Audatex Trends Report Released
Audatex North America Inc. has released the latest volume of its industry trends publication, Audatex Directions. The feature article explains how the industry’s focus on employee retention and recruitment, coupled with increasing vehicle complexity, have fueled a new estimatics system at Audatex. Audatex’s newest estimating system will feature 3D vehicle graphics that will provide users
Keystone Announces Winners of 2009 Calendar Competition
Keystone Automotive Industries has announced the winners of its 2009 Calendar Competition. Over 300 entries were submitted over the past four months. A vast array of photos ranging from rods and sports cars to trucks and classic vehicles were received, with the top 13 winning spots in the 2009 Keystone calendar. “While it was difficult
It’s All About Attitude
I think Doug Goethe got it right in this month’s story about his personal transition to waterborne basecoat when he said, “It’s all about attitude. Everything’s about attitude.” It is all about attitude. Specifically, having a positive and open-minded attitude. When you were down 5-0 after the first inning in your league softball game, there
Get Ready to Tune Up
By the time you read this, we’ll be smack-dab in the middle of Industry Week in Las Vegas. The NACE, SEMA and AAPEX shows are certainly the spectacles of our industry, and Vegas provides an excellent destination for grand-scale gatherings such as these. The great thing is that there’s something for everyone at these events,
VeriFacts ACE Award Finalists Announced
VeriFacts Automotive announced the finalists for its annual Achievement in Collision Repair Excellence (ACE) Awards, which recognize outstanding quality of work. One award honors individual technicians (the March Taylor Technician ACE Award) and the other honors collision repair centers attaining higher repair quality as measured through the VeriFacts Shop Coaching Program. To qualify for an
PPG Hires Shop Management Expert as Senior Manager of MVP Solutions
PPG Industries has hired David Knapp as senior manager of its MVP Business Solutions group. Knapp has more than 15 years of process improvement, business development and strategic marketing experience in the collision industry. His experience includes nearly every aspect of collision repair center management including finance, marketing, process consulting, parts control and strategic planning.
ASA Partners with EPA to Help Shops Comply with New Rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Collision Repair Campaign, which aims to help shops comply with new regulations meant to reduce auto body emissions and human and environmental exposure to air toxics from auto body shops, has partnered with the Automotive Service Association (ASA). The EPA’s new auto refinishing regulations include several new equipment and
PPG Seminars to Focus on Color Accuracy, Improved Shop Operations
PPG Automotive Refinish will present four seminars to help attendees improve on matching OE color variations and learn steps to improve their repair process at NACE in Las Vegas. “Demystifying the Source of OE Color Variances,” Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. – A seminar led by Mike Henry, PPG manager, color print tools, will cover
AMI Announces 2008 BodyShop Business Scholarship Recipient
The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) and Babcox Publications jointly announced today that David Solmes, president of Dewey’s Auto Body, Inc., in Hastings, Mich., is the recipient of this year’s “BodyShop Business Magazine Scholarship.” AMI and Babcox present the scholarship annually to recognize management-oriented members of the Automotive Service Association (ASA) Collision Division. The recipient receives
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