New England Automotive Report May 2014

www.grecopublishing.com

AUTAUT MM TIVETIVEN E WN E W E N G L A N DE N G L A N D

Serving The New England Collision AND Mechanical Repair Industry

May 2014U.S.A. $5.95

2014 AASP/MA Golf Outing Information - pg. 13

MASSACHUSETTS

BUILDING THE SUCCESS OF THE AUTO REPAIR INDUSTRY

NEAR_May14_1-60.qxp_NEAR December 2013 10/1/15 7:57 PM Page 1

2 May 2014 New England Automotive Report




New England Automotive Report May 2014 5

FEATURES 33 | Marlboro School Receives Impressive Equipment DonationPro Spot International comes through in a big way for

Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School.

38 | National Issues, Local Action: AASP/MA Addresses an Evolving IndustryAssociation members go beyond the Commonwealth to tackleindustry issues head-on.

DEPARTMENTSPRESIDENT’S MESSAGE8 | Standing Upby Paul Hendricks

IN THE AREA12 | MidState Chapter Meeting Tackles Vocational Education with Award Grants, Roundtable Discussion

13 | 2014 AASP/MA GOLF OUTING INFORMATION

BENEFIT PROVIDER SPOTLIGHT18 | Making Online Marketing Matter: A Conversation with Gonnello SEO

LEGAL PERSPECTIVE22 | Take it or Leave itby James A. Castleman, Esq.

NEWS FROM TOYOTA28 | Toyota Unveils Its Future at NY InternationalAuto Show

NEWS FROM PENNZOIL34 | Pennzoil Introduces Natural Gas Products at NYC Event

180BIZ FEATURE49 | Every Decision Mattersby Rick White

CONTENTS

10 | A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR17 | SAVE THE DATE! AASP/MA ANNUAL CASINO NIGHT19 | AASP/MA SUSTAINING SPONSORS

55 | AASP/MA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION58 | INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

May 2014 • Volume 12, No. 5

ALSO THIS ISSUE

38




JUNE 2014June 10, 2014

AASP/MA MidState Chapter MeetingDoubletree Hotel

5400 Computer Dr., Westborough, MA

June 12, 2014

AASP/MA Annual Golf OutingCharter Oaks Country Club

394 Chestnut St., Hudson, MA

FOR A FULL LISTING OF UPCOMINGAASP/MA EVENTS AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE VISIT

WWW.AASPMA.ORG



STAFF

PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202, Nutley, NJ 07110 Corporate: (973) 667-6922 / FAX: (973) 235-1963Advertising: (800) 991-1995 / FAX: (732) 280-6601

www.grecopublishing.com

AASP/MA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPRESIDENTPaul HendricksVICE PRESIDENTMolly BrodeurSECRETARYGary CloutierACTING TREASURERMolly BrodeurIMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTRick Starbard

AASP/MA STATEWIDE DIRECTORSCOLLISION DIVISION DIRECTORAdam IoakimASSOCIATE DIVISION DIRECTORDon Cushing

AASP/MA CHAPTER DIRECTORSN/E CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORAlex FalzoneS/E CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORKevin GalleraniS/E CHAPTER MECHANICAL DIRECTORMichael PenachoMIDSTATE CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORTom RicciWESTERN CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORPeter LangoneWESTERN CHAPTER MECHANICAL DIRECTOREd Nalewanski

PUBLISHERThomas Greco ([email protected])

MANAGING EDITORAlicia Figurelli ([email protected])

EDITORJoel Gausten ([email protected])

ADVERTISING DIRECTORNorman Morano

(800) 991-1995 ([email protected])ART DIRECTOR

Lea Velocci ([email protected])PRODUCTION

Sofia Cabrera ([email protected])

WWW.AASPMA.ORG

AASP/MA EXECUTIVE DIRECTORJillian M. Zywien

Lynch Associates, Inc.

Phone: (617) 574-0741Fax: (617) 695-0173

Email: [email protected]

MASSACHUSETTS


Please note new

phone/fax numbers!

SAVE THE DATE FOR

March 20, 21, 22, 2015

Meadowlands Exposition Center • Secaucus, NJ

www.aaspnjnortheast.com for details

New England Automotive Report is published monthly by TGP, Inc., 244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202 Nutley, NJ 07110. Distributed free to qualified recipients; $48 to all others. Additional copies of New England Auto-motive Report are available at $5 per copy. Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission of the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine arenot necessarily representations of TGP Inc. or of AASP/MA. Copyright © 2014 by Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. Images: Cover, pg. 5, pg. 38: ©www.istockphoto.com/P2007; pg. 17: ©www.thinkstockphoto.com/PJPhoto69; pg. 23: ©www.thinkstockphoto.com/robert hyrons.


If you read this magazine regularlyand participate in AASP/MA activities(and I hope you do), you are well awarethat the association spends ample timediscussing the issues that affect our in-dustry to help spread information and getshop owners’ input. While we regularlytouch upon issues from the Labor Rate tovocational education and everything in

between, there’s another concern that,while we may not always discuss it atlength, has a huge impact on our mem-bership and the industry as a whole. I’mtalking about steering.

For the few who are not aware of thispractice (and if you’re one of those few,please let me know where you are so I canopen a shop in your city!), steering occurs

when an insured customer is “steered”away from the shop of his or her choice atthe behest of the insurer to another shopof the insurer’s choice. Many of our mem-bers have seen vehicles steered fromtheir shops firsthand for far too long. Buton a positive note, I’m proud to say thatone of our members recently took a standagainst steering and is taking the issuestraight to the top.

Factory Collision of Weymouth re-cently had a run-in with an insurer thathas prompted the involvement of the De-partment of Insurance (DOI). The cus-tomer came to Factory Collision followinga collision event, but her ordeal beganlong before that. After a crash, the cus-tomer had originally taken her then-newvehicle to a nearby dealership for repairs;she was sent instead to a referral shop.Following a second collision, the customerexpressed to her insurer that she wantedthe repairs performed by Factory, but wasexplicitly told that since the shop was not“on the program,” she should instead takethe vehicle to one of the insurer’s referralshops. She did. Following a third accident,the customer finally took the vehicle toFactory. The insurer was declaring the ve-hicle a total loss at this point, but inspec-tion of the vehicle by Factory staff (andlater by Bob Collins of WreckCheck As-sessments of Boston) provided a shock-ing look into the vehicle’s repair history.

Improper repairs from the initial jobwere immediately noticed; these were ev-idently ignored by the second referralshop the customer had used. There werealso obvious flaws in the repairs from thefirst shop; for example, a rear D-pillar wassaid to have been replaced and had notbeen, while kinks in the rear unibody, rust-ing welds and lack of paint on inner sur-faces were also found. These andadditional items of concern prompted Fac-tory to first contact the insurer regardingthe improper repairs and its alleged total-ing of the vehicle, then the DOI for theirtake on the matter. At the time of this writ-ing, there has been no activity, but rest as-sured that we will be providing an update

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE


STANDING UP

continued on pg. 58




Dear Members,

Since the beginning of the year, AASP/MA has celebrated anumber of accomplishments (as outlined by our strategic plan)in efforts to better the industry, grow the association, encouragethe next generation of collision repair experts and, most impor-tantly, focus on ways to make our members more profitable.

One of the most important services AASP/MA provides islegislative and regulatory representation. With the dedication ofour Legislative Committee, leadership and Lynch Associates, wehave made significant strides with state agencies such as Com-monwealth Automobile Reinsurers (CAR), the Division of Insur-ance (DOI), the Office of Consumer Affairs and the Auto DamageAppraisers Licensing Bureau (ADALB). We have also been astrong voice with legislators in pushing our priority legislation.See our newsletter and future issues of New England AutomotiveReport for regular legislative and regulatory updates.

We host a variety of informational and educational meet-ings both at the statewide and chapter levels. This month, weare thrilled to host Erica Eversman, Chief Counsel for Vehicle In-formation Systems, Inc., at our Statewide Meeting on May 13 atthe Doubletree in Westborough. Eversman is a legal expert

specializing in understanding collision repairers’ issues and theirimpact on consumer safety and education. We are also lookingforward to an informative presentation by NAPA at this meeting.

Recently, our MidState Chapter hosted a vocational schoolroundtable discussion where all area schools were invited to par-ticipate. The purpose of their participation was twofold. As manyof you are aware, the MidState Chapter raises money to providea Tool Grant for a student in a vocational school with a concen-tration in the collision repair program. This year, AASP/MA de-cided to, in conjunction with the Collision Repair EducationFoundation (CREF), award the funding to Massachusetts schoolsthat had applied for the CREF’s Ultimate Collision EducationMakeover Grant. Our grant was awarded to five deservingschools: Bay Path Regional, Madison Park, Assabet Valley,Southeastern Regional and Medford Vocational. Not only werewe able to award the funding to three schools’ program direc-tors who were in attendance, but we were also able to hear fromthe teachers and students on the issues they face today. (Seepg. 12 for details.) AASP/MA is committed to working with our vo-cational schools and encouraging the next generation of colli-sion repair experts.

AASP/MA hosts a number of social and networking eventsdesigned to create a community within the industry. Our GolfOuting will be held on June 12 at Charter Oak Country Club inHudson. You will want to attend this exciting event whetheryou’re a golfer or not; the tournament will be followed by an in-credible luncheon where AASP/MA awards prizes for our win-ners (and losers), raffles off amazing prizes and hosts our 50/50raffle. This is a great opportunity for shops to meet with peersand suppliers to the industry. More information about this eventcan be found on page 13.

Many members are also aware of our Casino Night event.This is a night full of fun and games; this year, we have expandedthe event to accommodate our growing number of attendees.This year, Casino Night will be held on November 15 in the Put-nam Club at Gillette Stadium! Shops are encouraged to bringtheir employees, their families and spouses to enjoy all that wehave to offer. Stadium tours will be offered to all our guests andmany other surprises are in store. (See pg. 17 for details.)

Shops that attended statewide meetings in January andMarch were given detailed descriptions from our new memberbenefit providers. These programs were designed by the Boardto provide members with real savings. We chose vendors thatare not only relative to your business, but are also dedicated tothe industry. Members who are currently enrolled in our pro-grams are already seeing savings. Some have saved more thanthe cost of dues to the association! It is paramount for us to findways to save your business money and to improve your bottomline. If you are not currently taking advantage of some or all ofthese programs, please contact us today to find out how we cansave you money, and even PAY for your dues. If you are currently


A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Are You Getting the Most Out ofYOUR MEMBERSHIP?

2014 AASP/MA Tool Grant winners (pictured, clockwise fromtop left, with AASP/MA Vice Presi-dent Molly Brodeur): Joe Kinch,Medford Vocational; Bob Morin,Southeastern Regional; Ken Stukonis, Assabet Valley Regional.(Not pictured: Bay Path RegionalTechnical High School and Madison Park Technical VocationalHigh School.)



AASP/MA ExecutiveDirector Jillian Zywien

has been a senioraccount executive at Lynch

Associates for over six years.She can be reached at (617)

574-0741 or via email at [email protected].

MASSACHUSETTS


working with a vendor who you thinkwould benefit the membership, pleasefeel free to contact us TODAY!

AASP/MA is working every day to cre-ate a community within the collision in-dustry that members are proud to be apart of. We want each and every memberto feel served and know that we are sup-porting your business through a multi-tude of channels. I encourage you all totake advantage of these great offers andcontinue to be an active voice for this as-sociation. To build the success of the autorepair industry, we need YOU!

Sincerely,



IN THE AREA

In an effort to foster communication between educators andthe industry their students will enter, AASP/MA used their April8 MidState Chapter meeting in Westborough as the setting tonot only recognize some very special schools, but also open upan important discussion on the association’s role in furtheringvocational education.

Over the years, AASP/MA has contributed to those enteringthe repair industry through the awarding of special tool scholar-ships. However, the association recently teamed up with the Col-lision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) and, starting with theApril event, will instead be awarding the grants to the schoolsthemselves to provide assistance to even more students in theprograms. Five schools that had initially applied for the CREF’s$50,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Grant wereawarded by AASP/MA: Assabet Valley, Bay Path Regional, Madi-son Park, Medford Vocational and Southeastern Regional. (Seethis month’s Executive Director’s message on pg. 10 for photosfrom the award presentation.)

“We felt that, in examining how we had handled our toolawards in the past, that we’d be able to serve more people by ex-panding the awards to include an entire school,” explainsAASP/MA Vice President Molly Brodeur. “By choosing vocational

schools as our award recipients, we not only help out the entireclass of current students, but the program itself as a whole forfuture students. On top of that, these schools will surely be re-ceiving individual donations from the many ancillary companiesaffiliated with the CREF as the year goes on*. Most importantly,the educators receiving the AASP/MA grants will have the free-dom to choose where the money will go to improve their program.We felt it was a win-win.”

The Grant Award presentations were followed by a lively dis-cussion between association members, attending grant winnersand various school representatives. As Brodeur explains, the in-tent of holding this inaugural roundtable discussion was not onlyto keep the lines of communication open, but to also make surethat both sides are getting what they want from the other.

“We are always concerned that our message is not fully get-ting out to all the educators out there, so we set this discussionup to enforce that AASP/MA membership is free to all vocationalinstructors and students, to encourage them to bring their stu-dents to our meetings for free education and a great meal andto utilize New England Automotive Report for free press recog-nition of their kids,” she says. “We wanted to pose these

MidState Chapter Meeting Tackles Vocational Education withAward Grants, Roundtable Discussion

continued on pg. 27

*Pro Spot International has recently donated a spot welder to Assabet Valley - see story on pg. 33.












If you’re an automotive business that has a website or usesFacebook to promote your services, there’s a very strong pos-sibility you’re actually harming your chances of reaching newcustomers.

Just as being a professional automotive repairer means uti-lizing the proper tools to get the car back on the road, having asuccessful Web presence means knowing how to embrace“search engine optimization” (SEO). In simple terms, SEO meansbuilding a website in such a way that it effectively communicateswith search engines to achieve first-page placement on Googleand other popular sites. And for a growing number of AASP/MAmembers, improved SEO has been made possible thanks to newassociation benefit provider Gonnello SEO.

As discussed in our January and April issues, Gonnello SEOFounder Scott Gonnello has been reaching out to the AASP/MAcommunity to help shops stand a greater chance of attractingonline customers. At the association’s March 11 StatewideMeeting in Westborough, Gonnello offered free website reviewsto any members interested in improving their sites. Following upwith New England Automotive Report nearly two months later,Gonnello says he received a number of what he calls “cookiecutter sites” that do little to improve a shop’s online standing.

“The auto body and mechanical industries might be techsavvy with the equipment they use on the high-tech cars, but awebsite is typically not one of their fortes,” he offers. “When[Web design] companies come around with these one-size-fits-all websites, I find that a lot of people in the industry jump onthose. Unfortunately, those sites might deliver one or two typesof searches, but it doesn’t give you a good variety of search re-sults.”

In Gonnello’s mind, having apoorly performing website is actuallyworse than having no website at all,as a bad site leads to a loss of brandrecognition – and a competitor withbetter SEO attracting customers whoshould have gone to you. A key com-ponent of Gonnello SEO’s services isthe ability to help shops make asmooth transition from an outdated,harmful site to a stronger, moresearchable online home.

“When you have an auto body

shop [website] with one page for services and it lists 10 differ-ent things, there is only a one-in-10 chance of getting found be-cause you’re diluting the page,” he says. “Each service shouldhave its own page that will only talk about that one service, andthen that page has a better chance of being found.”

Additionally, Gonnello cautions shops not to get too investedin social media as a way to market themselves.

“A poorly designed ‘cookie cutter’ website that doesn’t dowell on the search engines will do well when you hand it out ona business card, when it’s on the side of your truck or someoneemails your address to somebody – and that’s pretty much thesame with social marketing,” he explains. “You have to know thepeople on your social network in order to help spread the word.If you only have 20 people on your Facebook page and they’renot recommending you to their friends, you’re only showing upon a small scale and hoping that your name gets passed on. So-cial marketing can be a good thing, but it’s like playing Bingoand hoping you win $5 instead of playing Powerball and hopingyou win $500 million. Google is the Powerball side.”

Gonnello’s various insights into improving online marketingare explored in his book, Common SEO Mistakes: Basic Edition,an easy-to-read Kindle/Nook release that has already helpedbusinesses ranging from Massachusetts repair facilities to Vic-torinox Swiss Army. In fact, Gonnello helped that company im-prove its SEO by fixing just three mistakes to the point where itnow attracts 100,000 new visitors each month. When you con-sider that each visitor typically views nine to 10 pages per visit,that’s 12 million views per year to pages with “buy now” options.

“If you increase your ‘buy now’ opportunities by 12 million,you’re going to make a lot of money off of that,” he says.

Above all, Gonnello hopes to help AASP/MA shops removethe misconceptions and common mistakes that people make intheir cyber marketing and help them get the absolute most oftheir online opportunities.

“Companies don’t understand that a website is actuallymarketing,” he says. “It’s the only place in the world where peo-ple go to look at commercials, and a website is a commercial.”

Gonnello currently offers free website and SEO reviews forAASP/MA members who contact him through the Members Onlysection of www.aaspma.org. The site also includes informationon how members can get a copy of Gonnello’s must-read book,Common SEO Mistakes: Basic Edition. Other services availableonly to AASP/MA members include 25 percent discounts onwebsite upgrades and special monthly SEO pricing. More infor-mation on Gonnello SEO is available at www.gonnelloSEO.com/aaspma.

Making Online Marketing Matter: A Conversation with

BENEFIT PROVIDER SPOTLIGHT


Gonnello’s book, Common SEO Mistakes: Basic Edition, has alreadyhelped businesses ranging from Massachusetts repair facilities to Victorinox Swiss Army.

MASSACHUSETTS




1-800 RADIATOR & ACProvides a 2% rebate applied to members’ annual dues.

(800) 914–3802Contributes 1% of gross sales to

your annual dues

AASP-MA Silver Sponsor

To get more information on becoming an AASP/MA Sustaining Sponsor, please contact

AASP/MA Executive Director Jillian Zywien at (617) 574-0741 / [email protected]

(800) GK-CARESNew AASP/MA member benefit

provider!

www.gonnelloSEO.com/aaspma

New AASP/MA member benefit provider!

Free website & SEO review, website upgrades, SEO packages and more for AASP/MA members

PLEASE SUPPORT AASP/MA SPONSORS & BENEFIT PROVIDERS!






Last week, I got an email from a collision repair shop ownerwho was having a problem reaching an agreed figure with an ap-praiser from one of the larger insurers that recently entered theMassachusetts market. The shop owner believed that a bodypanel on his customer’s car needed replacement based on thenature of the damage, the shop owner’s many years of experi-ence, various I-CAR standards and the very real potential for fu-ture corrosion problems. The insurer, however, insisted that itwould pay only for a repair. Despite the shop owner’s multiplelegitimate reasons for requesting replacement, the insuranceappraiser wouldn’t budge, refusing to commit to the additional$2,000 or so that replacement would cost.

Although this situation was frustrating, the shop owner ex-plained to me that the real problem he was having was not justthat the insurer failed to agree to what was actually needed to re-store the customer’s car to pre-accident condition. The biggerproblem was the insurer’s method of trying to force the customerand shop to accept their manner of repair, rather than the cor-rect manner of repair. Essentially, the insurance appraiser toldthe shop owner to “take it or leave it, because that is all that weare going to pay.” When the shop owner refused, the insurerwent directly to the customer.

PUTTING THE CUSTOMER IN A BINDThe insurer told the customer they wanted to resolve the

issue in one of two ways: Either the customer could agree to usethe statutory appraisal procedure to settle the issue, or the cus-tomer could take the car to one of the insurer’s referral shops,who would fix the vehicle according to the insurer’s appraisaland whose repair the insurer would guarantee. Both of these op-tions initially seemed good to the customer, until the shop ownerexplained the problems with each and pointed him in the right di-rection with some questions to ask.

As the shop informed the customer, using the statutory ap-praisal procedure seems quick and easy on the surface, but isoften not that way in reality. Additionally, this method requiresthe customer to pay half the cost of the process. When goingthis route, the insurer and the customer each choose a “disin-terested” appraiser to appraise the damage to a vehicle. The twochosen appraisers then choose a third as an “umpire.” After theappraisals are made, a written agreement by any two of the threedetermines the amount to be paid.

While the statute seems to dictate a quick and inexpensiveway to resolve repair cost disputes, there are often problems. Ifeither side drags their heels in appointing a disinterested ap-praiser, the process is delayed. And what if one of the partieschallenges whether the other’s appraiser is truly “disinterested?”(Does the insurer’s chosen appraiser do independent appraisalsfor the insurer? Does the customer’s appraiser work for his bodyshop, or is he or she a friend of the shop’s owner?)

Further problems may arise if the two initial appraisers

cannot agree on the umpire. In order to resolve the issue, a courtaction has to be brought, asking a local district court judge tochoose the umpire. But that takes time, costs money and may re-quire that lawyers be hired - and how is a local judge supposedto know who might be a qualified umpire, anyway?

What happens if two of the three parties cannot agree onthe cost of repair? That can cause significant additional delay,and may not be easily resolved. Meanwhile, the customer isstuck paying for his own disinterested appraiser, for half the costof the umpire and for his share of any court costs and legal fees,while waiting months for his car to be repaired.

The statute also requires that the insurer or insured mustgo along with the appraisal process if the other party demandsit. This is only applicable if the request is made within 60 daysof the report of the claim by the insured. (In this case, the in-surer could not force the appraisal process upon the customer,as it had been more than 60 days.)

Using one of the insurer’s referral shops also initiallyseemed like a good option to the customer. After all, it would re-solve the issue, the car would get fixed, it would not cost the cus-tomer any money beyond his deductible and the insurer wouldguarantee the repairs. The shop owner thought he was going tolose the job, but had the foresight to suggest that the customercall the referral shop that the insurer suggested and ask them afew questions.

In calling the referral shop, the customer soon realized thisavenue was not going to be as smooth as the insurer had ledhim to believe. The referral shop (which, by the way, is a rep-utable quality shop) first told the customer they could not guar-antee they would do the work the way the insurer had written it;after all, they had not even yet seen the car. The referral shopthen heard who the customer’s chosen shop had been; theyknew the shop, and knew that they did good work. They told thecustomer outright that if the first shop had said replacement wasnecessary, that was almost certainly true. And what about the in-surer guaranteeing the work if the referral shop did it to the in-surer’s recommendations? The referral shop suggested that thecustomer go back to the insurer and see what they could do. Thecustomer went back to the insurer and told them what their re-ferral shop had said; the insurer still refused to acquiesce to thecost of replacement of the panel.

The customer was now in a bind. Should he pay the addi-tional $2,000 out of his own pocket and have his chosen shopdo the repairs? Should he chance agreeing to the appraisalprocess and perhaps have to wait many months and spend hun-dreds of dollars for a decision? (And even if he used the ap-praisal process, what was going to happen if the appraisersfound for the insurer, but the shop still wanted to replace ratherthan repair the affected panel?) Should the customer go to oneof the insurer’s referral shops, with no guarantee that the refer-ral shop would actually agree to do the work the way that the


LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

TAKE IT OR LEAVE ITby James A. Castleman, Esq.



insurer had written it, without knowing if the referral shop didgood work and taking the chance that the repaired part wouldfail after a period of time (as suggested by the initial shop)?There was no good answer.

In this case, the customer went back to the initial shop andasked if they could work something out. The shop agreed to dothe repairs the way that the insurer had written them; however,they would not warranty the repairs when done to the insurer’srecommendations. (After speaking with me and realizing thatMassachusetts law would not allow them to disclaim their war-ranty for non-commercial vehicles, the shop said they would limittheir warranty to 90 days.) The shop also insisted on an agree-ment in writing, and further had the good sense to suggest thecustomer file a consumer complaint with the Division of Insur-ance.

While the matter is still pending, the Division of Insurancewas surprisingly responsive to the customer and is looking intothe matter. They even suggested that the insurer might have topay to have the repairs redone if they determined the carriershould have agreed to a replacement part. Meanwhile, as this ar-ticle is being written, the customer and the shop are willing towait another few days to see if the Division of Insurance can getthe insurer to do something.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?If you are in the collision repair business in Massachusetts,

what can you do if an insurance appraiser tells you to “take it orleave it,” because that is all that they are going to pay? In no par-ticular order, here are some things to look at:

Keep your customer informed. While the preceding situa-tion may or may not work out for the customer, at least the shopis keeping the job and the customer realizes that he is beingwronged by his insurer, not the shop. This is due in large part tothe fact that the shop has kept the customer in the loop, andhas had the customer help fight his own case with the insurer.Educating your customers and assisting them in framing theright questions to ask often gets these matters resolved withouta long, drawn-out battle, depending on the insurer and the ap-praiser. Keeping your customers informed and having them fighttheir own battle with the insurer can be a very effective way toget an insurer to agree to a proper repair.

Consider getting your customers to assign their rightsagainst their insurer to you, and then either demand use of theappraisal process or sue the insurer in small claims court. Thisis certainly not for everyone, and there is time and expense in-volved. But you keep your customer happy, you get to do the re-

pairs the way that you want and you may end up with enoughmoney to be properly reimbursed for your work. In my opinion, ifyou choose this route, you are probably better off suing in smallclaims court than seeking the appraisal process.

If you are trying to invoke the statutory appraisal process,however, keep in mind that you have to do so within 60 days ofthe insured having filed a “proof of loss” with the insurer, unlessyou can get an insurer to voluntarily go through with the processafter that period of time. Unlike your customer, you may know adisinterested appraiser who may be willing to participate for arelatively low fee. And if you really think that two out of three cho-sen appraisers are likely to find in your favor, you may want toconsider this.

If you are going to choose the small claims process, you maywant to consider first sending the insurer a claim letter underthe Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. If you do so, and ifthe insurer does not respond with a reasonable offer of settle-ment within 30 days, you may be able to collect up to three timesyour damages (and your legal fees if you have to hire a lawyer)as part of the small claims judgment. In most cases, you will geta fairly quick hearing before a district court magistrate if youchoose this avenue. However, keep in mind that the magistratemay not know much about fixing cars.

Try to convince your customers that it is in their best inter-est to have the repairs made your way, and that it is worth it forthem to pay the difference out of their own pockets. The poorcustomer in this situation is paying money that he should nothave to. But remember that it is the insurer that caused the prob-lem, not you. And the customer still retains the right to try to getreimbursed from his insurer. Perhaps a complaint to the Divisionof Insurance will do it for him. Perhaps he can send his own de-mand under the Consumer Protection Act and follow throughwith his own small claims action. This may be a difficult way toresolve your problem, but it is worth trying. This may work par-ticularly well for the customer who thinks he or she has a carthat is “special” (like that BMW that they dreamed of owning allof their lives). Nothing is too good for their baby.

Consider turning down the job. No shop wants to lose work.But if your choice is to have to do the work the way the insurerwrote it or to not do it, at least some of the time you may be bet-ter off not doing the job at all. This is particularly true since Mas-sachusetts’ consumer protection laws do not allow you todisclaim your warranties for personal use vehicles. Do you reallywant to warranty a repair knowing it may fail? In the situation

If you are inthe collision repair

business in Massachusetts,what can you do if an insuranceappraiser tells you to “take it or

leave it,” because that is allthat they are going to pay?

continued on pg. 27









MASSACHUSETTS


Attorney James Castlemanis a managing member of Paster, Rice & Castleman,

LLC in Quincy, MA. He can be reached at(617) 472-3424 or atjcastleman@

prclawoffice.com.

IN THE AREA

questions to the educators, and basicallyask them, ‘How can we help?’

“It was a great conversation,” sheadds. “One of the many valid points thatwas brought up was that recent gradu-ates entering the industry come in withthe expectation from the shop ownersthat they are going to be immediatelyproductive. This is not the case; these vo-cational students, no matter how tal-ented, cannot walk into a completelyunknown environment and instantly be-come your top tech. Instead, the ideawas posed of having a mentoring initia-tive, where the new employee would mir-ror an experienced staff member for acertain timeframe - six months, perhapsa year - before being on their own in theshop. As we move forward, I anticipatemore effective conversations like thiswith our industry partners. The instruc-tors need our participation, input and,most importantly, our support. They areproviding us with our future workforce;we owe it to them to give them what theyneed to succeed.”

continued from pg. 12

MASSACHUSETTS


described in this article, safety of the ve-hicle was not an issue; however, it maybe in your case. Do you want to be onthe hook if the part fails and the occu-pants of the car suffer serious injuries?

CONCLUSIONFacing an insurance appraiser who

says, “Take it or leave it” can be a diffi-cult task. But if you keep your customerinformed and you know what your cus-tomer’s - and your - options are, then youboth may be able to end up with a moresatisfactory result.

LEGAL PERSPECTIVEcontinued from pg. 23



What do you do when you have the best-selling car inthe industry for 12 straight years? You find ways tomake it even better. That’s exactly what Toyota didwith the introduction of the new 2015 Camry on April

16 at the Javitz Galleria. After selling almost a million of the in-dustry’s benchmark sedan since the current generationlaunched in 2011, Toyota stripped it down to its chassis and re-built it from the ground up, raising the bar yet again in the ultra-competitive mid-size sedan segment.

“Customers today love the durability, quality and value thatthe Camry represents, but they are looking for a little more style,comfort and performance, and this 2015 Camry has all of theabove,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive op-erations of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. “This is the new Camry,and it’s coming from the new Toyota.”

Toyota designers and engineers re-imag-ined nearly every exterior surface of the car,with only the roof unchanged. The new, up-scale interior features premium, soft-touchmaterials throughout the spacious cabin. Ad-vanced instrumentation with intuitive con-trols helps keep the driver’s eyes safely onthe road ahead.

Underneath the striking new exterior, thechassis and body structure are bolsteredwith additional spot welds, enhancing rigid-ity for better ride quality. A re-tuned suspen-sion takes the Camry’s handling to a wholenew level of responsiveness.

Two new grades, the sporty and luxuri-ous XSE and the eco-fun Hybrid SE, join thewell-equipped entry LE and the premium XLEgrade, giving customers more choice thanever before.

Additional spot welds were added to the

door opening flanges to increase rigidity and enable spirited han-dling. A combination of Macpherson struts up front, a multi-linkarrangement at the rear and a stiffer body structure allows forunique suspension tuning across trim levels.

The electric power steering on all Camry models is tuned forbetter on-center feel, better straight line stability and more di-rect-feeling steering inputs. In addition to improvements in steer-ing feel, the new Camry’s hydraulic system has been revised witha two-stage brake booster to improve brake feel.

The Camry will continue to be available with 2.5-liter four-cylinder or 3.5-liter V6 gas engines paired with six-speed auto-matic transmissions, or a 2.5-liter Atkinson Cycle engine withHybrid Synergy drive matched to an E-CVT.

Every Camry sold in North America is the product of over7,000 skilled American team members. From design and engi-

neering in Michigan to assembly in Kentucky,a unique American touch goes into eachCamry that rolls off of the line. The new 2015Camry will arrive in dealerships this fall.

Toyota also used April 16 as a way to offerautomotive media a firsthand look at the FT-1concept vehicle. FT-1, which stands for “FutureToyota One,” is the ultimate expression of aToyota sports coupe design. First devised byCalty Design Research, Toyota’s California de-sign studio, FT-1 builds upon Toyota’s richsports coupe heritage dating back to the2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and, more re-cently, the Scion FR-S. It represents the pin-nacle of Calty’s celebration of its distinguished40-year history. The FT-1 – and its appearancein the Gran Turismo 6 (GT6) video game – wascelebrated at a special “Toyota Arcade” eventat the Standard High Line & Biergarten. Atten-dees were given a chance to check out the car,play some old-school arcade games, watch alive GT6 gaming tournament and meet musicstar and guest DJ, Biz Markie.

TOYOTA UNVEILS ITS FUTURE AT

NY INTERNATIONALAUTO SHOW

NEWS FROM TOYOTA

Toyota’s appearance at the NY International Auto Showincluded a firsthand look at the FT-1 concept vehicle anda special appearance by celebrity DJ/artist Biz Markie.Photos courtesy of Toyota. MASSACHUSETTS












FEATURE

One of the most prominent educational facilities in the state(and profiled extensively in our January 2014 issue), the AssabetValley Regional Technical High School in Marlboro was the re-cent recipient of a very coveted piece of equipment – a Pro SpotPR-2000 Inverter Resistance Spot Welder. The school receivedthe welder by Pro Spot International after applying for the Colli-sion Repair Education Foundation’s 2013 Ultimate Collision Ed-ucation Makeover school grant.

Assabet Valley Collision Repair Instructor Ken Stukonis isexcited to be able to offer such high-tech equipment for his stu-dents.

“We can go more into quarter panels and some bigger re-pairs,” he says. “We are still [teaching] entry-level skills, but hav-ing a piece of equipment that simulates factory spot welds andwhat everybody in the industry is actually doing now as far as re-pairing a car shows [the students] technology.”

Pro Spot’s generous donation is an example of the tremen-dous industry support that the Assabet school has received inrecent times. On April 8, Stukonis’ department was one of the re-cipients of AASP/MA’s special Tool Grants, presented at the as-sociation’s MidState Chapter meeting in Westborough (see page10 & 12). The educator is hopeful that industry leaders will con-tinue to work with his program and others in building a strongworkforce for the future.

“Having the two of us together is really what it takes,” hesays. “We’re basically the minor league system for the bodyshops, so if we can get more of the industry involved in what wedo, it’s only going to be a bonus for both of us.

“Sometimes, I think the industry forgets about us, and weforget about the industry,” he adds. “We don’t know about thenew equipment and stuff they’re doing out in the shops, sothat’s why we ask them to try to join our Advisory Boards. Wecould use all the help we could get from the industry, and we’re

all helping them in return, so we really have to work together.”Assabet is one of eight schools (and the only one in Mas-

sachusetts) to receive either the Pro Spot PR-2000 Inverter Re-sistance Spot Welder or the i4 Inverter Resistance Spot Welder,which will aid in the students’ technical education. In total, ProSpot International has donated over $115,000 in collisionschool programs through the Foundation.

“We are thankful for what the Collision Repair EducationFoundation does to help recruit kids into the collision repair in-dustry,” offers Ron Olsson, president of Pro Spot International.“There is a shortage of qualified collision repair technicians, andwe are proud to be a part of something that benefits all partiesby educating students on updated equipment that they will ulti-mately be using in the field.”

Brandon Eckenrode, director of development for the Colli-sion Repair Education Foundation, was quick to express his ap-preciation for Pro Spot’s involvement.

“We cannot thank Pro Spot International enough for this in-credible welder donation to collision school programs across thecountry,” he says. “Collision instructors are facing reduced andlimited budgets every year; in order to produce the well-trainedand entry-level graduates the industry demands, they need theindustry’s help. Pro Spot’s generosity will help current and fu-ture collision students within these collision school programs.”

Founded in 1991, the Collision Repair Education Founda-tion is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to securing dona-tions that support philanthropic and collision repair educationactivities that promote and enhance career opportunities in theindustry. Information on how to donate to programs supportedby the Education Foundation is available at www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

Marlboro School Receives Impressive EQUIPMENT DONATION

MASSACHUSETTS


by Joel Gausten


On April 16, Pennzoil introducedPennzoil Platinum and Pennzoil Ultra Plat-inum with PurePlus Technology, full syn-thetic motor oils formulated from naturalgas. PurePlus Technology is a patented,revolutionary process that converts purenatural gas into the first-of-its-kind, highquality full synthetic base oil. The PennzoilPlatinum line of products made with Pure-Plus Technology is the first major

development in motor oil in more than 40years. Pennzoil launched the first-of-its-kind full synthetic motor oil technology byunveiling the groundbreaking documen-tary, Breaking Barriers, at Gotham Hall inNew York City. The hour-long primetimedocumentary highlights how imagination,technology and determination have drivenautomotive enthusiasts to break barriers.

“Pennzoil is paving the way for our

industry by offering modern and inventivesynthetic motor oils made from naturalgas,” explains Chris Hayek, global branddirector for Shell Lubricants PassengerCar Motor Oil. “What we like about Pure-Plus Technology is that it starts with abase of pure, crystal clear base oil madefrom natural gas with fewer of the impuri-ties found in crude oil, which is the tradi-tional base for many other conventionaland synthetic motor oils. Using this tech-nology in our products helps Pennzoil provide motorists with one of the most ad-vanced premium motor oils on the market.”

Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic motoroils with PurePlus Technology are de-signed to provide engines “Complete Pro-tection” without compromise. “CompleteProtection” is defined as coverage in fivekey areas consumers deemed as mostcritical for motor oil performance: 1) en-gine cleanliness, 2) fuel economy, 3) con-servation of horsepower, 4) wear protectionand 5) performance in extreme tempera-tures.

The benefits of piston cleanliness, fueleconomy and wear protection are derivedfrom the combination of Pennzoil additivechemistry with PurePlus Base Oil. Pure-Plus Base Oils are able to fully enhancethe benefits of Pennzoil additive chem-istry, which allow the full formulations ofPennzoil Platinum and Pennzoil Ultra Plat-inum to deliver these consumer benefits.

To help educate consumers on thenew technology, a multi-faceted activationplan for the Pennzoil brand is beinglaunched across a variety of platforms.Brand ambassador and music star TimMcGraw will continue with Pennzoil onthis journey of imagination and innova-tion, lending his talents in new ways in-cluding an appearance in a short formvignette produced by ESPN for the NBAEastern Conference Finals that helps re-inforce the “re-imagined” Pennzoil the-matic. Additionally, a revamped enthusiastoutreach program extending to top carclubs across the country will provide in-depth used oil analysis tests and morethoroughly bring the benefits to life.

For more detail on the Pennzoil Plat-inum with PurePlus Technology line ofmotor oils and product availability, visitwww.MotorOilReimagined.com.


PENNZOIL INTRODUCES NATURAL GAS PRODUCTS AT NYC EVENT

NEWS FROM PENNZOIL

MASSACHUSETTS









COVER STORY

AASP/MA is up for the challenge of gaining the information and tools necessaryfor members to succeed in a rapidly changing industry.



From insurer-mandated partsprocurement systems to therepair demands of the up-coming 2015 Ford F-150, the

industry is changing in ways that re-quire industry representatives toreach far beyond the Commonwealthto gain answers and the tools neces-sary to help repairers succeed in chal-lenging and confusing times. As you’llread in this feature, things that arehappening on the west coast arechanging the way cars are repaired inWorcester, while recent industryevents in New Jersey have affectedhow AASP/MA communicates with re-pairers in Massachusetts.

On March 21-23, AASP’s GardenState affiliate hosted its 37th AnnualNORTHEAST® Automotive ServicesShow at the Meadowlands ExpositionCenter in Secaucus, NJ. Attracting thelargest crowd in its decades-long his-tory, this year’s event boasted hun-dreds of vendors, dozens of seminarsand even a special appearance by TVstar Chip Foose (Overhaulin’). Awayfrom the show floor, NORTHEAST also

provided industry leaders from vari-ous states with ample opportunity toshare common goals and concerns.These special events included theAASP National Board Meeting, theEast Coast Resolution Forum andLeadership Meeting and a specialpanel on the insurance industry’sgrowing control of the parts orderingprocess (“PartsTrader Comes to theNortheast: NOW WHAT?”)

Pleased to have been able torepresent her association at the proceedings, AASP/MA ExecutiveDirector Jillian Zywien feels that theweekend offered Massachusetts at-tendees a rare view into the issues,successes and struggles affectingthe greater collision repair industry.

“The greatest value derived fromattending the East Coast ResolutionForum and Leadership Meeting wasthe information I can bring back to mymembership,” she says. “It is impera-tive for the association to have an un-derstanding about what is occurringin Massachusetts; however, there issignificant value in having knowledge

of what is going on around you.“New England tends to operate in

a vacuum,” she adds. “It is interestingfor me to see how other states out-side of our area operate and processindustry trends. Giving our membersa unique perspective of the industryis really important to me.”

Zywien also joined Past AASP/MAPresident Rick Starbard (Rick’s AutoCollision, Revere) in attending theAASP National Board Meeting onMarch 21. The morning gatheringserved as a reminder of just how farAASP’s reach truly extends in the na-tional repair field.

“As a state affiliate, AASP/MAmembers are part of a larger, strongerorganization of industry professionalswho share ideas, concerns and strate-gies,” she offers. “Without the assis-tance of our national organization, itwould be very difficult for us to reporton industry trends, forecast potentialissues for the industry and researchnew member benefits. I think of therelationship as parent and child; AASPNational is older and wiser and has

NATIONAL ISSUES, LOCAL ACTION: AASP/MA Addresses an Evolving IndustryIf you’re not following what’s going on in the auto body industry across the country, you’re missing out on important information and ideas that might save your business someday.

By Joel Gausten










experienced many of the challenges we currently face. Theyare an incredible resource that can educate our memberson best practices and strategies.”

For many shop owners, NORTHEAST® presented aunique opportunity to gain insight into the workings of thenational industry without having to hit an airport. In only afew short hours, AASP/MA members Ed Nalewanski (Ed’sAuto Body, Easthampton) and Mike Boucher (Custom AutoBody, East Longmeadow) were able to drive from their busi-nesses in Massachusetts down to NORTHEAST and take inevents without having to come up with airfare to travel to theother side of the country.

“[The show] came at a perfect time when there were alot of people who hadn’t been to a major trade show in quitea while because of the expense of the travel or the time awayfrom the shop,” offers Boucher. “This was properly placed sothat people here in the Northeast can go for the three daysand not feel like they’d have a bonfire to put out when theygot home. Looking at the menu of exhibitors that were goingto be there, the show had a really full line of individuals thereto show their product lines, and a lot of us were interested inseeing them.”

“I have attended thisshow for the past eight to 10years; although they were allinformative, this particularyear was extraordinary,” addsNalewanski. “I look forwardto attending the LeadershipMeeting each year. It’s en-joyable to meet with the in-dustry leaders from all theassociations in the North-east, and I always come away with a new perspective on howI am running my shop. The show had a nice feeling to it; itwas just the right size and the exhibitors offered some spec-tacular show specials, which I took advantage of. The North-east is lucky to have a trade show of this caliber within areasonable drive.”

In addition to meeting up with NORTHEAST’s long list ofexhibitors, Boucher enjoyed the opportunity to connect andnetwork with his fellow shop owners and repair pros fromother parts of the country.

“You couldn’t get the kind of exposure or interaction withother people in your industry at that level at any place else Ican think of. It was such a quick, easy package,” he says.“You learn as much just meeting and talking with other shopowners and seeing what they’re going through in differentregions as you do physically seeing what’s new and upcom-ing for the industry.”

Naturally, this kind of interstate camaraderie revealedsome very common – and often frustrating – themesthroughout the weekend. This was especially evident at the“PartsTrader Comes to the Northeast: NOW WHAT?” panel

discussion on March 21, which saw shops and legal profes-sionals from throughout the east coast share their thoughtson - and experiences with - one of the industry’s most con-troversial subjects.

“You can see that there are some universal problemsthroughout the industry,” Boucher says. “The State Farmparts procurement program is the one I find the most baf-fling. On the one hand, it seems like an easy thing to combat,and yet we still have those people who are afraid to pushthemselves away from the table. If State Farm comes in heretomorrow and goes, ‘You want to be on our program? You’vegot to do PartsTrader,’ I’m going to say, ‘I don’t want to be onyour program. Take your ‘trader’ and leave.’ If everybody didthat en masse, they would have no choice except to say,‘Gee, I guess this isn’t going to work.’’’

Although PartsTrader currently exists as a free marketproduct in Massachusetts without an insurer mandate atpress time, Boucher is quick to offer his thoughts on hispeers in other states who are having to deal with the StateFarm directive.

“If you know the program’s no fun and you don’t like it,then you’ve got to bite thebullet and tell State Farm tokeep it,” he says. “Maybethey’ll find other shops thatwill do it, but in the end, themore arduous you make itfor them to work, the betteroff it’s going to be for all ofus. I just can’t understandwhy people won’t go back toseeing that they can buildtheir own business based on

their own abilities and feel a lot better when they turn thekey to go home at night.”

Boucher certainly isn’t alone in his opinion. At theAASP/MA National Board meeting, Starbard reasoned that itis ultimately up to repair shops to determine the success orfailure of insurer-mandated parts procurement in a givenmarket.

“The insurer puts it out there, the shops sign it and thedealer signs it,” he says. “It kind of gives the impression thateverybody’s on board with it. In my own opinion, it’s some-thing that an insurer puts in their contract with their repairpartners. If that repair partner chooses to sign it, who are weto get in the middle of it? If you don’t like it, don’t sign it.”

Although PartsTrader earned much of the spotlight atNORTHEAST, it was far from the only technology raising eye-brows at the show. Easily one of the most talked-about vehi-cles in today’s collision repair industry, the 2015 Ford F-150made a game-changing appearance at the event, givingthousands of attendees their very first glimpse of the vehi-cle’s breathtaking structure and design.

In development since 2009, the new F-150 has an

COVER STORY

“It is imperative for [AASP/MA] to have an understanding about what is occurring in Massachusetts; however, there is significantvalue in having knowledge of what is going onaround you.”

- AASP/MA Executive Director Jillian Zywien





improved boxed frame with more high-strength steel thanever before. Next, Ford used high-strength, military-grade,aluminum alloy throughout the body, which improves dentand ding resistance while saving as much as 700 pounds,providing improved towing, payload and better fuel effi-ciency. In addition, the vehicle comes equipped with a vari-ety of high-tech enhancements including a 360-degreecamera and a lane departure warning system. Additionally,Ford is implementing an extensive recycling program at itsplants, guaranteeing that all scrap aluminum that is takenoff a truck is put back into new aluminum – making the2015 F-150 truck a smart choice for consumers and the en-vironment. A special cutaway of the truck was the center-piece of Ford’s extensive display on the NORTHEAST showfloor throughout the weekend.

Naturally, the introduction of the new vehicle meansthat the manufacturer is looking to the auto body industry toensure that Ford drivers receive safe, dependable repairs.Melissa Lester, collision marketingmanager for Ford, appeared at NORTH-EAST 2014 on March 21 and 22 topresent an overview of the manufac-turer’s new National Body Shop Pro-gram. Facilitated by the AssuredPerformance Network, the Programseeks to identify and promote those fa-cilities that have the right tools, equip-ment, training and facilities to repairFord vehicles back to manufacturers’specifications. The cost for either inde-pendent shops or dealer facilities is$2,950 a year. Ford dealers becomeofficially Certified, while independentshave a slightly different distinction,“Recognized.” To participate, inde-pendents must have their Ford whole-sale parts dealer officially sponsorthem, but the dealers are able to spon-sor as many shops as they want andbelieve are able to become Recog-nized. The arrival of the 2015 F-150 un-derscores the need for a sustainable national network ofbody shops that can properly perform aluminum repairs.

“Less than half of our dealerships actually have bodyshops,” Lester said. “If you are a customer and live in a com-munity with a Ford dealership that doesn’t have a body shop,it will become necessary for you to have repairs performedat an independent repair facility…We think it’s very impor-tant that during the collision repair process, our customer iseducated and knows that they have the right to request theright part and the right body shop.” More information on theFord National Body Shop Program is available at www.FordCertifiedShop.com.

The weekend’s Ford-related presentations were of

particular interest to Boucher. “The new Ford pickup clearly has brought all of us to the

age where we’re going to need to be trained and tooled upto repair aluminum vehicles,” he shares. “Clearly, just aboutall of the major manufacturers that are involved in thosekinds of product lines have ramped up aluminum repair sta-tions and aluminum welding procedures. I think that anyshop that’s going to be a viable part of our business in thenext three or four years is going to need to get on board withaluminum technology.”

Wasting no time in getting his shop up to speed,AASP/MA member, recent NORTHEAST attendee and regu-lar CIC participant Justin Forkuo (290 Auto Body, Worcester)is finishing up the process to be the first facility in Worces-ter County to receive Ford designation through Assured Per-formance. In his mind, taking a proactive role in embracingaluminum repair early will give him a strong competitive ad-vantage.

“There are people out there whojust do whatever to cars,” he says.“They’re not fixing them; they makethem shiny and they ship them. I’m try-ing to fix cars. I want to separate my-self as far as I can from that side of theindustry. If you can do things in a simi-lar fashion to a dealership, now you’redriving yourself to a higher level.”

With sponsorship support fromtwo area Ford dealers, Forkuo’s I-CARGold Class facility will soon have a newaluminum-ready room, allowing nextyear’s crop of F-150 drivers to have asafe and dependable place to count onwhen repairers are needed. Not sur-prisingly, he is greatly impressed withthe 2015 F-150’s design and struc-ture.

“The technology that they’re puttinginto it is just awesome,” he says. “Toknow that you’re driving in one of thesafest vehicles ever made – and to be

able to put my customers back in one of the safest vehiclesever made – is a great feeling.

“Aluminum has been something I’ve been looking atsince I started the business in 2006,” he adds. “Now, we’rereally starting to get serious with it; we’re not going to waituntil every single car in our lot is aluminum before we investwhatever is necessary to get the equipment we need.”

In terms of training the industry on the new F-150, I-CARSenior Director of Field Operations and Segment Develop-ment Jeff Peevy told attendees of the April 9 Collision In-dustry Conference (CIC) in Portland, OR that his organizationis ready for the challenge.

COVER STORY

At the April 9 Repairer Roundtable in Portland,OR, guest speaker Dave Gruskos of Reliable Automotive Equipment noted that the industryhas a lot of catching up to do as more aluminumvehicles enter the market.

continued on pg. 53








Are you happy with where you are?Are you happy with where you’re heading?You are where you are today because ofthe decisions you made yesterday. Everydecision you make has a consequencethat you may not see for years. Life wouldbe so much easier for healthcare profes-sionals if, when you ate a Big Mac, yourbody would explode. Consequences areso much easier to tie to your decisionswhen the consequence is immediate.But this isn’t the case when eating a BigMac. You can eat fast food for years andnot notice any degradation in your healthuntil WHAMMO, you have a heart attack.

Not comparing what you want to thedecisions you make every day is thebiggest disconnect I see today. Your de-cisions have to support where you wantto go. Each decision will move you towardor away from your goals. Are you un-happy with your current reality? The onlyway you will see success tomorrow iswith the decisions you make today. Youprobably agree, but consider this: Youralarm goes off at 5am to get a jump onyour day. What do you do? You hit thesnooze button! And guess what thismeans? You just pushed your successback 10 minutes! How is that decisionmoving you any closer to your goals?

Suppose you are happy with your lifeor business right now and want to keepeverything the same. You probably thinkyou are at a crossroads and have one ofthree paths forward:

• You want more.• You want less.• You want things to stay the same.

Can I let you in on a little secret?“The same” is a myth! Staying the samesimply means that you are going to stoppushing forward and switch into coast

mode. I don’t know about you, but I haveNEVER seen someone “coast” UP! What isreally happening is that you start to get lazyand lethargic during a time when your com-petition is scrambling for a bigger piece of

your pie. If you continue to coast, you endup losing business. The concept of “stayingthe same” is a fairy tale; it can’t be done. Ei-ther you get more or you get less. PERIOD.

EVERY DECISION MATTERSby Rick White, 180BIZ

180BIZ FEATURE

continued on pg. 53










Instead of making decisions critical to your business, perhapsyou are resisting making decisions because you dislike change.NEWSFLASH! CHANGE is going to happen, no matter what. That’sright – change happens. Progress, however, is a choice. Think ofchange as a train, running through your life. You can choose to donothing and be a passenger on the change train or you can chooseprogress and drive the change train. Which do you want? I want tobe in the driver’s seat! I might make a wrong choice along the way,but I’d rather be responsible for where I am rather than be withoutany control at all. Stop thinking like a victim!

It is much easier for me to make decisions when I know whereI want to end up. Once I have my destination clearly in my mind, I cre-ate a laser-like focus that helps me with every decision I need tomake. If one of my choices is going to move me closer to my desti-nation, then that is the choice I am going to make EVERY TIME! If youchoose to do the same thing, you will quickly find yourself achievingyour goals much more quickly.

Now, instead of going through your day knee-deep in alligators,you can choose the tasks you undertake by applying your filter. Theresult: You are happier, have more energy and you succeed quicker.

Eighteenth century Novelist Samuel Lover once said, “Circum-stances are rulers of the weak, and instruments of the wise.” Know-ing your destination and having your filter firmly in place will allowyou to make wise decisions so that circumstances no longer ruleyou. Instead, you’ll be making the most out of each opportunity andchallenge you encounter on your path to success.

ABOUT RICK WHITE & ONE EIGHTY BUSINESSSOLUTIONS

Rick White is a managing member ofOne Eighty Business Solutions(180BIZ), a Virginia-based coachingand business solutions provider tothe automotive and truck repair in-dustries. Rick’s clients consider hima trusted advisor, helping them to in-crease profits and free time while re-ducing stress. If you would like more

business tips and thoughts just like this, please visit ourFacebook page at www.facebook.com/180biz. 180BIZprovides affordable, down to earth, one-on-one businesscoaching with no long-term commitments and a money-back guarantee! To see how we can help you and yourbusiness, please email us at [email protected] or call(540) 833-2014.

“We will make sure there are enough classes for any-one who wants to take [the course],” he said. “We alreadyhave 300 trained instructors ready to teach the class, andwe’ve already started building schedules that already ex-ceed over 700 classes…We’re targeting somewherearound 1,200 classes just as a place to start.”

A new six-credit hour 2015 Ford F-150 Structural Re-pair course (FOR06), covering vehicle-specific repair in-formation and various topics relating to aluminum, isslated to be launched by I-CAR on June 1.

With aluminum-intensive vehicles changing the wayrepairers conduct themselves on the shop floor, the raceto properly educate the industry on how to handle thesejobs is speeding up by the day. This reality is not only beingfelt in the Commonwealth: At the April 9 Repairer Round-table in Portland, guest speaker Dave Gruskos of ReliableAutomotive Equipment opined that the industry still has alot of catching up to do if it truly wants to put these de-manding vehicles back to pre-accident condition.

“Aluminum is a very difficult animal for welding certi-fication,” he said. “It’s not about taking a simple weldingcourse; you either know how to weld aluminum and youpass all the testing, or you don’t…We have some veryskilled techs in this room who have taken aluminum OEwelding classes and failed them.”

Gruskos wasn’t the only industry professional stress-ing that the industry needs to get up to speed on what’shappening right now in this industry with respect to tech-nologies and procedures.

“The industry has to wake up and realize that you’reprofessionals who are responsible for people’s lives,” of-fered Mark Allen, collision programs and workshop equip-ment specialist at Audi of America. “The stakes in thegame are going up; the procedures, tools and equipmentare key to the industry, key to survival and key to your cus-tomers.”

Now more than ever, it has become important forMassachusetts repairers to look beyond the four walls oftheir businesses and work to explore how the entire autobody industry is addressing issues and finding solutions.In addition to keeping readers informed of national newsthrough this publication, AASP/MA representatives planto continue to attend out-of-state events on behalf of theirfellow members back home.

“One of our reasons for going [to NORTHEAST] was sothat we could bring back the information to our localarea,” Boucher says. “We intend to have a local meetingand hope that we will get many of our shop owners in thisarea to come and at least listen to what we felt we got outof it, and what things they might want to think about withregard with their businesses in the future in order to staycurrent in the industry.”

180BIZ FEATURE COVER STORYcontinued from pg. 45continued from pg. 49

MASSACHUSETTS


MASSACHUSETTS





As a member of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Massachusetts (AASP/MA), I will abide by the association’s bylaws and code of ethics. I understand that membership in AASP of Massachusetts is non-transferable, and I must remain current with my dues in order to be a member in good standing. I understand that if I discontinue my membership that I must immediately cease using any association promotions, logos or materials. Additionally,I understand that as part of my AASP of Massachusetts membership, I will receive New England Automotive Report, the official publication of AASP of Massachusetts, faxes, emails and other mailings.

2014 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

BUSINESS INFORMATION:

Mr. Mrs. Ms.

Business Representative Name: ______________________________

Business Name ____________________________________________

MEMBERSHIP TYPE

REPAIRER MEMBER (check one)Collision Repair ShopMechanical Repair ShopBoth, Collision & Mechanical Repair ShopsOther Repair Shop

SUPPLIER/ASSOCIATE MEMBER (check one)Auto Paint/Crash Parts/Auto Parts/WholesalerEquipment/Tool SupplierManufacturer/Sales AgentServices (Computers, Software, Vehicle Rental, Other)

LIST OTHER SPECIALTIES __________________________________

________________________________________________________

What benefits motivated you to join AASP of Massachusetts?

________________________________________________________

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Name ____________________________________________________

Nickname ________________________________________________

2014 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES (The AASP membership year is from January to January 2015)

Total Due .................................................................................$395.00

NEW! Political Action Committee (PAC) Donation ...............$______

Check or Cash

Credit Card: Visa MasterCard

Card Number: __________________________________________

Expiration Date: __________________________________________

Signature: ______________________________________________

Date: __________________________________________________

*** PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY ***

10 Liberty Square, 5th Floor • Boston, MA 02109(617) 574-0741 | (617) 695-0173 (fax) | [email protected]

FOR OFFICE USE ONLYCheck Number ________________________________Check Date__________________________Check Amount________________________________Date Joined ______________________________Member Number ________________________Next Bill Date ________________________________

Street Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone Number ( ) ____________________________________ Fax Number ( ) ____________________________________________

E-mail Address __________________________________________ Web Site Address______________________________________________

Enrolled By (Name and Address) __________________________________________________________________________________________

Street City State Zip

Street City State Zip

Just like good tools and equipment, membership in AASP of Massachusetts isa valuable investment. AASP of Massachusetts works for you through such outstanding programs as: (1) management and technical training;

(2) discount uniform rental; and (3) a wide variety of other business services. Put AASP of Massachusetts to work for you today. COMPLETE THE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND

RETURN IT WITH PAYMENT TO AASP OF MASSACHUSETTS.

As required by the U.S. Tax Code, AASP of Massachusetts, Inc. informs its members that 75% of the dues paid to the association are taxdeductible. The remaining 25% is allocated to legislative activities and is not tax deductible.

MASSACHUSETTS








Audi Group ..........................................................51

Axalta Coating Systems........................................4

Bald Hill Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram ..................42

Balise Wholesale Parts Express........................26

Baystate Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge ........................46

Bernardi Group..............................................30-31

Best Chevrolet ..................................................IFC

BMW Group ..................................................56-57

BMW/Mini of Warwick ......................................35

Clay Subaru ........................................................12

Colonial Auto Group ..........................................52

Empire Auto Parts ..............................................27

Enterprise ..........................................................11

Ford Group..........................................................50

Future Cure ........................................................58

Goyette’s Inc. Auto Parts....................................27

Haydell Industries ................................................9

Honda Group ......................................................16

Hyundai Group....................................................32

Imperial Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep............................48

Imperial Ford ......................................................50

Infiniti of Norwood..............................................24

IRA Group ......................................................14-15

Jaffarian Toyota/Volvo........................................24

Kelly Automotive Group ....................................IBC

Linder’s, Inc. ......................................................34

Long Automotive Group ..................................OBC

Lundgren Honda ................................................11

Mazda Group ......................................................47

McLaughlin Chevrolet ........................................37

Mopar Group ......................................................48

Nissan Group......................................................25

Nissan World of Dartmouth ..............................42

PPG........................................................................3

Robertsons GMC Truck ......................................44

Sarat Ford-Lincoln ..............................................44

Sentry Group ........................................................6

Subaru Group................................................40-41

Tasca Group........................................................21

Toyota Group ......................................................29

Toyota of Nashua..................................................8

Village Auto Group..............................................20

VW Group............................................................36

Wellesley Toyota/Scion ......................................46

Woburn Jaguar....................................................37

AD INDEX


on this story in next month’s issue. It’sevident that steering is prevalent in ourarea, for members and non-membersalike. With the influx of newcomer in-surers to Massachusetts, I hate to sayit, but it’s only going to get worse if moreof us don’t take note of Factory Colli-sion’s actions and start standing up for

ourselves as well.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

AASP/MA President PaulHendricks is the owner ofHendricks Auto Body in

Uxbridge, MA. He can bereached at (508) 278-6066.

MASSACHUSETTS


continued from pg. 8





Documents

New England Automotive Report May 2014