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August 26, 2010
August 24, 2010
- Texas
Department of Insurance Issues Anti-Steering Bulletin to State's Insurers:
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) recently issued an anti-steering
bulletin to the state's insurers reminding them of the state's anti-steering
law as it applies to automotive repair facilities.
- Honda
Issues Statement on the Use of Aftermarket Parts: Honda North
America, which is based in Torrance, Calif., has issued two statements
in the last week regarding the use of aftermarket parts for both its
Honda vehicles and Acura
vehicles.
- I-CAR
Introduces Inspecting Repairs for Quality Control Program to the Industry:
Industry professionals interested in learning ways to
improve efficiency and reduce “come-backs” will soon have a new training
resource from I-CAR, The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision
Repair. On September 7, I-CAR will premiere its newest training program,
Inspecting Repairs for Quality Control (QUA01). The course marks the
first I-CAR training opportunity to be offered as either an instructor-led
course taught in the classroom or an online course.
- ABRA
President/CFO Named BBB Board Member – glassBYTEs.com:
Duane Rouse, president and chief financial offer of ABRA Auto Body &
Glass, recently was named to the Board of Directors for the Better Business
Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. Rouse’s term on the Board will
begin this month.
- Miles
Being Driven on Nation’s Roadways Continues to Increase, According to
Recent Report; Travel Up 1.3 Percent from June 2009 – glassBYTEs.com:
Vehicle travel on the nation’s roadways was up 1.3 percent for the month
of June when compared with June 2009, according to the latest report
from the Federal Highway Administration, a division of the U.S. Department
of Transportation. A total of 263.9 billion vehicle miles were driven
during the month, compared with 260,468 billion vehicle miles driven
during June 2009.
- Allstate
Spent $1.33M Lobbying Government in 2Q: Allstate Corp. spent
$1.33 million in the second quarter to lobby the federal government
on legislation involving flood insurance regulations, safe-driving laws
and financial reforms, according to a recent disclosure report.
- Insurance
Companies Breaking the Law?: Small businesses in Maine are banding
together to fight back against a trend that's driving them out of the
industry.
- State
Farm Introduces Distracted Driving Tool:
State Farm Insurance Co., the Bloomington-based home and auto insurer,
said it has introduced what it claims is the insurance industry’s first
free mobile phone accessory to address growing concerns about distracted
driving.
-
New
Volvo Stops by Itself for Pedestrians: In this corner: a reporter
in a flamenco red Volvo S60. In the other corner: "Bob,"
a pedestrian nattily clad in a red polo shirt and khaki pants. In
mere seconds, I would hit the gas and head straight for Bob, never
touching the brakes.
August 19, 2010
- Belron US to Pay More
Than $210,000 to Retirement Savings Plan, Nearly $84,000 to Pension
Plan, as Result of Complaint Filed by U.S. Department of Labor
- glassBYTEs™:
Belron US, also known as the Safelite Group, has agreed to pay $210,799.36
into the company's retirement savings plan and $83,973.67 into the company's
pension plan, as the result of a complaint filed late last week by the
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) against the Columbus, Ohio-based company.
- Local Mechanic Voices
Support for Right to Repair Act:
A customer sitting in the small office of Larry Ng's Auto Repair on
Worcester Street, awaiting word about the status of his vehicle's repair,
has three reading choices: The Boston Globe, The Wall Street
Journal or USA Today. No outdated People magazine
here - just a trio of the nation's leading newspapers. So it's no surprise
that Ng, who owns two repair shops in Wellesley, speaks intelligently
about current affairs, especially when the affair is the state's Right
to Repair bill, which died in the House of Representatives at the end
of last month.
- Emergency Personnel Get
Lesson in Extrication:
Dozens of emergency crew personnel gathered at an Auto Body Shop in
Butte Wednesday evening for a lesson on extricating people from wrecked
vehicles.
- Celette-Elektron Names
New General Manager - Celette Inc. and Elektron Inc. have announced
a change in management at their U.S. headquarters. Timothy Morgan has
been appointed general manager for both companies. He replaces Matthias
Larisch, who has left the organization.
- State Farm Customers on
Double-Take - State Farm insurance customers on automatic billing
were charged twice this month - the glitch impacted about 17,600 customers
statewide.
- Progressive Reports July
Results - The Progressive Corporation today reported the following
results for July 2010.
- Augmented Reality iPhone
App Turns Drivers into the Predator - The iPhone 3GS was recently
eclipsed by the new iPhone 4, but that doesn't mean it's ready for the
dustbin. A new augmented reality driving app by imaGinyze aims to make
it your safety companion on the road.
- Who is at Fault When a
Golf Ball Slams into Your Vehicle? - Kari Ward was driving down
10th Avenue in Caldwell with her son in the back seat when her car turned
into a hole-in-one.
August 17, 2010
- Boyd Group Reports 5.1
Percent Decrease in Sales for Second Quarter -
glassBYTEs™:
The Boyd Group, which owns Boyd Autobody and Glass and Gerber Collision
and Glass, reported this week that its sales dropped 5.1 percent for
the second quarter-to $52.3 million, from $55.1 million in the same
quarter of 2009.
- Gunder's Appeals Suit
Against State Farm, Alleging Tortious Interference and Slander; Company
Owner Says He "Anticipate[s] Success" -
glassBYTEs™:
Gunder's Auto Center in Lakeland, Fla., recently appealed its suit against
State Farm. In the original case, the company alleged that State Farm
tortiously interfered with at least three customers and made "slanderous
and/or tortious statements to those identified prospective customers."
- Autobody Shops Face Months
of Backlog After $400M Calgary Hailstorm - It blew through Calgary in less
than 30 minutes but caused record-breaking damage. A July 12 hailstorm
that dumped golf ball-size stones and torrential rain on the city is
officially the most expensive in Canadian history.
- Hybrid Insurance Costs
Likely to Rise - While good for the environment, hybrid vehicles
will not save you money with fewer trips to the gas pump not equal to
the increased sticker price. And yet, even as hybrids continue to improve
and close the gap on this discrepancy, a new report suggests that additional
factors, namely, insurance rates, will drive up the cost-to-own criteria.
- State Auto Board Adds
Retired Nationwide Exec - State Auto Financial Corp. has added the
retired CFO of a Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. unit to fill a vacancy
on its board of directors.
- Allstate Distracted Driving
Course - Every year 4,000 teens die because of distracted driving,
and Allstate is trying to lower that number by teaching teens to be
safe.
- GEICO Releases Android
and iPad Mobile Apps - GEICO is expanding the universe of customer-friendly
insurance services by offering auto insurance applications for use on
iPad™ mobile digital devices and mobile devices running the Android™
operating system.
August 12, 2010
- CRL Collision Owner Files
For Bankruptcy - EL PASO, Texas -- KFOX has learned a local business
owner accused of ripping off customers has filed personal bankruptcy.
- The people behind I-CAR’s
Professional Development Program by Christopher Sheehy - I-CAR has
done a lousy job of giving recognition to the founders of I-CAR’s newly
introduced roll-based training program (Professional Development Program)
– here’s who should have received credit for getting this conceptualized
and first-executed.
- FinishMaster says 2Q profits
down slightly - Indianapolis-based FinishMaster is steadily overcoming
the challenging market conditions that continued to prevail in the collision
repair industry.
- Keystone Automotive Operations,
Inc. Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2010 Results - "We are pleased
to report our second consecutive quarter of higher year-over-year sales
as well as a year-over-year increase in gross margin, both of which
we believe are a reflection of continued market share gains and an enhanced
focus on product mix and marketing activities," said Ed Orzetti,
Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc.
- SADIF Analytics rates
LKQ Corporation as an above average quality company with a neutral outlook
- SADIF-Investment Analytics has applied its StockMarks™ stock-rating
system to LKQ Corporation and produced a report, rating the companys
attractiveness to long-term investors.
- DuPont Performance Coatings
Offers Three New Marketing Courses to Drive Work to the Repair Centers
Door - DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC) customers can now
attend any of three new marketing courses specially designed to target
four key audiences — consumers, insurers, fleets and dealers. These
courses are offered as part of the DuPont Performance Services (DPS)
educational series.
- ASA Members Eligible for
Discount on On-Hold Advertising Programs - On-Hold Concepts Offers
Multiple Discounts to ASA Members
- Kelly McDonald to deliver
diverse keynote at NACE opening - Marketing expert Kelly McDonald
will present the keynote address at the Automotive Service & Repair
Week (ASRW) Opening General Session, from 8:30–10am on Monday, Oct.
11, 2010, followed immediately by the opening of the NACE and CARS show
floor.
- ROLAGS Committee to Meet During NACE Expo
- glassBYTEs™:
The Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard (ROLAGS) committee has announced
it will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, October 13. The meeting
will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in the Reef B meeting
room during the NACE Expo.
- GE offers repair financing
through Maaco, Meinke - GE Money, the consumer lending unit of General
Electric Co. and Driven Brands announced a new multi-year agreement
to offer consumer financing for auto repairs, maintenance and cosmetic
makeovers through Maaco Collision Repair & Auto Painting, Meineke
Car Care Center and Econo Lube N’ Tune locations nationwide.
- Web-Est Publishes a New
Article on Search Engine Marketing - Web-Est released an article
for auto body shops looking to develop more of a presence on the internet.
Encouraging them to look at search engine marketing, Web-Est believes
thats one of the best ways to develop an online marketing campaign for
shops.
- RepairPal Launches Free
Android App - New Version Provides Access to All Major Functionality
on the Fastest Growing Mobile Platform
- Business of the Week:
Shavers Body Shop - Mulenberg County, KY - Drivers have been
trusting Shavers Body Shop for their auto-body repair needs since
1986.
- Flooded car mechanic in
Clive is spared a second day of mud - When Sam Acheson arrived at
his auto repair business early Monday morning, a layer of mud covered
all 35,000 square feet of the shop floor and offices. - Today, the auto
body shop is in action again.
- Auto restoration company
opens in Bellingham - A longtime local family has opened an auto
restoration company in Bellingham.
- Car wash benefits Whitman
DARE - Maryellen Rollins, marketing manager at Distinctive Auto
Body said, “[The fundraiser] went well.”
- Snap-on CEO lauds company’s
new vision - Nick Pinchuk, who took over in late 2007, has refined
and expanded on Elliott’s vision by reorganizing the company to better
meet that ideal, speaking of what the company sells in almost ethereal
terms.
- Bob Weaver Chevrolet acquires
Pritz Auto franchise rights - Pottsville auto dealer Bob Weaver
has taken over the automaker brand franchise rights previously owned
by Pritz Auto, Minersville.
- Jerry and Kate: A Forbes
Love Story - The following remembrance of Jerry Flint, the longtime
Forbes auto writer who died Aug. 7, is from his wife Kate McLeod:
- Southern Automotive Womens
Forum sets conference - Nissans vice president for manufacturing,
Susan Brennan, is leading the new womens automotive group with
a conference set Thursday in Nashville. More than 120 people from across
the South — and as far away as Arizona — are registered.
- Tesla Motors: The Next
Auto Giant in the Making? - A Tesla Roadster is electrically charged
at Tesla Motors in San Carlos, California July 22, 2009. Electric
cars are one of several alternative fuel vehicles that could help the
U.S. reduce its dependency on oil.
- U.S. Review of Toyota
Recorders Finds No New Defects - A key element of the U.S.
governments investigation of Toyota Motor Corp electronic throttles
and other systems found no defects beyond what is known to explain crashes
blamed on unintended acceleration, the Transportation Department said
Tuesday.
- Honda Recalls 383,000
Vehicles - Honda Motor Co. has announced that it would recall
383,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. in order to fix a faulty ignition
system that is turning the engine off without being placed in park.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the
fault increases the possibility for the vehicles to roll away.
- Car fire errupts hours
after repair job, family issues warning - Asking a mechanic to cut
corners may be dangerous
- Auto body training in
Va. prison - Its greasy, hot and cramped — no surprise given
its an auto body shop.
- Car drives through Rowland
Heights auto shop, kills mechanic - A mechanic was killed Tuesday
after he was hit by a car that drove through an auto repair shop. --
The cars passenger sustained minor injuries in the 2:34 p.m. incident
at Honest Auto Repairs, 1100 S. Nogales St.
- Auto part dispute leads
to beating - MD: A man, apparently upset that repairs to a part
for his car were not finished, knocked out an employee of a Glen Burnie
body shop Friday, county police said.
- Insurance Fraud Up Again:
Inflated Bills, Staged Accidents Rampant - Smashed windshields,
staged accidents, and suspicious fender-benders and vehicle fires might
remain relatively common tactics for deceiving insurance companies—and
might be more rampant in a down economy—but insurers are definitely
catching on.
- Insurer Results Were Mixed
Bag - Earnings were generally in line for the insurers in the second
quarter, but there were a few causes for concern about the second half.
- Extreme Heat May Increase
Vehicle Fire Threat - State Farm® advises motorists to inspect their
vehicles during high heat.
August 10, 2010
- U.S. Study Indicates Driver
Error in Most Toyota Crashes - A government safety examination of
Toyota vehicles involved in crashes attributed to sudden acceleration
so far has not yielded evidence of flaws in Toyotas while pointing instead
to driver error.
- Gunder’s Auto Center vs.
State Farm - Legal Journey Continues
- I-CAR announces premiere
of Collision Repair Process Overview course - This online training
opportunity covers basic information about the collision repair process.
- Marketing expert to be
NACE keynote speaker - Marketing expert Kelly McDonald will present
the keynote address at the Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW)
Opening General Session from 8:30-10a.m. Oct. 11 followed by the opening
of the NACE and CARS show floor
- Halbrook Auto Body and
Paint Puts Up Wind Turbine - What is that in the sky, is it a bird,
is it a plane, no it is a wind turbine.
- Dover landmark closes
its garage doors - For well over 100 years, the property that
housed Dover Auto Body was always active with some sort of repair work.
- Skeletal VW body rebuilt
into a car show beauty - Augusta, Kan. — About 40 years before Tyler
Scott was born, Americans were in the midst of a German Beetle invasion.
- Mathews family enjoys
destruction - Its become an annual tradition for the Mathews
family. -- Every summer, they reunite at the Stanislaus County Fair.
They spend countless hours at the Central Valley Christian Academy automotive
shop in Ceres leading up to the competition.
- New Rockville Auto Business
Brings Unique Twist to Car Ownership in Montgomery County - “We
Are Not Your Father’s Auto Body”
- Mechanics seek fair access
to automakers’ repair codes - Marc Guttentag estimates
about 10 percent of the vehicles that come through his Bradenton auto
shop have to be turned over to a dealership for repair.
- Wider, Stronger Automotive
Frame Machine - CJJ, Inc. Releases its Newest Auto Body Repair Equipment,
the American Freedom GT - Allowing auto body shops to increase their
productivity, by accepting heavier and wider vehicles, is the number
one benefit of this new machine.
- Visteon 2Q loss grows
on charges - Auto parts supplier Visteon Corp., which is working
its way through bankruptcy, said Monday that its second-quarter loss
widened due to charges for interest expenses and retirement benefits.
- Chrysler Still in Loss
Territory - The struggle continues for Chrysler Group LLC having
reported a net loss of $172 million for its second quarter ended June
30, 2010. However, an improvement in operating profit was instrumental
in narrowing down the loss from the $197 million reported in the first
quarter of fiscal 2010.
- Inventor still hopeful
about foam cars future - The 100-mile-per-gallon Spira may
have lost its chance at a multimillion-dollar prize, but the Carrollton
native behind the unique vehicle thinks it could be cruising the streets
in the future.
- Floor Mat Leads Cops to
Cell Phone Burglary Suspect - When you bring your car to the auto
body shop, the white floor mat mechanics leave behind keeps your car
clean. -- When that same mat is left behind at the scene of a crime,
it means a mess of the legal sort for the person suspected of leaving
it there.
- Auto Body Robbery Suspect
Sought In Delaware - Delaware State Police are asking for the publics
help in catching a burglary suspect wanted for multiple incidents that
have occurred at an auto body shop.
- Fighting fraud: Link between
bogus insurance claims, recession is murky - Ed Langford sits low
in the seat of his white pickup truck. His visor is pulled down. A video
camera is cradled carefully in his hand.
- Would seatbelts on school
buses increase childrens safety? - Two young people died in
Missouri on Thursday after a pile up on a highway involving two school
buses packed with teens, a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck. It all
started with what was supposed to be a fun field trip to an amusement
park for band members from a Missouri high school.
- Texas Officials Concerned
About Auto Insurance Practices - The Texas insurance commissioner
recently released a bulletin indicating his department’s concern that
some insurers in the state may be directly or indirectly limiting policyholder’s
coverage through violations of state insurance law.
- Hartford Exceeds, Profits
Soar - The improved showing in Hartford was attributable to
higher profits despite market volatility and higher-than-expected catastrophes.
- State Farm New Jersey
seminars preach value of recycled parts - Todays salvage parts
facility is not your fathers junkyard, or even your older brothers
boneyard. In just a few short years the used-component industry has
become increasingly sophisticated and is a significant sourcing alternative
for collision repairers.
August 6, 2010
- Whiney Automotive sold
to U.S. Auto Parts for $27.5 million - The 95-year-old Whitney Automotive
Group, the Chicago-based auto-parts retailer best known for its J.C.
Whitney brand, is being sold for $27.5 million to U.S. Auto Parts, a
California online seller of aftermarket auto body and engine parts.
- Focus on the Priorities
- AutobodyOnline: Five seconds after you sit down at your desk, the
telephone rings. Then you notice "urgent" correspondence that
someone has recently placed on your desk. Two minutes later, a colleague
wants to see you for a few moments. And then you remember: you promised
one of your best customers a price quotation by noon.
- NSF Response To CAPA Open
Letter - NSF attempts to clarify their history, mission and position
in automotive part certification.
- An Open Letter to Jack
Gillis of the Certified Automotive Parts Association in response
to his July 28th letter of attack on ABPA and its Board of Directors
- CAPAs Jack Gillis
Outlines Position On NSF Certification - An Open Letter to ABPA
Members on Their Decision to Endorse and Fund a Part Certification Program
Which Promises to Increase Market Share and Profits for Distributors
and Manufacturers but Makes No Mention of Standards or Requirements
- Outsourcing May Lead to
Failure in Tough Times and in Good, Shows University of Utah Research
- In tough times, many companies slash staff and turn to outsourcing,
yet that strategy may doom their products. And, in good times, as with
Toyota, losing control over critical components can contribute to failure,
according to a study
- AASP/NJ Taking Aim at
Unlicensed Mobile Repairers in New Jersey - The Alliance of Automotive
Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) is taking aim at mobile collision
repair providers, who currently arent regulated under state law.
- IP Relay Scam Still Going
Strong in Collision Repair Industry - The phone call, e-mail or
fax may be a familiar one to body shops. It typically indicates that
a person is out of town and needs a tow to the shop, and asks if the
shop would agree to wire $1,500 or a similar amount to him or her to
cover the tow because the towing company won’t take credit cards.
- Kadel’s acquires Nu-Way
Body and Fender Works in Portland, Ore. - Kadel’s Auto Body now
has a total of 13 locations throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
The new acquisition will help cover more of the Portland area, according
to a company press release.
- I-CAR returns to ASRW
with technology showcase and professional development event -
I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, will
return to Automotive Service Repair Week (ASRW) this year and offer
an extended training schedule, including the premiere of an all-new
I-CAR course, along with exciting events on the show floor throughout
the week and interactive sessions with I-CAR experts.
- I-CAR joins the SEMA show
2010 with training opportunities and the TechPro World Tour - I-CAR,
the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, will exhibit
at the SEMA Show November 2 – 5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center,
as well as introduce the TechPro World Tour and several collision repair
training opportunities.
- Open for Business
- The Garvey Auto Group recently celebrated the re-opening of Garvey
Auto Body, formally known as PSM Auto Body, in Queensbury. The newly
renovated and renamed shop features environmentally friendly, state-of-the-art
machines that can recycle paints, solvents, metals and special filters.
- Parts is Parts? Car Repair
Tips - Overall, Consumer Reports auto editor Jim Travers
says repair shop satisfaction surveys reveal that independents score
highest. This varies widely by car brand.
- A Dream Come True for
Sisters Teen - Make A Wish made a dream come true for
a Sisters teen battling cancer. Car refurbished for free by Premier
Auto Body, Tom Jones Motor Cars, Ace Hardware and Make A Wish.
- Getting reacquainted
- When that "good friend" happens to be a green, 1967 Pontiac
Beaumont, that youve had for the past 31 years, getting back together
can mean a good deal of time in the shop and more than a few dollars.
- Heat is good business
for auto repair shops - MARKED TREE, AR – Another day of sweltering
temperatures pass and another day passes where local auto repair shops
report a boom in business.
- 3 Arizona auto repair
shops recognized for going green - Three Arizona auto repair
shops have recently been recognized by AAA Arizona and the Arizona Department
of Environmental Quality for going green.
- Web-Est
Posts New Article Regarding Marketing an Auto Body Shop Online With
Geo Locating - Web-Est posts new article encouraging shops
to consider marketing their business on the internet with various methods
to achieve the desired results
- Pilkington Parent NSG
Reports Improvements in North American AGR Market for First Quarter
- glassBYTEs™:
Pilkington Automotive parent company NSG Group has reported
that the North American auto glass replacement market "continued
to slowly improved from the previous challenging conditions" over
the first quarter of 2010, according to NSGs quarterly financial
report released early today. The North American market comprised 22
percent of the companys automotive sales.
- Chrysler, suppliers on
solid ground - Chrysler Group LLC said it has a much healthier supply
base than a year ago as it continues to ramp up production of a refreshed
lineup of new vehicles.
- Jobs returning to auto
sector - Industry to add 182K positions through 2012, analyst predicts
- Ford Motor Company Fund
Awards $50,000 to American Indian College Fund - The grant
will be used to continue the Ford Motor Company Corporate Scholars Program
for the 2010-11 academic year, which will provide scholarship support
to Native American students attending tribal colleges and mainstream
universities.
- Ford and Governors Highway
Safety Association to Bring Driving Skills for Life Program to Washington
State for First Time - Program to teach more than 400 teens hands-on
safety training to address key teen crash problems
- Prison in Chesapeake offers
a vehicle for rehabilitation - Its greasy, hot and cramped
- no surprise given its an auto body shop.
- Auto shop owner ordered
to pay restitution - HONOLULU (AP) — The owner of an auto repair
shop convicted of tax violations has been ordered to pay just under
$100,000 in restitution.
- Police agencies raid Cedar
Lake chop shop - Anonymous tipsters helped Cedar Lake Police bust
an alleged vehicle chop shop operating out of All-1 Auto Body Repair
Shop
- FBIs Organized Crime
Squad 8am visit - Organized crime investigators want to know what
is going on at a South Philadelphia auto body shop.
- Insurance beefs down 16%
in Ohio - Statistics from the Ohio Insurance Institute show that
complaints about auto insurance have fallen 54 percent since 2002
- UPDATE: Allstate Profit
Falls On Derivative Losses, Write-Downs - Allstate Corp, the
largest publicly traded home and auto insurer in the U.S., said profit
fell 63% as the company recorded investment losses on derivatives and
wrote down the value of securities in its portfolio.
- USAA auto insurance ranks
high - USAA scored 899 on a 1,000-point scale, beating out its next
closest competitor, Amica Mutual, which racked up 849 points.
August 4, 2010
- The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies Selects
Mitchell as Exclusive Provider of Physical Damage Claims Solutions
- Leading insurers sign on to WorkCenter™ to reduce cycle time and increase
customer satisfaction
- Ford Researchers Advancing
Crash Avoidance Capability With Wireless Technology - Ford researchers
are advancing vehicle safety with the development of new crash avoidance
systems that use wireless vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure
communications to detect and respond to imminent collisions
- Independent Glass Association
Questions NICB Claims Report - glassBYTEs™:
The Independent Glass Association (IGA) has issued a
press release questioning a report released earlier this week by the
National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
- Auto-repair act sputters,
but backers to try again - An effort to boost competition in the
auto-repair industry stalled in the House of Representatives, but supporters
have vowed to bring back the bill when the Legislature reconvenes next
year.
- California BAR Proposes
Vehicle Retirement Changes - ASA: Bureau proposes retiring
greater number of older, high-polluting vehicles
- Technology and Consolidation
Is Transforming the Auto Insurance Supply Chain - The North
American collision repair industry spends an estimated $16B annually
on parts to repair vehicles - and a rapidly increasing share of that
(33% and rising) is for alternative parts (recycled, aftermarket and
remanufactured) all of which are being consolidated in the hands of
fewer and larger suppliers.
- Boyd Group Income Fund
acquires True2Form Collision Repair Centers - Boyd Group Income
Fund has acquired True2Form Collision Repair Centers, LLC, a US-based
collision repair company.
- Krankin Vintage Restoration
taking on it all - BC: Loving ‘wheels’ since boyhood prompted Randy
Folk, owner of Krankin Vintage Restoration to live his life doing what
he loves.
- The auto body man restored
his life and does the same for cars - Russell Bailey works on the
1978 Ford Thunderbird a little at a time between fixing crashed cars.
He is restoring the light teal car to its original condition for its
owner, who had the car custom built by Ford Motor Co.
- Obituary: Jack R. Creveling
- CASCADE — Army veteran and retired rural mail carrier Jack Ronald
Creveling, 78, of Cascade, owner/operator of Creveling Auto Body and
co-owner of Cascade Storage, died of natural causes Sunday at his home.
- Peoria auto-repair shops
adopting greener practices - Vehicle-repair shops across the state
that minimize pollution and conserve resources are increasing.
- Pittsburgh Glass Works
(PGW) and Xinyi Automobile Parts (Wuhu) Co. Ltd. to Explore Joint Venture
- glassBYTEs™:
Pittsburgh Glass Works LLC (PGW) and Xinyi Automobile
Parts (Wuhu) Co. Ltd. have entered into discussions about the possible
formation of a joint venture company "or other cooperative effort,"
according to a press release issued by PGW today.
-
Insurance Auto Auctions Launches Mobile Buyer Technology - Insurance
Auto Auctions, Inc., the leading hybrid model salvage auto auction company
and a wholly owned subsidiary of KAR Auction Services, Inc., today confirmed
the compatibility of its I-bid Live® online bidding platform and its
buyer facing technology, the IAA Auction Center, with Apple-based mobile
technology.
- New Mitsubishi Compact
Cross Crossover Sports Plastic Fenders - By replacing steel with
this high-performance resin, Mitsubishi slashed weight by almost 50
percent and achieved a unique and highly complex geometry to differentiate
the new vehicle's styling and improve pedestrian safety compliance.
- Auto X Prize's photo finish
and $2.5 million software glitch - The Alternative Class came down
to a photo finish for $2.5 million, with front-runner Edison2 and its
Very Light Car disqualified at the very last minute because of a software
glitch.
- How auto dealers cut back
to keep from closing during the recession - If the dealership has
on-site repair ability for the cars that they have previously sold,
limiting the hours that the auto body shop is open is also a money-saving
technique.
- Utah DOT Goes High-Tech
with Pilot Program for Deer-Vehicle Collision Avoidance System -
JAFA Technologies, Inc. and Austrian partner IPTE announced today that
DeerDeter, a U.S. Joint Venture, participated in supporting deployment
of a Pilot Program for Utah Department of Transportation.
- Auto insurers say ruling
will raise rates - A Michigan Supreme Court opinion issued in the
quiet of a Sunday night will have a voluminous impact on auto negligence
law and possibly auto insurance rates for years to come.
- Big Brother" device
leads to lower insurance premium - For years insurance companies
have given safe drivers a discount on their auto insurance. -- That's
not news. -- But what is news is that a handful of insurers will now
give safe drivers an even bigger discount --- but with a catch.
August 2, 2010
- 'Right to Repair' bill
fails in Massachusetts - The latest effort in a decade-long effort
to require automakers to turn over diagnostic and software information
to auto repair shops and others failed this weekend.
- Mitchell Releases Latest Edition of Industry
Trends Report - This edition's Quarterly Feature, "Are Hybrids
as Green When it Comes to Their Claims Costs?" by Mitchell's Vice
President of Industry Relations, Greg Horn, reveals startling new information
about the claim costs of hybrid vehicles, which in recent years have
become a much more common sight on the nation's highways and are appearing
in collision repair shops more frequently.
- Gerber Collision acquires collision repair center
in Nevada - The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Boyd Group") announced
the opening of a new repair center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The repair
center, previously known as Northwest Autobody & Paint, was recently
acquired by the Boyd Group and now operates under the Gerber Collision
& Glass trade name.
- Washington Auto Glass
Shop Owner Charged with Overbilling Three Insurers Approximately $1.5
Million Over Four-Year Period - glassBYTEs™:
A Washington auto glass shop owner has been charged with
three counts of first-degree theft for allegedly billing State Farm
Insurance, MetLife and Allstate a total of approximately $1.5 million
between September 2005 and December 2009, according to Rich Roesler,
a spokesperson for the Washington state insurance commissioner’s office.
- Two Massachusetts Auto
Glass Bills Referred for Study Order -glassBYTEs™:
Both H.B. 3680, which would prohibit third-party administrators
from also providing auto glass services to an insurance company for
which it bills, and H.B. 952, which would prohibit insurers from directing
customers to specific auto glass companies for work, were introduced
more than a year ago in early 2009.
- Nissan Donates $150,000
to Universal Technical Institute Foundation - Second Year to Fund
30 Scholarships and Offer Dealership Internship
- Letter to the Editor from Dave
Gallerani: Cape Auto Body & Service - Call your State Rep for
passage of the "Right to Repair" Bill
- Maine independent touts
his business background - Shawn Moody opened an auto body shop as
a high school student and grew it into what he says is the largest independent
collision repair company in New England. -- Moody hopes to parlay his
business success into a seat behind the governor's desk.
- Hailed-out Vehicles
- A local body shop is busy fixing hail damage to vehicles, nearly two
weeks after a bad hailstorm hit southwest North Dakota.
- Local business owners
worry about changes in auto-inspection policy - NJ: Local auto repair
shop owners and one car dealership manager are concerned with a decision
by the state Motor Vehicle Commission to do away with mechanical checks
and just do emissions inspections starting Sunday for privately owned
cars.
- LKQ Corporation Posts
Record 2010 Second Quarter Results - Revenue Grows 20%; Earnings
Expand 33% -- Aftermarket and Refurbished Parts Organic
Revenue Increases 8.7% -- Increases 2010 Outlook for EPS
from Continuing Operations to $1.08 to $1.14
- LKQ Corp President and
CEO sells 171,458 Shares - President and CEO of LKQ Corp. Joseph
M Holsten sells 171,458 shares of lkqx on 07/28/2010 at an average price
of $21.01 a share.
- Audatex Examines the Impact
of Lightweight Carbon Fiber on Next-Generation Vehicle Construction
- Audatex Directions Summer 2010 Issue Highlights Audatex Synergy with
Hollander Recycled Parts Inventory, Lean Six Sigma Practices at Leading
Collision Repair Chain
- Toyota Auto Body to restart
construction - BALDWYN, Miss. - Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi,
Inc., the U.S. operations of Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd., will move forward
with its plans to provide stamped parts, body weld parts and plastic
parts to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi plant at Blue Springs.
- Sonic Automotive, Inc.
Reports 21% Vehicle Revenue Growth; Adjusted Continuing Ops Profit Up
41% Over Prior Year Quarter - Sonic Automotive, Inc., the nation's
third-largest automotive retailer, today reported that 2010 second quarter
adjusted earnings from continuing operations were $15.6 million, up
41% from adjusted earnings from continuing operations in the same prior
year period.
- Ford Motor Company Completes
Sale of Volvo to Geely - The total purchase price for Volvo and
related assets set forth in the agreement signed in March 2010 was $1.8
billion, including a $200 million note and the balance in cash, with
the cash portion subject to customary purchase price adjustments at
closing.
- National Safety Council,
Goodyear Partner to Make Ohio Roadways Safer - Goodyear will
offer free enrollment in the NSC Alive at 25 Parent Program to its first
1,000 customers with teens in the family who purchase a complete set
of tires at an Akron-area Goodyear Auto Service Center, beginning Aug.
1, 2010.
- Job Corps orientation,
interviews August 13 - ONEIDA — Job Corps, administered by the U.S.
Dept. of Labor, offers free career training for 16-24 year olds in auto
mechanics, auto body repair, medical and business office, C.N.A., L.P.N.,
construction trades, culinary arts, security guard and more.
- Somerset body shop scraps
second attempt at sales license - A local business withdrew for
a second time its request for a license to sell used cars.
- Auto body worker admits
fleeing scene of collision - A now-former employee of an auto
body shop pleaded guilty yesterday to crashing into two customers' cars
there and then leaving the scene.
- Raid on Tampa Medical
Clinic Is Latest in War on Staged Crashes and Medical Fraud - Direct
General provides key support to law enforcement in racketeering probe
- Extensive Auto Insurance
Fraud Ring Broken Up - A Philadelphia man who admitted to orchestrating
dozens of fake auto accident claims that cost insurance companies nearly
$1.3-million in personal injury losses has been sentenced.
- Mitchell SmartAdvisorTM Customer Advisory Council Discusses Medical Claims
Leakage Technology Breakthroughs - Mitchell International,
Inc., a leading provider of information, workflow and performance management
solutions to the Property & Casualty and claims and Collision Repair
industries, today announced the successful conclusion of the second
meeting of the Mitchell SmartAdvisor™ Customer Advisory Council (CAC).
- Pennsylvania Gov's idea
to use highway cameras to identify uninsured drivers draws criticism
- Driving without auto insurance? Gov. Ed Rendell wants to use highway
cameras to find you.
- Auto Insurance Laws Get
Tougher - The State of Texas put in place a plan that enables police
officers and specified state users to instantaneously check whether
or not an automobile is actually insured.
- Safe Auto cuts 47 jobs - Safe Auto Insurance Co. is
cutting dozens of employees, largely from its calls centers, as it trims
costs to adjust to weaker sales and changing customer habits.
July 2010 >>>>
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