The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) announced that more than 150 technicians earned their auto body license renewal certificates this month thanks to AASP/NJ training events sponsored by Flemington Car and Truck Country. Presented by General Motors, the training events were held at the Holiday Inn in Totowa on July 17 and the Clarion Hotel in Toms River on July 19.
Christopher Pearce, technical training instructor for GM, presented a course on structural collision repair that focused on steel and aluminum welding – critical toward auto body professionals’ license renewal.
Technicians were provided with an overview of the repairing and replacement process of structural components of GM vehicles, including the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, as well as tools and resources to use. Pearce advised attendees of the recently launched free website Genuinegmparts.com, which contains repair guidelines for all GM vehicles.
The training also included instructional videos demonstrating the dos and don’ts of welding techniques involving aluminum and steel.
In addition to the discussion on technical procedures, Pearce touched upon some of the challenges auto body shop owners face in regards to photo estimating and the importance of repairing vehicles to OEM guidelines. He referenced the widely talked about $37 million John Eagle Collision Center lawsuit to emphasize his point.
“If you aren’t following OEM-recommended procedures, you can be the one in front of the judge,” said Pearce. “It’s that simple.”
Each member who attended was presented with a certificate from AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant, which can be used as part of their auto body license renewal coming up this September.
Howard Meeks, director of Flemington Car and Truck Country Parts, thanked everyone for taking the time to attend, acknowledging that it isn’t always easy to get away from their shops. He said Flemington Car and Truck Country looks forward to sponsoring more training next year.
For more information on upcoming AASP/NJ training programs, contact Charles Bryant at (732) 922-8909. For more information on AASP/NJ, visit www.aaspnj.org.
