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Letter to the Editor
This article originally appeared in the December 2004 Issue of INSIGHT
©2004 Collision Repair Industry INSIGHT All Rights Reserved
NACE Move to Industry Week in Las Vegas Helps Event Rebound
Allstate Ranks Repair Quality of DRP Shops
Keystone Automotive Industries Net Sales Up Record 9% in Q2
AASP/NJ Pursues Just Compensation from ADP for Errors in Shoplink Labor Times
ADP Claims Services Group Adds Estimate Check and Shop Reports to Shoplink
BASF’s Freeport Facility Wins National Energy Efficiency Award
LKQ Corporation Q3 Net Income Up Almost 30%
CertifiedFirst Network Has 107 Shops in Canada
CIC Report: Wheel Remanufacturers Call for Industry Standards
CIC Report: Insurers and Shops Voice Support for Receiving Insurer Estimates Electronically
Awards at NACE: More than 60 Individuals and Organizations Were Honored in Las Vegas
INDUSTRY UPDATE
Two days into the 2004 International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) in Las Vegas, Nev., in early November, event organizers had good news to report.
Attendee registration at this year's event had already matched the 24,000 number hit at the previous year's show - and there was still the third day of the 2004 show to go.
"And that did not include the cross-over of people who registered at SEMA or AAPEX and used that badge to come to NACE," said Galen Poss president of Hanley-Wood Exhibitions, which manages the NACE show, speaking of the two other automotive-related trade shows held that week at the opposite end of the Las Vegas "strip." Combined, the three shows drew more than 130,000 people to Las Vegas that week.
While most of the 2004 NACE numbers were down from the last time NACE was held in Las Vegas - in 2001, less than three months after 9/11 - they had improved over the shows in 2002 and 2003. More than 3,000 people, for example, attended at least one of the more than 50 classes offered.
And the size of the trade show was up 14 percent over last year, and with the exception of Akzo Nobel, all the major paint companies were among the 507 companies that had a booth at NACE this year, a first since the five largest paint companies pulled out of the show in 2002. Paint company support for the event was evident throughout the week, with the NACE keynote speaker, general sessions and several training classes sponsored by the paint manufacturers. And though Akzo skipped having a booth this year, it did announce a $50,000 donation to the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) designed to improve the AMI classes - conducted largely by volunteers this year - at next year's NACE.
Sports becomes metaphor for business
NACE 2004 lacked the type of big-name speakers enjoyed at some previous shows. But at the NACE opening session, third-generation NASCAR racer Kyle Petty drew a standing ovation for his address that included his advice for successfully running a small business.
Petty opened by joking that he wasn't entirely sure why he was speaking at a collision repair convention.
"I'm into collision instigation. That's my job. My job is to cause collisions," Petty said.
Petty said his grandfather started racing not because of a passion for the sport but because it was something he could do to put food on the family table.
The famous "Petty blue" color was developed after his grandmother complained she couldn't see the dark car on the track. So his grandfather mixed some white and dark blue paint he had.
"That's where Petty blue came from," Petty said. "And it was never the same. It just depended on how much blue paint or white paint my grandfather begged, borrowed or stole."
Petty said the family business was nearly bankrupt when his father retired because the company didn't plan and change as the sport evolved in the 1970s and 1980s.
Today the company has 160 employees and spends $3.5 to $4 million each year on tires alone.
Petty said his son's death in a racing practice session in 2000 was a defining moment for him.
"A lot of you run family businesses," he said. "A lot of you work with your father or mother or brother or sisters. The dynamics of a family business are special. It's the hardest environment in the world to work in. Adam's death totally changed the dynamics of who we were, what we were, and how we approached racing. Our focus had always been: race, race, race, race. The focus had always been: win, win, win, win. Family was always important to us, but I don't think family was ever the most important thing to us. After Adam's accident, family became the only thing important to us."
He said he believes that success in racing or business requires having a passion for what you do, having a plan, communicating that plan and goals to your team, and surrounding yourself with smart people who can help you fulfill that plan.
Change pays off
Moving NACE to become part of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas in November each year appears to have been a successful move, Poss said, although it did not come without a few glitches. While the new Mandalay Bay convention center in Las Vegas is a beautiful facility, for example, it proved to be a bit of a challenge for NACE organizers.
A horseshoe-shaped exhibition hall that, when empty, looks like a forest of pillars, made laying out the exhibit difficult, Poss said. He and his organization managed to give most exhibitors booth space that wasn't too broken up with pillars - but the resulting layout made it a bit of a challenge to find your way around the show. One former NACE chairman quipped that it was the first time he'd been on the NACE tradeshow - and not been able to find his way out of the show.
Poss said that will remain a challenge, but should improve as NACE attendees become more familiar with the facility over time. NACE returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention in Las Vegas next November 2-5.
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Allstate Insurance Company has begun ranking body shops that participate in its direct repair program based on criteria including overall customer service, repair quality, estimate accuracy, and repair time.
Each month, participating body shops will get a report showing their individual results and their standing compared to other participating body shops in the same market.
Allstate says shops that demonstrate the highest levels of repair quality, customer service, estimate accuracy, and repair time will be rewarded by receiving a greater number of recommendations to Allstate's customers, - potentially boosting their repair business.
Body shops that demonstrate sub-par performance could receive fewer referrals and could be removed from Allstate's program.
This facility ranking is part of a program that Allstate, the second largest auto insurer in the nation, hopes will drive body shops to compete aggressively with each other to provide the best customer service and repair quality.
"This is another way Allstate is delivering first-class claims service," said Allstate assistant vice-president for claims Jim Murray. "Allstate wants to reward those shops that are doing the best work for our customers and we want to connect more of our customers with the shops delivering the best combination of quality and service."
More than 3,200 auto body shops around the country participate in Allstate Insurance Company's direct repair program (DRP). The DRP includes repair facilities from across the country that have agreed to provide repairs to Allstate insurance customers and claimants.
Allstate revolutionized the auto insurance and repair industries when it introduced the idea of an auto body direct repair program 30 years ago.
Allstate's new body shop ranking and customer recommendation program is part of an overall enhancement of the company's direct repair program. Other components of the new, redesigned program include expanded quality inspections of completed repairs, stronger environmental requirements for participating body shops, and greater emphasis on new technology training.
Allstate says it will continue to honor any customer or claimant's choice of repair facility. According to Allstate, ranking body shops strengthens the power of its referral program for those customers that request help in choosing a repair facility.
Keystone Automotive Industries, Inc. has reported results for its fiscal second quarter and six months ended October 1, 2004, with record sales for the first half of fiscal 2005.
Net sales for the quarter increased 9.2 percent to $127.4 million from $116.7 million a year ago. Net income for the same period was $2.4 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, compared with $2.7 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, last year.
Net sales for the six-month period increased 14.4 percent to $268.5 million from $234.8 million a year ago. Net income for the same period was $6.4 million, compared with $6.9 million a year earlier.
Same store sales for the second quarter and the six-month period increased 6.3 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively, compared with the same period a year ago.
“Record sales for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2005 reflected internal growth of over 6.0 percent and exhibited continued strength across all of the company's main product groups, excluding paint and related materials which decreased slightly in the second quarter. While we are disappointed in the continuing escalation of expenses as a percentage of sales, we are in the process of transforming the company to support future growth opportunities and to enable us to better control expenses in the future. To support this goal, the company has completed a search for a vice president of supply chain management and the executive will join the company this month,” said Richard L. Keister, president and chief executive officer.
Keister added that operations in Florida, Louisiana and Alabama were impacted by the effects of recent Hurricanes, with an estimated loss of revenues of $600,000 to $700,000. He said the company anticipates the repair of vehicles in this region of the country will have a positive impact on Keystone's business in the third quarter of this fiscal year.
Notwithstanding the recent suspension of the sale of certain lighting products by the company and a few insurance companies, Keister said, “The company's sales of headlamps have been trending upward with no impact from the suspensions so far.”
Keystone Automotive Industries, Inc. currently operates 126 distribution facilities, of which 22 serve as regional hubs, located in 38 states and Canada.
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers/New Jersey (AASP/NJ) is strongly recommending reimbursement from ADP to its members for the subscription cost of its Shoplink product, prorated for the amount of time that the October release was in use and until such time that a repaired database is made available.
AASP/NJ is also seeking reimbursement for measurable damages resulting from artificially low estimate totals that cannot be recovered at a future date.
The apparent defect, which involves the current (October) Shoplink release, was brought to light at NACE in Las Vegas, and produces labor calculations that are significantly less than that of the previous release.
"We don’t know why this happened," said AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant. "Collision shops in New Jersey and throughout the U.S. and Canada noticed the large change from the previous month and alerted us. It seems that some shops found they were losing a significant amount of labor hours and revenue due to significantly lowered flat rate times throughout the October release Shoplink database."
ADP was approached at NACE by AASP/NJ and other industry professionals and conceded that they had just recently become aware of the situation, that portions of the October database are indeed invalid, and that they are working diligently to correct it.
"Frankly, that’s just not good enough," Bryant said. "It’s hard enough for our member shops to realize a profit the way the industry is structured. It’s been several days since our discussions at NACE, and ADP has yet to notify all Shoplink customers, including the insurance industry, as promised, that this condition exists. ADP shouldn’t be able to just dismiss this as a ‘software defect,’ correct it and move on. There has been money lost and we intend to pursue all channels to get it back."
A rather ironic announcement by ADP followed on the heels of the above story:
ADP Claims Services Group has announced the availability of ADP Estimate Check and ADP Shop Reports, part of an extensive suite of products that complement Shoplink and help collision repair facilities proactively manage their direct-repair program business.
ADP Shop Reports provides collision repair facilities with the same business information insurance companies use to review their repair facility partners.
ADP Estimate Check can be used to audit estimates written by the collision repair facility to ensure compliance with individual direct repair program (DRP) guidelines and to create reminders for collision repair facility staff based on the facility's own guidelines.
ADP Estimate Check performs this audit automatically on all estimates generated by ADP's computerized estimating systems, Shoplink or ADP Estimating, as well as other companies' estimating systems before the estimate is uploaded to an insurance carrier.
With ADP Shop Reports, collision repair facilities can monitor and improve their performance against individual direct repair program (DRP) guidelines. The reports show how the repair facility is meeting insurance company guidelines, such as alternative parts usage. It also provides aggregated data for other shops in the area so that shops can compare how they are doing against the competition in their local area.
Collision repair facilities can also use ADP Shop Reports to focus shop estimators where they need to improve. These reports enable collision repair facilities to document their performance and potentially earn more DRP business by sharing performance reports with insurance company partners.
While ADP Shop Reports provides important management information on overall shop performance, ADP Estimate Check lets users review, assess, and report any variations from insurance partner guidelines on individual estimates and address issues on the spot before the estimate is uploaded to an insurance carrier.
ADP Estimate Check potentially reduces cycle time by reducing the number of guideline-driven supplements. For instance, if an estimate is written with a higher percentage of OEM parts than recommended in the direct repair program guidelines, ADP Estimate Check can be set up to catch this oversight before the estimate is sent to the insurance company.
With ADP Estimate Check, collision repair facilities can set up profiles for each insurance company relationship as well as the collision repair facility's own profile.
ADP Estimate Check can also remind estimators to include additional, shop-defined work items and write cleaner estimates. For instance, DRP guidelines may not include the cost of hazardous waste disposal; ADP Estimate Check can help ensure that estimators remember to include these types of repair costs that are often overlooked.
With the introduction of ADP Shop Reports and ADP Estimate Check, collision repair facilities now have access to management information and tools that their insurance partners use.
BASF's Freeport site has been recognized by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) as a winner of the organization's 2003 "Energy Efficiency Award."
BASF has now won the award 11 times, and, with this award, was one of only five companies to receive the ACC's prestigious "Exceptional Merit" designation.
During a three-month period in 2003, BASF's Freeport Site Energy Team implemented a number of practices and procedures that resulted in a savings of $2.8 million in energy costs and an annual net carbon dioxide emissions reduction of approximately 2,700 tons.
"As the world's leading chemical company, BASF is committed not only to making products better but also to the values and principles of Sustainable Development," said Art Colwell, Vice President and General Manager of BASF's Freeport site. "Thanks to the innovative thinking and teamwork of the BASF team, we are delivering substantive results in support of environmental excellence."
BASF's Freeport site employs almost 600 employees and 300 contractors and produces chemicals that are used in a wide range of product applications including adhesives, superabsorbers, paints and coatings, nylon and plastics.
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LKQ Corporation has reported results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2004, with revenue of $106.0 million and net income of $4.6 million, representing growth over the third quarter of 2003 of 27.0 percent and 29.7 percent, respectively.
"Our company reported an impressive revenue growth of 27 percent for the third quarter, in spite of the adverse effects of the hurricanes on our business and a reported decrease in automotive claims by major insurance carriers. Our organic revenue growth was 8.3 percent, and revenue growth from acquisitions was 18.7 percent. While our net income increased by nearly 30 percent, our EPS showed a slight decline as we had a 39 percent increase in the number of shares outstanding. We were particularly pleased with the strong operating cash flows of the business, which improved 72 percent over Q3 of the prior year to $11.6 million, as we drew down the inventory of unprocessed vehicles, which we accumulated earlier in the year," said Joe Holsten, President and Chief Executive Officer.
LKQ’s business in the third quarter was adversely affected by the severe weather in the Southeast U.S., a decrease in the number of accidents and higher cost of sales. Automobile damage caused by the weather in Florida and the other Eastern seaboard states should have a positive impact on LKQ's business in future quarters.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, revenue increased 27.6 percent to $311.0 million compared with $243.7 million for the same period in 2003. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, net income increased 34.2 percent to $15.5 million compared with $11.6 million for the same period in 2003.
The Action Crash Parts acquisition, acquired in the first quarter of 2004, generated $29.0 million of revenue from the date of acquisition through September 30, 2004 with a related gross margin of 44.1 percent.
In October LKQ acquired for approximately $19 million net of acquired cash, Foster Auto Parts, Inc. and related companies, a recycled OEM automotive replacement parts business located in Portland, Oregon, which serves the Oregon and Washington market areas. This company has seven primary locations including three self-service facilities. The trailing annual revenue through September 30, 2004 of this business is approximately $28 million.
LKQ Corporation is a nationwide provider of recycled OEM automotive replacement parts, with 45 sales and processing facilities, 7 self-service retail automotive parts facilities and 11 redistribution centers.
PPG's CertifiedFirst Network recently attained the 100th Canadian shop milestone, when Lés Specialité Voitures and Collision Expert – two shops with the same owner – were registered.
Since then, additional shops have joined the program, bringing the total number of shops to 107 in the CertifiedFirst Network in Canada.
“This marks a major milestone as we continue to increase the number of participating shops throughout North America,” said Keith Burns, manager, Insurance Relations & CertifiedFirst. “We are committed to increasing network participation in Canada and look forward to continued expansion in this market.”
The CertifiedFirst Network, which includes more than 1,600 dealership and independently-owned auto body repair centers in North America, began accepting auto repair facilities in Canada in 2000.
Two of the country's largest suppliers of remanufactured alloy wheels say they support the development of industry standards for such wheels.
Speaking at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November, Roger McClellan, vice president of sales and marketing for Transwheel Corp., said his company believes such standards are an "effective way to promote the industry and ensure the safety and satisfaction of consumers."
Charlie Hogarty, the former CEO of Keystone Automotive who now serves as a consultant to the company, agreed.
"We also believe that standards could be set that would assure the shops they were getting wheels from a manufacturer that met all safety standards," Hogarty said. "We have concerns that there are too many low-end operators who don't operate to that standard and have a negative impact on our business - and [the shop's] business - when they repair wheels that really should be scrapped."
Hogarty's and McClellan's comments came during a CIC panel discussion that resulted from concerns raised earlier in the year by New Jersey shop owner Joe Lubrano. He said he has received remanufactured wheels that he did not feel would be safe to use; indeed, one such wheel failed, although the tire developed a slow leak rather than a blowout. He said the lack of standards for the remanufacturing of wheels results in added liability for the shop.
Hogarty said such concerns are a key reason shops should buy from reputable suppliers who carry adequate product liability insurance.
"In the event of a suit, it's not the shop that will have the deepest pocket," Hogarty said.
Another participant on the panel, Ken Archibald of Independent Test Services, said his company has conducted wheel testing for the automakers, aftermarket wheel manufacturers, and wheel remanufacturers. He said the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has developed industry standards for both OEM and non-OEM wheels, and that similar standards could be developed for remanufactured wheels provided the suppliers of such wheels are willing to participate in the process.
He said such standards would likely include permanent labeling of the remanufactured wheels, and would be enforced just as those for new wheels: through regular independent inspections of wheel remanufacturers processes and products.
Virtually all of the automakers caution against the use of remanufactured wheels. Ford Motor Company, for example, earlier this year issued updated guidance on wheel recycling, saying it does not approve the use of such wheels if the remanufacturing process involves "remachining, re-plating, welding, bending, straightening, reforming or adding new material other than cosmetic coatings."
"They all say don't use them, and all of their dealers use them," Archibald said of the automakers. "It's a matter of what the parent wants and what the child does."
Three major insurance companies and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) in November all voiced support for giving shops the ability to receive insurer-prepared estimates electronically.
"This capability is considered a necessary and evolutionary step toward electronic communications with all trading partners, not just direct repair program partners," Mike Condon of Allstate said at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held in Las Vegas, Nevada in early November. He said that in fact it was a capability Allstate would likely require in the future.
Jim Laning of State Farm Insurance and Michael Lloyd of California Casualty voiced similar support for the concept, which has been discussed for many years.
The CIC Information Technology Committee earlier this year determined that about 28 percent of the nine million annual auto claims require rekeying of insurer estimates by shops, which takes an average of 21 to 33 minutes per estimate.
Assuming a wage of $20 per hour for the shop employees rekeying the estimates, "that basically says there are 2.52 million estimates that are rekeyed each year by body shops, costing the industry a minimum of $17.64 million," Cindy Schnier, co-chairman of the committee, said.
Lou DiLisio, chairman of SCRS, said his organization is gathering signatures on a petition demanding the capability for shops, insurers and appraisers to be able to pass estimates and supplements back and forth electronically.
The three major estimating system providers earlier this year responding in writing to CIC questions about shop access to insurer-prepared estimates provided both parties are using the same estimating platform. Their answers, which can be found at the Information Technology Committee's portion of the CIC website (www.ciclink.com), essentially state that each of the companies have or are developing such capabilities. But they and some insurers have said there are privacy and security issues to be worked through, and that such downloads may come with a fee.
But DiLisio and others at CIC blasted such privacy concerns, pointing out that the estimate downloads would contain no more information than the printed estimates the insurers now give the customer who in turn gives it to the shop. DiLisio said the process wouldn't even have to involve securing a repository of all estimates or paying a needed download fee; he demonstrated how he can send data from his palm pilot to another using infrared technology, or move data from his laptop to another computer using a disk or wireless connection.
"How difficult is this?" DiLisio said. "If there's an insurance appraiser in my shop with an estimate on his system, why can't he infrared it to my system? Why can't he put it on a disk and give to me to put onto my estimating system? This is ridiculous. Why are we making this so difficult?"
DiLisio's disbelief was shared by representative of the collision industry in Australia who attended CIC in Las Vegas. David Newton-Ross of Newton International Marketing said shops and insurers in his country have been exchanging estimates back-and-forth electronically for at least four years, no matter which of that country's multiple estimating systems either is using.
With more than 30,000 people from the collision industry in Las Vegas in the same week, it's no wonder that dozens of industry organizations choose NACE week to honor some of the industry's best.
In the course of five days in early November, more than five dozen awards and honors were presented to individuals and organizations for everything from service to the industry, to superior business performance or community service.
Here's a wrap-up of some of the awards and honorees announced in Las Vegas.
NABC presents Pride Awards
Life-saving actions earned three members of the industry "Pride Awards" from the National Auto Body Council (NABC). The awards recognize individuals and groups for their charitable or humanitarian efforts outside of their normal job duties.
Scott Tabak, a collision shop owner from Taunton, Mass., was honored for having joined two police officers to rescue a man and his pets from a burning building. Tabak, wearing a paint mask to avoid breathing smoke, gallantly fought the blaze using fire extinguishers from his shop (located next door to the burning house) although the structure could not be saved.
Spence Price, a collision repair consultant for Southeast Toyota, witnessed a tanker truck carrying a load of diesel fuel jackknife and slam into a concrete guardrail. He drove his car across the median and found the driver, who had been thrown from the truck, lying face down on the side of the road. The driver's clothes were soaked in fuel leaking from the truck. Price was able to pull the driver to safety. Even though he put his own life on the line, Price modestly called it just a "calculated risk."
Todd Hoffman, an I-CAR and safety instructor based in Houston, Texas, was the third Pride Award winner, honored for a different type of life-saving activity. Hoffman created and is teaching a "first responder" training program for police, fire and other emergency personnel who respond to vehicle accidents. His program places special emphasis on airbags and hybrid vehicles which have the potential to pose serious safety issues to both rescuers and passengers after an accident. Hoffman has made the class available to anyone who wants to offer it - provided they do so at no charge to attendees.
Four more in "Hall of Eagles"
Four more members of the industry have been inducted into the "Hall of Eagles," an honor bestowed on fewer than 100 people in the past 14 years for their significant positive impact on the industry. To be inducted requires receiving the vote of at least two-thirds of the "current Eagles."
Inducted into the Hall of Eagles for 2004 were:
- Franny Monaghan of Willowgrove, Penn., owner of Monaghan's Collision and a long-time outspoken industry leader who has championed many causes and defended shops' interests;
- Tom Stryker of Stateline, Nev., director of new business development at Motor Information Systems, and a former shop owner who often works behind the scenes to improve the industry;
- Ray Trevethan, a former insurance executive and active participant in the industry, who was honored for his efforts to bring both sides of the industry together, and for recognizing the needs and challenges of the shop; and,
- Kathy Forrey, who until her death last August at age 52, was a dedicated industry advocate, volunteer and writer. Forrey's husband and son accepted the award in her memory.
Information on the Hall of Eagles is now available online (www.HallOfEagles.com).
ASA honors industry leaders
At its first "Celebration of Excellence" awards banquet, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) held a graduation ceremony for more than 200 people who during the last year completed the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) training needed to earn their Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.
The AMI also presented its annual "Recognition Award" to Denise Lloyd, publisher of BodyShop Business magazine, who has served on the Institute's board of directors since 1999.
ASA also presented more than a dozen awards at the event including:
- The Phoenix Award, presented annually by the ASA Collision Division to recognize an ASA member for contributions to the industry. This year's winner was Nick Gojmeric, owner of Collision Plus, Inc., which has three locations in Illinois. Gojmeric, a second-generation shop owner, served on the ASA Collision Division Operations Committee from 1998 to 2003, and is active with I-CAR and a local technical college.
- The Humanitarian Award, ASA's highest honor, which recognizes selfless acts both inside and outside the industry. This year's winner was John Kiffmeyer, a manager of Collision Center, Inc., in Golden Valley, Minn. Kiffmeyer supports Service Dogs of Minnesota, which helps the disabled become more independent by pairing them with specially-trained guide dogs.
- The ASA Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Dan Flanagan, who was among the early founders of an organization that is now ASA-Washington. He has been a long-time advocate for ASE and its certification program.
- The ASA Legislative Award, presented to Ray Fraser, president of American Collision in Detroit, Mich., who as chairman of ASA-Michigan, has been very active in legislation in that state regarding insurer-owned shops.
Magazine presents award, scholarship
For 20 years, BodyShop Business magazine has presented a "Collision Repair Executive of the Year" award at NACE. In announcing this year's winner, magazine publisher Denise Lloyd said Illinois shop owner Jeanne Silver is known for the "enthusiasm and passion she puts into everything she does."
Silver has spent 24 years in the industry, first as general manager for a French equipment firm, then as "part of the I-CAR family." Nine years ago, she and her husband Jeff Silver opened Butterfield Bodyworks CARSTAR in Mudelein, Ill.
Lloyd also presented her magazine's annual NACE scholarship to Loren Estwick, owner of Loren's Collision Plus, in Foley, Minn. As the winner, Estwick received $1,000 toward his expenses to attend NACE.
APN presents awards to shops
The Assured Performance Network (APN), a business development group for independent collision repair shops, presented its annual "Collision Business of the Year" awards during a NACE week reception it hosted.
- The Curb Appeal award, recognizing business presentation and overall marketing, went to Keyes Collision Center, located in Van Nuys, Calif., developed by Don Long. The newly-built shop features "state-of-the-art layout and design as well as production flow."
- The Peak Performer award, recognizing financial and measurable benchmark performance, went to Atomic Auto Body, located in Richland, Wash., and owned by Mike Young.
- The Process Management award, recognizing use of standard operating procedures and processes throughout the business, went to Wagonworks Collision, located in Alexandria, Virg., and owned by Mike Anderson.
- The Service Provider and Marketing award, recognizes a collision repair business with excellent customer retention and diversified service programs. The winner was Autohound Collision Center, located in Seattle, Wash., and owned by Dee and Wiesje Baskerville.
SkillsUSA winners honored
Recognized during NACE were the national winners of the SkillsUSA (formerly VICA) collision repair competition, held last summer. The secondary division winner was Dustin Diehm of Elkhart Area Career Center in Elkhart, Ind. For the post-secondary division, the winner was Christopher Thomas of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, Wisc.
ABRN presents award, scholarship
Mike Willins, editor-in-chief of Auto Body Repair News (ABRN) presented the "Industry Leadership Award" to Bob Parazzo, collision repair instructor at Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton, Mass. Parazzo's 25-year career in the industry, includes involvement in SCRS and the Collision Repair Instructors Network (CRIN). He has been a shop owner, an I-CAR instructor and an ASE Master Technician.
The magazine also presented its Emil Stanley Merit Award to Ken Kohnen, owner of Snelson Collision Repair in Granite City, Ill. Kohnen, a 29-year veteran of the industry and a shop owner for eight years, also received his Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) degree from the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) during NACE week, having successfully completed 120 credit hours of AMI management training courses.
ASE top scorer
ASE presents the ASE Top Score Award to the individual who works for an ASA member shop who had the highest score in the nation on the ASE collision repair and refinish tests in the past year. This year's winner was Robert Watek of Dean's Auto Body in Sheboygan, Wisc. Watek began his career as an autobody technician in 1989, and has been working for Dean's since 1997.
CIECA announces annual awards
Each year, the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) recognizes the individuals and companies that have made extra efforts during the past year to contribute to CIECA's work to create and implement standards for the various electronic links between the various segments of the collision industry.
Jim Laning of State Farm and Cynthia Schnier of Verifacts Automotive were honored by CIECA for "outstanding leadership."
APU Solutions was named the "Electronic Commerce Company of the Year." Deathe Davis of APU also received an award for outstanding contribution.
Also winning CIECA awards for either "outstanding dedication" or "outstanding contributions" were: Dave Meiser of State Farm, Bob Turchan of Everest Partners, Pedro Chiang of ADP Claims Solutions, Mike Thorson of Dent Estimators, Anna Nefedova of eAutoclaims, and Sylvia Schoch and Elyse Schley, both of USAA.
Receiving a "special recognition" award from CIECA were Paul Krauss of SCRS, John Cochran of PDR LINX, and Will Viner of PPG.
Business honored for customer satisfaction
CSi Complete, an Ohio-based company that conducts customer satisfaction research, presented its "Clearly Elite Award" to its client, the Gerber Auto Body & Glass chain of shops for consistent tracking of customer satisfaction, the ability to communicate electronically, CSI percentage, and a willingness to provide feedback to CSi Complete.
Technician honored for mentoring others
Mentors at Work, a company that helps collision repair organizations build successful apprenticeship and occupational mentoring programs, presented its first "Mentor of the Year Award" to J.C. Baccus, a 25-year industry veteran employed by Caliber Collision Centers in Chino, California.
Baccus has mentored at least 30 new technicians in his career and has five apprentices currently working on his team.
Shops praise member of trade press
The Everest Partners network of shops presented its "2004 Industry Unity Award" to Russell Thrall, the publisher of CollisionWeek and former editor of Auto Body Repair News, for his leadership and willingness "to ask the tough questions to expose the thorny issues" needed to help all the players in the industry "find common ground."
I-CAR Education Foundation honors Chess
The I-CAR Education Foundation presented a "special recognition" award to Toby Chess, who in the past two years has voluntarily organized two fund-raising dinners in Los Angeles, raising more than $30,000 for the effort to attract and train top-quality entry-level technicians to the industry.
I-CAR Education Foundation Honored
For the fourth year, the ASA and the SCRS jointly presented the "ASA/SCRS Industry Award" to recognize the most positive contribution made to the industry in the past year. This year's award went to the I-CAR Education Foundation for its efforts to improve the quantity and quality of entry-level collision repair technicians.
In presenting the award to Ron Ray, executive director of the Foundation, Darrell Amberson of ASA and Lou DiLisio of SCRS cited the Foundation's "PACE + ST3" program, designed to quickly give students basic skills they can use to productively work part-time at a shop while continuing their education.
Second "Q award" presented
Tony Molla, vice president of communications for ASE, received the Collision Industry "Q" Award, an honor presented to recognize "quiet," behind-the-scenes efforts for the industry.
Akzo Nobel salutes women in industry
Akzo Nobel once again honored a group of women as among the "most influential” in the collision repair industry. The women - now a total of 43 in the program's six-year history - are recognized for their commitment to their business or organization, as well as to their communities and the industry at large.
As part of the program, Akzo donates funds in the winner's names for student scholarships. This year, Akzo more than doubled its donation to $25,000 to the I-CAR Education Foundation, money the Foundation in turn presents as scholarships to women attending collision repair training throughout the country.
This year's honorees were:
- Stacy Bartnik, a consultant with Carter & Carter, based in Palatine, Ill., who is a national director for SCRS and a committee co-chairman for the Collision Industry Conference (CIC);
- Star Lena Bishop, body shop manager for Cole Chevrolet-Cadillac, in Bluefield, West Virginia, who has grown a shop that had less than $1 million in annual sales in 1996 to one with projected sales of $2.4 million this year;
- Teresa Kostick, co-owner of All Line CARSTAR in Bolingbrook, Ill., who joined her father's company in 1982 and since his retirement in 2000, oversees a company with annual sales of $2.8 million;
- Kate Lawrence, co-owner of Lawrence Auto Body in Brighton, Mich., who also became the first female mayor of her town;
- Lorene Lombardi, a regional manager for I-CAR based in Livermore, Calif., who also was among the first to chair the National Auto Body Council board of directors;
- Marilyn Martinez, owner of Colorama. Inc., and Advanced Wholesale Distributors in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, companies working to bring the best training products and equipment to the industry in Puerto Rico; and,
- Sharon Wells, general manager of Collision Clinic in St. Johns, Newfoundland, who oversees the shop's 20-person staff as well as being responsible for the financial management of a sister company, Auto Parts Network, an auto recycling and dismantling business.
Also honored at the Akzo event was Judy Gore, who until her death in 2003 worked for nearly a decade for Riverside Ford in Macon, Georgia.
Woody Owens, the shop manager, and others who worked with Judy talked about her love for the industry, her efforts to improve its image and to bring I-CAR and other training to the area, and her support for many industry trade associations.
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