CIC Votes 99-98 to Locate Fall 2011 Meeting with SEMA
At its meeting in Palm Springs, Calif., the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) voted 99-98 to hold its fall meeting in conjunction with the SEMA Show in November 2011. Although CIC has previously held its fall meetings in conjunction with Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW), which includes NACE, the group held its fall gathering in
Repairers Reflect on 2010, Make Predictions for 2011
Nearly everyone in the business world was happy to see 2009 go away after experiencing sales decrease 30 percent on average no matter what business they were in. In a BodyShop Business poll, approximately 63 percent of collision repairers reported some sort of decline in sales. So everyone said the only place business could go
Precision Body and Paint Opens Second Location in Oregon
Precision Body and Paint of Beaverton, Ore., has announced the opening of a new 10,000-square-foot location in Bend, Ore., that it says will have "strong curb appeal in a high traffic area." The Bend location is an environmentally friendly store using waterborne/low-VOC basecoats and featuring an employee incentive recycling program and paperless office practices. It’s
H&V Collision Sponsors Albany Devils Hockey Contest
H&V Collision Center has discovered a unique way to market itself by sponsoring a contest that enables Albany Devils hockey fans to win Devils’ jerseys during the 2010-11 season. The "H&V Collision of the Game" will allow fans to vote on player collisions during Devils’ home games at the Times Union Center. Voting will be
Second Biannual IABA Convention & Technology Showcase Set for April 28-30
The second biannual Indiana Auto Body Association (IABA) Convention & Technology Showcase will be held April 28-30 at the Lincoln College of Technology in Indianapolis, Ind. The show will feature high-profile speakers giving educational presentations and a 30,000-square-foot trade show with spraybooths for hands-on spraying and product demonstrations. Early-bird pricing for exhibitors ends on Jan.
‘Auto Angels’ Donate Vehicles to Five Needy Families
Twenty-plus Central Florida body shops, dealerships and garages that call themselves the "Auto Angels" gave five families the ultimate Christmas present on Dec. 22 when they presented them with refurbished vehicles. "I’ve never had a feeling like this, and I’m 60 years old. I’ve had chill bumps all morning," Ray Gunder, owner of Gunder’s Auto
North State Custom Cleared of Fraud Charges in Case Vs. Progressive
The over five-year-long court battle between North State Custom and Progressive finally came to an end yesterday when the jury cleared the collision repair facility and its owner, Greg Coccaro, of fraud charges. "I’m so grateful that the jury was able to see through Progressive’s tactics and didn’t fall for the fairytale Progressive tried to
Vo-Tech Students Gain Valuable Experience Repairing Police Vehicles
In this economy, every city could use help balancing its budget and cutting costs where necessary. Enter the students at Cumberland County Technical Education Center in Bridgeton, New Jersey, who recently helped patch up vehicles for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Talk about a win-win situation: the kids got valuable experience, and the sheriff’s department
More Vehicles with Rearview Cameras Could Be on Horizon
Rules proposed by the government recently to address worries about drivers unintentionally backing over children could make rearview cameras in vehicles more common. The new requirements from the Department of Transportation are aimed at bettering rear visibility in cars by the 2014 model year. In 2008, Congress pushed the safety upgrades as the result of
Repairer Seeks Donations for Maryland State SkillsUSA Competition
Beth Meckel, manager of Mile One Collision Center in Glen Burnie, Md., and representative of the Collision Repair Technology Committee Metal Repair segment of the Maryland State SkillsUSA Competition, is seeking the donation of tools or cash to buy tools for 38 competitors who will compete in various skill competitions on March 26, 2011 at