Peace, Love and Hemp-Fueled Cars
As the energy crisis goes strong and concern over pollution and global warming continues, fuel alternatives have become a hot topic. How alternative? As you read this, Amy Wells, Grayson Sigler and Kellie Ogilvie took a cross-continental road trip in a Mercedes Benz wagon running off hemp oil.
Seoul Survivor: Auto Body Repair Division of the World Skills Competition
Vo-Tech student Lee Geiger of Wisconsin will represent the United States in the auto body repair division of the World Skills competition this fall in South Korea. Here’s how this small-town student braved turbulent weather and showed he had the right stuff to take on the world.
From Tow Truck Drives to Computer Drives
He says he saw a UFO, he wears flip-flops and he used to drive a tow truck, but what does shop network-owner Erick Bickett have to say about computers, consolidation and Christmas?
So … What Else Do You Do? Profit from those Extra Services
Your shop doesn’t exist in a “collision repair” vacuum. There’s more to maintaining and fixing vehicles than pulling dents, straightening sheet metal and painting panels. But you can’t profit from those extra services unless you start offering them.
Made in Taiwan: A/M Parts: Part 4 of the Series
This month, we conclude our series on Taiwanese aftermarket parts manufacturers with a look at Auto Parts Industrial, Ltd. and TYC, a division of the Tong Yang Group
Don’t Shoot the Messenger! Ohio’s Jack Lundberg
Faced with the challenge of registering Ohio’s collision repair facilties, Jack Lundberg has been called a savior by some, the devil by others. Throw in a few death threats, and you know how Lundberg feels by 10 a.m.
Associations: Time to Join or a Waste of Time?
Opinions vary regarding the repair industry’s national associations, but one thing is certain: The industry has a wide range of national associations, each with differing beliefs, views and goals. Our examination of the industry’s national groups may help you decide if one coincides with your own convictions
Trained to Win
Training can teach your staff to be more productive, more loyal and more responsive to customers – making your shop more profitable and your job much easier. Why, then, do collision repair shop owners – and other American business owners – commit such little money to such a big issue?
Cool Route for Creating Profits: A/C Repairs
Repairing air conditioning systems as a profit center can be quite rewarding — provided you’re quite knowledgeable when it comes to systems, environmental concerns and government regulations. Otherwise, you may be cooling your heels in an empty shop.
A License To Repair
"Why isn’t it mandatory for all collision techs to be licensed?" — Don Marshall, manager, Fresno Chrysler/Plymouth, Fresno, Calif. The collision repair industry is the ultimate example of irony and paradox. In most (if not all) states, the damage appraiser needs a license to prove he’s capable of determining the cost and procedure of repairing