AASP-MN’s Day-at-the-Capitol Event Highlights
AASP-MN’s inaugural “Day-at-the-Capitol,” was held on Wednesday, Feb. 23, and based on the positive feedback from those who attended, the organization says the event was a success. Twenty-two AASP-MN representatives walked the halls of the State Capitol campus in St. Paul, speaking to legislators about key industry issues, including: sales tax on paint/materials, collision shop
Connecticut Collision Repair Specialists Host DMV Commissioner
Newly appointed Connecticut DMV Commissioner, Melody A. Currey, was the keynote speaker at the recent Connecticut Collision Repair Specialists (CCRS) membership meeting in Hartford, Conn. Currey, former mayor of East Hartford, Conn., met with the CCRS members and gave an overview of her goals and objectives for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Currey shared
Illinois CARSTAR Shop Donates Vehicle to Local Family for Third Time
All Line CARSTAR Auto Body in Bolingbrook, Ill., a member of the National Auto Body Council (NABC), donated a vehicle a family in Bolingbrook for the third time on Thursday, Feb. 24. The program is a community awareness project whereby members of NABC repair and donate recycled vehicles to families in need. All Line CARSTAR
Nationwide Auto Body of Schaumburg, Ill. is 100th Facility to Receive ‘GreenLink Shop’ Recognition
The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) has announced Nationwide Auto Body of Schaumburg, Ill., as the 100th facility to receive the organization’s GreenLink Shop recognition. Michael Gleason, president of Nationwide Auto Body, states, “My 18-year-old daughter Colleen has pushed me to make Nationwide Auto Body eco-friendly since she was 12. My family is very
ASA Opposes Proposed Georgia Automotive Repair Tax
Legislation has been proposed in the Georgia House of Representatives that would create a sales tax on many services of small businesses. The bill, H.B. 385, if passed, would create a new sales tax on the labor costs on services performed by automotive repair facilities. The Automotive Service Association (ASA)says it opposes the proposed automotive
REIFEN CHINA 2011 to Take Place Nov. 22-24
The fifth annual REIFEN CHINA will take place Nov. 22- 24, 2011, at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center in Shanghai, China. The show, organized by Messe Essen and the China United Rubber Corp., will take place again with the Rubber Tech China. In 2010, more than 9,356 trade visitors from 75 countries attended REIFEN
Right to Repair Introduced in Connecticut; Repair Groups Disagree on Bill
The Connecticut Legislature is considering Right to Repair legislation, which would require OEMs to share diagnostic codes with independent repair shops. Two associations are on opposing sides of the Right to Repair debate: the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) testified in support of the legislation at a recent hearing, while the Automotive Service Association testified
New I-CAR President Talks Role-Based Training, Organization’s Future
Newly appointed I-CAR President and CEO John Van Alstyne has been on the job for a little over two months, but the way he tells it, he’s barely broken in his desk. Instead, he’s been traveling around the U.S., submersing himself in the collision repair industry to better understand who, exactly, I-CAR is serving. Van
Body Shop Owners and 17 Baltimore Police Officers Charged in Extortion Scheme
A criminal complaint was filed Feb. 23 charging 17 Baltimore city police officers and two brothers who own a body shop with conspiring to commit extortion in connection with a scheme in which the brothers paid police officers to arrange for their company, rather than a city-authorized company, to tow vehicles from accident scenes and
CARSTAR President Dan Bailey to Step Down from Corporate Role to Pursue Ownership in CARSTAR Franchise System
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts announced that President Dan Bailey has chosen to step down from his current position. After running family collision repair centers for nearly 23 years, the Baileys sold their stores to CARSTAR in 1998, and Dan Bailey joined the CARSTAR corporate team. Since then, he has played a key role