.
  • Las Vegas Hotels Reduce Room Rates for AAPEX Attendees - In an unprecedented concession, many Las Vegas hotels have reduced their room rates and are offering additional incentives for Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) attendees in light of current economic conditions. AAPEX will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
  • "Toyota’s Advanced Hybrid Technologies – Are You Prepared to Support Them in Your Shop?" - AAPEX attendees will learn about Toyota’s new hybrid technologies, during an educational program presented by Mark Saxonberg and Ed Ralbovsky, Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., entitled, “Toyota’s Advanced Hybrid Technologies – Are You Prepared to Support Them in Your Shop?” The session will be held on Thursday, Nov. 6 from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. in the Sands Expo Center in rooms 301/302.
  • AMI Announces 2008 Tom B. Babcox Memorial Scholarship Recipient - The Automotive Management Institute (AMI), in conjunction with Babcox Publications, announced that Curtis Evans, president and owner, Evans Automotive Service Center, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., is the recipient of the “Tom B. Babcox Memorial Scholarship.”
  • Hare supports Right to Repair Act - Rep. Phil Hare, D-Rock Island, has declared his support of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2694), it was announced Monday by Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association.
  • Hoffman’s auto repair testimony to U.S House axed by politics - Ga: Long-time Fayetteville auto repair shop owner Richard Hoffman was ready to testify before the Small Business Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives two weeks ago.
  • ‘Where will they go?’ - LA:  Having spent an hour on the telephone with her banker to address worries about the credit crunch, Pat Felder says she’s hearing lending requirements are likely to get tougher for small businesses. -- “Where will they go?” asks Felder, chairwoman of the National Federation of Independent Business’ Louisiana Leadership Council and owner of Felder’s Collision Parts. “That means no money coming in the door, but the money is continuing to go out the door. This will put some small businesses out of business.”
  • Bad economy is good business for auto-repair industry - The shaky economy is prompting many to cut back on spending, but one industry is reporting a spike in business.
  • Auto-repair garage is steeped in family history - Rochester, NY:  The auto-repair shop at the corner of Old Ridge and Bay roads has been in the Murawski family for more than 60 years.
  • Frightful fantasies at the Haunted Garage - The ghouls are already out to play along Centennial Street, as a local business owner gets ready for her favorite holiday: Halloween.
  • Department hosts job fair: Automotive job opportunities featured at event - Contra Costa College Advocate, CA: Career with Cars plans to shift automotive collision repair career opportunities in "drive," with a free, on-campus event to be held in the Automotive Technology Center on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- The event, hosted by the college's automotive services department and the East Bay chapter of the California Auto Body Association, is open to all members of the community, especially prospective students, automotive services department Chairman Peter Lock said.
  • Ford white-collar cuts go deep - Workers face challenging market
  • Ford to cut nearly 800 jobs at its Chicago factory - Ford will cut 792 jobs at its Southeast Side assembly plant when it drops to one shift early next month, according to a filing with the state. -- Separately, two suppliers to Ford told state officials they'll pare 168 jobs from their payrolls.
  • Sandston body shop operator convicted; ran Mustang Mike's - Michael A. Watson, 51, who ran Mustang Mike's in Sandston, was found guilty in Henrico County Circuit Court today of multiple embezzlement and grand larceny charges in connection with his auto repair and restoration work.
  • Friday fire destroys paint booth - Canada: Hilltop Carstar Collision Centre is open again after a fire burned through the paint booth Friday morning.
  • Muncie man killed in accident at salvage yard - IN: A 30-year-old man was killed today in an accident at Northwest Auto and Truck Parts, 3100 N. Buckles Ave. -- Delaware County Coroner James Clevenger said Michael L. Bodenhafer, a Northwest employee, was killed when a sport-utility vehicle he was removing parts from fell on his chest.
  • EverDrive Offers Consumers Tips to Buy Used Auto Parts - New Trends in Auto Recycling Business
  • Financial Recovery Package Includes Perk For Recyclers - "We are immensely gratified and pleased that the Congress has chosen to pass the RISE provisions as part of the legislation dealing with the current financial crisis," stated Robin Wiener, president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the national trade association for the scrap recycling industry.
  • Don't get caught in a rut: Watch for deer - Car collisions with deer in northwest Ohio reached their highest number in three years last year, according to a study released Monday by the Ohio Insurance Institute (OII).
  • How to Get Insurance to Pay for Collision Repair - If you had an accident and need to get your insurance company to pay for repairs, there are some basic steps you need to follow.
  • State Farm Insurance is Chamber Business of the Week - WV: State Farm Insurance is the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce Business of the Week for the week of Oct. 6, 2008.
  • New York Insurance Chief Says AIG Bailout was Unavoidable - Washington policymakers had no choice but to rescue American International Group Inc. after a dramatic investor crisis left the giant insurer starved for cash, New York insurance chief Eric Dinallo told lawmakers Tuesday.
  • Lower Insurance Rate With Little Black Box - A major auto insurance provider is offering discounts to safe drivers, but there's a catch. You have to prove you're a safe driver to get the discount. A small device monitors your every driving move.
  • State Rates Auto Insurance Complaints - The New York State Insurance Department upheld 993 consumer complaints against private passenger automobile insurance companies last year, according to the department’s 2008 Annual Ranking of Automobile Insurance Complaints released Monday.
  • Allstate Accused of Manipulating Data - MI: A battle is brewing over Allstate's Best Driver's reports.

October 7, 2008

October 6, 2008

  • Common Estimating Mistakes: by John Yoswick - AutobodyOnline: These estimating mistakes could be costing your shop money -- John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com). He can be contacted by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
  • Mitchell 1 and Automotive Distribution Network Launch New Parts Ordering Partnership - Mitchell 1 announced the establishment of a marketing partnership with the Automotive Distribution Network as part of Mitchell 1’s ongoing effort to further extend its national network of connectivity to automotive parts suppliers. This network provides repair shop owners greater flexibility and increased efficiencies.
  • 1 + 1 = 1 - But for many in the auto and insurance industries welding 2 undamaged car halves together just doesn't add up
  • Pittsburgh Glass Works Officially Launches Business Operations - glassBYTEs™: With the completion of the sale of PPG Industries' automotive glass and services business, Pittsburgh Glass Works officially launched business operations, yesterday, October 1, 2008. Affiliates of Kohlberg & Company will own 60 percent and PPG will retain approximately 40 percent of equity share in Pittsburgh Glass Works.
  • Shults Collision Center Grand Opening To Be Oct. 15 - NY: Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems and Shults Auto Group, a 16-franchise dealer group headquartered in Jamestown, are celebrating the grand opening of one of what officials call the most advanced collision centers anywhere in the world. A 12,000-square-foot facility built at Shults Accident Repair Center features DCR's unique patent-pending lean-based production process.
  • Some shops like Hurricane Ike's inland track - Storm brings more business in repairs to vehicles
  • Never say never when it comes to family business - Auto Art owner Danny Wallace once told his father he would never go into the body shop business.
  • Jackson's Body Shop celebrates 50 years - Jackson's Body Shop celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house Friday at the business, 3353 Silverton Road NE, Salem. The third-generation collision repair shop was opened in October 1958 by Glen Jackson and his sons Walter and Roger Jackson. It now is owned by their sons Jerry and Larry Jackson.
  • Friendship becomes partnership - Ok: Jim Bilodeau, Jon McAlister and Craig Schupp put little stock in the old adage about not mixing business and pleasure. -- The trio of friends own Diamond Autobody Inc. at 2825 E. Sixth Ave.
  • Bixby Sells Long Beach Auto Shop for $4M - Bixby Land Co., an Irvine, CA-based REIT, sold the auto repair shop at 1775 Ximeno Ave. in Long Beach, CA, to a private trust for $4.1 million or about $190 per square foot.
  • CARSTAR's FrightLites charity campaign runs through October - The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) and CARSTAR collision repair centres are again teaming up to help make Halloween more safe for children, while at the same time supporting the fight against cystic fibrosis.
  • Mechanic to raffle off free cars - A business that offers mobile vehicle repair service is raffling off cars to the Rocky Mount residents free of charge. -- Timmy Barnes, who opened Astral Auto Repairs in August 2006, said he’s seen so many locals in dire need of an automobile that, as a community service, he’s decided to raffle off every six months a used car he has fixed up.
  • Angel investors collaborate on funding - A local group of angel investors has led an effort to raise $1.5 million for a Salina-based developer of technology for the auto collision repair industry.
  • Innerviews: Body shop whiz leads crash course at Carver - Charleston,WV: You could say he teaches a crash course - literally. -- Jerry McIntosh heads the collision-repair program at Carver Career Center. He's a painter and body man like his father before him, an old-line hammer and torch practitioner who progressed comfortably into a high-tech world of sophisticated equipment and keen thinking.
  • Back to black (and white) - PA: The idea for changing the look of the Towamencin Police Department dates back to 2005, but it took students at the North Montco Technical Career Center to make it a reality this year.
  • AkzoNobel to Supply Sikkens for Volvo Dealer Network - AkzoNobel has signed a global contract with Volvo Car Corporation to supply their dealer network with its Sikkens key products.
  • Chrysler approves DuPont Cromax Pro waterborne basecoat - Chrysler LLC has granted global approval of DuPont Cromax Pro waterborne basecoat, per the requirements of Chrysler LLC's global paint refinish material and process certification.
  • Paint Material Price Review Status - Audatex:UK - As you will be aware, the recent announcement of paint materials price increases by the majority of the leading paint brands has required Audatex to undertake an interim paint materials price review. 
  • Auto suppliers fight to survive - They cut jobs, close plants; others file for bankruptcy as Detroit 3’s sales slide.
  • Automotive Hall of Fame Adds Eight Inductees - The list of inductees is as follows: Paul V. Galvin, Mort Schwartz, Jack Telnack, Robert W. Galvin, Phil Hill, Bob Irvin, William Metzger, and John Willys. The organization is the only "industry-wide means to honor the men and women of the global motor and related industries."
  • Auto companies shed 18,200 jobs in September - The drop accounted for about 11 percent of the total 159,000 jobs slashed from U.S. payrolls during the month, according to Labor Department figures released Friday.
  • Big 3 scores in lobbying for bailout - OK'd plan includes $1B tax credit over 10 years for plug-ins and fully electric vehicles.
  • Auto struggles may signal union openings for Alabama - Unions haven't had much luck getting their feet in the door to Alabama's automotive industry during boom times dating to the mid-1990s when the first vehicles started rolling off state assembly lines. -- The lack of union activity in Alabama's auto industry has been a key selling point for the state when courting new business in the sector, which supports more than 134,000 jobs and a $5.2 billion annual payroll.
  • The car that started it all - Model T still revered by enthusiasts a century after its debut
  • Only Taylor Toyota is sold - A bid by a Wisconsin auto dealer for the Taylor Auto Group fell through, but the sale of Taylor's Toyota dealership in North Augusta was consummated this week. -- The other brands in the Taylor group -- BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover and Hyundai -- as well as a used car lot and a collision center will remain Taylor properties.
  • State Farm adjusts Florida auto insurance rates - State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, the largest insurer of autos in Florida and in the nation, is lowering its overall rate level in Florida an average of 0.3 percent effective Oct. 27. This represents an annual savings of $6.5 million to the company's Florida customers.  
  • New York Ranks Least Complained-About Auto Insurers - Mercury General Group topped the list of least complained-about auto insurers in New York last year, according to a newly released ranking by the state's insurance department.
  • AIG to Keep Its Commercial Property/Casualty Insurance, Sell Some Other Units - American International Group Inc. said it plans to keep its commercial property/ casualty and foreign general insurance businesses, while selling off some life insurance business and seeking alternatives for its securities lending business.

October 3, 2008

  • BASF Automotive Refinish Solutions to exhibit at NACE -  Chip Foose makes appearance, signs autographs, and exhibits latest masterpiece in BASF booth N9201 on Nov. 6
  • BASF Automotive Refinish Solutions to exhibit at SEMA -  BASF hosts press conference with Chip Foose to introduce Foose Signature Line of BASF colors
  • Muscled-up Mustang visit benefits Make-A-Wish - WI: A souped-up 1967 Mustang will make a stop in Verona on Friday as part of a fund-raising tour at Carstar locations around the country for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
  • No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Blazes into 2009 with ‘Firestorm’ Design - DuPont and Hendrick Motorsports have unveiled a new design and color scheme that will appear on the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet race car, driven by Jeff Gordon, beginning in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup racing series. 
  • John Ray Inc. thinking pink - Troy, NY:  The red dinosaur at the John Ray & Sons Sixth Avenue site wore a pink ribbon Thursday for the unveiling of the company's new pink truck painted with a breast cancer awareness message. -- The truck - serving as a type of moving billboard - is painted white and light pink with the words "Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness" under the John Ray & Sons logo. The paint job, which took about a week, was done at the Green Island Auto Body shop, said Ray.
  • Nothing like body and fender - Dave McBroom described what he and his staff were doing Tuesday morning as “Not something we do every day.” Owner of Sunbeam Auto Body, McBroom was referring to the restoration of James Rosburg’s outdoor sculpture, “Harlan” and its installation on Laura Street in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville.
  • DIY auto salvage chain bringing tidy profits - Company winning over mechanics with no-haggle pricing, organized sites
  • Mexico is attracting second looks from manufacturers - "For a variety of reasons, there has been a progression south," said Rich Antonini, a partner in the Grand Rapids office of Plante & Moran and treasurer of the West Michigan Chapter of the Precision Metalforming Association. "There are still opportunities for Michigan-based companies to manufacture here and produce here, but there is a significant amount of pressure these companies feel to be nearer their customers' locations."
  • Switch gets a financial booster - It's amazing what a little press can do. A feature story ran on Aug. 15 in the Driving.ca section about Calgary's Motive Industries. This group of engineers is in the running to win a prestigious honour, that of the Progressive Insurance Automotive (PIA) X Prize.
  • Freudenberg to close auto parts plant  - The slowdown in the auto industry is about to cost 130 people their jobs in Laconia.
  • Bowling Green auto parts maker announces expansion - Auto parts manufacturer American Howa Kentucky Inc., which opened an 80,000-square-foot facility in Bowling Green in March, today announced plans for an expansion.
  • Honda completes expansion of Ohio engine plant - Honda Motor Co. says it has completed a $138 million expansion of its engine plant in the western Ohio village of Anna. -- The automaker says the move increases its manufacturing capacity in North America and enables it to respond more quickly to changing customer demands.
  • Minority suppliers get a hand at Ford - Women-owned firms also to benefit
  • Ford starts production of new F-150 - Employees at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo launched production of the 2009 Ford F-150 on Thursday. -- Ford spent $110 million on the Kansas City Assembly Plant for new tooling and equipment to produce the new F-150.
  • Volkswagen likes other companies' vans better  - The latest of Volkswagen’s ventures outside its own factory is the new Routan minivan, which should be arriving in US showrooms right now. The Routan is based completely on the latest-generation Chrysler minivans, the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town-&-Country. Only the bodywork is unique to the Routan; all engines and transmissions are Chrysler-sourced.
  • I Could've Had a V8 - Interesting timing for three powerful new models from Kia and Dodge.
  • Jaguar Land Rover Joins Auto Alliance - The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers today announced that Jaguar Land Rover has joined the Washington, D.C.-based association, bringing the total number of Alliance member companies to 11: BMW Group, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.
  • Indiana an auto state? Now chemicals are king - After 12 years of leading Indiana's bread-and-butter manufacturing industry, carmaking has taken a second-row seat.
  • Making Small Fixes To Prevent Larger Automotive Problems - Across the country, people are holding onto their money and holding off on car repairs in a tough economy. -- But the opposite is true in Middle Tennessee. Mechanics said there are many customers who are holding onto their older cars.
  • Update of auto roof law delayed - Transportation official seeks Dec. 15 deadline, cites need for more 'regulatory analysis.'
  • GM unveils OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown - General Motors of Canada and OnStar have demonstrated a new technology, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, which assists in the safe recovery of subscribers’ stolen vehicles. The system sends a signal to the vehicle to reduce engine power and gradually slow the vehicle down.
  • Officials go silent as state raids body shop - TRENTON - Officers swarmed the Capital City Collision auto body shop on Reservoir Street yesterday, but officials wouldn't even acknowledge an investigation. -- Authorities were seen towing a Chevrolet Impala with Maryland license plates out of the shop's yard, and police sources said a number of people were detained during the operation. It's unknown if anyone was charged.
  • Thieves cashing in on stolen car parts - IN: Thieves are cutting up vehicles in parking lots across Marion County, leaving drivers stranded and facing hundreds of dollars in repairs.
  • New database allows quick verification of auto insurance - Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are using the system and offering it to local agencies. -- "If you don't have liability insurance for your vehicle, your chances of getting a ticket just went up dramatically," said DPS Lt. Louis Sanchez.
  • Sen. Reid's loose lips sink insurance stocks - A comment by the majority leader that a major insurer was at risk of failing sends MetLife, Hartford and Prudential down by double-digit percentages. He later backtracks.
  • Accenture Completes Implementation of Claims Solution at Affirmative Insurance - Accenture Claim Components Solution is a robust Web-based technology designed to help insurers – ranging from the world’s largest to smaller, niche carriers – improve the efficiency of their claims-handling operations through the automation of routine tasks. The solution supports Affirmative claims transactions from first notification of loss through final payment.
  • PCI Urges the House to Pass Treasury Rescue Plan - Now that the U.S. Senate has approved the revised Treasury rescue plan, The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) urges the House to rebound quickly from Monday’s failed vote and pass this vital legislation to give the Treasury Department authority to acquire and dispose of distressed mortgage-related assets.

October 2, 2008

October 1, 2008

September 2008 >>>>

 



 
 

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