Ohio Bill Could Limit Independent Shops’ Access to OEM Parts
Companion bills S.B. 204 and H.B. 364 were introduced in the Ohio Legislature to address the evolution the automobile industry has undergone over the past 30 years and provide reasonable compensation to a dealer to recoup investment should a manufacturer’s actions cause the franchise to lose value. However, independent repairers fear that provisions in the
Telematics and the Connected Car is the Topic of May 20 CREW Webcast
The Collision Repair Executive Webcast (CREW) will feature David Ferrick, vice president and general manager insurance market for Cross Country Automotive Services, a pioneer in creating technology enabled service solutions for the auto and insurance industries. The presentation is slated for Thursday, May 20 at 11 a.m. PST. Ferrick will discuss how telematics and the
Gerber Collision Acquires Collision Repair Center in Oklahoma
The Boyd Group Inc. today announced the opening of its new repair center in Owasso, Okla. The repair center, previously known as the Collision Center of Owasso, Inc., was recently acquired by the Boyd Group and now operates under the Gerber Collision & Glass trade name. The new location is approximately 17,500 square feet, with
Volkswagen of America Selects OEConnection’s Online Technology for Its Genuine Advantage Collision Parts Marketing Program
OEConnection LLC, an online parts and service exchange in the automotive industry, announced today that Volkswagen of America, Inc. has selected OEConnection’s CollisionLink Web-based parts ordering and fulfillment solution for Volkswagen dealerships and its collision repair facility customers nationwide. Central to this agreement is CollisionLink’s Parts Marketing Administration (PMA) technology, which automates and manages automaker
Registration Open for 2010 I-CAR Industry Conference
I-CAR announced that online registration for the 2010 I-CAR Industry Conference is now open. The half-day conference will be held on July 21 from 8 a.m. to noon at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Ill. This year’s event will coincide with several other industry meetings being held during the same week. During the
How to Sell Your Body Shop
So you’re thinking about selling your shop. Times are tough, and you’ve had just about enough of this crazy industry. How much is your business worth? How can you maximize its value? Read on and perhaps your retirement can be that much rosier.
CRA Prompts DOI to Notify Insurers of Need to Warrant Non-OEM Parts as Equal to OEM
The Collision Repair Association of California (CRA) recently succeeded in getting the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to notify all California insurance companies that they are required to warrant that all non-OEM replacement crash parts are at least equal to OEM parts in terms of kind, quality, safety, fit and performance. "This official notice
I-CAR Ed. Foundation Provides Students with Tech Uniforms with Help of Industry Sponsors
The I-CAR Education Foundation has provided 1,000 Cintas technician shirts to automotive collision students nationwide through the support of Bar’s Leaks & Rislone, CARQUEST, CARSTAR, Craftsman, Esurance and Mopar. Six hundred of the technician shirts were distributed to 30 schools that applied for the foundation’s 2009 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant: 175 will be distributed
AASP-MN Announces New Board of Directors
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, Minnesota (AASP-MN) announced its newly elected 2010-11 board of directors. John Ritter, Highland Autostar Collision Center, St. Paul, and Dan Sjolseth, Superior Service Center, Eagan, were elected to the open seats on the board. They will be joined by: • Roger Bonn, Peter’s Body Shop, St. Cloud
Repair Planning Can Improve Shop Efficiency, With or Without Other Lean Processes
Repair planning – tearing a vehicle down to create an accurate damage assessment before the actual repair begins – is a simple way for even non-lean shops to improve cycle time, estimate accuracy and customer and insurer satisfaction. Lean expert Steve Feltovich, manager of business consulting services for Sherwin-Williams, emphasized this during the Sherwin-Williams EcoLean