Auto Glass Week™ Turns Golden Auto Glass Week™ Turns Golden

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Auto Glass Week™Turns Golden

Auto Glass Week™Turns Golden

November/December 2013 Volume 15 • Issue 6November/December 2013 Volume 15 • Issue 6

Search Archives E-Mail SubscribeContents© 2012 AGRR Magazine. All rights reserved. No reproductionof any type without expressed written permission.

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2 AGRR November/December 2013 www.agrrmag.com

4 Field of Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from the editor

6 Customer Service . . . . . . . . . .tips for quality service

8 The Cutting Edge . . . . . . . . . . . .new car installations

10 AGRReports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .breaking news

36 Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .regulation/legal news

40 Insurance Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .policy briefs

44 Industry Insiders . . . . . . . . . . . . .people in the news

46 Showroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .new products

48 Price Points . . . . . . . . . . . .competitive pricing and stats

50 Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .directory of suppliers

51 On the Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .calendar of events

51 Advertising Index . . . . . . . . . . . .index of advertisers

52 Off the Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .oem news from detroit

30 Repair Round-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NWRA reports

32 WGRReports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .repair news

— F e a t u r e s — Volume 15 • Issue 6 November/December 2013

C o l u m n s

D e p a r t m e n t s

W i n d s h i e l d a n d G l a s s R e p a i r

©2013 by Key Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. AGRR (USPS 020-897) is published6 times per year (bi-monthly) by Key Communications Inc., 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite116, Stafford, VA 22554; 540/720-5584; fax 540/720-5687. Advertising offices listed onpage 4. Unsolicited manuscripts and other materials will not be returned unless accom-panied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. All contents are ©2013 by Key Communi-cations Inc. Neither publisher nor its representatives nor its subcontractors assumeliability for errors in text, charts, advertisements, etc. and suggest appropriate compa-nies be contacted before specification or use of products advertised or included in edi-torial materials. Views and opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of thepublisher. For permission to reprint, contact editorial offices. Printed in the U.S. Post-master: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO AGRR, P.O. Box 569, Garrisonville, VA 22463. ©2013by Key Communications, Inc. No reproduction permitted without expressed written per-mission of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Stafford, VA, and additional post of-fices. Questions? Call 540/720-5584.

Coverage of AutoGlass Week™'13Danny Ka l e o f G l a s s p ro I n c . i nS umme r v i l l e , S . C . , t o o k homet h i s y e a r ’ s go l d meda l f o rr e p l a c emen t , w h i l e B r a u l i oL o p e z o f R e p a i r a nd G o - E s p a naS . L . i n L u go - G a l i c i a , S p a i n ,s na g ge d t he go l d meda l f o rr e p a i r.

Window Film: Small Investment,Big ProfitA re y o u l o o k i ng t o d i v e r s i f yy o u r b u s i ne s s ? L e a r n howadd i ng w i ndow f i lmi n s t a l l a t i o n t o a n a u t o g l a s sc ompany c a n he l p d r i v e u pp ro f i t s .

Others of Invention: ToolsAGRR™ magaz ine a sked au tog l a s s t e chn ic ians wh ich too l sthey cou ld no t do w i thout . F indout what ed i to r s d i s cove red.

Where is the AGRRIndustry Headed?Ga r r y G o l de n , a f u t u r i s t w i t hf u t u r e t h i n k L L C , a p p l i e s h i ss t udy o f s o c i a l c h a nge t o t heAGRR i ndu s t r y a nd c ome s u pw i t h a f ew p o s s i b l e p a t h s t hei n s u r a nc e i ndu s t r y c o u l d t a ke .

4 8

28

26

24

12

Online Editorial … Auto Glass Playsan Ever Bigger Role at ABRA

www. a g r rmag . c om/d ig i t a l / i ndex . h tm

ABRA Au t o B o dy & G l a s s g r ew f r om s i x t o t e nma r ke t s i n t he l a s t 1 8 mon t h s a nd a u t o g l a s s i s

p l a y i ng a v i t a l r o l e i n t he c ompany ’ s g r ow t h . AG R R™maga z i ne r e c e n t l y i n t e r v i ew e d ABRA mana gemen t t o

l e a r n mo re a b o u t t h i s s i d e o f t he b u s i ne s s .




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Publisher Debra A. LevyExtension 111 • [email protected]

Editor Jenna ReedExtension 135 • [email protected]

Contributing Casey NeeleyEditors Extension 120 • [email protected]

Penny StaceyExtension 148 • [email protected]

Ellen RogersExtension 118 • [email protected]

Managing Dawn CampbellEditor Extension 150 • [email protected]

Graphic Ashley WeaverArtist Extension 132 • [email protected]

Advertising Nickie LivelyCoordinator Extension 131 • [email protected]

Events Tina CzarManager Extension 115 • [email protected]

Marketing Holly Biller, vice presidentDirector Extension 123 • [email protected]

Customer Janeen MulliganRelations Mgr. Extension 112 • [email protected]

Web Bryan HoveyDeveloper Extension 125 • [email protected]

Video Chris BunnProducer Extension 121 • [email protected]

Administrative Erin HarrisAssistant Extension 0 • [email protected]

Contributing Jamie Browning Rich CampfieldColumnists Russ Corsi Alan Epley

Dale Malcolm Carl TompkinsKerry Wanstrath

Published by Key Communications Inc.385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116Stafford, VA 22554540/720-5584; fax 540/720-5687

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A Big Thank Youby J e n n a R e e d

THOUGH I HAVE COVEREDmany events over the years,this was my first time at Auto

Glass Week and I am so thankful forthe warm welcome that I received. Somany of you stopped me to say helloor perhaps took a moment to offerencouragement as we were tapingour newscasts (http://www.agr-rmag.com/studio/) on-site. You trulymade me smile.

Our team really pulled togetherand it was great to have a chance tomeet so many of you in person.

So much ofmy role as edi-tor is spent be-hind a desk andcomputer that Ialways valuethe opportu-nity to get outand meet withthose in the in-dustry face-to-face. Andgetting to visitsunny Tampa,Fla.? Well,you’ll hear no complaints comingfrom me. The location was gorgeous.

Walking through the Exhibition/Ex-travaganza showroom floor, I was im-pressed by all the different companiesrepresented and the variety of wareson display. And I’ll admit I did snag afew pens from your tables. A writercan’t have too many, you know.

The energy level at the event was con-tagious. It was exciting to observe somany excellent educational sessions andwatch the repair and replacement pro-fessionals at work in the competitions.

If we didn’t have the chance to meet

personally, I was the professional tak-ing photos of all the competitors andspeakers. I might have even snuck aphoto or two of you in the audience oron the showroom floor when youweren’t looking. While writing and ed-iting are my first passions, photogra-phy comes in close behind, as youmight have noticed.

The keynote speakers truly stood out.Jim Abbott, a professional baseball playerwho was born without a right hand, gavesome insight that truly hit home aboutovercoming challenges and remaining

positive.The presen-

tation by RichardP i c c i o t t otouched myheart. He is thehighest rankingfirefighter to sur-vive the WorldTrade Centercollapse on Sep-tember 11, 2001.Listening to himrecount thebravery and

courage of that fateful day had me tearing up.And I can’t say enough about the cal-

iber of the competitors in the auto glassrepair and replacement competitions.Doing your job to the best of your abilityin the limelight while judges, proctors,audience members, and even a photog-rapher watch, is no easy task. But all ofyou did it with grace and enthusiasm. Abig thank you to so many of you whocame out to compete

If we didn’t have a chance to talk on-site, please don’t hesitate to reach out.My email is [email protected] and I wouldlove to hear from you. �

f r o m t h e e d i t o r

4 AGRR November/December 2013

Jenna Reed and Janeen Mulligan of AGRR™magazine at Auto Glas Week.



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Let our experience work for you. w w w.DowARG.com 1-8 0 0-45 3-3779

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow.

©2013 Auto Glass Week

A Winning Combination: Quality Technicians and Quality ProductsCongratulations AGTO Participants

Gold Medalist Danny Kale Glasspro Summervile, SC

Silver Medalist Joe Estrada Estrada’s Carglass San Antonio, TX

Alfredo Calva Alfredo’s Auto Glass Corona, CA

Alex Davila American Mobile GlassNewton, NJ

Drew Silden Glasspro Charleston, SC

Dan Boehmer Gulf Coast Auto GlassBradenton, FL

Greg Hamilton Hamilton Auto Glass Group Charleston, SC

Kent Schneider J & F Auto GlassRacine, WI




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C u s t o m e r S e r v i c e

[email protected]

Adding Some Spice to Businessby C a r l To m p k i n s

ASWE’RE INTHEMIDSTOFTHENational Football League sea-son, I’ll appropriately throw in

the phrase coined by the NFL TodayShow team, “Come on man!” Let’s situp and take charge of the recipe forbusiness success and add some wellneeded spice. Make sure your cupboardhas an adequate amount of each of thefollowing spices and then use them inthe prescribed amounts that follow:

Spice 1:Walk it OffI’ve heard this phrase used often and

while it generally has pertained to theinstruction coaches give athletes whoexperience minor injuries, it applies aswell to business. Basically, get off yourrear end and take a brief walk to changethings up. Better yet, take someonealong on the walk around the block andsolve a couple of business issues duringa stroll that will re-energize you.

Spice 2: Good DeedRegardless of the many perspectives

on the subject of human spirituality, thereis strong merit in people understandingthat we are spiritual beings, which greatlyseparates us from the rest of the animalplanet. As a consequence, when we de-liver good deeds to others in need, we at-tain a very sustainable joy withinourselves that money cannot buy. Thisbeing the case, one of the most powerfulingredients toward business success is tobe sure to deliver good deeds that focuson bettering the situation of those peoplethat surround our companies. Pete Ochs,the founder of the Capital III Corp., refersto this effort as managing the “social cap-ital” of an organization. The more that wedo for others, the less time we have toworry about ourselves and such actions

always improve the flavor of conductingbusiness. Make sure to add at least fullmeasure of “Good Deed” each day forsomeone who least expects it and you’reon your way to a champion’s recipe.

Spice 3:Win OneWhile there is a lot of truth in jest, I’ve

attempted to be funny at times with cer-tain people in management by claimingthey only use half of their calculator—the subtraction and division button. I’mnot into subtraction or division; these arevery negative mathematical functions.Instead, I’m into addition and multipli-cation. Note that when you’re adding ormultiplying, the numbers are always onthe increase and never on the decrease. The spice ingredient, “Win One,” tells

us to add a new customer each day ofour life in business. Get on the phone, orbetter yet, get in the car and go find anew customer. And don’t tell me that youdon’t have time! Better stated, youmerely have the wrong priorities in busi-ness. I guarantee you that there is a per-son that needs a great partner in theform of a glass shop within your marketeach day of your life. Simply find themand it’s not hard, nor do you have to lookvery far. For pity sake, the average glassshop gets 4.8 chances a day on thephone alone!

Spice 4: Lighten UpI’ve come to really enjoy the tagline

of my book “Winning at Business”which is, “Be funny and make money!”This to me says it all about business.We must enjoy what we do long beforewe concern ourselves with money. Andhaving an enjoyable working environ-ment is key to any business’ long termsuccess. So, much of my teaching per-

tains to people having fun at what theydo for a living and letting money be abyproduct of this behavior. Yes, thereare times to be dead serious in business,but not as often as most managementpractices. So, each day lighten things upwith a fun moment or event. The actualform of this ingredient comes in manyways; it can be the hanging of a new andcomical picture in the office, it could betaking the time to share a funny story, orbringing in a plate of homemade cook-ies. So, add one dash of “Lighten Up”and watch the attitudes and businesssuccesses soar!

Spice 5: ThanksIwouldbea foolnot to concludewith

the spice of “Thanks” in our recipe forbusiness success. This basic ingredient isthe one that we run out of the most oftenand oh how this sours the taste of busi-ness. Probably why we run out so often isthat this is the ingredient requiring thelargest measure. Everyone within youremployment that you come into contactwith each day deserves the attention ofthe head chef and requires confirmationthat you’re paying attention to what’sgoing on in the kitchen. No matter howbig or how small the thanks’ is, make itgenuine and daily to all. Empty the cup-board of thanks each day because youhave much more to be thankful for com-pared to the few things that you don’t!Five spices added together in the

amounts the recipe requires, bakes thebest business success possible. Enjoyyour award winning meal! �

�Carl Tompkins is the global marketing re-sources manager for Sika Corp. in Madi-

son Heights, Mich., and the author of Winningat Business. He is based in Spokane, Wash.

t i p s f o r q u a l i t y s e r v i c e







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Getting StartedFor vehicle and glass prepara-

tions please refer toAGSC/ANSI/AGRSS™ 002-2002 as well as your adhesive

manufacturer’s recommendations. In-spect the windshield for defects and anycontamination that may compromisethe bonding of the adhesive. Also lookfor any distortion, scratches or defectson the glass or moulding. Please notethat testing the rain sensor before start-ing the install is recommended.If the vehicle is equipped with a com-

pass mirror, make sure the ignition is off.Using a plastic trim removal tool slidethe wire cover up and remove. Ifequipped with a compass, unplug theharness located on the back of the mir-ror and grab the mirror at its base. Turnthe mirror 90 degrees left or right to re-move. To remove the A-pillar cover onthe passenger side, first remove the grabhandle by removing the two screw cov-ers and then loosen the mountingscrews with a No. 3 Phillips. Remove thehandle and pull back the weather stripdown the outer edge.Carefully pull the cover to detach the

clips. For the driver side, pull back theweather strip along the edge and care-fully pry the small cover off while releas-ing the hooks. Carefully pry back theA-pillar cover and set aside. Moving tothe wiper arms, you will want to mark

the driver side after removing to ensureproper replacement. Pry off the wipernut covers and remove the wiper nuts.Gently press on the spring loaded armto release the wiper from the post. Dis-connect the washer tube on the passen-ger side and remove the two black clipsholding the passenger side cowl panel inplace. Next remove the five black clipsholding the driver side in place. Use cau-tion when removing the cowl as not todamage the rubber ends on the panel.

Removing theWindshieldFor the sides and top of thewindshield, a cold knife orpower tool can be used as

well as wire. For the bottom, a power toolor wire can be used. Keep in mind thatthere is not one correct method of re-moval; the technician should use the toolwith which he feels most comfortableand the one that achieves a safe removalfor the vehicle and the technician. Note:If the new windshield does not have thelower retainer made for it you will needto reuse the old one.

Preparing for theNewWindshield

Trim the existing ure-thane bead, leaving it 1to 2 mm in height. Use

your adhesive manufacturer’s pinch-weld primer to prime all scratches, if

any exist, and allow to dry accordingto your adhesive manufacturer’s rec-ommendations. Please note thatonly the full-cut method is permittedby the AGSC/ANSI/AGRSS™ 002-2002 Standard.

Placement of theNewWindshield

Dry-fit the new wind-shield and mark it properlyto ensure the correct setting

procedure. Prepare the windshield ac-cording to your adhesive manufacturer’srecommendations. Cut the urethane tipto provide a bead that is 13-mm high and8-mm wide. Make sure the deck heightis correct and the markings on the wind-shield line up with those on the bodythat were applied during the dry set.

Finishing TouchesInstall the cowl in reverse

order making sure there is apositive connection betweenthe cowl and the windshield.

To install the wipers hold the armin place while torqueing the nuts to 30Newton Meters (22 lb ft). Install the A-pil-lar covers noting the tabs have to be in-stalled before the retainers. Press thecover into place and tighten the screwsby securing the grab handle. Install themirror in reverse order and turn the mir-ror in a twisting motion to lock in place.Be sure to check the wiper operation be-fore returning the vehicle to the owner.Check for any leaks and be sure to informthe vehicle owner of the safe drive-awaytime, according to the adhesive manu-facturer. Also be sure to record all lotnumbers from the adhesive, VIN num-ber, and primers as well as the DOTnumber from the windshield. �

n e w c a r i n s t a l l a t i o n s

2013 Honda Ridgelineby J a m i e B row n i n g

2013 Honda Ridgeline

[email protected]






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If you’ve been installing AP Technoglass, you’ve already benefi ted from AGC’s quality reputation in the OEM market.

AGC manufactures the same OEM-quality glass for both brands. That means the same high quality we supply to the world’s

most demanding automakers is supplied to the ARG market. And our focused offerings allow us to assure the right fi t and

performance with every installation. For new and replacement glass, the one name to know is AGC.

To learn more, call 614-322-4580 or email us at [email protected].

The biggest name in OEM is the biggest name in ARG.

AP Technoglass is AGC Automotive

©2013 AGC Glass Company North America, Inc. All rights reserved.





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A G R R e p o r t sb r e a k i n g n e w s

p o w e r e d b y

Glass America Bolsters Business, Says Boyd Group CEO

THE RECENT ACQUISITIONof Glass America helped bol-ster quarterly sales for Win-

nipeg, Manitoba-based Boyd GroupIncome Fund.The group, which also owns Boyd

Autobody and Glass, Gerber Collisionand Glass and Gerber National GlassServices, reports that sales grew 33percent to $136.9 million, comparedto $102.9 million at the same periodlast year.

During the com-pany’s quarterly con-ference call, BrockBulbuck, presidentand CEO, says the “in-tegration and per-formance” of GlassAmerica is going “asplanned.” He addsthat Glass America

contributed “meaningfully” to secondquarter results.

“The additional of six single loca-tions and the acquisition of GlassAmerica demonstrate our continuedcommitment to accretive growth,”says Bulbuck. “Our sales and adjustedEBITDA for the second quarter in-creased by 33 percent and 35 percent,respectively, compared to the sameperiod last year. This reflects not onlythe contributions of new locations,but also an 8-percent growth in same-store sales.”Sales in the U.S. came in at $117.2

million, up $31.5 million or 36.7 per-cent, compared to the same time frameof 2012.Bulbuck attributed the U.S. growth

largely to acquisitions, such as the addi-tion of majority interest in Glass Amer-ica, as well as a $5.9-million increase insame-store sales.Bulbuck also noted on the company’s

conference call that a recent hail stormin Georgia also impacted sales posi-tively, though he did not offer specifics.The company reports sales in Canada

were $19.6 million, up $2.4 million or 14.2percent year-over-year.“This increase is the result of a $2.1

million, or 12.5-percent increase insame-store sales, plus an additional $0.3million generated by one month of oper-ations from a new [Ontario] location,” of-ficials write in a company statement ofthe Canadian locations.For the six-month period, total com-

pany sales grew by 27.2 percent to $267.5million, compared with sales of $210.3million for the same period of 2012.“The $57.2-million increase was due

largely to sales generated from 24 newsingle locations and multi-location ac-quisitions, including the first month ofoperations for the newly acquired

BrockBulbuck


A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S

Groups Agree on One Certification ProgramThe Auto Glass Safety Council, the Independent Glass Association and the Na-

tional Windshield Repair Association have signed an agreement consolidatingthe industry’s technician certification program into one each for repair and onefor replacement.Effective October 1, the Independent Glass Association’s auto glass re-

placement technician certification program has been absorbed into the AutoGlass Safety Council’s program. Its repair certification program has becomepart of the National Windshield Repair Association Repair Technician’s program.IGA members are grandfathered into the program and receive discounted ratesat renewal time.

“It made sense to have one robust certification programfor the industry and to have AGSC administer it for replace-ment,” said Matt Bailey, IGA president. “NWRA will do thesame for repair. It’s one more way in which the industry’smain groups are cooperating with each other and recogniz-ing individuals who do work properly.”“We are pleased that IGA’s certified technicians will now

become AGSC-certified as well,” said AGSC education co-chair Jeff Olive. “It is important that theindustry have one repository for certifica-

tion testing and records.”“We are delighted as well,” said Dave Casey, chair of NWRA’s

education committee. “AGSC and NWRA have had reciprocal cer-tification agreements in place for quite a while. It will benefitthe industry to include IGA as well.”The program changes took effect October 1.Bailey said IGA members will receive a fact sheet about the

changes as their certification comes up for renewal.

David Casey

JeffOlive

C O M P A N Y N E W S






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www.agrrmag.com November/December 2013 AGRR 11

Glass America business, which com-bined contributed $47.7 million,” offi-cials write in the company statement.

“Same-store sales increased by 4.7percent, adding another $9.6 million ofincremental sales,” they add.

In the U.S., sales were $228.5 million,up $54.9 million or 6.2 percent over thesame six-month period in 2012.

“Increased sales resulted primarilyfrom $36.1 million of new sales frommulti-location acquisitions, includingGlass America, $11.2 million of newsales from 23 new single locations and$7.7 million from 4.5 percent same-store sales growth,” officials say.

Sales were also up $1.8 millionthanks to the strengthening U.S. dol-lar but offset by $1.9 million in lostsales due to the closure of three un-derperforming facilities in 2012, ac-cording to officials.

For Canada, sales came in at $39.0million, up $2.3 million or 6.2 percentyear-over-year. Management said thesix-month sales increase was driven bysame-store sales growth of $2.0 millionor 5.4 percent, with the addition of $0.3million, which represents one monthof sales from the new Ontario location.

“The addition of ten new single-store locations in the first half of thisyear, including an entry into a newmarket with our Ontario location andthe acquisition of Glass America,demonstrate our continuing commit-ment to grow through accretive acqui-sitions,” says Bulbuck.

“We will also continue this momen-tum and maintain our annual target of6 percent to 10 percent growth throughsingle-location additions in existingand adjacent markets,” he adds.

F I N A N C I A L N E W S

D’Ieteren Credits Cold Weather for Belron GrowthBelron’s parent company D`Ieteren reported that Belron’s worldwide sales grew by

5.8 percent to $1,950.06 million USD (1,472.3 million Euros) largely due to the pos-itive impact of colder winter weather.

D’Ieteren points out that Belron’s growth included an upswing of 5.4 percent or-ganic and 2.7 percent from acquisitions, offset by a negative currency impact of 1.2percent and 1.1 percent from fewer trading days.

Belron’s repair and replacement jobs increased by 3.1 percent to 5.6 million jobs,according to D’Ieteren.

European sales were up by 9.9 percent, including an increase in organic sales of8.7 percent and acquisition growth 3.2 percent. The company reports Belron ac-quired ADR in the United Kingdom in the second half of 2012 and Doctor Glass inItaly during the first half of 2013, which bolstered results. The European segment ofBelron saw a negative currency impact of 0.9 percent and a negative impact of 1.1percent due to fewer trading days.

“Outside of Europe, sales increased by 1.4 percent, comprising an organicsales increase of 1.9 percent—despite tougher market conditions in Canadaand Australia—a positive 2.2-percent impact due to acquisitions in the U.S.and Canada, partially offset by a negative currently impact of 1.7 percent dueto the weaker Brazilian Real and an adverse trading days impact of 1 per-cent,” officials write in the statement.

“Sales for the period benefited from the colder winter weather comparedwith 2012, together with additional marketing campaigns in several countries,although this was partially offset by organic market declines,” officials added.

Specific numbers were not provided for Belron’s U.S. operations.Belron’s operating result was $128.9 million USD (97.3 million in Euros), compared

to $123.2 million USD (93.0 million in Euros) in the previous year.“The outlook for the remainder of the year remains challenging with continuing

pressure expected from the economic conditions and the reduced benefit of the win-ter weather,” officials write in the statement.

The company also noted that Belron’s net financial debt for vehicle glassdecreased to $957.5 million USD (717.9 million in Euros) in June 2013 from$1,062.3 million USD (796.5 million in Euros) in June 2012.

Though sales in the auto glass repair and replacement business are up forBelron, D’Ieteren reported a decrease in its auto distribution business of 7.2percent year-over-year, attributing the decrease largely to a reduction indealer inventories.

Overall, D’Ieteren officials predict annual results to be down 10 to 15 percent.“Given the current outlook of its activities as well as the uncertain eco-

nomic environment, D’Ieteren still expects its 2013 current consolidated re-sult before tax, group’s share, to decline by 10 to 15 percent compared with2012,” officials write in the statement. �





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Though many turned out tocompete in the NordGlass AutoGlass Technician Olympics andGlasWeld Windshield RepairOlympics in honor of Walt Gormanand fared well, only two walked away with the gold medalsand checks for $10,000.

Kale and Top Competitors in the AGTO The auto glass replacement technician goldmedalist was

Danny Kale. Kale, 33, is the location manager at Glassproin Summerville, S.C. He has more than 15 years of experi-ence in the industry and lives in Summerville, S.C., with histwo children, Bentley and Michael.

It feels “outstanding” to be the winner, Kale said. “It’s adream come true.”

He has been talking with a local jeweler about designing hisgirlfriend an engagement ring with the $10,000 winnings.

“She knows the ring is coming, she’s just not sure when,”he said with a grin.

Kale has come full circle. He began his career withGlasspro at the age of 18. He spent about a year with thecompany and then moved on to gain more experience.After spending some time with other companies, Kale re-turned to the South Carolina company.

“I rejoined Glasspro in January 2013 as a technician inthe Mouth Pleasant, S.C., area,” he said. “I was there forabout six months when they made several personnelmoves. I then became a location manager for Summerville,

S.C., and the company decidedto enter me as a competitor.”Kale says he gained experienced

competing at private company com-petitions and by serving as a regional

judge for technician competitions. “This gave me more experience and confidence in how

the competitions worked,” Kale said. He also read “The Complete Guide to Auto Glass Instal-

lation—A Textbook.” “This gave me a lot of details as to what the judges were

looking for,” Kale pointed out.For other replacement technicians contemplating com-

petition, Kale advised them “not to rush their training.” “A lot of guys get a little too eager,” he said. “Take the time

to learn from experienced technicians. And as a far as com-petitions, don’t dive in too quickly. Stay calm and really focuson what you do on a daily basis. It’s easy to lose your cool andget overwhelmed if there is a complication. It’s hard to recoverfrom a small mistake. So my biggest focus when competing isto remain calm and just do what I do everyday.”

Will Kale be back at Auto Glass Week™ 2014? “Defi-nitely,” he said.

Joe Estrada, 46, won the silver medal in the competition.He is an auto glass technician and trainer at Estrada’s Car Glassin San Antonio, Texas. He has 29 years of experience, and heand his wife, Tally, have three children, Leah, Seth and Evan.

“What I really took away from the competition was theimportance of the friendships and experiences you come

Golden Boys Danny Kale and Braulio Lopez

Carry the Gold in the AGRR IndustryBy Jenna Reed

Gold medalist Danny Kale working on a backlite. Joe Estrada shows his concentration during competition.





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awaywith,” Estrada said. “These are profound andwill staywith you forever. The advice that people in the industry areso willing to provide is truly amazing. This is what makesthe competition worthwhile.”Estradawas also honoredwith the Ingenuity Award for a

reconfigured razor blade holder he used to scrape thepinchweld during the replacement process.“I always like to tinker with different things. I made a tool

to hold a plain, single-edge razor blade. It’s durable andstrong and has less potential to harm the user. It’s pretty in-expensive. I’ve been using this tool a few years and I amgrateful for the recognition.” Estrada said. “It’s nice when techs can share a tool such as this with

the whole industry,” added Jeff Olive, an AGTO judge whohimself was the first gold medalist.

Zhanchang Huo, 41, took third place. He is first Chinesemedalist and a technician at Beijing Zhengmei Fengye Au-tomobile Services Co. Ltd. in Beijing, China. Huo has morethan 24 years of experience in the industry. Huo was a sec-ond place winner in China’s first auto glass repair skill com-petition. Huo and his wife, Shuhua Ji, have one child namedKunliang. He enjoys billiards in his spare time.“As a competitor, besides the toughness of the competi-

tion, I’m impressed by the new installing equipments and theprofessional skills of my foreign counterparts, which makeme realize my advantages and disadvantages. I will share allmy experience with my Chinese co-workers,” said Huo.“This is my first time in the United States. Your beautiful

country is clean and neat. I enjoyed staying here very much. Ihope to be back again. I gained a lot from this trip,” he added.“He did quite well in the preliminaries and made it into

the finals,” said Olive. “I hope this opens up the competi-

tion to even more international competitors.” The judges for the AGTO included Olive, Bob Beranek of

Automotive Glass Consultants, Bruce Gates of Gates Broth-ers Glass Shops and Rick Maciel of Techna Glass. “We changed things up a bit this year and surprised the

competitors with a backlite removal and reinstallation,” Olivesaid. “These are top technicians and they proved this in thepreliminary heats. Not one tech damaged the glass to thepoint it could not be reinstalled. The backlite can prove to bemore complicated than removing the windshield.“For the finals we had the competitors do a windshield

replacement,” he added. “The windshield had a rain-sen-sor system that needed to be disconnected, reconnectedand reinstalled with the windshield. The techs showed theirskill level by completing what was expected. The cama-raderie of the technicians and their sportsmanship reallyshowed through.”“The AGTO judging came down to seconds,” said Be-

ranek. “There was a tie in the score and two winners fin-ished within seconds of one another. It is a heartbreakingdevelopment, but there are rules for a reason.”

Lopez and Top Competitors in the WRO Thewinner of the GlasWeldWindshield Repair Olympics

was Braulio Lopez. Lopez, 39, is a technician at Repair andGo – Espana S.L. from Luga-Galicia, Spain. He has morethan 15 years of experience in the industry and won the2011 GlasWeld repair competition in Spain. He and his wife,Araceli, have two children, Laura and Alex. “I am super excited. It’s my fourth year competing and I


Braulio Lopez walks away with a $10,000 check for repair. Danny Kale takes home trophy for replacement.

Zhanchang Huo at work during competition. Braulio Lopez gives a big grin when named as a repair finalist.

continued on page 14





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just can’t believe I won,” said Lopezwith a big grinwhen re-ceiving the trophy and check. “I’m going to invest themoney so I can come again next year.”For others in the industry, especially those just starting

out, Lopez had some good suggestions.“My advice to thosewho are getting started in this sector

is to always be honest, get trained fully, dedicate all the timethat is needed, as repairing windshields seems easy but itisn’t always,” he added. “It requires a lot of time, hard workand effort. It’s also very important to invest in really goodequipment like GlasWeld kits.“To those who want to compete, I would advise them to

study well the Repair of Automotive Glass Standard™ (RO-LAGS). Compete the way you would do repair in your every daylife with real customers,” he continued. “And, even if you donot manage to be among the finalists, keep trying every year, as

the competition really helps to improve your daily work. Also,by competing you can observe all of the great work and tech-niques used by other contestants and learn from them.”

Chris Smith, 25, won the silver medal for repair. He is thestore manager for Techna Glass in Salt Lake City, Utah. Smithhas five years in the industry and has an impressive list ofcredentials. He was named the 2013 Techna Glass RepairOlympics champion, the 2012 Techna Glass Repair Olympicssilver medalist and the 2012 Walt Gorman Memorial Wind-shield Repair Olympics silver medalist and the 2011 WRObronze medalist. He and his wife, Kate, have one child,Cooper Bradshaw, and in his spare time, he enjoys watchingfootball, fishing and spending time with his family.

Greg Hamiltonwon the bronze medal. He is an auto glassinstaller for Hamilton Auto Glass Group in Charleston, S.C. Hehas more than 15 years of experience in the industry and is anAGSC™ certified technician. He placed fifth in the 2010 WaltGorman Memorial Windshield Repair Olympics and first in2009. Hamilton and his wife, Debra, have one child, Alani. Heenjoys fishing, flea markets and eBay trading.

The judges for the repair competition include Jay Bick-ford of Novus Glass, Korey Gobin of Delta Kits, FrankLevesque of Glass Doctor and Cindy Rowe, retired owner ofCindy Rowe Auto Glass. “The 2013 competition this year was one of the most chal-

lenging events due to the high standards and quality of ourcompetitors,” said Levesque. “The judges were all in agree-ment that the quality of the repairs gets better every year.” “Some really good repair technicians turned out for the

competition,” added Rowe. “I really enjoyed it. Watching thetechs made me want to do a repair again.” �

Ray Asbery Innovation Award WinnerTravis Crebs, 38, of Techna Glass in West Jordan, Utah, was

awarded the Ray Asbery Innovation Award for his moulding mi-tering tool. The award is in honor Asbery, who founded Equal-izer and developed many innovative tools throughout hisindustry career and held more than 20 patents in 15 countries.

“I am truly honored by this award and I really enjoy whatI do,” said Crebs. “It’s primarily a multi-angle finder tool thatcan be mounted to a ‘self-healing’ cutting mat. The tool is de-tachable and can be used to measure the exact angle at thecorners of a glass part. By simply dividing that measurementin half, the tool can be adjusted to the angle at which themoulding ends need to be cut. For example, if there is a cor-ner with an 84-degree angle, the moulding ends will need tobe cut at 42 degrees.

“This tool makes the often frustrating task of cutting a uni-versal moulding to fit like an OE moulding easy,” Crebs explained.

“Travis made quite a simple tool that was adapted to get aperfect match in the moulding. We’re always looking for newtools that techs may be using in day-to-day work that mightbe useful,” said Judge Jeff Olive.

Crebs was a competitor in the NordGlass Auto Glass Tech-nician Olympics.

He is the store manager for Techna Glass in Taylorsville,Utah, and has 19 years of experience in the industry.

Crebs and his wife, Kristi, have three children, Abby, Chloeand Shianne.

Recognizing Crebs accomplishments, Troy Mason, presidentof Techna Glass, said, “We are excited to win our third straightInnovation Award. Ray Asbery did a great deal for our indus-try and it means a lot for one of our employees to win theaward named in his honor. Innovation is something that wetake great pride in at Techna Glass and Travis Crebs is alwayslooking for ways to improve the quality of his replacements aswell as the installs of the entire company.”

Chris Smith accepts silver in repair from Glasweld’sShiloh Spoo.

Greg Hamilton focuses on his repair work.

continuedfrom page 13

Golden Boys





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NWRA Inaugurates Annual AwardThe National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA)

presented its first ever award to someone who “exemplifiesa commitment to repair”—Dave Taylor, a founding mem-ber of the NWRA and retired chief operating officer of CindyRowe Auto Glass in Pennsylvania, which was sold to Safelitein 2008.

Richard Campfield, NWRA president, presented Taylorwith this special honor, saying, “It’s my honor to both pres-ent this award and to name this award after our honoreetoday, Dave Taylor.”

Taylor played a big role in founding the NWRA and in theadvancement of repair as a “viable, standalone businessmodel.”

“Together with his wife, Cindy Rowe, who had created arepair company, they branched out into replacement andbecame the dominate player, bar none, in the Harrisburg,Pa., through the Baltimore corridor,” he explained.

“Dave has always had the gift of foresight,” said Rowe.“He could see down the road as to what challenges mightcome up and pinpoint solutions.”

Rowe was running a one-location repair-only companywhen she met Taylor. They married in 1985 and grew thecompany together.

“Dave was a visionary in terms of repair and what itcould do,” said Campfield. “He also understood the tremen-dous advantages for repair and also the threats to it. He,along with several others, including me, came together to

create the National Windshield Repair Association. At thattime, windshield repair was under attack on several fronts.Dave worked tirelessly to form an association, educate peo-ple and professionalize the repair industry.”

Taylor served as the group’s first president for manyyears. And when the NWRA needed funding, Campfieldsaid Taylor stepped up to the plate, providing this moneyalong with staffing and other assistance.

“Now the NWRA, with its ROLAGS™ Standard, robust re-pair technician certification program and more, would notexist without the work of visionaries such as Dave Taylor,”Campfield stressed.

“Taylor is a master at deciphering the real motives andthat ultimate end of the story,” said Dave Casey, vice pres-ident of the NWRA. “He is always willing to share his in-sight and wisdom. He has always given his time to anymember of the industry who asked for it. From the tini-est windshield repair company to the president of thebiggest replacement company, Dave was there with thebest advice.”

Taylor gave a big thank you for receiving the award andsaid much of the credit should go to the other early mem-bers of the NWRA as well.

“I am very honored,” Taylor said. “We—Cindy and I—hada really good time seeing people we haven’t seen for quite awhile. We enjoyed rubbing elbows with old friends.”

Industry Veterans HonoredTwo Long-Time

at Auto Glass Week


™ Above: Carl Tompkins, left, providesthe award that is his namesake to BillIves as Ives’ wife Virginia looks on.Right: NWRA president Rich Campfieldcongratulates Dave Taylor. Dave Taylor proudly accepts award from Rich Campfield.





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VeteransHonored

Longtime Counsel for AGSC Honoredwith Tompkins AwardWilliam Ives, who is an avid fan ofWinstonChurchill and

a longtime attorney for the Auto Glass Safety Council™, washonored with the Carl F. Tompkins Award for Excellence bythe AGSC in a special ceremony at Auto Glass Week™. Carl Tompkins, the global marketing resources manager

for Sika Corp., and the gentleman for whom the award isnamed, made the presentation. “This award, which I am honored to have named after

me, is not presented lightly by the AGSC. It is awarded forexcellence and achievement in the field of auto glasssafety,” said Tompkins. “It is the highest honor that we canbestow. … In fact, it would not be a stretch to say that with-out today’s award winner, there would be no AGSC and nocontinued spotlight on auto glass safety.”Ives was born and grew up in Southern Illinois and stud-

ied political science and history at Knox College. “As a college newspaper editor, he even spent three weeks in

the former Soviet Union at the height of the cold war at a timewhen it was rare to travel to that country,” Tompkins explained.Ives went on to spend some of his early years in the mili-

tary in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps in Germany. A graduate of Harvard Law, Ives has had a distinguished

career as a partner in a large Chicago law firm before“quasi-retiring” to North Carolina in 2005. Ives and his wife, Virginia, met when she was a flight atten-

dant on a flight from Guam to Singapore. They married in 1980. “They enjoy spending time with their children and seven

grandchildren,” Tompkins said. In fact, his wife helped behind the scenes with the award

and was hiding in the audience to surprise her husbandwhen he received it. Ives broke out in a huge smile when his wife sur-

prised him on stage during the ceremony. “In 2000, Bill signed on to work for a small, fledging

start up not-for-profit and did all the work to create theorganization and keep it focused on safety,” Tompkinssaid. “As many of you know, AGSC, then known as theAGRSS Council, had many challenges and many indi-viduals and some groups working against it. Some did-n’t understand our purpose; others did understand anddeemed it a threat to their own group. Bill navigated usthrough all this expertly, always with an understated,guiding hand.” Ives was so supportive that he was not paid for many

years and didn’t seem to mind, according to Tompkins. “He said at the time that he thought we were working

for a good cause and had a dedicated group of people andthat he felt we would make it,” he said. “In fact, when Billretired, he actually bought the debt AGSC owed him backfrom his firm and took the risk on personally. In 2010, wewere able to finally pay off that decade-old organizationdebt.” Tompkins said Ives is being honored not only for help-

ing the AGSC gain its footing, but also for making “the en-tire auto glass industry safer and more professional.”Responding to the award, Ives said, "I was deeply touched

since honors like this are rarely bestowed on lawyers andCarl really outdid himself delivering his gracious remarks.“Congratulations to all those who conspired to keep this

a secret. You certainly did. I was totally surprised but so ap-preciative,” he added. �

continued from page 15

Dave Taylor gives his thanks for the award.


Bill Ives, with his wife by his side, was honored in anemotional ceremony.





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The optimismwas palpable during AutoGlassWeek™2013 as attendees networked and bulked up on asmany educational opportunities as they could dur-

ing the three-day span. From keynote speakers to the repairand replacement competitions to association meetings, ed-ucation took the spotlight in a big way.

Attendees, vendors and exhibitors flocked to hear an in-spiring tale from Richard Picciotto, the highest ranking fire-fighter to survive the September 11, 2001 attacks on theWorld Trade Center. Jim Abbott, a professional baseball

player born without a hand, also drew a big crowd. Andabove all—safety and service remained top of mind formany of those in attendance with many sessions focusingon just these topics.

From increasing a company’s net promoter score to mar-keting big on a small budget, there were plenty of coursesfor attendees to choose from and choose they did—inrecord numbers.

at Auto Glass Week By Jenna Reed

Education in the Limelight


™

A record number of attendees turned out for Auto Glass Week 2013





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Education Takes Center Stageat AGSC Board Meeting

The Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC) Board of Di-rectors came together at the start of Auto Glass Week™2013 and a key focus on their agenda was adding the op-tion of continuing education for technicians seeking re-certification.

Jeff Olive, technical training manager for Glasspro, andDale Malcolm, technical manager for Dow Automotive Sys-tems’ aftermarket division, who co-chairs the AGSC Ed-ucation Committee, proposed offering technicians achance to earn 18 credits in continuing education toqualify for recertification instead of renewing by takingthe certification exam. Technicians would have threeyears to gain these credits and can only earn 12 creditsin a year’s time. Continuing education would take theplace of retaking the exam. However, taking the test to re-certify would remain an option.

“We would rather technicians recertify through training,”said Olive. “They must have originally passed the test toqualify. After three years they must retake or pass test againor, as we propose, they can recertify through continuingcredits. … We would like to get the board’s approval on this.”

Training offered by adhesive manufacturers would bejust one example of what a continuing education coursecould entail. The AGSC Education Committee is looking toput general recertification guidelines in place and thenhopes industry professionals will submit proposals for con-tinuing education courses that could qualify.

Olive and Malcolm suggested that technicians be re-quired to retain certificates for each training course theycomplete and send these into the AGSC Education Com-mittee as proof of that the continuing education require-ments were met for recertification. The committee is stillfinalizing how the AGSC will keep records.

After some discussion, the proposal was approved by theboard.

ROLAGS™ Committee toFocus on Marketing Efforts

ARepair of Laminated AutoGlass Standards (ROLAGS™)Committee meeting was held at Auto Glass Week™ as well.Members of the committee met to discuss both subcom-

Kathy Bimber, registered company manager for AGSC,chats with attendees.

The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina servedas the beautiful venue for the event.

“We would rather techniciansrecert i fy through training.They must have or iginal lypassed the test to qual i fy.

After three years they mustretake or pass test again or, aswe propose, they can recert i fythrough continuing credits. …

We would l ike to get theboard ’s approval on this.”

—Jeff Ol ive,co-chair,

AGSC education committee







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mittees and old and new business, focusing on marketingefforts. The committee discussed creatingmarketing piecesfor members, as well as what would be the best way to goabout creating and disseminating those materials.

Theprimary concernwas how to effectively showcase thevalue of the program and how it distinguishes technicians.

Refining the evolving standard’s marketability was an-other point of concern.

“Whether we like it or not, repair and replacement arejoined now,” said Beveridge. “It’s apples and oranges, thedifference between the risks for replacement and repair.”

The committee also considered the idea of having a mar-keting program that touts the reliability of certified techni-cians who have received a background check and have nofelonies.

As a result of the conversation, a motion was passed totry and brand such a program.

Auto Glass Week™ Panel Focuseson Quality and Safety Issues

A bit later in the event, the leaders of several industrygroups gathered for a panel to discuss their efforts to ad-vance quality and safety issues in the industry.

There has never been a more challenging time in theauto glass business, according to the officials. Speakersincluded Beveridge of Novus, Bob Beranek of Auto GlassConsultants, Mika Eronen of Safety Glass Experts Inter-national and Olive of Glasspro. David Rohlfing, presi-dent of Windshield Centers, served as moderator and

Richard Campfield spoke in his role as president of theNWRA.

Campfield touched on some top tips to keep in mindwhile repairing auto glass.

“Our job is to bond that glass together and make itlook good,” he said. “You must overfill to compensate forshrinkage and to produce and keep a mechanical bondto the PVB.”

Resin shrinkage and surface tension can be avoided bycuring while the resin is under pressure, he said.

Beveridge took the podium next and said, “We want re-pair to have good appearance for customer satisfaction.

ROLAGS was updated in 2012 and those updates will beaccepted by ANSI soon, Beveridge highlighted.

“We’ve added a requirement for temperature cycling,” hepointed out. He gave the example of someone living upNorth who cranks up their defroster as soon as they get inthe car. The resin and the glass will heat differently and sothis is something that needs to be kept in mind.

Next up, Beranek, speaking on behalf of the Auto GlassSafety Council’s (AGSC) Standards Committee, which hechairs, touched on the current Auto Glass Replacement SafetyStandard (AGRSS®) and the changes beingmade to it.

The AGSC is giving new auto glass companies that jointhe organization the opportunity to be compliant from dayone even though they do not yet have three years of records,he noted.

Safety Glass Experts International’s Eronen talked aboutwindshield fabrication.

“Windshield manufacturers are facing challenges as thevehicle designers and car makers aim to improve the fol-lowing properties: Safety, aerodynamics and efficiency,driving comfort and aesthetics,” Eronen said.

He added that OE equivalent is not the same as OE. Theaudience responded with nodding laughs. Eronen be-


Mike Eronen, Safety Glass Experts International,touches on some key points about safety.





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lieves OE is the better quality choice and stressed this inhis presentation.

He concluded by saying that there will be one global har-monization standard by the end of the decade that is cur-rently in process.

What Are Net Promoter Scoresand How Can They Help?

Steve Baxter, senior vice president of worldwide sales forSatmetrix, says net promoter scores can clue in a companyto what others think of your business.

“We all know it costs a lot more money to get a new cus-tomer than to keep an existing customer,” he said.

“Eight years I’ve been doing this net promoter thing andI love it. It works. It levels the playing field. … It’s designedto give you some perspective from the outside world andwhat others think about your business,” Baxter explained.

“Easy measurements of loyalty can sometimes be mis-leading,” he added. “True loyalty is would you make thesame decision in the presence of another choice? … Ninetypercent of companies think they give superior customerservice. Some do not.”

When a company starts working on driving up loyalty,the benefits can be tremendous.

“The people who are good at loyalty grow two and a halftimes faster than the average,” Baxter said.

Four key loyalty behaviors include repurchase, buyingadditional lines, making referrals and giving constructivefeedback, Baxter pointed out.

“Getting out there and finding out through the lens of thecustomer what they think about you can drive growth,” hesaid. “… Customer loyalty starts with employees. Are you

paying them right? When they show up are they cheerlead-ers for your business?”

He touched on what goes into the net promoter score.“On a scale of zero to 10 how likely are you to refer a

friend,” Baxter asks? “It’s questions like these that decidethe net promoter score. If you have 50 percent, which arepromoters (referring your business to others) but 50 per-cent are detractors than your score is zero.

“It takes seven positive statements to undo one nega-tive,” he said. “… A good score, equaling best in class isabout 70. This is world-class.”

How Can an Auto Glass CompanyMarket Big on a Small Budget?

Even a small auto glass company can findmarketing suc-cess on a small budget, according to Rodger Pickett, formervice president of customer service for Safelite AutoGlass,and former vice president, general manager and minorityowner in Cindy Rowe Auto Glass. (Safelite’s parent companyacquired Cindy Rowe Auto Glass.) The key to marketingsuccess is “thinking big,” said Pickett, during his presenta-tion at Auto Glass Week™.

“You can market successfully however big or small youare and in whatever market you’re in,” he said. “You can belittle and look big. … Maybe the biggest thing to think aboutrunning your advertising is creating a brand. Brands needto be meaningful and they need to be memorable in orderto be effective.”

Roger Pickett, formerly of Cindy Rowe Auto Glass talkedabout marketing with Auto Glass Week attendees.

“ You c a n ma r ke t s u c c e s s f u l l yh oweve r b i g o r sma l l yo u a reand i n wha t eve r ma r ke tyou ’ r e i n . You c a n b e l i t t l ea nd l o o k b i g . M a ybe t h eb i g g e s t t h i n g t o t h i n k a bou tr unn i n g you r a d ve r t i s i n g i sc r e a t i n g a b ra nd . B ra nd sneed t o b e mean i n g f u l a n dt h ey n e ed t o b e memo rab l ei n o rd e r t o b e e f f e c t i ve . ”

—Rodge r P i c ke t t , f o rme r l y o f

C i n d y R owe Au t o G l a s s








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In an emotional presentation FDNY Chief Richard Pic-ciotto, the highest-ranking firefighter to survive the Sep-tember 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center,

shared his harrowing tale of the infamous day during a spe-cial keynote at Auto Glass Week™.

He was in the North Tower on the 35th floor when the build-ings began to fall.

“Some of the things I knew about the building: I knew thefloor area of each building was an acre,” he said. “The two build-ings were a total of 200 floor acres. There were 99 elevators ineach tower … There were three stairwells … All of the eleva-tors were out of service.”

“When I got down there, it was horrendous what I saw. Notonly that, but what I heard.” Picciotto slapped the table tomimic the sounds of the victims of the attack, falling from thebuilding. He told the audience the first firefighter to die in theattacks died from someone falling on him.

After making his way up through the building, Picciotto saidhe was stopped by a terrifying noise and sensation.

“I get up to the 35th floor and step out in the hallway … allof a sudden, the building starts shaking really loudly, shakingand banging and I don’t know what’s going on … I’m prettysure everyone did what I did—we froze because no one knowswhat’s going on. There’s something coming down. I could feel;I could hear it. That bang and that noise was literally goingright through my body. Banging and shaking … then itstopped,” he said. “There’s an expression: the silence was deaf-ening. You could hear a pin drop … because everyone in thatbuilding did what I did—we froze. Everyone is looking to me be-cause I’m chief, as though I should know what that was.”

Picciotto said it was then he received confirmation and re-ports this was a terrorist attack. In his mind, he knew he hadto work to save lives before any more of the buildings fell underfire.

“I gave the order to evacuate,” Picciotto said. “That meansthe rescue workers get out. It was the toughest order I’ve evergiven in my life, because I knew that meant the people on thetop floors didn’t stand a chance … when I gave the order toevacuate, the North Tower had been burning for an hour … itwasn’t likely many of the people on those top floors were alive,and those who still were, we weren’t going to be able to help.

“I want to be out of the building so badly; I know it’s com-ing down. Then I hear the noise and feel the rumble again …The building is literally coming down and falling apart. As itcomes down it’s flattening the level above it,” he said. “It tookthe South Tower ten seconds to come down. It took the NorthTower eight seconds.”

As the tower fell, Picciotto said he saw what was most im-portant to him.

“What do you do in what you think is going to be the lasteight seconds of your life. People say your life flashes beforeyour eyes. That’s what happened to me. I saw my family. Then

I prayed … I never prayed so hard in my life. I prayed what Iwanted too much: I didn’t want to suffer. ‘Please God, make itquick.’ Then the floor I’m standing on disintegrates and I’m free-falling in blackness,” he said. “Black. Silence. Still. ‘Well, I guessI’m dead now,’ I thought. It was the loudest and most violentthing anyone has probably ever experienced, and then silenceand blackness.”

After realizing he was still alive, Picciotto said he felt him-self covered in thick amounts of dust.

“I was covered in the ash, like a grey talcum powder … of1,000 people, we couldn’t find a single fingernail or piece ofDNA; it was all this grey talcum powder,” he explained.

Picciotto said he told people not to move, because he un-derstood the building had collapsed.

“A friend from Queens heard what had happened and camedown with a radio and I was able to get in contact with him …he said he would get some guys to try and find me. I asked himnot to leave my frequency so we stayed in contact,” he said. “Iremember I have my bullhorn so I speak over it to try and helpthem find us … this goes on for a couple of hours and theycan’t hear me. There’s 100 to 200 feet of debris on me.

“You have to hand dig … around this time I’m also gettingvery tired and lethargic. I think I’m just going to close my eyesand take a nap. I realize I’m asphyxiating. It wasn’t a very badthought, it was better than wondering how long I’d have to gowithout eating or drinking … then just above me something isturning a dark grey out of the black. I could be hallucinatingfrom the lack of oxygen, but I’m pretty sure I see it. I call outand some of the other guys see it … All of the smoke mixed withthe dust and obscured all of lower Manhattan and that’s why wehadn’t been able to see the light,” he said.

“After another hour or two, I decide to tell everyone to staywhere they are and I’m going to climb up to this light. Then I’mout and I’m on top of the largest debris field there … I madesure other fireman knew where everyone was then they put mein an ambulance and took me to the hospital,” he continued.

He concluded by saying, “Also, if you remember 12 years agowhat was this country like? We treated each other more kindly.We stood together as Americans. Are we still close that way?”

‘Are We Still Close that Way?’ Richard Picciotto Shares His Story





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Before branding a business, Pickett said it is vital tobuild a base of happy customers. Branding is unlikely towork well without this base. A way to build a happy cus-tomer base is by taking care of employees. By payingthem well and ensuring they are happy, they will go theadded mile to help customers, he added.“We want employees to feel valued, safe, balanced and

loved,” he said.Ultimately, he said there are five keys to successful

marketing:—Offer a value-based business, meaning make sure yourcustomer know what makes your business unique fromcompetitors;

—Have content employees, meaning pay them well andeven consider giving them health benefits;

—Ensure your customers are wildly satisfied by con-stantly seeking feedback;

—Promote a meaning and memorable brand by findingunique ways to make your business stand out throughmarketing such a spokesperson; and

—Mobilize the customers by getting them to think of yourcompany first when they need work done.

Panning for Gold through DiversificationDiversifying your business canmean big results for your

bottom line, according to a panel of speakers who dis-cussed this topic during a session called “Brown Bag Lunch:Panning for Gold.” The panelists included Matt Bailey, owner of 20/20 Auto

Glass; Scott Miller, president of Miller Restoration andTrue Blue Auto Glass; Rick Rosar, president of Rapid AutoGlass; and Bryan Yarborough, president of Glass Doctorof Tampa Bay. The speakers encouraged auto glass company owners to

consider adding paintless dent repair, headlamp recondi-tioning, vehicle recondition and more to help bolster acompany’s bottom line.

Anti-Steering Strategies Take Center StageOne of the top industry issues—steering—was also tack-

led during the event. Matt Bailey of 20/20 Auto Glass; KristyBarrows, partner at Amorginos & Barrows, PA.; and CharlesIsaly, owner of Auto Glass America LLC, offered some keystrategies for handling this business challenge. Gary Hart,executive director for the Independent Glass Association,moderated the panel. “We tell our customer service representatives (CSR)

that it’s a theater and they’re on stage [when they talk tothe customer and call through to the insurance companyor third-party administrator with the customer],” ex-plained Isaly.

“Be intuit ive and charming.Your CSRs need to read the

temperature f rom the get-go.Let the customer know whatthey are going to hear when

you ta lk to the insurancecompany. By the t ime the CSR

makes the cal l to [to theinsurance company or TPA] theCSR and the customer shouldbe fr iends. Make the wholeconversat ion as pleasant as

possible. Provide a scr ipt foryour CSR, but a l low them to go

off i t as much as possible.”—Charles Isaly, Auto Glass America







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“Be intuitive and charming,” he recommended. “YourCSRs need to read the temperature from the get-go. Let thecustomer know what they are going to hear when you talkto the insurance company. By the time the CSR makes thecall [to the insurance company or TPA] the CSR and cus-tomer should be friends. Make the whole conversation aspleasant as possible. Provide a script for your CSR, but allowthem to go off it as much as possible.”

“The CSR should tell the TPA that the auto glass com-pany is agreeing to charge within the insurance contractparameters,” Barrow pointed out. “… I wouldn’t recom-mend jumping off of every network [to avoid shortpays].”

Customer education is the first part of the process, shestressed.

“You want to educate the customer about your ratesand why you charge what you do, as well as the insurancecompany, too,” she added. “If your staff understands whythis is important it will help in the long run. You need toput people on the frontlines who are committed to theprocess and build relationships with customers.”

Bailey agreed with much of what Barrows and Isaly said. Hart added that it’s important for auto glass company

owners to know the law in their state. For full coverage of Auto Glass Week, including on-site

newscasts, visit glassBYTEs.com.

�Jenna Reed is the editor of AGRR™ magazine/glassBYTEs.com™.Follow her on LinkedIn at Jenna Reed, follow her on Twitter

@agrrmagazine and like AGRR magazine on Facebook to receive thelatest updates. —Casey Neeley contributed to this article.


Abbott Talks about Overcoming Obstacles

In another special keynote sessionJim Abbott, a professional baseballplayer and motivational speaker, saysthe key to overcoming life’s hurdles isthe ability to adapt.

He had a word for each letter ofadapt—Adjustability, determination,accountability, persistence and trust.

“Being born this way and growing upthis way [without a hand], I knew howto be different,” Abbott said.

He was born September 19, 1967, in Flint, Mich., withouta right hand. He went on to become an all-American hurler atthe University of Michigan, won the Sullivan Award in 1987,and was the pitcher for the Gold Medal Olympic Team in 1988.He spent 10 seasons playing for four different teams and threwa 4-0 no-hitter for the New York Yankees versus Cleveland(September 4, 1993).

“What is it that I took away from the game?” Abbottasked. “What can I share with you today? It’s our abilityto adapt. … Great challenge can come with great successand greater challenges and pressure. … What are yougoing to do about challenges?”

Optimism is key, according to Abbott. By making smallchanges, he found ways to do things that came easily to oth-ers, such as the football snap. He took a moment to show at-tendees how he quickly flips the glove from one arm to otherto catch and throw the ball, using his good hand to do both.

“I was doing what I wanted to do and I learned to fit in. Ihad great people who taught me,” Abbott pointed out. “Whenyou do things differently and step out there is bound to bepessimism. … For everybody who encouraged me there wereothers who doubted me.”

“I believe in mental toughness,” he said. “It can be culti-vated and nurtured.”

“I look back at all those years of playing major league base-ball and what a great time,” Abbott added.

In 1996, he lost 18 games.“I went on a downhill spiral,” he said. “… I was sent down

to the Minor Leagues for the first time.”After getting released, Abbott took about a year off and

then went back into training. He got signed to work for a farmteam in the Minor Leagues and after several promotions andbeing bounced around the country, the Chicago White Sox wel-comed him back to the major leagues.

Abbott said perseverance is vital in life.“My little hand has taught me great lessons and that work

isn’t always easy,” Abbott said. �

Left to right: Kristy Barrows, Matt Bailey and CharlesIsaly discuss anti-steering strategies.






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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR Agood way to drive up profitmargins with a relatively small

investment? Adding on window filmservices could be the answer for yourauto glass company. The profit margins are between 60

and 70 percent, according to auto glasscompanies that offer this service. It takesapproximately two hours for an experi-enced tinter to do a vehicle and a com-pany can add it on by teaming up withan established window film installer andsubletting the business. Once demandfor these services grow, the company canalso look to bring someone in-house.“The profit margins are high and it

leads to a huge cash flow for us,” saysJustin Ellis, owner of Tucson, Ariz.-based Royal Auto Glass & Tint. A roll of film costs about $500, ac-

cording to Jeremiah Penaflor, salesmanager for Thorton, Colo.-basedComplete Auto Glass. A good tinter cando approximately five vehicles with aroll and the company brings in about

$80 to $100 per vehicle, he adds.“Window tinting brings in about an

extra $5,000 a week,” notes Dan Kitt,customer service manager for AutoGlass of San Diego. It takes about two hours for an expe-

rienced window tinter to do a vehicle,points out Chris Robinson, founderand CEO of The Tint Guy—a windowfilm dealer based in Woodstock, Ga.

The FactsRoyal Auto Glass & Tint opened in

September 2009 and added windowfilm services two years later. “Window film has been a big boost

for our business. The bulk of our tintingbusiness is done in our shop,” says Ellis.He says the company gets a lot of

overlap business, in that a customercomes in for tinting and winds up gettingan auto glass repair or replacement later. “It works both ways. People come in

for window tint and while they arehere, we go ahead and replace thewindshield, too. And sometimes we do

the windshield and they see we offertinting. This has been a huge deal forour business. We’re bringing in five toeight cars a day and this is five or eightmore opportunities to talk to peopleabout auto glass as well.”His shop uses 3M window films and

has two full-time tinters. “Absolutely, an auto glass company

should consider adding tinting,” Ellissays. “The return on investment forwindow tint is much quicker than autoglass. But you need to ensure you hirea tried and true tinter. Have them tintsome cars and inspect the quality ofwork. If you don’t, you’ll create a hugeliability for yourself.“A guy having trouble with cash flow

should not add tinting. It takes at least$1,000 or so to buy the film to getstarted,” he cautions.Over in San Diego, Kitt says his com-

pany—Auto Glass of San Diego—haseight employees and three trucks. Whilethey do mobile and in-house auto glassrepair and replacement, window film

Window Film:A Small Investment CouldMean BIG Profit

by J e n n a R e e d





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work is only done in-house.“We opened about seven years ago,”

says Kitt. “We added window film twoyears ago. It brings in an extra $5,000 aweek. This business depends upon thequality of the tint and the quality of theperson doing it. There is a good de-mand in ourmarket for it, especially inthe hot months.”

He says the company has one full-time tinter who has about 12 years ofexperience.

“I’ve got to have the best,” Kitt says.“Our supplier is Llumar and it takes

about 2.5 hours to do an average car,”he adds.

In Colorado, Penaflor says his autoglass company opened about fiveyears ago.

“We’ve been offering tinting for twoyears,” Penaflor explains. “My tinterused to have his own company butcame here and talked us into it. Twobrothers are now doing it. Business hasbeen very good. All of our tint work isdone in-shop. We’ll only make a few ex-ceptions for a body shop or dealership.”

Before a company considersadding tinting to its business, he of-fers some advice.

“Check around for competitor pric-ing,” Penaflor says. “Do not go too low ortoo high. Know your suppliers beforebuying. Some people say they know howto tint and it comes out bad. So makesure you hire someone who knows whatthey are doing because if you do a lot ofwarranty work and it comes out bad,you can lose a lot of money on tinting[though there is big potential for profit].”

Words to the Wisefrom a Film Dealer

Robinson says window film installa-tion is “an easy add on” for most shops.

“By adding window film installationto a current operation it can add enoughrevenue to add a full-time employee orjustify having a retail store location—if acompany is mobile,” he says.

The quickest and easiest way to getwindow film services going is to subletthe business out to an established win-dow film installer, Robinson points out.

“You not only can establish a cus-

tomer base, but you will ensure youhave an experienced installer with fewcustomer complaints. Once a customerbase is established, then possibly traina current employee or hire a full-timeexperienced installer to expand out thisbusiness. This will be justified by theflow of customers,” Robinson says.

When asked if window film shouldbe done in-house or if mobile is okay,Robinson says this is a big debate inthe industry.

“Mobile tinting is popular every-where because of the little cost in-volved, but with a retail store locationbusiness can build upon itself over-time,” he explains. “Customers willknow where to go unlike mobile guyswho are typically in constant search fornew business.

“With a glass shop, I recommend in-house window film installation be-cause you will have a captive audiencefor both glass repair and other after-

market items you might offer, such astinting, headlight repair, windshieldchip repair and more,” he adds.

Ultimately, Robinson says offeringmore than auto glass repair and replace-ment under one roof is a smart idea anda good way to diversify a business.

“I think combining similar servicesand products is a win-win situationand this is especially true with win-dow tinting and glass replacement,”he points out. “The two fit togetherequally well and the customer inmany cases has a need for both serv-ices and this gives the company anopportunity to increase margins byoffering additional services that acompetitor might not.” �

�Jenna Reed is the editor of AGRR™ mag-azine/glassBYTEs.com™. Follow her on

LinkedIn at Jenna Reed, follow her on Twitter@agrrmagazine and like AGRR magazine onFacebook to receive the latest updates.

Adan Holman, a tinter with Royal AutoGlass & Tint, places film on a vehicle.



www.agrrmag.com


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Others of Invention:by Jamie Browning

First up was a pretty creative idea—the pipe and rope. Dennis Farrar,owner/partner of Oesterle Auto Glassand Paint in Parkersburg, W. Va., sayshe has been using this tool for morethan 20 years. Using a piece of copperpipe he removed from an old sink, hecreated this handy rope trick for gasketset windshields. He uses it to install therope into the gasket to assist in the"roping in" process during installation.

“It has worked like a charm for over20 years,” Farrar explains.

This is the kind of innovation thatpaves the way as installations continueto get more complex.

Next was a great idea from GregHamilton of Hamilton Auto GlassGroup in Charleston, S.C.

“It’s designed to prevent scratches tothe pinchweld area on newer cars likethe Jeep Wrangler and Volkswagenmodels that do not have a moulding”says Hamilton. “It fits behind the coldknife blade and rides the pinchweld toavoid any damage.”

This is a contrast from the “pipe”idea by Farrar that represents old tech-nology at its finest.

Joe Estrada, technical trainer forEstrada’s Car Glass in San Antonio,Texas, submitted another great idea.He uses a low-cost pinchweld protec-tor for interior cut-outs.

“It’s just a thin strip of metal I pur-chased from a hobby store” saysEstrada. “It protects the back wall ofthe pinchweld when cutting out glassfrom the inside and is a pretty low costdesign.”

“ I t ’ s d e s i g n e d t o p reve n t s c r a t c h e s t ot h e p i n c h we l d a re a o n n ewe r c a r s l i ke

t h e J e e p Wra n g l e r a n d Vo l ks wa g e nm o d e l s t h a t d o n o t h a ve m o u l d i n g s . ”

— G re g H a m i l t o n , H a m i l t o n Au t o G l a s s G ro u pA pipe and rope design from DennisFarrar.

A foam and metal strip design fromGreg Hamilton.

Irecently asked technicians to write in or call me about some of the little tricks they use or tools they havemade to assist in their daily installations. Even with more than two decades in the industry, I learned a fewtricks while writing this article. The comments also reminded me that auto glass guys are some of thesmartest in the auto industry.Let’s take a look at some of the tools technicians are using that are slightly unique, but get results in a big way.

“ I t h a s wo r ke d l i ke a c h a r m fo rove r 2 0 ye a r s . ”

— D e n n i s Fa r r a r,O e s t e r l e Au t o

G l a s s a n d Pa i n t

A paint protective strip used by JoeEstrada.

“ I t ’ s j u s t a t h i ns t r i p o f m e t a l I

p u r c h a s e d f ro m ah o bby s t o re . ”

— J o e E s t r a d a , E s t r a d a ’ s C a r G l a s s





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Travis Crebs, auto glass technicaltraining program manager for TechnaGlass in Sandy, Utah, also developed acreative device.

“The tool is detachable and can beused to measure the exact angle at thecorners of a glass part by simply divid-ing that measurement in half. The toolcan then be adjusted to the angle atwhich the moulding ends need to becut,” he explains.

“Once fastened to the cutting mat,the tool can be used in various ways toline up and cut mouldings of all widthsand sizes. The angle finder is very ver-satile. It has been modified using feltpads attached to the underside to giveit the stability needed to maintain asteady level while making cuts using anadjustable X-Acto razor knife.”

It appears to be very effective if youneed to make cuts on a universalmoulding.

“Lately, I’ve been using one of mywife’s makeup brushes to dust a rockchip off after probing, re-fracturing ordrilling. It seems a little more profes-sional then accidentally blowing spiton a windshield, or cutting my fingeron broken glass. I also used the brushin competition in Tampa,” says NickGittins, manager of Techna Glass inLogan, Utah.

Gittins was the first recipient of the

Ray Asbury Innovation Award in 2012for his modifications to a setting tool.

Teran Marsell, owner of Team AcmeGlass and Tint in Las Vegas, Nev., hasdeveloped the concept of using a car-magnet sign to protect the back wall ofpinchwelds from light damage.

“I came up with the idea by usingreadily available supplies around ourshop,” he says. “We focus on safety andquality so coming up with new ideasfor less damage is beneficial for us andour customers.”

The magnet sticks in place againstthe metal body and can be cut in to 1-inch strips to cover the entire back wallof the pinchweld. Paint protectionseems to be a key focus for techniciansand rightfully so. Pinchweld priming isone of the most overlooked areas ofauto glass replacement and rust can bea serious problem.

Being able to adapt and problemsolve are what make auto glass techni-cians the masters of their industry. Doyou have a tip, trick, or idea to helpother technicians? Submit your ideas [email protected] to be consideredfor a future issue of AGRR™ magazine.

�Jamie Browning was the gold medalistin the 2009 Auto Glass Technician

Olympics and is a columnist for AGRR™ mag-azine. He has more than 22 years of experi-ence in the industry. He can be reached [email protected].


Auto Glass Techs Develop Problem-Solving Inventions

“We fo c u s o ns a f e t y a nd q u a l i t y,

s o c om ing up w i t h n ew i d e a s fo r l e s s d amage

i s b ene f i c i a l f o r u s a n d o u rc u s t ome rs . ”

—Te ran Ma r s e l l , Te am Acme

Au t o G l a s s a n d T i n t

“ L a t e l y, I ’ v e b e en u s i n g o n e o f my w i f e ’ s makeup b r u s h e s t o

d u s t a r o c k c h i p o f f a f t e r p ro b i n g , r e - f r a c t u r i n g o r d r i l l i n g . ”

—N i c k G i t t i n s , Te c hn a G l a s s

A make-up brush used by Nick Gittins.

Travis Crebs’ angle cutter for universal mouldings.

“ T h e t o o l i s d e t a c h ab l e a nd i s u s e d t o mea su re t h e exa c t a n g l e a t

t h e c o r n e r s o f a g l a s s p a r t . ” —Tra v i s C re b s , Te c hn a G l a s s







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Garry Golden doesn’t knowwhich path it will be, but thefuture of the auto glass/insur-

ance interface can take two paths: ei-ther the insurance business will bemore automated and less personalizedor it will become more personal, witha demand for local agents increasing.Golden, senior futurist with future-think LLC, gave a special presentationat Auto Glass Week™ in Tampa, Fla.,and spent some time discussing whatthe road ahead could bring for theAGRR industry with AGRR™ magazineeditors. As a futurist, he studies socialchange to apply foresight.

“You’re (the AGRR industry) just onefish … one market and one partner forthe insurance industry,” he said.

Connectivity in FocusWith technology and connectivity

becoming even more prevalent, espe-cially in vehicles, the insurance indus-

try is now offering payment planswhich are determined by how a con-sumer drives. By including a device inthe car that tracks driving patterns, aconsumer can pay more—or less—ininsurance premiums.

This type of connectivity couldtake on an even larger role ahead,Golden opined. If a vehicle is hit by arock that chips the windshield, smallsensors added to the glass could alertthe insurance company of the dam-age. The insurance agency could, inturn, tell the customer he needs to geta repair before the damage spreads,Golden hypothesized.

“People are shifting from driver tocaptain. I flew a plane here [to Tampa].Who was in charge? We all think thecaptain, but who was really in charge?

“The pay-as-you drive model is com-ing,” Golden said. “If it shifts to a morebehavior-based business … the insur-ance industry could have more perspec-

tive in determiningwhen work is needed.Oh, we’ve detected achip in your wind-shield and you needto go get that fixed.”

So what couldthis mean for theindustry?

“The consumerdoesn’t really have arelationship with anauto glass company,”he explained. “Soauto glass companiesneed to think more

creatively about the value they arebringing to the customer. They can es-tablish a direct vehicle-owner relation-ship. Perhaps someday technicians willnot just install glass, but also installsensors on the windshield that wouldalert the auto glass company to dam-age [thus getting ahead of the curve onwhat may come].

“This would put companies more incontrol—alerting them that an event hadoccurred and they can send out an alertto a customer telling them to come on infor a repair or replacement,” he added.

By adding the sensors, the auto glasscompany can help establish a more di-rect relationship.

“The idea is to think about how youcan strengthen your relationships withcustomers independent from the insur-ance industry,” Golden explained. “It’s ahedge. If your product is not creatingsome sort of data stream of informa-tion, you will have no opportunity to in-novate your business model. You can’tinnovate simply around installation.”

With many automakers, such asNissan and Tesla, announcing that au-tonomous vehicles are coming soon,this could make it even more impor-tant for auto glass companies to look atinstalling sensors on the windshields,he noted.

“Auto glass companies tend to workin a post-event, aftermarket culture.You could become a company thatdoesn’t wait for something bad to hap-pen before getting involved. You couldoffer non-event-related services, suchas sensors,” he said.

Where is theAGRRIndustry Headed?





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More Personalized?Golden also sees the insurancemar-

ket shifting back to a more personalnature. If consumers demand a morepersonalized service, agents could playan even bigger role.

“You would need to become hyper-local in your relationships with agentsand customers,” he pointed out.

An auto glass company can suc-ceed by working more closely withlocal agents, he surmised. A companycould also turn to location-basedservices.

“There is an entire field of local-based marketing bubbling up aroundall retail marketplaces with geography-based fences,” Golden noted.

For instance, if a consumer drivesinto a certain range of an auto glasscompany’s location, the companycould send an alert to the consumer’sphone that there is a deal going onand to stop in. Or if there is a hailevent, the system could alert the con-sumer that auto glass repair and re-placement is available very close by,Golden explained.

Expanding his view to the entireeconomy, Golden pointed out thatbaby boomers are starting to age andshift their spending.

Baby Boomers“Baby boomers really drove our

economy since the early 1990s but thisis shifting,” Golden said. “The nextgroup you really want to focus on is themillennial generation, or generation Y.There are about 80 million of them.They are entering the family formationstage of life and over the next 10 to 20years, they will be building homes,buying cars, etc. To be successful, weneed to understand their different val-ues and consumer habits. They have acomfort with and a preference towarddigital technologies. So we are in a bit ofdemographic crisis. We don’t have a biggeneration ready to go out and stimulatethe economy. And many of the millen-nial generation are still living with theirparents due to the recession.”

Another big factor that plays a role inthe transportation sector is gas prices,according to Golden. He notes that the

availability of cheap gas and oil is over. “There is plenty of oil in the ground,

but it’s unconventional or more expen-sive to drill for. It’s difficult to try toimagine any forecasts for less than $80a barrel,” Golden said.

“The world is going to change in waythat you might not understand, mightfeel threatened by, but we need to movetoward. We need to decide how to moveforward as a group,” he said. �



“ T h e p a y - a s - you d r i ve mode l i s c om ing . I f i t s h i f t s t o a mo re b eh a v i o r - b a s e d

bu s i n e s s … t h e i n s u ra n c e i n du s t r y c o u l dh a ve mo re p e r s p e c t i ve i n d e t e rm i n i n g

when wo r k i s n e eded . Oh , we ’ ve d e t e c t e da c h i p i n you r w i n d s h i e l d you n e ed t o g o

g e t t h a t f i xe d . ” —Ga r r y G o l d en ,

f u t u re t h i n k , L L C

Word on the Street“We’re expecting a good year.”

—Steve Skorupa, NordGlass

“We’re looking for a healthiermarketplace. It seems like the domesticeconomy will maybe grow 3 to 5percent”

—Dennis Garbutt, GlasWeld

“We expect substantial growthnext year.”

—Chris Bryant, AGC Automotive

“We’ve had a couple of difficult years.It could be difficult for expansiongoing forward but we’re optimistic.”

—Tim Glover, Pittsburgh GlassWorks

“We expect a robust replacementmarket going forward.”

—RodWatson, Carlex

Garry Golden speaking at Auto Glass Week™ 2013.







www.agrrmag.com





R e p a i r R o u n d - U p

[email protected]

Which Provisions Do Insurers Honor?By R i c h a rd C ampf i e l d

CONTRARY TO HOW THEinsurersand their third-partyad-ministrators (TPAs) are control-

ling the consumers and the auto glassindustry, the auto insurancepolicy isnotan HMO or PPO. It is an indemnificationcontract with a payment of loss provi-sion. Is the insurer covering the threemain policy provisions, which include A)indemnification, B) payment of loss andC) like kind and quality?Under the payment of loss provision,

the insurance company (insurer) hastwo options with auto glass: A) To be thecontractor; or B) to pay money for therepair in order to indemnify the con-sumer’s loss. So what does that mean?Under Option “A,” the insurance

company has the right to take the carand get it repaired; they negotiate theprice, product and terms with a re-pairer, pay the repairer and then givethe consumer back his car. With thisoption the insurance company is thecontractor, so it is a party to the repaircontract. With this option, though,comes liability for anything that goeswrong and the company is responsiblefor the warranty. Because of the liabil-ity that comes with this option of beingthe contractor, insurers never choosethis option. Since the insurer has notchosen to be the contractor, by defaultneither is the TPA. Instead insurers choose option “B,”

which is to pay to have the vehicle re-paired (repaired with auto glassmeans a repair or replacement). Withoption “B,” the insurance company isnot a party to the contract. The con-sumer is the contractor. The contractis between the consumer and theauto glass shop. By the insurers ownchoice the insurer is not a party to

this contract so they have no right todictate the price, criterion, productor terms. Under this option, per thepolicy, the insurer is to pay a fair andreasonable price to indemnify theconsumer’s loss. The auto glass shopis not a party to this contract be-tween the insurer and consumer.These are two separate contracts.The first contract is between the con-sumer and the auto glass shop. Thesecond contract is between the con-sumer and the insurance company. Under option “B,” the insurer often

short pays the claim under the “limit ofliability” clause, stating that the com-pany could have had it done cheaper.History has shown, however, that caselaw, such as in Minnesota, has deniedthis ploy because the insurer couldhave chosen option “A,” but did notand is not paying a fair and reasonableprice. Case law has shown that theconsumer is not expected to have thebargaining skills and power of an in-surance company. If the insurer thinksthe price is too high then it can sue therepairer for fraud.

OEM Versus AftermarketHow is it that seven different AGR

windshields with multiple manufac-turers and different qualities that rangein price from $59 to $249 for the autoglass shop all have the same NAGSprice? Since insurance pays the samelarge percentage off of this suggestedprice no matter which windshield is in-stalled (according to Mitchell, theNAGS price is a fair and reasonableprice) the only way a consumer isgoing to get anything but the $59 wind-shield is if the shop eats profit. Theonly way the consumer is going to be

indemnified is if the auto glass shoppays to do it because the insurancecompany is not and will not. Do you think that auto glass shops

are going to disclose to the consumerthe different windshields available?They will not because the shop willhave to pay more for the quality. Thisforced discounted insurance pricingmeans the consumer is getting thecheapest aftermarket windshield thatthe shop can purchase. A recent studyin Colorado found that approximately11 percent of OEM windshields wereedge-cracked; however, 22 percent ofaftermarket windshields were edge-cracked. The study even found that 35percent of one particular aftermarketbrand was edge-cracked. Is installing awindshield that is two to three timesmore likely to edge crack than the OEversion really “like kind and quality?” Isthat indemnifying the consumer’s loss?So which of the policy provisions are

the insurance companies honoring?None. �

�Richard Campfield is the National Wind-shield Repair Association president, as

well as the founder and president of UltraBond Inc. in Grand Junction, Colo.

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In loving memory of Todd R. Velding (6/13/70 to 9/12/13)

How giant friendship is. The character of people in this industry continues to amaze us. After the unexpected passing of our co-worker and friend Todd R. Velding, people from all reaches of our business came to help Burco in ways that humble and make us so proud to be a part of a group of such outstanding companies and individuals.

On behalf of everyone at Burco, our sincerest thank you to all our friends. Your hearts are truly giant.

IF I HAVE SEEN FURTHER, IT IS BY STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.

Sir Isaac Newton




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W G R R e p o r t sr e p a i r n e w s

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NWRA President Addresses Insurance Groups

THE NATIONAL WINDSHIELDRepair Association has beenspeaking out to the insurance

community on behalf of its members.NWRA recently contacted several in-surers concerning a number of issuesthat have recently developed, includ-ing a potential limit of three repairs perwindshield, pre-inspection require-ments prior to repair authorizationand more.

Limit to RepairsPerWindshield

Specifically, the NWRA has beenalerted to the fact that some insurers

had put newpolicies in place that limitthe number of repairs allowed perwindshield to three.

“The Standards DevelopmentCommittee of the Repair of LaminatedAuto Glass Standard (ROLAGS)™ hasbeen made aware of the policy of someautomobile insurers which limits tothree the number of repairs that are al-lowed on the windshield of an in-sured’s vehicle. … All of ourexperience, our review of other inter-national standards and our own tech-nical data indicated that the integrityof a repaired windshield with multipledamages will continue to meet the rel-

evant auto glass safety standards,”says association president RichardCampfield.

Campfield says he asked insuranceofficials about the scientific rationalefor the maximum repair limit.

“Are there test results to show thatmore than three repairs of any kindcompromises the integrity of thewindshield?” he asked. “If there is in-deed a safety penalty from three ormore repairs, we would certainly ap-preciate the opportunity to evaluatethis testing and incorporate technicalprogress into ROLAGS™ as necessaryor prudent.”

Pre-InspectionRequirements

In additional letters addressed toother insurance companies, Campfieldsays the NWRA questions the practicesof requiring pre-inspection prior toauthorizing a windshield repair.

“We are likewise troubled aboutthe issue of potentially fraudulentwindshield repair but we are con-cerned about the practice of com-pulsory windshield inspections,” hepoints out. “We have recently re-quired that all our members agree toour Code of Practice, which includedadherence to the ROLAGS™ Stan-dard. The ROLAGS™ Standardclearly defines what is consideredpotentially repairable and what isnot.”

Campfield says the NWRA realizesit’s an insurer’s decision as to how itmanages auto glass claims, but hehopes that the two groups can opena dialog with the association to help



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increase the “successful windshieldrepair ratio.”

Massachusetts AutoGlass Regulation

While the NWRA is largely in favor anew regulation from the MassachusettsDivision of Insurance that aims to “es-tablish parameters for the referral of in-sureds to registered motor vehicle glassrepair shops,” the group does have oneexception with the language—the re-quirement to maintain a physical placeof business with indoor facilities forwindshield repair.

“The NWRA has been monitoringthe implementation of Chapter 208and while we applaud virtually all ofthe provisions of this legislation, wedo have some concern over the re-quirement to maintain a physicalplace of business with indoor facili-ties for windshield repair,” Camp-field explains.

“The successful windshield repairratio in Massachusetts is much lessthan 50 percent,” he adds. “In fact,the vast majority of windshields arereplaced in Massachusetts. We areconcerned that the requirement thata windshield repair business be ob-ligated to maintain a physical placeof business with indoor facilities isan unnecessary burden for wind-shield repair, especially in light ofthe fact that the insurance industryand their third-party administratorspromote and sell mobile service.”

Campfield went on to state that thisrequirement will limit the amount ofwindshield repairs and ultimately re-sult in higher costs for the motoringpublic via higher insurance premiums.

“The NWRA realizes this is morelikely a legislative issue,” Campfieldsays. “However, we would like to opena dialog with insurers to see if this is aninitiative that is worth pursuing toreap the benefits of successful wind-shield repair for the motoring publicin Massachusetts.” �

W G R R e p o r t sc o n t i n u e d

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATON(This statement is published in compliance with the Act of October 23, 1962)AGRR magazine is published 6 times annually, for an annual subscription price of $40.00. Of-

fice of publication is located at 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554; Head-quarters of general business offices of the publisher is located at 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite116, Stafford, VA 22554.

Publisher: Debra A. Levy, 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554. Editor: JennaReed, 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554.

The owner is Key Communications Inc., 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554.Stockholders holding one percent or more of total amount of stock: Debra A. Levy. Known stock-holders, mortgages, and other security holders holding one percent or more of total amount ofbonds, mortgages, or other securities: None.

The average number of copies of each issue during the twelve months preceding the dateshown is: (A) Total number of copies: 17,415; (B) Paid and/or requested circulation [(1) Salesthrough dealers and carriers, street vendors, or counter sales: 0; (2) Paid or requested mail sub-scription: 10,271]; (C) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 10,271; (D) Free distributionby mail (samples, complimentary and other free): 6,806; (E) Free distribution outside the mail(carriers or other means): 0; (F) Total free distribution: 6,806; (G) Total distribution: 17,077;(H) Copies not distributed [(1) from office use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after printing:338, (2) Returns from News Agents: 0]; (I) Total: 17,415; (J) Percent Paid and/or requestedcirculation: 62%.

Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date; (A) Total number ofcopies: 15,301; (B) Paid and/or requested circulation [(1) Sales through dealers and carriers,street vendors, or counter sales: 0; (2) Paid or requested mail subscription: 9,111]; (C) Total paidand/or requested circulation 9,111; (D) Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary andother free): 5,935; (E) Free distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means): 0; (F) Totalfree distribution: 5,935; (G) Total distribution: 15,046; (H) Copies not distributed [(1) From of-fice use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after printing: 255, (2) Returns from News Agents: 0]; (I)Total: 15,301; (J) Percent Paid and/or requested circulation: 60.55.

I certify that the above statements made by me are correct and complete.Debra Levy, Publisher.






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L e g i s l a t i o nr e g u l a t i o n u p d a t e s

Safelite Hits Connecticut with Lawsuit toStop Enforcement of Anti-Steering Law

S T A T E N E W S

SAFELITE HAS ASKED THE U.S.District Court of Connecticut fora preliminary injunction against

enforcement of a state law that itclaims will “unconstitutionally” forcethe company to recommend autoglass repair and replacement work toits competitors.

The law (PA-13-67) “bars insurancecompanies or their representativesfrom steering an insured to a licensedglass shop owned by the company,claims administrator or their parentcompany, unless they provide the in-sured with the name of at least oneother shop in the area where the glasswork is to be performed,” according toa summary of the public act from theConnecticut government website.

Safelite has also filed a complaintagainst Connecticut Attorney GeneralGeorge Jepsen and Thomas Leonardi,Commissioner of the Connecticut In-surance Department, and is askingfor a permanent injunction againstenforcement.

The company is asking the court to“enjoin and declare invalid the portionsof a recently enacted Connecticutstatute unconstitutionally prohibitingSafelite from engaging in truthful com-mercial speech and compelling Safeliteto make potentially false and misleadingstatements about other glass shops.”

The company claims the statute isan infringement of Safelite’s firstamendment rights because it “requiresSafelite to promote other glass repairshops as a part of any statements itmay make about itself,” according tocourt documents.

“… If the policyholder does not ex-press a preference, the customer serv-ice representative will recommend a

glass repair shop in accordance withthe insurance provider’s glass program.Many, though not all, of Safelite’s in-surance provider clients have chosenSafelite AutoGlass as one of its pre-ferred glass repair shops,” according tothe court documents. “In that case, thescripts may include a recommenda-tion to Safelite AutoGlass if one is con-veniently located or offers mobilerepair service that can perform thework wherever the vehicle is located.”

In response to Safelite’s request for aninjunction, state lobbyist Jim Amann,who worked for the new law on behalf ofauto glass retailers, says, “Let the courtsfight it out. We are very comfortable theact will pass constitutional muster.”

Also speaking out was Tom Feeney,Safelite Group president and CEO, whosaid, “Public Act 13-67 is targetedspecifically at companies like Safelitethat have both TPA and retail businessoperations. … It is our right, as well asour clients’ rights under the FirstAmendment guaranteeing commercialfree speech to use our model to edu-cate insureds about their options and

recommend glass shops as we feel arein their best interest, thereby improv-ing their claims experience.”

Connecticut OfficialsFile Opposition

The Connecticut public act shouldremain intact to “protect consumerchoice,” attorneys representing thestate Attorney General and insurancecommissioner claim in court docu-ments filed in opposition to Safelite’smotion for a preliminary injunction.

To support this claim, the defendants’attorneys laid out specific examples ofwhat happened with local independentauto glass shops when an insurancecompany switched from third-partyclaims administrator Lynx Services,which has no affiliated auto glass divi-sion, to Safelite Solutions, which is affil-iated with Safelite AutoGlass.

“For example, on or about January 1,2012, Allstate Insurance Co. switched toSafelite Solutions after several years ofusing Lynx Services as its glass claims


Both Jim Amann (left) and Tom Feeney (right) commented about the newConnecticut law.






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L e g i s l a t i o ncon t i nued

administrator. UnlikeSafelite Solutions,Lynx Services has noownership affiliationwith any glass repairshop inConnecticut,”attorneys for the de-fendants claim. “As aresult, when LynxServices adminis-

tered auto glass repair claims for All-state it routinely provided consumerswith the names of multiple non-affili-ated glass repair shops in its approvednetwork that were both capable of per-forming the repair and located within areasonable distance of the consumer.“The effect that Allstate’s switch has

had on consumer choice is reflected inthe steep increase in the utilization rateof Safelite AutoGlass for consumers in-sured by Allstate,” they claim. “For ex-ample, in 2011, under the Lynx systemof affirmatively providing consumerswith the names of non-Safelite affili-ated shops, Action Glass LLC was cho-sen by consumers insured by Allstate137 times. In 2012, after Safelite Solu-tions took over the Allstate account andstopped affirmatively providing thenames of any non-Safelite affiliatedshops, Action Glass was chosen by suchconsumers only 63 times in 2012—adecrease of more than 50 percent inone year. Action Glass is a longstandingmember of Safelite Solutions’ approvednetwork of glass repair shops.” The attorneys included affidavits

from glass company owners in supportof their claim.“For Auto Glass of Connecticut, also

a longstanding participant in SafeliteSolutions’ approved network, the de-crease is even more striking, with con-sumers choosing the shop 86 times in2011 (under the Lynx system), but only10 times in 2012 (when Safelite Solu-tions was the claims administrator),”at-torneys claim.The attorneys go on to argue that

this trend holds true across the board.“Eight representative non-Safelite

affiliated repair shops in Connecticutwere chosen by consumers insured byAllstate 1,415 times in 2011 (under theLynx system), yet those same repairshops were chosen by such consumersonly 673 times in 2012 (when Safelitetook over). All eight shops participate inSafelite Solutions approved network,”attorneys claim.“Connecticut law requires adminis-

trators of automotive glass insuranceclaims who own or share an ownershipaffiliation with an auto glass repairshop to provide Connecticut con-sumers with the name of at least onenon-affiliated auto glass repair shop,”attorneys for the defendants claim“This requirement is constitutional be-cause Connecticut has a substantial in-terest in protecting consumer choice inautomobile insurance repair work andbecause the means chosen to carry outthat interest—the requirement to pro-vide the name of at least one non-affil-iated shop—is narrowly tailored andwill directly and materially advance thegoal of protecting consumer choice.“Many consumers do not have the

name of an auto glass repair shop closeat hand,” attorneys went on to claim.“Therefore, when an insurance claimsadministrator affiliated with an autoglass repair shop, like Safelite, does notprovide the consumer with the name ofa non-affiliated repair shop, the affili-ated repair shop received a highly dis-proportionate amount of repair work.”The attorneys also claim, “… Insur-

ance claims administrators remain freeto determine which shop name to pro-vide to any given consumers, includingthose of repair shops that participate inapproved repair networks. Thus, Con-necticut’s presumptively constitutionallaw is a minimal and a narrowly tai-lored way to practically and effectivelyprovide choice to consumers who usu-ally do not know the names of any glassrepair shops when they call their insur-ance claims administrator.”The judge had not made any deci-

sion on these motions at press time.

Plaintiffs DismissBMW LawsuitTwo BMW owners have voluntarily

dismissed their lawsuit against the au-tomaker without prejudice in the U.S.District Court, Central District of Cali-fornia, after BMW gave notice of a sec-ond, similar case filed in California.The original lawsuit alleged the sun-roof in several BMWmodels are defec-tively designed, which allows water tocome in and cause damage.Attorneys for Walter Chang and

Annie Stubbs filed the dismissal afterBMW gave notice of a similar putativeclass action that has been filed againstthe company in the U.S. Northern Cal-ifornia District Court.The related case is Monita Sharma

and Eric Anderson versus BMW NorthAmerica.“The amended complaint filed in

Chang on July 1, 2013, makes plain thatthe named plaintiffs in Sharma and thenamed plaintiffs in this case seek torepresent overlapping Californiaclasses of owners and lessees of certainBMW vehicles,” BMW attorneys writein the court documents.In the second case filed in the North-

ern District of California, Sharma andAnderson filed a California class actionlawsuit against BMW.The plaintiffs’ attorneys point out

that drainage tubes are installed to pullwater away from the sunroof.“Unfortunately, these sunroof

drains were designed in such a waythat they are prone to becomeclogged with dirt, debris, leaves, andother naturally-occurring materials.When these tubes become clogged,they come loose or leak into thetrunks of the vehicles. These leaks,which eventually flood the trunks ofthe vehicles, cause the vital electroniccomponents contained at the bottomof the vehicles’ trunks to short—shut-ting off certain components of the au-tomobile necessary for driving andcreating a potential safety risk,” theplaintiffs’ attorneys allege. �


ThomasLeonardi





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p o l i c y b r i e f s

I n s u r a n c et a l k

NAGS Fall Calculator Released; 11 of Top 20 Prices Decline

N A T I O N A L N E W S

THE FALL 2013 NATIONAL AUTO GLASS SPECIFI-cations (NAGS) International Benchmark Calculator,released inearly September, showsadecrease fromthe

Fall 2012numbers formanyparts. glassBYTEs.com/AGRR™magazine analyzed a list of the current top 20 popular partnumbers and found that the benchmark prices for 11 of 20parts have decreased since the Fall 2012 calculator, while atleast 10 of 20 have declined since Spring 2013.

Meanwhile, six of the most popular products have in-creased in benchmark price over 2012.

The steepest price decline occurred for part DW01256

GBNN, which dropped 2.3 percent from $256.05 in Fall 2012 to$250.45 in Fall 2013. The part saw its sharpest decline fromSpring 2013 to Fall 2013, noting a marked 3-percent drop.

Two notable price increases from Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 oc-curred for parts DW01658GBYN and FW02351GBNN, whichsaw spikes of 1.5 percent and 2 percent, respectively, yearover year.

Additionally, the total average price for the top 20 partssaw a decrease of 0.04 percent from 2012.

Parts DW01341GBYN, DW01317GBYN andDW01265GBNN saw no change from Fall 2012 to Fall 2013.


Part September May January September %Change from %Change fromNumber 2013 2013 2013 2012 Spring ‘13 Fall ‘12

to Fall ‘13 to Fall ‘13

DW01549GBYN $192.60 $193.10 $193.30 $194.00 -0.3 -0.7

DW01217GBYN $197.40 $197.55 $197.35 $198.20 -0.08 -0.4

DW01341GBYN $191.75 $191.65 $191.65 $191.75 +0.05 0.0

DW01504GBYN $248.20 $248.50 $248.70 $246.85 -0.1 +0.6

DW01256GBNN $250.45 $258.15 $258.20 $256.05 -3.0 -2.3

DW01658GBYN $223.35 $223.70 $222.10 $219.95 -0.2 +1.5

DW01317GBYN $212.95 $213.85 $213.85 $212.95 -0.4 0.0

DW01168GBNN $187.10 $187.10 $187.25 $187.30 0.0 -0.1

DW01505GBYN $226.60 $226.40 $224.35 $224.65 +0.3 -0.9

DW01265GBNN $247.00 $242.55 $240.05 $247.00 +1.8 0.0

DW01303GTNN $181.85 $181.95 $182.40 $182.50 -0.05 -0.4

DW01099GBNN $186.60 $187.85 $188.05 $187.60 -0.7 -0.5

DW01206GBYN $192.05 $192.05 $191.70 $191.45 0.0 +0.3

FW02064GBNN $193.30 $193.50 $193.50 $192.80 -0.1 +0.3

DW01302GTNN $181.85 $181.95 $182.40 $182.50 -0.05 -0.4

FW02734GBNN $249.50 $249.35 $249.95 $251.95 +0.06 -0.1

DW01551GBYN $210.50 $210.50 $210.65 $211.10 0.0 -0.3

FW02351GBNN $201.15 $199.40 $198.70 $197.15 +0.9 +2.0

FW02298GBNN $189.20 $189.20 $189.75 $190.05 0.0 -0.4

DW01512GBNN $205.80 $205.50 $205.35 $205.00 +0.1 +0.4





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Global investment firm KKR has purchased Mitchell In-ternational, which owns National Auto Glass Specifications(NAGS). “This will not have any impact to NAGS or the man-agement team at Mitchell,” says Bud Oliver, director ofproduct operations at Mitchell.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The dealis expected to close in the fourth quarter and is subject toregulatory approval.

KKR is a leading global investment firm with $83.5 billionin assets under management as of June 30, 2013. KKR’s spe-cialty is technology, according to officials. It has invested incompanies spanning a broad range of segments, including soft-ware, hardware, Internet, digital media, information servicesand outsourced support services to corporate and public sec-tor customers. It is publically traded on the New York Stock Ex-change as “KKR.” It was founded in 1976 and led by HenryKravis and George Roberts.

“We have built Mitchell into a great company by investingin our products, people and infrastructure,” says Alex Sun,Mitchell’s president and CEO. “KKR shares our vision of being

a growth-oriented, customer-driven com-pany built on strong values.

“This is an exciting time for Mitchell and Iam extremely appreciative of Aurora’s supportover the years. We are excited to work with KKRon Mitchell’s next phase of growth and devel-opment as we maintain focus on empoweringour clients to deliver the best possible out-comes. We believe KKR’s capabilities in tech-nology and health care, both domestically andinternationally, will enable us to find new ways to provide valu-able and innovative solutions to our clients,” he adds.

Herald Chen, co-head of KKR’s technology investinggroup, says, “We believe that Mitchell represents an attrac-tive investment in a market leader in an important marketsegment.”

KKR was advised by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and ThreeOcean Partners on the transaction. Goldman, Sachs & Co. servedas the lead financial advisor for Mitchell. William Blair & Co.and Guggeheim Securities also advised the company.

Bud Oliver ofNAGS: No realchanges ahead.

Mitchell International,Owner of NAGS,Purchased by KKR

Farmers’ Subsidiary Chooses LYNXFarmers’ subsidiary Bristol West

Insurance Co., which includes Fore-most Personal Auto, is moving fromSafelite Solutions to LYNX Servicesas its third-party administrator forauto glass claims. The move wentinto effect September 9, 2013.

“Beginning in 2014, Bristol Westand Foremost Personal Auto willcontract with LYNX to serve as itsthird-party administrator for autoglass claims,” says Mark Toohey,

head of media relations for Farmers’ Insurance. “Thenew agreement officially begins in September [2013] andthe transition will occur over time. This decision, whichonly involves Bristol West and Foremost Personal Auto,was made for business reasons.”

Chris Umble, LYNX vice president of strategic initiatives,says, “We are gratified to have earned this opportunity withBristol West and Foremost Personal Auto, starting Septem-ber 9. We welcome both to the LYNX Services community

of companies that comprise an industry-leading solutionthat ensures high satisfaction, high regulatory complianceand consistent leadership in value to customers.”

Allstate to Hire Hundreds ofNew Agents in Five States

Allstate Insurance Co. is hiring hundreds of new in-surance agents in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maine,Rhode Island and New Hampshire, according to the In-surance Journal.

The company plans to add approximately 305 new in-surance agents in Pennsylvania over the next year.

In Connecticut, Allstate plans to appoint more than 75insurance agents.

Approximately 20 insurance agents will be added inMaine, the Insurance Journal reports.

Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, the company is lookingto appoint more than 30 insurance agents.

Over in New Hampshire, Allstate will add about 25new agents.

Chris Umble ofLYNX: Gratified tobe chosen by BristolWest.






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c o n t i n u e d

I n s u r a n c et a l k

S T A T E N E W S

Alpine Glass Wins Eighth Arbitration AwardAlpine Glass of Minneapolis,

Minn., has beenhanded anarbitra-tion award against AAA InsuranceCo. for $149,500.57.The award rep-resents 100 percent of the amountsought through arbitration forshort pays from the insurer.

Mike Reid, president of AlpineGlass, says the company won thisarbitration because the insurerwas unable to prove Alpine hadunfair billing practices.

“It’s sad to see glass companiesfailing as a result of being desperate

and accepting reimbursements that are ridiculously belowwhat is fair and reasonable,” says Reid. “Glass companies arelosing out by not fighting for a fair price. We have shown timeand time again that our prices are fair and reasonable.”

According to court documents, “Alpine asserts, as as-

signee of its customers, that it is entitled to the full amountbilled for glass repair and replacement work governed bythe terms of the AAA insurance policy. The claims are fromJuly 6, 2006, through May 9, 2012.”

“AAA did not conduct a survey of the ‘area where the car isto be repaired,’” writes arbitrator David T. Magnuson in the ar-bitration award. “The short-pays of Alpine’s invoices were sys-tematic and consistent, but not based upon written estimates,competitive bids or an agreement. AAA did not comply [with]the terms of the policy in processing Alpine’s claims.”

“Alpine will continue to fight against insurers who shortpay our invoices and, if necessary, we will continue to file forarbitration in order to be paid what is right,” Reid adds.

In July 2012, Alpine won a six-figure award against LibertyMutual for short pays. Additional wins include six otherawards from Illinois Farmers, Allstate, American Family,USAA, Integrity and Guide One.

According to the arbitration award, “The dispute arose as aresult of claimant Alpine Glass’s insurance policy with respon-dent wherein claimant pays for glass repair and replacementwork, get an assignment for each individual claim, and thensubmits the claims to respondent AAA Insurance Co. A third-

©20

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Mike Reid of AlpineGlass: Another win inarbitration.




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party administrator, in turn, pays pursuant to the insurancepolicy what they deem to be the amount charged by a major-ityof therepairmarket forglass repairandreplacementclaims.”

The recent award is Alpine’s eighth within the last twoyears; the total of the awards is now approaching $3 million.Alpine Glass has been victorious in all of its arbitration cases.

AGRR™ magazine recently covered arbitration in its Oc-tober newscast. To view the October newscast in our studio,visit http://www.agrrmag.com/studio.

Allstate Writes Check toSettle 12 Short-Pay Lawsuits

Allstate recently paid Lakeland, Fla.-based Gunder AutoCenter’s full labor rate to settle a long standing series of 12pending lawsuits over short pays. Allstate’s decision couldimpact auto glass shops as well since they also face shortpays from insurers.

Collision shop owner Ray Gunder sued Allstate on behalfof his customers after the insurer refused to cover full laborrates for collision repair work. Allstate representatives ap-proached Gunder in June of this year to discuss finding clo-sure to the lawsuits. �

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Continuous product innovation. Widest range of Auto Glass Replacement Adhesives in the market. Unparalleled customer

support and service in the field. Made in America, and used by OEM’s. For all your AGR adhesive needs make

the right choice. Stick with the leader.For more information call 800.688.7452

or visit us online at www.sikausa.com

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Creative ExtrudedPromotes GrossCreative Extruded Products Inc.

has announced the promotion ofBrad Gross to vice president of salesand marketing.Gross will now be responsible for

OEM and aftermarket sales, as well asmarketing activities. He will report toTimMach, president.Gross has been with Creative Ex-

truded since 1992 and has held manypositions in engineering and sales, ac-cording to officials.

Auto Glass FittersHires Nik Frye

Scranton, Pa.-basedAuto Glass Fitters hashired Nik Frye as itsnew vice president ofsales.Auto Glass Fitters

chief financial officerPete Castelline com-ments, “We are ex-cited to add Nik to our

management team and look forwardto his help with the continued growthof our company. With the many chal-lenges we face in today’s market weare always looking for the best people

to help us succeed.”Frye will be based in New Hamp-

shire and, in addition to assisting withthe continued expansion of the com-pany, he will focus on national sales,field sales and marketing.

Sika Automotive NamesNew ProgramManagerSika Automotive

Division USA hasnamed Surry Fry asprogram manager forthe automotive engi-neering group.Fry will report to

Ray Heferty, engineer-ing manager. He willbe responsible formanaging all program activities re-lated to product launch efforts acrosscustomer platforms.Prior to joining Sika, Fry was with

Chrysler for 25 years in a variety ofmanagement roles related to vehiclebuilds and launches.

IGA Appoints TwoNew DirectorsThe Independent Glass Association

(IGA) Board of Directors has appointedtwo new members. The new directors

are Scott Miller,founder and owner ofTrue Blue Auto Glass,and Charles Isaly,managing partner ofAuto Glass America.In addition to the

new directors, the IGAannounced that thedi-rector seat held byMichaelDriggs has been vacated due tohis transition toanother company in the

auto glass repair andreplacement industry.“The IGA thanks

Michael for his partici-pation and dedicationto both the IGA and theindustry at large andwe wish him well in hisnew pursuit,” officialswrite in the statement.

ToddVelding ofBurco Passes Away

Todd Robert Velding, age 43, vicepresident of operations for Burco Inc.in Grand Rapids, Mich., passed awayunexpectedly in September.Velding began

working for Burco in1998 and worked hisway up to vice presi-dent of operations.“Todd loved what

he did—from devel-oping new processesto being an instru-mental part of Burco’sgrowth. He was not only a terrific em-ployee, he was a true friend. He was al-ways willing to lend a hand to helpothers. His dedication, gift of ingenu-ity and friendship will be greatlymissed by everyone in the companyand beyond.” says Mike Mervenne,president of Burco.Velding is survived by his children,

sister, parents and Burco family.In lieu of flowers the family requests

donations be made to the AmericanDiabetes Association. �

i n d u s t r y i n s i d e r sp e o p l e i n t h e n e w s

NikFrye


SurryFry

Novus Glass Adds New Colorado FranchiseesNovus Glass has announced

David and Dayne Norman, of Fire-stone, Colo., as new companyfranchisees.

The new franchise is FrontRange Novus Glass and is basedin Firestone, Colo.

“Being an owner/operator ofmy own Novus franchise puts mein control of all aspects of thebusiness. So, it is completely up tome to make sure the business suc-ceeds,” says Dayne (David’s son).

Keith Beveridge, senior vice president of Novus, adds, “We, at Novus, are ex-cited to have David and Dayne as our newest representatives in Colorado. Theywill bring the skill set and business experience needed to be a successful Novusfranchise. We know that their contributions will be a positive representation ofNovus’ high standards of technical and customer service.”

Left to right: Jim Olson, David and DayneNorman and Keith Beveridge

ScottMiller

CharlesIsaly

ToddVelding

continued





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Gold

Platinum

Silver

World’s Best Auto Glass TechnicianDanny Kale, Glasspro

World’s Best Windshield Repair TechnicianBraulio Lopez, Repair & Go España SL

Join us for Auto Glass Week™ 2014www.autoglassweek.com • #AGW2014

Bronze Level Sponsors:Creative Extruded Products Inc.Guardian Sika Corporation

Copper Level Sponsors:AEGIS Tools InternationalAmorginos & Barrows P.A.Bostik Inc.

DiatechGGG Gold Glass GroupHale, Hale & Jacobson P.A.Mainstreet Computers

Marcy AdhesivesPersonnaYih-Tair Industrial Inc.

Congrats toour 2013

Champions!

™

Thank you for joining us at Auto Glass Week™ and making it such a success!A special thank you to all our top level sponsors:

Auto Glass Week inTampa Was Incredible



http://www.autoglassweek.com


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M O U L D I N G S

Eliminate Unsightly GapsOn many 1987-1995

Jeep YJ Wranglers, theoriginal quarter-windowmoulding has shrunkcausing the joint clip tofall off while driving downthe road, according toPrecision ReplacementParts officials, so the com-pany has created the WKTDQ7280-81 so a techni-cian can replace themoulding and clip with-out removing the glass.

This can restore the vehicle to its original appearance. �� www.prp.com

GGG Unveils Side-Moulding KitAfter hearing reports that outer A-pillar

mouldings are often damaged duringwindshield replacements, particularly onFord Explorers, Gold Glass Group has in-troduced a new side-moulding replace-ment kit, GGG1843 S KIT. The kit contains the left and right outer

mouldings, as well as a thicker tape to helphold the moulding in place and top andbottom clips. �� www.gggcorp.com

P R I M E R S

Dow’s All-in-One PrimerDow Automotive Systems has

unveiled Betaprime 5504G,which officials say is an all-in-one Primer. The primer can beused on all common aftermarketsubstrates, including glass, baremetal, nicks and scratches in thepaint, and encapsulations (RIM,PVC and PAAS). It has a fast flash-off time, even in temperatures aslow as zero degrees and is com-patible with all Betaseal adhe-sives, officials said.

The product is available in a 125-milliliter (ml) size. A 40-ml bottle is included in all Betaseal G-EZ Kits. �� www.dowarg.com

Make the SwitchGlass Apps, a provider of switchable glass and film, has

introduced the company’s newly developed switchableglass automotive solution, SuperClear. Designed specif-ically for the automotive industry, it is switchable anddimmable and features a thickness of .25mm—half ofany other product in the market, the company says—which is said to make application on curved automotiveglass easier.

n e w p r o d u c t st h e s h o w r o o m


R E P A I R K I T S

Make it a Combo (Kit)

The PowerPush® PP5026-610 Combo Kit by Meritool fea-tures a universal cartridge system, which the company saysoffers versatility for the auto glass technician. This kitcomes with one power unit (assembled for use with a 600 mlsausage pack), a cartridge conversion kit for use with 10 oz.cartridges, one rechargeable battery, one AC charger with UScord set and an additional SuperPiston.

The quick change from cartridge to sausage takes about aminute to complete, according to the company, which adds thatthe dispenser is engineered to meet the requirements of the autoglass installation professional. Designed, assembled and testedin the USA, it is backed by 15 years of experience in manufac-turing cordless dispensers. The design features a clear barrel withproprietary coating, which the company says reduces friction by15 percent.�� www.meritool.com

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SuperClear also offers a reduction in haze, according tothe company, a common problem seen with switchableglass when in its clear state. SuperClear is a classic tint thatcan be applied to car windows, sun- or moon roofs andside lamps.All Glass App products block UV up to 98 percent and

provide up to 40 percent solar reduction, the company says.�� www.glass-apps.com

R F I D L A B E L S

CSL Launches CS6720Windshield RFID LabelConvergence Systems Limited (CSL), a global provider of

both passive RFID tags, readers, antennas and active RTLSequipment, has introduced the CS6720 Windshield RFIDLabel, which is designed to mount inside of windshields ofcars, buses and trucks and sends a long range RFID signalthat can be identified at highway speeds.

The CS6720 Windshield RFID Label is fully compatiblewith industry standards for ISO18000-6/EPC C1G2. CSLprovides a full access control reader series including CS461Fixed Reader, CS203 Integrated Reader and CS101 Hand-held Reader to provide options for a variety of applications. Security integrators can utilize the Windshield RFID

Label for parking-access control, commercial-vehicle mon-itoring, fleet-access control, event-parking pass, toll tag/e-tolling, traffic management, vehicle inspection and vehicleauthentication.�� www.csl-rfid.com �


Mobile app that syncs with your HQWork orders sent from your websiteFully-integrated accounting Comprehensive reportingBest-price vendor inquiryPayroll with commissionsThe best support in the businessThe best support in the business




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P r i c e P o i n t sc o m p e t i t i v e p r i c i n g a n d s t a t s

FOR ITS RECURRING PRICEPoints department, AGRR™surveyed five major cities in the

United States for the windshield re-placement on a 2010 NewVolkswagenBeetle Convertible. As usual, thecompanies were told that insurancewill not be involved and the customerwishes to pay for the windshield outof pocket.

AGRR also asked shops to break outparts and labor. When available, this isnoted below. In some cases, shopswere not willing to provide the break-down—or would only include a por-tion of it—and this is notedaccordingly. �

2010 New Volkswagen Beetle Convertible

Editor’s NoteDue to AGRR industry

feedback, this will be ourlast installment of Price

Points. If you feel we shouldbring back this section,email [email protected].

Total Price Glass Price Glass % % off off NAGS NAGS Total

National Average $416.07 $294.90 -66.5% -55.7%

NAGS Part No. FWO3448 • 2.8 Labor Hours (calculated at $40 per hour)NAGS Part Price: $881.10 NAGS Total: $993.10

BostonTotal Price Glass Price Labor Glass % % off

off NAGS NAGS TotalShop #1 $452.55 $374.11 $54.00 -57.5% -54.4%Shop #2 $383.00 N/A N/A N/A -61.4%Shop #3 $620.85 N/A N/A N/A -37.5%Shop #4 $452.58 N/A N/A N/A -54.4%Average $477.25 N/A N/A N/A -51.9%Median $452.57 N/A N/A N/A -54.4%Boulder, Colo.

Total Price Glass Price Labor Glass % % off off NAGS NAGS Total

Shop #1 $339.00 $269.00 $70.00 -69.5% -65.9%Shop #2 $270.00 $208.00 $62.00 -76.4% -72.8%Shop #3 $392.90 N/A N/A N/A -60.4%Shop #4 $461.00 N/A N/A N/A -53.6%Average $365.73 $238.50 $66.00 -72.95% -63.2%Median $365.95 $238.50 $66.00 -72.95% -63.2%Minneapolis


Shop #1 $788.39 N/A N/A N/A -20.6%Shop #2 $432.31 N/A N/A N/A -56.5%Shop #3 $350.00 $260.00 $45.00 -70.5% -64.8%Shop #4 $445.75 $318.00 $127.55 -63.9% -55.1%Average $504.11 $289.00 $86.28 -67.2% -49.25%Median $439.03 $289.00 $86.28 -67.2% -55.8%Omaha, Neb.


Shop #1 $289.00 N/A N/A N/A -70.9%Shop #2 $385.00 $284.00 $63.00 -67.8% -61.2%Shop #3 $395.00 $295.00 $100.00 -66.5% -60.2%Shop #4 $310.00 N/A N/A N/A -68.8%Average $344.75 $289.50 $81.50 -67.2% -65.28%Median $347.50 $289.50 $81.50 -67.2% -65.0%Seattle


Shop #1 $430.00 N/A N/A N/A -56.7%Shop #2 $328.00 N/A N/A N/A -66.9%Shop #3 $451.00 $381.00 $70.00 -56.8% -54.6%Shop #4 $345.00 $265.00 $80.00 -70.0% -65.3%Average $388.50 $323.00 $75.00 -63.4% -60.9%Median $387.50 $323.00 $75.00 -63.4% -61.0%*Figures calculated based on glass only.** For columns with N/As included, only the data available was averaged.


Photo: Volkswagen






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CONGRATULATIONS

2013CHAMPIONS!

CONGRATULATIONS

2013CHAMPIONS!

Danny KaleGold Medalist and 2013 World’s Best

Auto Glass Technician

Great job to all our top finalists and thank you to all our contestantswho participated in the 2013 NordGlass Auto Glass TechnicianOlympics and 2013 GlasWeld Windshield Repair Olympics in honor ofWalt Gorman!

Braulio LopezGold Medalist and 2013 World’s BestWindshield RepairTechnician

See you all next year!



www.autoglassweek.com


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Adhesives/SealantsAUTO GLASSADHESIVE SYSTEMSSHAT-R-PROOF CORP.12800 Hwy. 13, Suite #500Savage, MN 55378P: 952/946-0450F: 952/[email protected]

Auto GlassRV GLASSCOACH GLASS1400 Cross St.Eugene, OR 97402P: 800/714-7171F: 888/[email protected]

WINDSHIELD MFS.CARLEX7200 Centennial Blvd.Nashville, TN 37209P: 877/377-4527

Information SourcesASSOCIATIONSAuto Glass SafetyCouncil™385 Garrisonville Road,Suite 116Stafford, VA 22554P: 540/602-3252 www.agsc.org

NATIONAL WINDSHIELD REPAIR ASSOCIATION385 Garrisonville Road,Suite 116Stafford, VA 22554P: 540/720-7484F: 540/[email protected]

PUBLICATIONSAGRR™ MAGAZINE Key Communications Inc.P.O. Box 569Garrisonville, VA 22463P: 540/720-5584F: 540/720-5687www.agrrmag.com

Tools and SuppliesEQUALIZER INDUSTRIES INC.2611 Oakmont Dr.Round Rock, TX 78665P: 512/388-7715F: 512/[email protected]

Windshield Removal ToolEXTRACTOR/CRYSTALGLASS CANADA9508 - 45 Ave.Edmonton, AB T6E 5Y9CanadaP: 877/628-8837F: 780/438-5915 www.extractortools.com

Windshield Repair ProductsDELTA KITS INC.1090 Bailey Hill Road,Suite AEugene, OR 97402P: 800/548-8332F: 541/345-1591www.deltakits.com

REPAIR SYSTEMS & SERVICESGLASS MEDIC7177 Northgate Way, Ste. CWesterville, OH 43082P: 614/891-9222 F: 614/891-9227www.glassmedic.com

AEGIS TOOLS INTERNATIONALP.O. Box 259688Madison, WI 53725-9688P: 608/274-9254 F: 608/[email protected]

WINDSHIELD REMOVAL TOOLSA.N. DESIGNS INC./ ULTRAWIZ®111 Putter LaneTorrington, CT 06790P: 860/482-2921F: 860/482-8585www.ultrawiztools.com

WINDSHIELD REPAIR SYSTEMS AND SUPPLIESBLUE STAR PRODUCTS INC.355 Marcus Blvd.Hauppauge, NY 11788P: 631/231-5222F: 631/231-5544www.bluestar-products.com �

T H E S H O W C A S Ed i r e c t o r y o f s u p p l i e r s

To place a Supplier’s Guide listing please call Tina Czarat 540/602-3261 or email [email protected].

Rates start at $395 per listing and run for an entire year.

View the News in aWhole New Way

Watch the Monthly

NewscastPRODUCED BY

AGRR™ MAGAZINE

Scan the tag at right toview the latest newscast.Get the free mobile appat http://gettag.mobi.

Holly BillerVice President, AGRR Magazine

Visit www.agrrmag.com/studio to see the latest episode

Visit www.glassBYTEs.com™ and look for the video icon () or sign up for the daily e-newsletter and receive the newscast when it is first delivered.

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Read the issueeasily whereveryou are, in youroffice, one aplane or in yourhome!



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c a l e n d a r o f e v e n t s

o n t h e r o a d

D A Y / P L A N N E R

ADVER T I S ING INDEX

For more information on these companies’ products, visit http://products.agrrmag.com.

November 5-7, 2013Automotive Aftermarket Products ExpoSponsored by the Automotive Aftermarket Indus-try Association and the Automotive AftermarketSuppliers AssociationSands Expo Center, Las Vegas Contact: Show organizers at 708/226-1300 or visitwww.aapexshow.com/2013/public/enter.aspx

November 5-8, 2013SEMA Show 2013Sponsored by the Specialty Equipment MarketAssociationLas Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nev.Contact: www.semashow.com

October 2014 Auto Glass Week™

Co-Sponsored by AGRR magazine, the AutoGlass Safety Council, the Independent Glass

Association, the National Glass Association andthe National Windshield Repair Association. In-cludes the Auto Glass Repair and ReplacementOlympics To Be DeterminedContact: AGRR magazine at 540/720-5584 orvisit www.autoglassweek.com �

Page Company Phone Fax Web Address

C4 AEGIS Tools International 888/247-6000 608/274-9395 www.aegistools.com

9 AGC Glass Company North America 800/251-0441 404/446-4234 www.us.agc.com

31 Burco-Custom Manufacturing 800/253-2593 616/453-5777 www.burcoinc.com

33 Creative Extruded Products 800/273-1535 937/667-3647 www.creativeextruded.com

35 Dinol 866/596/7772 740/548-1657 www.dinol.com

5 Dow Automotive Systems 800/453-3779 734/697-8228 www.dowautomotiveaftermarket.com

3 Equalizer Industries 800/334-1334 512/388-4188 www.equalizer.com

37 Glass Technology Inc. 800/441-4527 970/247-9375 www.gtglass.com

1 Gold Glass Group 800/448-5188 631/981-4299 www.gggcorp.com

43, 47 Mainstreet Computers Inc. 734/699-0025 800/698-6246 www.mainstreetcomp.com

47 Nelson Glass Tools 530/748-8880 Not Available www.glassbot.com

7 NordGlass 248/881-2904 Not Available www.nordglass.com

C2 Pilkington North America 866/377-3647 419/247-3821 www.pilkingtonclearadvantage.com

C3 Precision Replacement Parts 800/367-8241 800/545-5083 www.prp.com

39 Shat R Proof Corp. 800/728-1817 952/946-0461 www.shatrproof.com

42-43 Sika Corp. 800/688-7452 248/577-0810 www.sikausa.com

34 Sunroof Express/Night Watchman Co.800/322-8867 586/498-2301 www.nightwatchman.net

Visit www.agrrmag.comand click on

“Industry Events”to add your events to thecalendar.




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O f f t h e L i n e

Windshields-Lite

LAFERRARI,FERRARI’S LIMITEDseries offering, is the first car tofeature the new SGS lightweight

windshield developed by Saint-GobainSekurit, according to officials.

“One of Ferrari’s objectives with thenew model was weight reduction andSaint-Gobain Sekurit’s latest technol-ogy enabled the supercar manufac-turer to save 1.3 kg on the windshieldalone,” officials wrote in a statement.

The windshield is 4 millimeters(mm) thick and the glazing weight is re-duced by about 12 percent comparedto other technology, officials claim.

“Traditional windshields are mostly4.5 mm or 5 mm thick,” officials wrote.“Safety glass for a 5mm windshield isgenerally made up of a sandwich with a2.1 mm outer pane, a 0.76 mm PVB in-terlayer and a 2.1 mm inner pane.

“The thickness of each layer of theglass sandwich with the 0.76 mm PVBinterlayer has been reduced to 1.8 mmfor the outer pane and 1.4 mm for theinner pane. The use of this asymmetric

design provides an even better safe-guard against stone impact damagecompared to standard 5 mm wind-shields,” officials pointed out.

Roberto Fedeli, Ferrari’s chief engi-neer, says, “Saint-Gobain Sekurit’slightweight 4 mm windshield con-tributes to the body’s overall weight re-

duction for maximum performanceand lower emissions.”

“Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s 4 mm wind-shield is a very important breakthroughfor manufacturers seeking weight re-duction to improve the total energy po-tential of a car,” Patrick Dupin, CEO ofSaint-Gobain Sekurit, adds.

o e m g l a s s m a n u f a c t u r i n g


Mercedes-Benz S-Class CoupeFeatures SPD-SmartGlass TechnologyMercedes-Benz recently unveiled its new S-Class

Coupe concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show, which fea-tures a large panoramic sunroof with Research Fron-tiers’ SPD-SmartGlass (suspended particle devices)technology. The sunroof will be “the largest SPD-SmartGlass roof

put into serial production to date, measuring approxi-mately 14 square feet,” according to the company.“With the touch of a button, drivers and passen-

gers can instantly change the tint of their roof to helpkeep out harsh sunlight and heat and create an open-air feeling even when the sunroof is closed,” officialsexplained. Mercedes-Benz officials have dubbed the sunroof

the “magic sky control.” �

Mercedes-Benz Chairman Dieter Zetsche unveils the S-Class Coupe Concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Saint-Gobain’s SGS lightweight windshield is now featured on the LaFerrari.





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' & % $ & # " ! � ! � � # � � � �

The AEGIS® SOLO® II, GlassHanders® and the new Adjust-A-Lite� help you to set windshields precisely and safely every time. You protect your bottom line from

costly callbacks and your back, neck, shoulders and arms from injury and strain.

AND AEGIS® offers you a full line of auto glass repair and replacement tools, all the brands you prefer, at great prices and with fast, convenient service.

Save yourself time, money, and some aches and pains, with AEGIS Tools International®, Inc.

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A Publication of Key Communications Inc. • Subscribe at www.glass.com/subcenter

www.agrrmag.com • www.glassBYTEs.com™

ABRA Management

November/December 2013 Volume 15 • Issue 6November/December 2013 Volume 15 • Issue 6

Online Extraswww.agrrmag.com



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Online E

xtras

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m

N O V E MB E R

/ DE C

E MB E R

2 0 1 3

© 2013 AGRR magazine. 540/720-5584 All rights reserved.

Thanks to its national call cen-ter that handles scheduling,auto glass claims, parts or-dering and more, ABRA Auto

Body & Glass sees auto glass repair andreplacement services playing a big rolein the company’s ongoing expansion.

“Of the 10 cor-porate markets weare in, eight are inthe auto glass re-pair and replace-ment business.Washington (Seat-tle) and St. Louiswill be enteringthe glass marketsoon,” explainsScott Krohn, exec-

utive vice president of operations. ABRA has 175 locations in 17 states.

Of these, 49 are franchisees and therest of corporately owned. “We grew from six to ten markets in

the last 18 months,” he says. “The tenmarkets include Minneapolis/St. Paul;Atlanta; Milwaukee/Madison, Wis.;Nashville, Tenn.; Memphis, Tenn.;Denver/Colorado Springs/Pueblo,Colo.; Salt Lake City; St. Louis; Indi-anapolis and Washington/Seattle.When we enter a market to offer colli-sion services, we enter as an auto glassrepair and replacement start up. Threeto six months after entering a new

market, we’ll do a glass start up or anauto glass acquisition. We start by serv-icing our auto body shops and thenadd glass services to some dealers.Later, we grow the retail and insuranceside of the business,” says Krohn.He says the company’s national glass

center does price quoting, dispatchesjobs to technicians, orders parts andmore. The call center has business andmarketing personnel in-house to sup-port the company’s expansion.“We have business and marketing

folks that talk with agents about claimsoriginations and also talk to OEMparts’ dealers,” Krohn says. “While sell-ing collision, it doesn’t take a lot moreeffort to talk about glass. We do a lot ofbusiness for OEM dealers and most arenot in the glass business. We buy a sig-nificant amount of OEM parts eachyear and so we get glass referrals. It’s awin, win relationship with dealers.“The call center does virtually every-

thing for the glass transaction, with theexception of installation,” he explains. To support the auto glass growth,

Krohn points out that ABRA justmade its first acquisition of a glasscompany—Royal Auto Glass of Indi-anapolis, Ind. He sees this type of acquisition as one

way to add or enhance auto glass repairand replacement services in a corporatemarket and Jim Richardson, vice presi-

dent of glass op-erations, agrees.Krohn explainedthat Steve Hoyt,who foundedRoyal Auto Glass,wanted to expand.He has taken on aleadership role forABRA after the ac-quisition and hasagreed to manageand maintain the auto glass operationsfor the Indianapolis market Krohn notes that the company will

only consider an auto glass companyacquisition in a corporate market. “For us to consider acquiring an

auto glass company, it must be in oneof our ten corporate markets,” Krohnsays. “We’re looking for a well-run busi-ness in all current markets. We will lookat employees, brand reputation andmore. The selling company can benefitfrom the latest technology and tools itmight not be able to get on its own.”On the collision franchise side,

Richardson says about 25 percent ofthe franchisees support auto glass re-pair and replacement. Its franchisingprogram is available solely on the col-lision repair side. ABRA is not addingauto glass repair and replacementfranchisees, he stresses.The company will, however, help its

Scott Krohn

Jim Richardson

ABRA Management:Auto Glass to Play Strong Role in Company’s Growthby Jenna Reed




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franchisees enter the auto glass repairand replacement business and supportthis service addition. The company generally hires expe-

rienced auto glass technicians to do re-pair and replacement. This business isnot outsourced to a third party. Theyare employed by ABRA and must un-dergo a background check. Richardsonsays all are trained and certified to theAGRSS Standard™. The technicians focus on repair and

replacement, while the centralized callcenter picks up the rest of the work. “All of the auto glass business is han-

dled through our national call center.We then handle installations one oftwo ways, we either turn to an ABRABody Shop if there is inclementweather, or we provide mobile serviceand can go to the customer’s home orwork,” says Richardson.“About 75 to 85 percent of all instal-

lations are mobile, during the warmermonths. The ratio changes in the win-

ter months” he adds. “We do notcharge for mobile service.” Another big factor that has been

supporting ABRA’s growth is that busi-ness demand has been strong. “More driving and more road con-

struction mean more broken wind-shields. These factors contribute to abigger need for glass repair and re-placement services,” according toKrohn. “We’ve continued to grow everyyear. If you do it right, have a marketpresence and offer quality work at afair price, word of mouth will spread.We see our market share building intothe foreseeable future.”While the company does not have a

business unit that serves as a third-party administrator (TPA) for autoglass claims, Krohn did touch on thistopic, which serves as a catalyst formuch debate in the AGRR industry.“We participate in insurance pro-

grams in every market we do businessand partner with insurance compa-

nies,” he says. “We offer these compa-nies and their customers safety throughquality repair and replacement services.We believe that all competition is good.Competition is good for TPAs. Competi-tion creates a strong marketplace.”Supporting the company’s contin-

ued growth streak, ABRA just recentlyannounced the opening of a new colli-sion repair center in La Vergne, Tenn. Itwill serve Smyrna, Tenn., and the sur-rounding communities. “We are aggressively investing in

major markets that enhance ABRA’snational reach and capabilities,” saysDuane Rouse, president and CEO. When asked what particular area or

market could be next for ABRA, Krohnsays, “You just never know.” �



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