Northwest

Wapiti NW Fleet Services Owner John Muonio is pictured with son, Alex, a shop helper at the company.

Meeting needs of diversified fleets

Vancouver, Wash.—With what he calls a passion for fleet service, John Muonio has developed Wapiti NW Fleet Services into a key player in Clark County and Portland areas since founding the company in 2014. With an AA degree in automotive technology from Mt. Hood Community College in nearby Gresham,...

Shop owner Kevin Morse says revenue is down but profits are up since ending the company’s direct repair agreements with insurers.

Collision shop owner pivots away from DRPs for increased profit

Battle Ground, Wash.—Kevin Morse points to two significant changes he’s made at Elite Collision Center in the past year: ending all of the shop’s direct repair program agreements with insurers, and joining an Axalta-sponsored “business council” (20 group). “For at least the last 10 years, we’ve had...

Greg (left) and Spencer Hodes are second- and third-generation transmission business leaders at Transmission Exchange Co. in Portland.

Northwest powertrain specialists offer insights on trans and engine products

Federal Way, Wash.—A vehicle’s powertrain system is the lifeblood of generating power and delivering it to the road. Working in conjunction with one another, engines, transmissions, drive shafts, differentials, and other components are key to the functionality of vehicles. And in today’s world of...

Federated Spokesman Kenny Schrader Makes the Most of First Visit to Alaska

STAUNTON, Virginia, July 12, 2018 – From an appearance at Federated member Foreign Auto and Truck Supply (F.A.T.S) Auto Parts Warehouse to his first time racing in the state of Alaska, NASCAR legend and Federated spokesperson Kenny Schrader made quite an impression during his recent visit to the...

Dawn and Jim McCoy had longed talked about owning a business together before buying Lents Body Shop.

New owners hone production and lean practices to drive output and teamwork

Portland, Ore.— When Jim McCoy closed on the purchase of Lents Body Shop in 2016, he opened the doors to processes and practices he gleaned from his of his involvement in an Akzo-sponsored 20 group. “For the first few years, the group was concentrated only on lean processing,” McCoy said. “Now we’...

From left: Vale High School student Josh Duckworth, who won Oregon’s SkillsUSA competiton, and his instructor Drew Barnes, met NATA’s Margaret Ragan and association members at the event.

NATA partners with Mecum for museum tour and raise student funds

Wilsonville, Ore.—More than 120 people packed a room at the World of Speed museum in Wilsonville, Ore., for the Northwest Automotive Trade Association’s monthly “Lunch & Learn” in June. The event, sponsored by Mecum Auctions, gave attendees a chance to tour the museum and its hands-on...

From left: Finalizing curriculum and program training hours for ITAC in late May are Kandie Jennings-Molloy, AAM, owner of Tom’s Automotive in West Seattle and ASA-NW secretary; Butch Jobst, AMAM, of B&B Automotive in Aberdeen and ASA-NW chairman of the board; Bri Durham, AJAC director of Youth Apprenticeship; and Shannon Matson, AJAC deputy director.

ASA-NW finalizing technician apprenticeship program

Seattle, Wash.—Four years in the making, ASA Northwest (ASA-NW) is expected to have a technician apprenticeship training program approved by the Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries Apprenticeship & Training Council by mid-July. The thought process for the program, designed to help...

Bill Filley receives his AMAM diplomas from Jeff Peevy, AMI president, at the AMI graduation ceremonies in May in Orlando Fla., during the ASA national meeting and conference.

Northwest People & Places - July 2018

IDAHO The 30th annual Emmett Show & Shine, the largest event of its kind in the region, takes place July 21, in Emmett City Park. More than 900 show cars will be on display with thousands of spectators on hand to view cars and visit vendor booths. Breakfast, lunch, and music are all part...

James Barlow (left), parts manager at BMW Northwest, and Troy Olason, business development manager for Advantage Parts Solutions, work closely together to create high quality customer service for collision repair shops.

Establishing the parts connection

Seattle, Wash.—Advantage Parts Solutions is not the typical OEM wholesale parts program with hub and delivery operations, but its success is measured in how its clients “recognize our comprehensive approach and value the information we provide,” said Troy Olason, business development manager for...

Noriko Anderson, sales director for International Lubricants Inc., showcases the increasingly popular Lubegard synthetic power steering fluid the company markets.

Lubegard expands product offerings to automotive markets across U.S.

Seattle—International Lubricants Inc. (ILI) has seen major growth and expansion of its products since its founding in Seattle by Frank Erickson in 1984, said Noriko Anderson, sales director at ILI. “Frank was passionate about the company and developing quality Lubegard-branded products. Fortunately...