STRANGE BUT TRUE: Backyard Bodyman Admits to Driving Recliner Drunk
La-Z-Boys and beer go together like peanut butter and jelly, but take that bastion of the living room out on the open road and you’re asking for trouble. Just ask Dennis LeRoy Anderson a 62-year-old resident of Proctor, Minn., who pleaded guilty last week to driving his La-Z-Boy while intoxicated and crashing it into another
CAA Named Energy Star Partner
The California Autobody Association (CAA) announced it has been named an Energy Star Partner by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recognition of the CAA’s efforts to help its members increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CAA says it’s committed to achieving energy efficiency targets and has set energy conservation goals for
TECH FEATURE: Nuts and Bolts of Suspension Repair
Repairing vehicle suspensions may seem daunting, but if you stray out of your comfort zone and give it a shot, you may just be able to add more dollars to your bottom line.
More Shops Joining Facebook, Twitter to Increase Market Presence
Recently, a teenager who attends a high school near CARSTAR Mundelein “friended” the Illinois collision repair facility on Facebook, the most popular social networking Web site on the planet. Owner Jeanne Silver’s presence with the school was already strong due to her participation in its career fair and on its career advisory council, but this
CAPA Says Survey Questioning Quality of Its Parts Is False
The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) has warned California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that a survey released in September by the California Autobody Association (CAA) is based on faulty data and that its assertion that CAPA-certified auto body repair parts are not equivalent to OEM parts is false. In a letter to Schwarzenegger, CAPA Executive Director
Antitrust Gets More Buzz as Legislator Now Targets Health Insurers
As Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and collision repairers take aim at property-casualty insurers by seeking a repeal of their anti-trust exemptions under the McCarran-Ferguson Act (click HERE for story), one legislator is also now striving to do the same in the health and medical malpractice world. U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
Shoestrings Controlling Wipers Win Shop’s ‘Don’t Quit Your Day Job’ Contest
Eric Nolting of Springfield, Ill., proudly sits atop the masses of do-it-yourself auto body repair aficionados who are masters of duct tape, plastic cable ties and garbage bags. Nolting was awarded $500 Sept. 2 as the winner of the Don’t Quit Your Day Job contest sponsored by Zara’s Collision Center, Brad Zara, owner of Zara’s
Connecticut AG Calls for Federal Investigation of Insurer Steering
In response to a nationwide petition circulated by the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC), Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal this week urged U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., to uphold federal consumer protection laws against "deceptive referrals" by insurers and other similar unlawful activities that Blumenthal claims violate consumer rights. Blumenthal also asked
Customer Told DRP Shop ‘Approved,’ Falls Victim to Steering
Body shop owner John Ticktin is fuming mad and is accusing Erie Insurance of steering after a customer decided to go to one of the insurer’s DRP shops because Erie said the shop was "approved." "Erie could give a s—. This is just ridiculous," said Ticktin, who owns JT Auto Service in Bethesda, Md. "I
Sherwin-Williams Hosting ‘State of the Industry’ Meeting in Albuquerque
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp (SWAFC) A-Plus Network announced it will present its Discovery Meeting: The State of the Collision Repair Industry, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Albuquerque Aquarium Shark Tank. The Discovery Meeting will examine the challenges and opportunities collision repair professionals face with OEM, insurer and regulatory