Articles Written By Michael Anderson:

Economy drives increase in totaled vehicles, cut in auto recyclers' inventory (May 2008)

Industry know-how, coupled with Goodyear moniker, bodes well for Complete Automotive Repair & Service owners (May 2008)

Longevity, reputation buoy Lonero's Auto Body in down market (May 2008)

Mountain May People & Places (May 2008)

Sullivan Tire focuses on building customer trust, education (May 2008)

Training draws a crowd at ASA-CO's spring expo (May 2008)

Custom-paint sideline evolves into solo business for Pearl Auto Body owners (April 2008)

Independent Motor's owner learns to balance customers, employees, business (April 2008)

Mountain April People & Places (April 2008)

Sales effort leads to extra work for Autoworks International (April 2008)

Sharp sales growth spurs Rocky Mountain CFC expansion (April 2008)

U.S. Oil completes acquisition of T-K Distributors and Pam Oil, renames them U.S. AutoForce (April 2008)

AutoNation dealers bridge technology gap with mobile reflash service (March 2008)

AYES brings together Colorado dealerships and automotive students (March 2008)

Buchtel Motors owner pleased at return of ASA-CO spring expo (March 2008)

Concept Auto Body assimilates best shop practices, reducing cycle time, errors (March 2008)

Mountain March People & Places (March 2008)

Vahsholtz reputation for racing excellence boosts repair businesses (March 2008)

Woodland Park, Colo. -- It's hard to ignore the snow-capped mountaintop that forms the skyline near the two Vahsholtz family automotive repair shops.  For Clint and Leonard Vahsholtz, Pikes Peak serves as a constant reminder of what their shops stand for and what customers have come to expect of them.  Read Full Article

VW's '08 R32 strikes a perfect balance between power and handling (March 2008)

Warren Tech opens in-school CARQUEST jobber store (March 2008)

Warren Tech opens in-school CARQUEST jobber store (March 2008)

ASA-CO to hold spring expo at Denver Museum of Nature & Science (February 2008)

Clint Hurdle discusses life, business, and baseball at NAPA Denver conference (February 2008)

Westminster, Colo.-Many parallels can be drawn between business and sports.  For Clint Hurdle, the manager of the Colorado Rockies baseball club, success starts and finishes with people.  Hurdle echoed that sentiment as he relived the trials and tribulations of Rockies' journey to the '07 World Series during the recent NAPA Denver Marketing Conference, held Jan. 12 at the Westin Hotel in Westminster.  Read Full Article

Colorado Classic Cars owner turns hobby into custom build and restoration business (February 2008)

Westminster, Colo.-Duke Altschuler collects rare vintage vehicles the same way many boys collect Matchbox cars or Hot Wheels.  Unlike the 1:43-scale versions, the problem with collecting the real ones quickly becomes storage.  That led oil businessman Altschuler and his wife, Melisse Perre, to purchase a Westminster warehouse in April 2006, which he said eventually led the couple to start a bona fide restoration shop and dealership, Colorado Classic Cars.  Read Full Article

EPA aims to enforce mobile A/C compliance in Mountain states (February 2008)

Hybrid proliferation builds a business case for independent shop owners (February 2008)

Mountain February People & Places (February 2008)

Swis Automotive & Truck Equipment adds service division, is named master distributor for Chief Automotive Technologies (February 2008)

AAPEX says advancements in vehicle technology amplify importance of form, fit, and function (January 2008)

AAPEX seminar examines the 10 most common repair shop blunders (January 2008)

CARS to carry forward fundamentals under new format in '08 (January 2008)

Galaxie Auto Body values affiliation with Fix Auto Network (January 2008)

Mountain January People & Places (January 2008)

Star Automotive Warehouse gains momentum under ADN umbrella (January 2008)

ASA-CO appoints new executive director, restructures (December 2007)

Carstar's efficient business systems enable Colorado shop owner to open second location (December 2007)

Eagle Automotive owner melds dealership experience with aftermarket know-how for a winning combination (December 2007)

Littleton, Colo.--Aftermarket service dealers now keep more than two thirds of the motoring public on the road.  That situation is beginning to change, however.  The gap between new vehicle technology and traditional aftermarket repair capability is widening, said Brian Bates, co-owner of Eagle Automotive Service.  Read Full Article

Mountain December People & Places (December 2007)

Concours Collision Center's owner makes smooth transition from employee to entrepreneur (November 2007)

Diversification buoys Western Engine Supply in a changing market (November 2007)

Denver--Terry Bunker said he can recall the number of local machine shops that have closed their doors since he opened his 18 years ago.  Many of those shops machined and rebuilt carryout engine parts, focusing on their niche and leaving the assembly and installation to repair shops.  As that specialty business dropped off, so did they, said Bunker, president of Western Engine Supply Inc.  Read Full Article

Drive Train Industries combats counterfeit parts with Bendix (November 2007)

Genuine Parts Co. opens heavy-duty truck parts store in Denver (November 2007)

Mountain November People & Places (November 2007)

Brighton Auto Body boosts efficiency, profits with mechanical repair shop (October 2007)

Mountain October People & Places (October 2007)

Parts distributors share online success stories at eForum (October 2007)

Peerless Tire opens new store in Wheat Ridge, part of larger expansion (October 2007)

Second-generation B&F Tire still going strong (October 2007)

Aftermarket eForum examines competitive realm of online parts retailing (September 2007)

EPWI names S.A. Gear 'Vendor of the Year,' Dick Niemi 'Representative of the Year' (September 2007)

G&G's Import Auto Clinic adds to profits with performance sideline (September 2007)

Mountain September People & Places (September 2007)

Murray Motor's collision repair shop off to a good start (September 2007)

Race fans in and around Colorado still have much to cheer about in '07-events schedule (September 2007)

Small-cargo management leads to big business for Let's Go Aero of Colorado Springs (September 2007)

Constant improvement drives second-generation Rocky Mountain Paint & Body (August 2007)

Longmont, Colo.--There are many areas in the collision repair process where a shop's personnel can falter. Astute operators have the ability to pinpoint problem areas, implement solutions, and streamline operations.   Read Full Article

Detroit Transmission avoids costly comebacks through quality rebuilds (August 2007)

Jasper Engines & Transmissions relocates Denver-area branch as it marks 65th anniversary (August 2007)

Matthews Automotive owner leaves high-tech career to fulfill dream of entrepreneurship (August 2007)

Mountain August People & Places (August 2007)

Mattocks brothers focus on family tradition in a competitive marketplace (July 2007)

Mountain July People & Places (July 2007)

NAPA completes expansion of Denver distribution center (July 2007)

Denver--A computerized conveyor belt snakes through the 214,000 square feet that now make up the NAPA Denver Distribution Center. The $800,000 conveyor belt system is part of a recently completed $3.7 million project to improve the efficiency and capacity of the NAPA Denver Distribution Center, said David Stauber, operations manager.  Read Full Article

Strasburg shop expands into retail parts to better serve repair customers (July 2007)

ATRA holds Mountain region '07 Technical Seminar in Sheridan (June 2007)

Audi certification gives Prestige Imports Collision Center a competitive advantage (June 2007)

Industry support for '07 Colorado SkillsUSA collision competition is strongest ever, chairman says (June 2007)

Jeno's Auto Service retains customers with one-stop service (June 2007)

Mountain June People & Places (June 2007)

Pikes Peak Community College hosts Colorado SkillsUSA competition (June 2007)

Automakers focus on alternative power at Denver Auto Show (May 2007)

Colorado Auto Body bounces back from near closure to add off-site estimating office (May 2007)

Midwest venue bolsters attendance of Showpower, an undercar trade show (May 2007)

St. Louis--A man grips a muffler with determination in his eyes. The crowd cheers as the muffler comes to a halt after he skids it across the floor. Its distance traveled is carefully measured. 

            Each year, the North American Muffler Sliding Championship signifies the final day of Showpower, an undercar and transmission expo held each March by MD Publications Inc., publishers of Undercar Digest and Transmission Digest.

  Read Full Article

Mountain May People & Places (May 2007)

Shift Dynamics moves transmission-rebuilding operation to add room for auto repair shop (May 2007)

Showpower seminar urges transmission rebuilders to increase warranties, add repair services (May 2007)

BMW 7 Series is loaded with gadgetry, style (April 2007)

Charger SRT8 adds muscle to Dodge lineup (April 2007)

FinishMaster bolsters shop profitability through training (April 2007)

FinishMaster, Hertz host AutoWatch in 'Lunch and Learn' series (April 2007)

Fort Collins man first in nation to receive the Professional Service Advisor designation from R. L. O'Connor & Associates (April 2007)

Honda Fit delivers big, albeit in a small package (April 2007)

Houska Automotive stresses consumer education, invests in Fort Collins community (April 2007)

Fort Collins, Colo.--Giving back to the community is at the core of Houska Automotive.  Take for example its annual Houska-Houska 5K run that benefits the national bone marrow registry or its Spring Women's Car Care Clinics.

            "We always try to participate and help educate people on the importance of car care to help them protect their investments," said Co-owner Dennis Houska, who runs the family business with his wife, Noreen Houska.

            The Houskas said they continue to support the community that has given so much to them.  Chuck Houska, Dennis' father and founder of Houska Automotive, made a name for the family by opening a modest two-bay shop in 1952, Dennis Houska said.  Today, the 24-bay shop has grown to 24 employees, he said.

  Read Full Article

Increasing number of quick lubes add more services to menu, AOCA chief says (April 2007)

        Dallas--How do you get a customer back to your shop?  For quick lubes, the longtime answer was every 3,000 miles; however, times have changed.  Quick lubes that simply change oil are a thing of the past, said Steve Christie, executive director of the Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA).  Read Full Article

Mitsubishi grabs a piece of performance market with Galant Ralliart (April 2007)

Mountain April People & Places (April 2007)

Nissan Sentra and Dodge Caliber make a splash in crowded compact segment (April 2007)

Pro Auto Care prepares for April Car Care Month with Women's Car Care Clinic (April 2007)

ASA-CO settles into Westminster office (March 2007)

Audi S4 Quattro remains a powerful, attractive vehicle in 2007 (March 2007)

Boulder TEC adds performance course aimed at auto enthusiasts; collision technology enrollment spikes (March 2007)

Fairway Collision owner sustains quality through controlled growth (March 2007)

Former shop owner takes reins of ACC's automotive program (March 2007)

General Motors gets it right with new Saturn Aura XR sedan (March 2007)

Mountain People & Places (March 2007)

NAPA Tool & Equipment focuses on personal attention with diagnostic tools, training (March 2007)

AAPEX seminar examines fuel prices, miles driven, and impact on aftermarket sales (January 2007)