This Month: Automotive Recycling / Undercar Maintenance & Repair
June: Performance & Motorsports / Parts and Service for Imports
Articles Written By John Yoswick:
As an observer of the auto insurance industry, Brian Sullivan offers a unique perspective on what collision repairers can expect in the future. Among his predictions:
- A painful reduction in the number of collision repair shops;
- Continued efforts by insurers to control various aspects of the process; and,
- Changes in various insurers' market share as the "advertising war" continues.
Tacoma, Wash.--Like a lot of people, Matt Earsley and Brit Balant spent many evenings and weekends talking about opening a business together. But unlike many others, the two collision repair technicians actually turned that dream into a reality when, one year ago this spring, they opened Premier Collision Services in downtown Tacoma.
Bob Redding pulls no punches about the opportunity he sees for the industry in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in February not to hear Allstate's appeal of a Texas law banning insurers from owning collision repair shops. Read Full Article
Tacoma, Wash.--How do you keep track of the approximately 50 vehicles in for repairs each week when you have 36 employees, more than 30,000 square feet of shop space in several buildings, and a back lot that is larger than most shop's entire footprint? Read Full Article
Berkeley, Calif.--Celebrating its 30th year tucked away on a relatively quiet street in Berkeley is a collision repair shop with an unusual name: Baron Von Frier. "That's actually my great-grandfather's name," said Dave Perry, who along with his wife, Linda, owns and operates the eight-employee company. "My dad and brother and I started the business 36 years ago in Emeryville and thought we'd name it for my great-grandfather who came to the U.S., and it's a name that people don't forget."
Seattle--The news about school collision repair training programs all too often is grim: declining enrollments, lack of administrative support, more programs being shuttered. But the news coming from Steve Ford, a collision repair instructor at South Seattle Community College, is decidedly different: full enrollment with a waiting list for the past seven years; good support from the school's administration and from area shops, vendors, and insurers; and the completion of a $1.7 million expansion and remodel of the program's main building.
Cathedral City, Calif.--Larry Rogers believes that too many people complain about what's happening in the collision repair industry but don't help do something about it. "If you're not happy with the outcome you're getting, if you're fighting with these insurance companies about labor rates and you don't do anything to change it, then don't complain about it,"
The "total-loss crisis" may not be over, but the dramatic growth in the percentage of vehicles being totaled appears to have subsided. That was the message all three of the major estimating-system providers brought to the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Palm Springs, Calif., in mid-January.
Sparks, Nev.--With a 10,000-square-foot shop running smoothly in Carson City, Nev., Gilbert Dayao and Sonny Cheng jumped at the opportunity about a year ago to add a second location when a building formerly housing an equipment rental company became available 32 miles away in the larger Reno-Sparks market.Gilbert Dayao (l.) and Sonny Cheng say opening a second location of Gilson Autobody in Sparks, Nev., was more expensive than anticipated but should pay off for the company. Read Full Article
Proposed air quality rules affecting automotive refinishing that were released by the Environmental Protection Agency this fall are generally being viewed positively by the collision repair industry.
Bloomington, Minn. -- Darrell Amberson said waiting for the start of the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) feels a bit like sitting in his nitro funny car at the race track, watching the "Christmas tree" for the green light. NACE starts Oct. 31, an event for which Amberson serves as chairman.
More than a year after State Farm's roll-out of its Select Service program, collision repairers we spoke to are split almost evenly over their enthusiasm for the program. About half of those shops that we spoke to that are on the program view it as positive for their business. And about half (including some on the program but many who are not) hold a more skeptical or negative view.
Some shop owners have all but given up on hiring anyone under the age of 30.
As the business of collision repair continues to evolve, shop owners and industry consultants cite a number of management trends and techniques they see as keys to success in the coming years. Read Full Article
Matt Ohrnstein is certainly among those most versed in the "MSO value proposition," or what it is that multishop operators (MSOs) in the collision repair business believe they can offer that a single-location repairer may not. Read Full Article
As the CEO of I-CAR, Tom McGee has overseen a number of changes within the organization, particularly within the past year, designed to make it easier for shop owners to get the training for their employees to qualify for the Gold Class designation.
As someone who grew up in the collision repair business, Randy Cremeans said he remembers when most shops always had at least one or two custom or restoration jobs in the shop."Back in my dad's shop in the 1960s and 1970s, a lot of shops would take in that type of work as well as collision because it really wasn't bad money," said Cremeans, collision segment manager for PPG Automotive Refinish, which offers the Vibrance Collection line of custom colors and special effect finishes.
Read Full Article You've just hired an estimator who looks as if he will be a terrific addition to your office staff. He's bright and hard-working, great with people, and knows how to write accurate and complete estimates.
There's only one problem: He has years of experience using one particular estimating system, and your shop uses a different one. What are your options to most efficiently help him get the training he needs?
