Most collision repair facilities utilize original, aftermarket, recycled and reconditioned parts, but with concerns about parts sourcing increasing in proportion to the influx of repair jobs needed, many industry professionals are concerned about the potential hazards of receiving counterfeit parts in lieu of what is requested. Counterfeit parts, which are willfully misrepresented by the supplier in terms of material, performance or other characteristics, are dangerous because they may not function as the OEM equivalent was intended, causing hard to the vehicle occupants as well as others on the road. Tracing the percentage of counterfeit parts is extremely difficult, according to the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2) during a recent VeriFacts Guild…

July 2020 – To express gratitude to front-line healthcare workers who are risking their lives to care for patients of COVID-19 and other ailments, DCR Systems LLC joined the “Freshen Up the Front Lines” initiative. Since May 5th, DCR shops are offering complimentary clean-up for healthcare workers. The Collision Center in Rockland, Massachusetts recently explained the initiative in a Facebook post: “To show our appreciation [for healthcare workers], we want to clean up your ride, for nothing! For all you do, this one is for you… a complimentary clean up and sanitization of your vehicle. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!” On May 5th, DCR’s Arynne Giarrizzo joined…

By Chasidy Rae Sisk Identifying a general increase in the use of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), ATI’s Keith Manich proposed that there is great opportunity for collision and mechanical repair shop synergy during Kukui’s 2020 Virtual Conference. Exploring “The Opportunity for Mechanical & Collision Shop Synergy,” Manich stated, “In the case of mechanical repairs, requirements may include calibrations because of part removal and replacement without collision damage. With collision-damaged vehicles, scanning and calibrations are needed on minor impacts as identified by the OEMs.” “Dealership knowledge is currently limited,” Manich continued. “Insurers, the third-party payers, are reluctant to pay for scanning unless it can be proven to be ‘accident-related’ in…

After 15 years of serving as the Executive Director of the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC), industry veteran Bob Pulverenti has announced his retirement, effective August 1st. Although Pulverenti intends to continue with IGONC as a consultant on special projects, he’s ready for retirement: “After 50 years in the industry, I just felt it was the right time to leave. Many executive directors stay on too long and are ultimately fired. I wanted to leave the position on my own terms. After I take a few months off, I’d love to get involved with professional motorsports.” Tricia Sauls, formerly IGONC’s Associate Executive Director, will be stepping into the…

Nearly 50 collision repair professionals, along with jobbers and educators, gathered for the MV-TAP Golf Outing at Meramec Lakes Golf Course in St. Clair, MO, on July 8th, to support the collision repair training programs at several local vo-tech schools. According to MV-TAP Secretary Gene Slattery, “We had a good turnout, and although it was very hot and humid, we had a great time. This was our first get-together since January when the coronavirus took our lives over.” The 2020 MV-TAP Golf Outing generated nearly $3200, and proceeds benefit the collision repair programs at North Tech, South Tech, Lewis & Clark Career Center, and Ranken Technical College. “The golfers were great and…

As technology advances, cybercriminal attacks evolve, necessitating the creation of new cybersecurity methods. In May, David Willett, underwriting value creation executive at ProSight Specialty Insurance, alluded to his involvement with beta testing a new risk management tool, and he agreed to share more details: “ShadowNet measures beacons that are transmitted while using certain applications. I believe that everyone in the collision and automotive industries need this level of protection because they are exactly the type of people who are targeted by cybercriminals.” Willett was joined by his “favorite cyber security engineer,” Jeff Stull, founder and CEO of RiskAnalytics, which manufactures ShadowNet. “The cyber security landscape mirrors history – the bad…

Collision Edge announced the development of a new visual window cling in mid-May, designed to help shops document the processes completed on a vehicle as it pertains to cleaning and disinfecting for COVID-19. The company released a Facebook video on May 19, explaining the new product which was designed to help shop owners, their employees and their customers feel safe. Shops can be certain that all necessary processes related to COVID-19 sanitization have been completed by using the 6” by 6” window cling. According to the CDC, “Thorough cleaning is required before high-level disinfection and sterilization because inorganic and organic materials that remain on the surfaces of instruments interfere with…

On May 19, the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) hosted a Zoom discussion on the topic of innovating vs. surviving with PJ Leslie of Tekmetric and Autoshop Solution’s Tony Mercury explaining “Don’t Panic, Pivot!” Nearly 30 automotive and collision repair industry professionals logged in to learn about marketing strategies for the rest of 2020 and ways to stay ahead of the curve. Mercury began by encouraging attendees to continue marketing. “Take advantage of less saturated marketplaces by being active and engaging on social media. Use videos to demonstrate your sanitization and social distancing processes. Make sure you keep your marketing budget; reallocating it to a different medium is…

Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC), located in Henderson and Transylvania counties in North Carolina, was recently awarded a transportation program grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a regional economic development agency dedicated to innovating, partnering and investing to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia. According to Joe Shook, M.A. Ed., Dean of Advanced Technologies for BRCC, “We have a very robust transportation program, and collision repair is a large part of that.” The total ARC grant funding that BRCC will receive totals $589,000, and around half of that is specifically earmarked for the school’s collision repair program, but a large portion of the amount left over…

AASP-Missouri State President Mike Moehlenkamp (D), of Gary’s Auto Service in Florissant, MO, has announced that he will be running for the State House of Representatives for District 68, against incumbent Representative Jay Mosley (D). In a video announcing his candidacy, Moehlenkamp promised, “I am honored to announce my candidacy for the Missouri House of Representatives, 68th District. I will work hard every day to represent you and your interests. I’ll listen to understand the issues that are important to you and your neighbors, and I’ll take your input to Jefferson City and work to sponsor legislation that makes a difference.” “I want to stabilize the neighborhood by working to…

On April 21st, the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) hosted a webinar featuring Rick White of 180BIZ who discussed “Dealing with the Virus Crisis.” Held virtually in order to respect the requirements of social distancing, the meeting provided tips and information for running a shop during this stressful time. Over two dozen industry professionals tuned in to share their thoughts and ideas with their peers. Associate Executive Director Tricia Sauls welcomed attendees and shared some association announcements before introducing White who began by stating, “Right now, we’re in a situation that has never before happened, and it can really rock your world. This has changed how folks feel…

On Tuesday, February 11, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) hosted its first webinar of 2020, featuring Richard Flint who discussed “Having the Greatest Year of Your Life.” Flint focused on the three D’s: Desire, Determination and Discipline, which “build the foundation to having your greatest year ever!” Flint said. Flint began the webinar by talking about how much he enjoyed presenting at the 2019 WIN Educational Conference and how he’d been looking forward to the webinar. “During this year, your life is going to go in four different directions, and one will determine how your year goes.” The four possible directions are growth, maintenance, retreat and self-destruction. Regarding growth, Flint…

On March 10th, the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) held a membership meeting at the Seasons Restaurant in East Haven, CT with nearly 100 attendees. The meeting commenced with ABAC President Bob Amendola expressing gratitude to sponsors and welcoming new association members. “Please consider them when making your decisions to purchase anything that they offer. Remember to support those who support you,” he said. Attorney John Parese provided a legislative update regarding a recent Rhode Island law entitling consumers to OEM parts during the first four years of the vehicle’s life. Parese explained, “The ABAC sought to do something similar. Unlike Rhode Island’s law, which seemed to give insurers…

On March 25, the Auto Care Association (ACA) hosted a virtual town hall entitled “COVID-19 and the Auto Care Industry as an ‘Essential Service’” to address the daily disruptions to operations that the automotive and collision industries are experiencing as a result of the ongoing pandemic and the resulting government regulations. Auto Care’s Stacey Miller summarized the intention of the webinar and introduced Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. Hanvey welcomed attendees to “our new reality, or virtual reality as it were,” noting that he’s been encouraged by the amount of collaboration within the automotive, collision and auto care industries over the past couple weeks as…

by Chasidy Rae Sisk CIECA’s June 30th CIECAstfeaturedErick Bickett, the founder of CIECA and the past CEO and co-founder of ACAB Automotive Group and FixAuto USA,who presented”Back to the Future of Collision Repair & How CIECA Brings All Industry Segments Together.” Paul Barry, executive director of CIECA, kicked off the webinar by welcoming attendees and introducing Bickett. “Today, we’re going to talk about the technological advancements that have powered much of the change over past years,” Bickett began. “I believe you can look back to predict the future; wisdom comes from experience.” Traveling back to 1991, Bickett recounted the early days of DRPs, when shops were required to subscribe to…

On March 19, long-time collision repair industry professional Frank Terlep presented an introductory webinar to the TestDrive CoPilot™ Platform, entitled “Test Drives Done Right! A New and Better Way to Perform, Manage, Document and Get Paid for Test Drives.” In addition to demonstrating how the platform operates, Terlep’s goal during the webinar was to introduce attendees “to the best way to perform, manage, document and get reimbursed for test drives.” After sharing his experiences and successes in the collision repair industry, beginning in the 1980s, Terlep explained why the Test Drive CoPilot Platform presents a realistic return on investment. “Test drives are becoming more complicated due to advanced technology in…

The March CIECAst webinar, presented on Tuesday, March 17, featured Michael Ortega, senior director of Application Development at Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. (IAA). Ortega discussed effective collaboration using the right technical tools, including Swagger, OpenAPI. CIECA Executive Director Ed Weidmann welcomed attendees and introduced Ortega who presented “The Key to Collaboration: Combining Technology and Communication.” During the webinar, Ortega strove to help information technology leaders better understand the Swagger, OpenAPI interfaces, including when to use this technology and how to align company teams. IAA “really sees technology as an enabler,” according to Ortega. “We drive to innovate to enhance efficiency in what we do every day and deliver value to…

On March 11, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) held a regional event in Fairlawn, OH, offering an informative presentation in collaboration with BodyShop Business, who hosted the event at Babcox Media’s headquarters and presented results from its recent nationwide study of tomorrow’s technicians. This was the first WIN event to ever be streamed live on Facebook as panelists explored why techs choose a collision repair career, what their priorities are when thinking of a career, and why women are becoming a significant presence in the industry. WIN Chair Cheryl Boswell kicked things off by welcoming attendees and thanking the event hosts. She introduced attendees to WIN as an organization, sharing…