No Mix Low VOC Basecoat
The No Mix Low VOC Base- coat System complies with new Southern California and pending Canadian automotive refinish regulations (3.5 lbs/gal; 420 g/l). It offers the same metallic, pearl and xirallic toners as No Mix Basecoat, and customers will still have access to over 175,000 formulas and a full array of alternate formulas. Like its
Ford Approves DuPont Cromax Pro Waterborne Basecoat
Ford Motor Company has granted global approval of DuPont Cromax Pro waterborne basecoat, per the requirements of Ford’s global refinish paint material specification WSS-M2P100-D. In addition to the approval, Ford has provided a training facility in Ypsilanti, Mich., and assisted in training Ford corporate, DuPont Refinish jobber and body shop personnel in the use of
R.I. Supreme Court May Hear Labor Rate Survey Appeal
The Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation (DBR) and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) have appealed an August Superior Court decision that would require insurance companies to use data collected from labor rate surveys as the lone determinant for collision repair rates. The Rhode Island Supreme Court will decide Oct. 23 whether
Repairers Say Insurers, Not Consumers, Benefit from Full-Body Sectioning
Several Midwest collision repairers told the Chicago Tribune that for a safe auto body repair, consumers should avoid shops that want to perform full-body sectioning, also known as clipping, on their cars. Mark and Pam Pierson, owners of Princeton Auto Body in Princeton, Ill., said in the article aimed at educating consumers that some insurance
Keystone Launches New Line of PBE Products
Keystone Automotive’s 2008 PBE catalog will feature the new Platinum Refinish Series line of PBE products, the company announced. The line includes new packaging and a color-coded system to help customers more easily match individual products with their respective components. The Platinum Refinish line also offers a cost saving to collision repairers, a money-back guarantee
Oregon Shop Accuses Progressive of Steering
A body shop in Portland, Ore., is accusing Progressive of steering after the insurer allegedly intimidated a customer into taking his vehicle to one of Progressive’s preferred shops. The customer, Ryan Behnke, first had his 2007 Silverado pickup towed to the body shop at Bruce Chevrolet in Hillsboro, Ore., where he purchased the truck. Body
New DCR Facility Opening in New York
Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems and Shults Auto Group, a 16-franchise dealer group headquartered in Jamestown, New York, are opening a 12,000-square-foot collision repair facility using DCR’s patent-pending lean-based operating method at Shults Accident Repair Center on Oct. 15. The center is a rebuild of an existing facility owned by the dealer franchise. Shults Accident Repair
AMI Announces 2008 Tom B. Babcox Memorial Scholarship Recipient
The Automotive Management Institute (AMI), in conjunction with Babcox Publications, announced that Curtis Evans, president and owner, Evans Automotive Service Center, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., is the recipient of the “Tom B. Babcox Memorial Scholarship.” The scholarship recognizes a management-oriented member of the Automotive Service Association (ASA) Mechanical Division. The recipient receives $1,000 to be applied
Ford to Introduce Collision Warning System in 2009
The Ford Motor Company will offer radar-based Collision Warning with Brake Support (CWBS) collision-avoidance technology on certain Ford and Lincoln vehicles in 2009, the company announced. CWBS, which is designed to prevent rear-end collisions, uses radar to detect moving vehicles directly ahead and has a brake-assist system to help drivers reach maximum braking sooner. Because
ASA Releases Quarter Panel Refinish Flier
ASA’s Refinish subcommittee has created the ASA Quarter Panel Refinish Operations flier to document some refinish operations that may be overlooked during the estimating process. The flier, which was featured in ASA’s October Collision Repair Report, can be downloaded from the “members only” section at www.asashop.org.
CEG to Distribute AMH and Grabber Products
The Collision Equipment Group Inc. (CEG) announced it has reached distribution agreements with both AMH Canada LTD and R.G. Grabber, Inc. Auto Body Collision Repair Equipment Division. CEG will be the master stocking distributor and national service center for AMH in the United States. CEG says AMH which manufactures CompuSpot resistance spot welders, UltraMIG
AutocheX Awards to Honor Shops with Top CSI Scores
AutocheX, a Mitchell company, will honor collision repair facilites using the AutocheX service with customer satisfaction index (CSI) scores in the top 5 percent in the United States and Canada at its seventh annual Premier Achiever Awards ceremony at the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) in Las Vegas. The ceremony and reception will be