ABRA Opens New Franchise
Minneapolis-based ABRA Auto Body & Glass has opened a new franchise in Greeley, Colo. This repair center, formerly Weld County Garage, is ABRA’s 23rd franchise. Warren Yoder, owner of Weld County Garage, will continue as the owner/operator of ABRA-Greeley. “I’ve been considering for quite some time how to move our collision business to the next
Audatex Trends Report Released
Audatex North America Inc. has released the latest volume of its industry trends publication, Audatex Directions. The feature article explains how the industry’s focus on employee retention and recruitment, coupled with increasing vehicle complexity, have fueled a new estimatics system at Audatex. Audatex’s newest estimating system will feature 3D vehicle graphics that will provide users
Pro Spot Receives Global Mercedes-Benz Approval
Pro Spot has received global approvals for the i4 resistance spot welder. The approvals are for welding of all Mercedes-Benz steels including Usibor, TRIP, ZE340 and other High Strength Steels used in Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart vehicles. For more information, visit www.prospot.com.
ASA Publishes Updated ‘Not-Included Operations’ Charts
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has updated its “Not-Included Operations” charts to address the installation of replacement and recycled parts. The two additional charts are “Reference Chart of Not-Included Operations When Installing New Replacement Parts” and “Reference Chart of Not-Included Operations When Installing Recyclable Parts.” The guides are a summary of general not-included operations and
Legislative Lowdown
Federal – Aaron Lowe, vice president of government affairs for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), briefed legislators in the House Small Business Committee on the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) on Sept. 25. Introduced last year, H.R. 2694 (Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-NY) would require car companies to make the same
Oregon Supreme Court Decision Puts Insurer on Hook for Diminished Value
The Oregon Supreme Court backed up an earlier court decision that stated an automobile insurance policyholder had the right to receive compensation for the diminished value of his collision-damaged vehicle after it had been repaired. The plaintiff asserted that the repairs made to his collision-damaged vehicle did not restore it to pre-accident condition.
Animal-Vehicle Crashes Increasing, Says Study
The overall number of animal-vehicle crashes is on the rise, says a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The report says that State Farm has estimated 1.2 million claims industrywide for crashes with animals over a 12-month period ending June 30 of this year. State Farm says that claims for those
Property-Casualty Insurers Refuse Bailout Money
U.S. property-casualty insurers don’t want help from the government’s $700 billion capital infusion program designed to assist banks and other struggling financial institutions. The American Insurance Association (AIA) said this week that if offered assistance, most property-casualty insurers among the 350 insurers it represents would probably say no because they are financially capable of weathering
RI Supreme Court to Hear Insurers’ Labor Rate Survey Appeal
The Rhode Island Supreme Court has decided to hear the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America’s (PCI) appeal of a case decided by the Superior Court that would require insurers to use data from labor rate surveys as the sole determinant of the prevailing auto body labor rate. The Supreme Court also moved to stay
Sterling to Convert All Shops to Waterborne
Sterling Autobody Centers announced it will convert all of its 60 shops in 16 states to waterborne refinishing. The conversion will begin with the opening of Sterling’s new location in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Nov. 3. “Waterborne technology is not only environmentally more responsible, but also safer for our employees,” said Tim Swift, vice
Spies Hecker Paint Used For SPEED Channel Shows
Spies Hecker and Will Castro, the Long Island car customizer, and his crew from Unique Autosports will be featured in three fall specials airing on the SPEED Channel. The first special, scheduled to premiere Nov. 4 at 10 p.m. EST, will feature LeBron James and his Ferrari F430, along with a Toyota Sequoia Platinum NBA
Blake’s CARSTAR Collision Center Earns Top CSI Award
Each year, CARSTAR Collision Services awards its top franchisees for success in performance and customer satisfaction at its National Conference. This year’s winner for outstanding Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) among the 280 CARSTAR stores nationwide is Blake’s CARSTAR Collision Center in LaPorte, Ind. Blake’s CARSTAR had a CSI rating of 99.7 percent in 2007 and