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Letter to the Editor

September 2000 Editor's Page
We're online, but are we on track?

If the Internet is taking the world by storm, someone might want to tell that to the collision repair industry's jobbers.

As this month's cover story details, while numerous jobbers have ventured into the online world, early returns on those investments are mixed at best. In fact, it's safe to say results are downright mediocre.

Interested jobbers should not run and hide from all things Internet, however. This area of the Internet, like the Internet itself, is so new that reliable results can't be expected until sometime down the road. And when that time comes, those who sat on the sidelines and watched will find themselves well behind the pack who jumped in right from the start.

If you're thinking about going online, or are perhaps just getting started, this month's story is a good place to begin.

Unlike the slow start of jobbers online, this month's Under the Microscope examines an area of the industry that seems to be really taking off - salvage auto auction houses.

Copart and Insurance Auto Auctions are two of the leaders in this field, and INSIGHT provides a glimpse into this intriguingbusiness. More than just a flash in the pan, these auction houses are far outperforming the majority of other collision industry-related stocks we watch.

Speaking of which...

This month's Investment Update and MarketWatch sections paint a picture of an industry mired in the doldrums of a flat summer. Election years tend to do good things for profits in general, but with November just around the corner one has to wonder if the industry is ever going to see the bounce that's been anticipated throughout most of this year.

In addition, this month INSIGHT is exploring the legal world surrounding shops. As all shop owners no doubt know (or will soon know), it's virtually impossible to operate a shop these days without running into the occasional legal hurdle; not to mention the not too infrequent legal nightmare. And when the tough times come, there's nothing to help remedy the problem like a tough lawyer.

INSIGHT examines the pros and cons of having a strong relationship with an attorney, and how to go about forging that relationship if you don't already have one. And as our story details, if you don't already have a lawyer, you're going to want to run out and get one.

It's a nasty legal world out there, and somebody's got to help you navigate it.

Finally, INSIGHT this month is running a comic that we thought anyone associated with this industry would find humorous. Not to make fun of our friends over in the insurance industry, but sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade. This is one of those times.

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