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Friday - November 30, 2007

  • Compliance Without Complication - SWAF's AWX Is The Premium Waterborne Paint System - Body shop owners in California and Canada are switching over to waterborne finishes in droves, but collision centers Nationwide also have a premium solution from a name they can trust - Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp. (SWAFC).
  • Feds Adopt California Way To Regulate VOC's From Aerosol Spray Paints - As of January 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will limit volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from aerosol cans, such as spray paints, primers and clear coatings. The EPA rule is similar to a standard already established by California and subsequently adopted by Washington state and Oregon. The rule applies to manufacturers and distributors of aerosol products which are used for both industrial applications and by do-it-yourselfers.
  • Sudden Fox closures highlight necessity of careful DRP deals; employees complain about bouncing paychecks - ABRN: Todd Fox’s impassioned open letter to the collision industry railing against unfair direct repair program (DRP) contracts may garner sympathetic nods from some shop owners, yet others familiar with the sudden closures of 18 Fox Collision Centers throughout Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas say blame should instead be directed at poor management decisions rather than insurance company wrongdoing.
  • Registered Your Patent Or Trademark Yet? Your Competition Has - Protecting the intellectual property rights of SEMA members is a top association priority, beginning when companies register their patents, trademarks, and copyrights with government agencies in the United States (and other countries). SEMA notes that registering intellectual property is a key to establishing legal rights. 
  • Todd’s Customs puts “Best Foot Forward” - Todd and Geri Boatright, owners and operators of Todd’s Custom and Collision Paint and Body Shop in Tuttle, are the first recipients of the Best Foot Forward Award.
  • Body shop colors itself green - Alaska: Driven Auto Body, 5011 Spenard Road, said it has received a Green Star Award. Green Star is a nonprofit organization that encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention. -- The shop has also instituted a recycling program that results in significant reduction of waste going to the city landfill.
  • Crestwood residents petition to block auto body shop permit - MO: Company would take over existing body shop run by Jim Butler Chevrolet
  • Be aware of accident chasers! - Canada: Police, along with the Insurance Brokers Association of Hamilton and the Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association are teaming up to chase away accident chasers.
  • MetLife Changes Pricing Structure - glassBYTEs™: MetLife Auto & Home has announced a change to its auto glass program pricing, which is effective today, November 29.
  • ADCO Holds Awards Ceremony - glassBYTEs™: Of those honored, ARG Market Account Manager, David Newell, was recognized for his contributions for significant territory growth and promoting the TITAN® Professional products.
  • The Jury Is Now In: Planet Color From Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Is A Winner! - Recently introduced Planet Color™ from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp. (SWAFC) has been a tremendous hit among custom automotive enthusiasts, painters and shop owners alike. All Planet Color custom paints and coatings are based upon SWAFC's exclusive OEM-approved system.
  • Color Me Sold - Silver still rules for resale
  • Charley Johnson of Proliance Elected 2007-2008 MEMA Chairman - Charles E. “Charley” Johnson, president, CEO and director of Proliance International, Inc., New Haven, Connecticut, has been elected 2007-2008 chairman of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) Board of Directors.
  • Employers must pay for protective equipment - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ruled that employers must pay the cost of providing personal protective equipment needed to protect workers from job-related injuries, reports the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).
  • Russians to boost parts buys - GAZ, Russia's second-largest carmaker and a business partner of Chrysler LLC, expects to triple auto parts purchases from suppliers in Michigan by 2010, and may open an office in the state, the company's president said Thursday.
  • GM to buy more high-value car parts in China - General Motors Corp expects to buy more, increasingly sophisticated car components in China, the firm's fastest-growing procurement market, as the country's auto parts industry clambers up the quality ladder.
  • SAIC to build its own cars, competing with partners - SAIC Motor, China's largest automaker, will increase spending to make cars of its own design, heightening competition with its partners, General Motors and Volkswagen.
  • GM, Ford May Say Sales Fell in November as U.S. Economy Slowed - General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. probably posted a drop in U.S. car and truck sales in November as rising gasoline prices and falling home values dragged consumer confidence to its lowest level in two years.
  • Ritzy crowd gets auto show sneak peek - Some of the world's richest and most selective car buffs will come to Detroit next month for an invitation-only event to kick off the 2008 North American International Auto Show.
  • Microwave Beam Stops Cars Dead - Emitted from a rooftop device, the radiation could be used by law enforcement officers to put an end to dangerous car chases or by military personnel as a non-lethal way of disabling vehicles that get too close for comfort.
  • State Farm provides $10M to NC group - State Farm Insurance announced today it is providing a $10 million, low-interest loan to the N.C. Community Development Initiative.
  • Collision Coverage - Dee Bruker has been selling insurance for more than 30 years. During that time, cars have sure changed, but one pattern hasn't.

Thursday - November 29, 2007

  • Collections for needy continue - Collision Plus Auto Body in Belleville and the Belleville Salvation Army are accepting items through Dec. 18. Drop off nonperishable food items and new, unwrapped toys from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at Collision Plus, 201 North Illinois Street.
  • Kids helping kids for Christmas - NC: The lines of bikes outside the auto body shop at Forsyth Tech is a good indication something else is going on inside.
  • Lender's lawsuit hits Fox Collision - A bank is suing Fox Collision Center and its president, Todd F. Fox, for millions of dollars that the lender says it's owed on outstanding loans.
  • At Pac’s Richardson named one of the industry's Most Influential Women - The founder of a Montreal auto parts supplier was among the five industry leaders honored at the ninth annual Most Influential Women in the Collision Repair Industry Awards program held in Las Vegas in early November.
  • McDonald's dream car gone in less than 60 seconds - All his life, Dan McDonald of Sauk City, loved Fords, especially the 1955 and 1956 models. -- His dream car is a 1955 or 1956 Ford convertible. -- He invites anyone with a  '55 or '56 Ford parts car or  restorable car to call him.
  • Mechanics Pay Big Bucks to Fix Your Car - Fixing Your Car Not So Simple Anymore
  • Pep Boys closing Douglasville, Decatur and Stone Mountain stores - The Pep Boys closed 31 stores Wednesday, including three in metro Atlanta, to open a five-year strategic plan that will include a change in its mix of automotive products and adding "smaller neighborhood service shops."
  • Pep Boys Layoffs - About 40 Rockford employees got a shock when they arrived at work at Pep Boys Tuesday, only to find doors locked and their jobs gone for good.
  • LORD Corporation Announces Top Representative Awards - LORD Corporation, maker of Fusor® Automotive Repair Adhesives & the leading metal and composite bonding solution for automotive body repair – recently highlighted the success of three representative agencies for their sales, service and marketing efforts.
  • Henkel Partners with DuPont to Distribute E-Coat - Henkel has announced a collaboration with leading coatings provider DuPont to distribute DuPont's CorMax(R) electrocoat to the North American automotive parts supplier industry.
  • Charting employment trends in auto parts manufacturing - Between 1992 and 2006, the Midwest’s auto parts manufacturing industry lost about 52,200 jobs, or 12.7 percent, of its employment. This loss was not the result of an ongoing decline; rather it was the sum of three distinct periods. 
  • Copart Expands in New Jersey - Copart, Inc. today announced the opening of a new 32-acre greenfield facility in Trenton, New Jersey. This latest addition to Copart’s growing footprint marks the company’s fourth facility in New Jersey, the 126th facility in North America, and the 136th facility world-wide.
  • Universal Technical Swings to 4Q Loss - Universal Technical Institute Swings to 4th-Quarter Loss on Higher Costs, Lower Enrollment
  • Glass Manufacturers Fined For Price-Fixing - glassBYTEs™: The European Commission (EC) announced its decision to fine four glass manufacturing companies a total of EUR 486.9 million (approximately USD 719.2 million) for price-fixing today. --  Chevallon notes that Saint Gobain expects another fine from the EC either at the end of the first quarter or beginning of second quarter 2008 regarding its auto glass division.
  • Hahn Automotive to acquire wholesale distributor - Hahn Automotive Warehouse Inc. in Rochester is acquiring Prime Automotive Parts Co. to expand its reach to the New York City metropolitan area.
  • What happened to simple colors? - Things are different today. Go to a new car dealer and ask what colors they have to offer.
  • Chrysler weighs deal to build cars in Russia - Top Chrysler LLC executives, eager to boost overseas sales, will meet today with the president of Russian automaker GAZ to discuss a deal to build Chrysler vehicles in Russia's booming market.
  • Flaws found in the California Buyers Bill of Rights - If you buy a car that turns out to be a lemon, the law allows you to take it back to the dealership. But consumer advocates say some car dealers are skirting the law and, they're pushing the Department of Motor Vehicles to get tough.
  • Ford Agrees to Settle Rollover Case - Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday ended an era of litigation over its rollover-plagued Explorer sport utility vehicles when it agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit covering plaintiffs in four states.
  • GM, insurer study house fire - Two teams of investigators began sifting through the rubble Tuesday at the site of a house fire thought to have been ignited by a parked 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix. -- The Tizonos think the blaze was caused by a defect in their car and point to multiple federal investigations into Pontiac fires to support their claim.
  • Toyota recalls 264,000 luxury cars - Lexus and other luxury car models may have faulty fuel pipes which could leak.
  • New allegations outlined in State Farm case - A team of policyholders' attorneys led by Richard "Dickie" Scruggs" unearthed the information and other new allegations against the insurer and vendors while researching a policyholders' lawsuit originally filed in June. The attorneys now want to amend the complaint.

Wednesday - November 28, 2007

Tuesday - November 27, 2007

  • Marketing for Results - AutobodyOnline: As soon as you open your doors for business, sales pitches and junk mail for every imaginable kind of ad begin to arrive.
  • We’re Talking Dollars, Not Hours - Labor hours or units are like Vegas gambling chips: They’re easier to throw away than actual dollars. Retraining our brains to think of these hours as dollars, though, will lead to greater profitability.
  • AutocheX Premier Achiever Awards Recognize Excellence in Customer Service and Satisfaction - AutocheX™, Mitchell International's® voice of the customer performance management group, hosted the sixth annual Premier Achiever Award ceremony on Nov. 1, 2007 to honor collision repair facilities from throughout the U.S. and Canada for their exceptional achievements in customer service and satisfaction.
  • Next Crew Webcast: Collision Repair Executive Webcast to Feature Jeremy Bowler with JD Power and Associates - Collision Repair Executive Webcast (CREW) has announced that the guest speaker for the 11 a.m. PST Thursday, November 29th session wills Jeremy Bowler with J.D. Power and Associates. The November Webcast will highlight the findings of J.D. Power’s Annual Survey Results and rankings for Insurance Company Customer Satisfaction which will be released just 2 days prior to our Webcast date.
  • Paint Your Ride and Win a Trip to 2008 SEMA Show - Paint your latest creation in one of 12 Hot Wheels Spectraflame colors from PPG’s Vibrance Collection and you could win the opportunity to have your prized possession showcased at the 2008 SEMA Show as a guest of PPG Refinish.
  • Boyd Group announces intention to settle vendor exchange notes - The Boyd Group Income Fund (the "Fund") today announced that it intends to exercise its right to pay the remaining principal amount owing of US$7,031,200 under its 2004 vendor exchange notes due February 1, 2008 (the " Exchange Notes") by way of the issuance of Fund trust units ("Units") on February 1, 2008. -- The Boyd Group Inc. is the largest operator of collision repair centres in Canada and among the largest in North America.
  • Restored car a labor of love - Aah, the hum of the motor, a glimpse of the past, a chance to ride in a gleaming classic car on a beautiful day.
  • CACC program earns certification - MI: The Collision Repair program, offered through the Capital Area Career Center and operated by Ingham Intermediate School District, has received certification by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The Collision Repair program has been certified in the areas of painting and refinishing.
  • D.215 repair program gets $10,000 in supplies - IN: Dyer and South Holland repair shops have donated $10,000 in equipment and supplies to the District 215 collision repair program.
  • AADCO Automotive Inc. - Update - The Board of AADCO Automotive Inc. wishes to provide further details further to its news release of November 19, 2007. -- Sale of Assets and Liabilities of Automobile Dismantling Business
  • LKQ Corp. Director Exercises Options - A director of LKQ Corp., which provides replacement parts to repair light vehicles, exercised options for and sold 32,124 shares of stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday.
  • Mitchell 1 Announces Fourth Quarter Updates to OnDemand5 Manager/ManagerPlus, Version 5.9 Software - Mitchell 1 announces it has made fourth quarter updates to its popular OnDemand5 Manager/Manager Plus, Version 5.9 software to continue to increase its customers’ productivity. Even more functionality and enhancements have been added to the integrated NAPA catalog, including an upgrade to display the NAPA stores’ quantity on-hand, cost, and distribution center quantities.
  • Central Valley family sues Toyota over fatal accident - Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday morning in Stockton in a lawsuit accusing Toyota of design mistakes that caused a Central Valley man to burn to death.
  • Problem Solvers Investigation - OK: Our investigation reveals mechanics and body shops are an unregulated industry in Oklahoma.  Anyone can set up shop, no license needed and there is no oversight agency.
  • Toddy’s mystery deepens - Angry ex-employees are engaged in a class-action lawsuit against former Oklahoma businessman Todd Fox, who has been linked to a start-up retailer in Aspen known as Toddy’s.
  • NCOIL Names New Officers - The National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), elected the following officers for 2008: Sen. James Seward (NY) as President-Elect; Rep. Robert Damron (KY) as Vice President; Rep. George Keiser (ND) as Secretary; and Sen. Carroll Leavell (NM) as Treasurer. -- NCOIL is an organization of state legislators whose main area of public policy concern is insurance legislation and regulation.
  • AG calls for more cuts in car rates - MA: Says insurers' profits would be ruled excessive under old system
  • NY doctor ranking law planned - Acting on concerns about possible 'physician profiling,' state lawmakers said Monday they would pass a law to force health insurers that rank doctors to put patient care first instead of using cost as the sole measure. -- State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, chairman of the Assembly's Health Committee, said, 'I don't want my health plan telling my doctor that if he dares to order tests or procedures that they don't want to pay for ... that they're going to retaliate by telling him he's a bad doctor.'

Monday - November 26, 2007

Wednesday - November 21, 2007

  • SCRS Unveils Steering and Suppressed Labor Rate Practices - The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is issuing the following information as further validation of some of the abuses by insurance carriers in the collision repair industry. In addition, this information reaffirms the findings of SCRS’ recent survey results indicating that steering and suppressed labor rates are having the most dramatic impact on collision repairers.
  • The 'Nitty Gritty' of How Labor Times Are Developed - Not understanding labor time differences could be costing you money.
  • I-CAR Announces New Role For Tom McGee - Tom McGee has announced his decision to step down from his role as the President & CEO of I-CAR, the Inter-industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, for personal reasons.
  • I-CAR Announces Industry-Focused Re-Organization -  I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, and the I-CAR Foundation today announced a re-organization which will streamline operations bring increased focus and align resources around industry market segments and activities.
  • How to Understand & Reduce the Cost of Credit Card Processing Seminar - AASP-MN seminar, “Secrets Revealed...How to Understand and Reduce the Cost of Credit Card Processing,” on Dec. 5 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis.
  • Industry Joins To Restore Dream Car For 9/11 Hero - Classic Restoration Enterprises and Concours Parts, along with 40 other participating specialty-equipment companies, joined together at the 2007 SEMA Show to present former Port Authority Police Department sergeant John McLoughlin his dream car, a fully restored '55 Thunderbird.
  • Final Regulation Order Approved for OBD-II, Emission Warranty Regulations - The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) in California approved the final regulation orders for the OBD-II and emission warranty regulations Nov. 9.
  • U.S. Appeals Court Dismisses Federal Fuel-Economy Standards - Standards Fail to Address Risks to the Environment, Heavier SUVs, Trucks
  • Repair shop will give family a car for holiday gift - Dec. 19 will be a big day for one Logan County family. -- On that day, Collision Concepts will hand over the keys to a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier - free of charge.
  • Single mom gets "Recycled Ride" - AZ: This time of year lots of folks go out of their way to do nice things for others.  And, here in Tucson, a national program called Recycled Rides sure put a smile on the face of a single mother and her children. -- GEICO Insurance donated the vehicle.  911 Collision Centers repaired and painted it.
  • World Skills Competition 2007 - Shizuoka, Japan - Auto Body Repair Results
  • Chamber honors leaders - Searcy, Arkansas: Denise Drye is the business manager/co-owner Charlie’s Auto Paint and Body in Searcy and was selected as Business Woman Owner of the Year.
  • Pull-A-Part's Steve Levetan selected as WSB-TV "Going Green Champion" - Steve Levetan, senior vice president of Pull-A-Part, a used automotive parts retail business, was selected as the WSB-TV’s Going Green Champion of the Week.
  • Ontario repairer joins CSN - High Street Auto Body, located in Strathroy, ON, is the newest member of Collision Solutions Network. Owned and operated by Dave Holmes, High Street has been a leader in its community since 1979.
  • ANSI Releases Z26.1 Draft for Comments; Industry Reacts - glassBYTEs™: The American National Standard (ANSI) has released for public comment a draft revision of ANSI/SAE Z 26.1-2007. As written, the draft Standard requires that modifications such as a change in vehicle glass size, drilling, chemical treatment or repair be marked.
  • Travelers Launches New Network Contract; Offers New Feature on Site - glassBYTEs™: Travelers Insurance has informed its network participants that a new provider contract will go into effect next Friday, November 30, 2007.
  • CCIF in Calgary discusses technician certification, Alberta labour shortages - The Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF)’s initiative to create a national accreditation program is proceeding apace, according to an update of the CCIF’s October 2007 meeting in Calgary.
  • European Parliament Commitee to vote on design protection liberalisation - The European vehicle manufacturers association ACEA has opposed the liberalisation plans, and proposes a 10-year protection period for the design of visible vehicle body parts. “We think it is completely the wrong signal and essentially tells the Chinese and others to come over to Europe and copy our products," the ACEA legal expert Marc Greven told Automotive News Europe.
  • Hanwha acquires AZDEL Inc. from SABIC Innovative Plastics, PPG Industries - Hanwha Living & Creative (L&C) Corporation announced today that it has finalized the acquisition of AZDEL Inc., a 50/50 joint venture of SABIC Innovative Plastics (formerly GE Plastics) and PPG Industries.
  • Remy Sells M&M Knopf - Remy Worldwide Holdings, Inc. today announced that it received bankruptcy court approval for the sale of its subsidiary operation M&M Knopf Auto Parts, which is one of the largest distributors of recycled auto parts to the worldwide remanufacturing market and is also a global distributor of Saginaw Steering systems. A definitive agreement was entered on November 6 to sell the business.
  • Small auto parts makers feel credit pinch - The credit crunch that has sent the U.S. property market into a tailspin and generated a wave of billion-dollar bank write-downs is posing a fresh problem for smaller players in the auto parts sector, industry experts said this week at the Reuters Auto Summit.
  • 'Long way to go' for auto industry - While some analysts have called the new labor contracts at the Detroit Three automakers "transformational," don't expect them to transform Michigan's job-killing economy any time soon.
  • Al Ver to Retire From Ford Motor Company - Al Ver, Ford Motor Company vice president and CEO and COO, Automotive Components Holdings (ACH), has elected to retire at the end of the year, after a 35-year career with the Ford Motor Company.
  • Ford to meet with supplier CEOs - Ford Motor Co's global product chief, Derrick Kuzak, said on Tuesday that he and purchasing boss Tony Brown will meet with chief executives from auto suppliers in an effort to improve relations.
  • GM recalls trucks, SUVs and Saturns - General Motors Corp. recalled 69,000 Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles and more than 20,000 Saturn cars for repairs including adding interior safety foam and fixing a timing chain, Bloomberg News reported today.
  • Man guilty of insurance fraud - NJ: State investigators call this type of auto insurance fraud "give-ups," when a car's owner gives the car away so it can be chopped for parts or retagged and sold.

Tuesday - November 20, 2007

Monday - November 19, 2007

Friday - November 16, 2007

Thursday - November 15, 2007

Wednesday - November 14, 2007

Tuesday - November 13, 2007