CollisionRepairerNews, views & information for the Collision Industry Professional

ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE INDUSTRY AS THE LEADING MAGAZINE

September 2018 www.nationalcollisionrepairer.com.au

THE NATIONAL

Meet world land speed record holder, fighter pilot Andy GreenGet to know Carmine De Maria of C.A.D. Custom EliteRead the full report on the recently-held Symposium2018

Another month goes by, and onceagain it is one of the great delights ofmy role that I have the opportunity toconnect with so many influentialpeople across the industry.

We all understand the necessity toeither carve out a living or generate anacceptable return for theshareholders; after all, it is acommercial world in which we live.However, in my travels this month Iwas drawn to reflect on some of thereasons people do what they do – andit’s not all about maximising money.Some of the comments I heardincluded: “I just want to be the best I can be”; “I want to build the best carI can and exceed my customers’expectations”; and “We really arefocused on ensuring the nextgeneration inherits an industry that isin great shape”.

I have spoken, and reported on, atlength about the latest technologicaladvancements and the inevitability oftheir impact on the industry. However,it is the very presence of the peoplebehind the above comments and theirselfless approach that makes them thereal heroes of the industry. These arethe people who do not ask “what’s init for me?”; these are the people whoare more likely to ask, “what can I dofor you?”

So why is this important? Well,fundamentally, history is punctuated bygreat women and men who havecontributed to the growth of theirsocieties and on a much more modestscale I see many similar attributesacross our industry. These people arehigh energy, exciting to be around, andinfectious in their optimism. In this issuewe have several articles featuring thetype of people I have just described.

We meet Carmine De Maria,Managing Director, C.A.D. Custom EliteBody and Paint in Tullamarine on page12 who shares his background, hisjourney and his future objectives forhis business in the custom segment inwhich he operates. We also interviewAndy Green, an RAF fighter pilot andcurrent holder of the world land speedrecord who is aiming to break the1,000mph barrier (on page 16).

We also report on a number ofindustry events, including the IBISGlobal Summit in Munich on page 34,courtesy of our publishing partner, theAutomotive Refinisher magazine; thefull report on our own Mobility,Technology and Safety Symposium onpage 26, and a summary of Fix Auto’sinaugural national conference, recentlyheld in Adelaide, where the theme was“one family – one vision”. Don’t missthe Fix Auto report on page 33.

We induct Trudy Camilleri, firstyear teacher at Ultimo TAFE, as ourmost recent Future Leader of theIndustry on page 40, Owen Webbtakes a walk down memory lane inMinneapolis on page 36, John McCoy-Lancaster discusses the heartbeat ofthe nation on page 30 and on page44, I-CAR’s Mark Czvitkovits tells usabout the most important tool in thecollision repair workshop.

Once again, an issue full ofpassionate and committed peoplewho are the backbone of our industry.As always, happy to chat.

The National Collision Repairer – 1

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What’s in it for me?All too often we ask ourselves this question

The National CollisionRepairer magazine –Making a difference inour industry

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DISCLAIMERThe National Collision Repairer is published by JMF Solutions Pty Ltd, 452 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, Victoria 3051.This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposeof private study, research, criticism and review under the Copyright Act (1968), no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to thepublisher. The publisher believes all the information in this publication to be correct at the time of printing, however is not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accepts no liability inevent of any information proving inaccurate. Prices, addresses and phone numbers were, after investigations and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up to date at the time of printing. It isalso not feasible for the publisher to ensure that advertisements which appear in the publication comply with the Competition and Consumer Act (2010). The responsibility must therefore be onthe individual, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement for publication. Whilst every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publisher cannot be heldresponsible for any errors or omissions. Copyright © JMF Solutions Pty Ltd ACN 117 914 235

ContentsLatest News

Local news 4

Global news 20

Industry Event 33Read about Fix Auto’s inaugural Australian Conference from Adelaide.

Technology 38GM to roll-out its self-drive Super Cruise technology across the US range.

Updated Events andTraining Contacts 45

Product Showcase 46Summary of the latest productsdesigned for your business.

Special Reports

Taking Shop 12Carmine De Maria of C.A.D. Custom Elite Body and Paint shareshis journey in the industry.

Speed Demon 16We speak with Andy Green, jet fighter pilot by day, land speedrecord-holder by night.

SEMA Update 24

Industry Event 26Read the full report onSymposium2018 for the latest mobility and technology trends.

International Event 34Our South Africa publishing partnerreports on the IBIS Global Summitfrom Munich.

Regular Features

The Car Guy 26John reports on both the All Ford Dayand the All Holden Day in Sydney.

Custom Corner 36Owen goes back to the fifties at theMinneapolis state fairgrounds.

Future Leaders 40We present the award to Trudy Camilleri, a first-year teacher at Ultimo TAFE.

Stateside 42John discusses how various shopowners allocate their resources.

I-CAR Update 44Mark explains why knowledge andskills are your most valuable tools.

2018

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The SAPE Group is proud toannounce that it is now theauthorised distributor for POR-15 highperformance coatings in Australia.

POR-15 is the trusted brand in thepaint and coatings industry thatstands for superior quality control,durability, and customer service. Bestknown for the unbeatable POR-15rust preventive 3-step system, POR-15also offers a wide variety of specialtyproducts, including POR-15 top coat,high temp heat resistant paint, engineenamel, and brake caliper paint.

Paul McMartin, Director for theSAPE Group, said: “This is an excitingindustry and we are constantly

looking to improve and establish abetter position and one of the keyways to do so is working withcompanies like POR-15.

“There's no doubt that Australia hasa love affair with the car, and restoring aclassic car is the ultimate labour of love.POR-15 products are a must-have forany automotive restoration. No otherpaint is as permanent as POR-15. Whenothers have chipped, scratched, flakedand peeled, POR-15 will still bepreventing rust.”

POR-15 products are now in stockat SAPE HQ Condell Park, AutomotiveColour & Equipment Newcastle,Prestige Paints & Equipment Brisbane,

and The Paint Depot Gold Coast.POR-15 products can also bepurchased through an extensivereseller network throughout Australia.For further information, call SAPE on (02) 9772 9000.

POR-15 added to the SAPE portfolio

After a comprehensive judgingprocess, and from more than 500Capricorn Rising Stars nominationsreceived from Capricorn membersacross Australia and New Zealand, theCapricorn Rising Stars Apprentice ofthe Year has been selected.

Capricorn is delighted to announcethat Mark Smith, an apprentice fromThe Battery Terminal in Belconnen,ACT has been named as the inauguralCapricorn Rising Stars winner.

Mark emerged on top afterimpressing the Capricorn Rising Starsjudging panel with his outstandingwork ethic, combined with his passionfor the industry and commitment tomaking the most of the opportunitygiven to him by his employers at TheBattery Terminal.

As the Capricorn Rising StarsApprentice of the Year, Mark will takehis boss and two friends on an all-expenses paid trip to the spectacular2018 Vodafone Gold Coast 600Supercar race, held on the streets ofSurfers Paradise from October 19 to 21,thanks to Capricorn Rising Starscompetition major sponsor, Castrol.

Mark was justifiably proud to haveearned the inaugural Capricorn RisingStars Apprentice of the Year accolade."I'm very proud to be the first Capricorn

Rising Star and I would like tocongratulate all of the other nomineesand finalists, as it is so good to seeother young people sharing the sameenthusiasm for the industry,” he stated.

“I hope that this initiativecontinues and that more apprenticesgain the recognition that they deservefor their efforts day in, day out. Out ofall the prizes, I am looking forward tothe access that I will have with theindustry leaders the most. Thementoring will be a great thing for mycareer as I am ready and willing tolearn all the time,” he added.

As part of the Capricorn RisingStars competition winner’s prize pack,The Battery Terminal has also wonindustry-renowned customer servicetraining from The Workshop Whisperer.

The Capricorn Rising Starscompetition was developed to assistCapricorn members in rewarding andretaining their high performingapprentices by recognising theirimportant contribution, whilehighlighting the promising future thatlies ahead of them within the industry.

Through the Capricorn RisingStars Apprentice of the Yearcompetition, Australasia’s largestautomotive parts buying group hopesto encourage more apprentices to join

and make their mark in the industry. The Capricorn Rising Stars

judging panel included David Fraser,CEO Automotive – Capricorn; SeanRahaley, General Manager – Castrol;Stuart Charity, Executive Director –Australian Automotive AftermarketAssociation (AAAA); BrendanSorensen – TaT Biz; Rachael Sheldrick,Director – Workshop Whisperer; andGavin Cribb, Education Manager –Automotive Centre of Excellence(ACE) Bendigo Kangan Institute.

All the judges agreed that decidingthe winner was a difficult process due tothe extremely high calibre of apprenticeswho were nominated by Capricornmembers. Capricorn thanks all theirmembers who took part by nominatingtheir outstanding apprentices, thepeople who represent the future of theAustralian and New Zealand automotiverepair and servicing industry.

The Capricorn Rising StarsApprentice of the Year competitionwas proudly supported by Repco,AutoMate, TaT Biz, The WorkshopWhisperer and major sponsor Castrol.

Inaugural Capricorn Rising StarsApprentice of the Year announced

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“What did we do before we joined Capricorn? Spent lots of time sourcing different parts and paying different bills. Now, with our Capricorn Trade Account, we get instant credit to use with so many Preferred Suppliers – including the biggest names in the industry – plus the convenience of having just one statement to pay each month. We even earn reward points with our purchases – which we’ve redeemed for some great holidays with Capricorn Travel!”

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Tradiebot Industries backed byAMGC to automate panel repair

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The Advanced Manufacturing GrowthCentre (AMGC) is supporting acollaborative project with TradiebotIndustries to deliver the world’s firstautomated vehicle panel repairsystem. As part of the project,Tradiebot Industries will collaboratewith the University of New SouthWales (UNSW) ARC Training Centrefor Automated Manufacture ofAdvanced Composites (AMAC) ondeveloping a robotic control system tocarry out physical repairs on damagedvehicle panels.

Tradiebot’s chief creator, MarioDimovski, said the project seeks toachieve a shift from manualproduction jobs towards a morecustomised, smart and competitivemanufacturing model, backed byhighly skilled workers. According toDimovski, the project addresses acurrent skills gap in the vehiclecollision repair industry.

The AMGC is providing $197,000 inco-funding for the first stage of theproject, which is matched by equivalentfunding from Tradiebot Industries.Further investments will follow as theproject achieves set milestones. Apartfrom providing an internal solution forthe automotive repair sector, Dimovskisaid the project also opens the path forcreating new manufacturing jobs inAustralia as the technology sets todisrupt the global automotive industry.Successful completion of the projectwill allow Tradiebot to create newrevenue streams by leasing or sellingdigital assets and robotic systems tovehicle repairers.

Tradiebot has partnered with the

global automotive coating giant, PPGIndustries, on developing and laterdistributing the robotic solutionthrough its global customer base. KevinWoolerton, Marketing Director, PPGRefinish ANZ said, “We are interested inthe innovations within the industry andleading that innovation with Tradiebot.The repair processes have evolvedconsiderably over the years. Using arobotic arm to do the physical repairs,such as the sanding process, can helpavoid the occasional flaws that occurbecause of the human factor.”

At the signing ceremony at theARC Training Centre for AMAC atUNSW on 14 August 2018, AMGC statedirector, Michael Sharpe, added,“Tradiebot is setting an example ofhow we can advance Australia further– helping to upskill the next generationas well as generating jobs for today.”

The two core activities involved inthe project include digitalising theprocess of repairing damaged vehiclepanels by developing virtual models ofvehicle panels, as well as developing arobot control system that can conductthese physical repairs, includingsanding, painting and polishing.

The participants will alsocollaborate to integrate data fromvarious devices into a unique Internetof Things (IoT) solution for vehiclepanel repair. A successful projectoutcome is likely to inspire similarsolutions in areas beyond vehiclerepair, such as commercial cleaning,painting and washing. Participatingcompanies will also enhance their skillsbase by gaining first-hand experiencein developing cyber-physical systems.

The IAA expandsto QueenslandThe Institute of Accident Assessorswas established in 1964 with theobjective of promoting andprotecting the interests of theprofession by holding members toa strict code of conduct. This hasprovided valuable and professionalservices to both the public and theinsurance industry.

IAA members have manyyears of experience, combiningtheir practical trade knowledgewith insurance skills. An emphasison technical development andtraining has members at theleading edge of their field.

Initially the IAA only providedprofessional development eventsin Sydney, although theyexpanded several years ago intoMelbourne where assessors havecontinued to organise eventsthrough a local committee.

Many former members havemoved to Queensland and the boardhas received numerous enquiries toset up something in Queensland. Inresponse, an initial event for allassessors was held at AdvancedMotorcycles and Decals in May, withover 50 assessors attending.

As a follow-up, a second openevening was held at Recar Australiaat Archerfield, again with a highlevel of interest from Queensland-based assessors. During this visit,Bob and Cam Jones provided theassessors with a tour of theexpansive repair facilities, explainingthe various repair processes that arerequired for heavy vehicles.

With this level of interest, aBrisbane-based committee has beenset up with the following volunteeringto take on the role of organisingfuture educational events: RobertRalph (AAMC), Brian McFadden (IAG)and Adam Kier (Youi).

Future professionaldevelopment events will beoffered to IAA members only, soany assessor wishing to undertakethe program and be recognisedaccordingly can apply formembership at www.iaa.network

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PPG’s CPC all-round performance

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Over and above the refinish sector,PPG describes itself as a globalcoatings specialist, catering to sectorsas diverse as architectural (homes andcommercial buildings), marine,aeronautical, industrial and more. Inearly 2017, the local industrial rangecame in for a comprehensive updateand name-change to “CommercialPerformance Coatings”. Chris Davis,PPG Business Director CommercialPerformance Coatings, talks about thenew range and the market reaction.

Where PPG’s refinish systems tend tobe focused on one task, the customerbase for these products has a vast numberof applications and outcomes they want toachieve. It could be anything fromagricultural and construction equipment totrailers, business equipment, concretefloors and much more. As a result, theCommercial Performance Coatings rangehas to be super versatile, and that comes

from a variety of PPG producttechnologies including alkyd, acrylic, epoxyand urethane coatings. The tag line is“simplicity, consistency and capability” andit’s designed to meet virtually anyrequirement. For example, if you want tocoat a particular substrate, there is anoption. If you want to get the job donemore quickly, there is an option. If youwant a high-end finish, there is an option. If you want to do it on a budget, there is an option.

Over the past few decades, theLIC business had evolved into a verybroad range, but one where productsoverlapped each other. This made itquite complicated when customerscame to choose the right one.Launching Commercial PerformanceCoatings gave us the opportunity torationalise – it’s still a broad range, butit’s now less complex – and the namebetter reflects what the brand is all

about. Our local development teamintroduced the latest coatingstechnologies to create a morestreamlined range of solutions thateither match or better theirpredecessors. In addition, colourcapability is outstanding across therange thanks to the world-classSELEMIX tinting system – it’s arevolutionary step for this market!

In contrast to LIC, which haddifferent tinting systems depending onthe product being used, all theCommercial Performance Coatings’binder technologies are fullycompatible with the one Selemixtinting system – that is a revolution! It’ssimple to mix exactly the same colouracross different binder technologiesand be confident the colours will matcheach other – this is really important formany customers. What’s more, theSelemix system is capable offormulating around 10,000 colours inany gloss level, from full gloss to matt.It’s also backed by excellent colourtools including a colour box, PPG’sPAINTMANAGER XI software for colourformulation retrieval, and even a reallycool, pocket-sized spectrophotometer,called the Selemix ColourPin II, whichcan be used to read the colour onvirtually any object or surface andidentify the nearest Selemix colour.

Regarding the market reaction,launching Commercial PerformanceCoatings was a nervous time because wewere rationalising the entire product range.However, rather than cause issues, it hasdone exactly the opposite – in just 18months, it has taken the market by storm.It gives users the ability to choose the idealproduct technology for their job and thenmix it in exactly the right colour and glosslevel. The transition has been nothing butpositive from our staff, our distributors andour customers, and it does not stop there.A constant flow of new producttechnologies continues to arrive as theCommercial Performance Coatings brandgoes from strength to strength.For more information, visit the newCommercial Performance Coatingswebsite at www.ppgcpc.com.au

In the first of a four-part series, we take a look at PPG’s CPC specialised paint system.

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The saying goes, “practice makesperfect”, and the preliminary rounds ofthe PPG Colour Matching Competitionhave already given spray paintingapprentices from across the region theopportunity to take colour matchingprinciples they have learned duringtraining and put them into practice.With the preliminary competitionsnow complete, more than 60apprentices have been inspired to testthemselves against their peers as theysharpen their colour matching skillsunder competitive conditions.

Not only that, the long-runningannual competition also gave eachone of them a shot at winning throughto the 2018 ANZ final, to be held on12th October at PPG’s MorningsideTraining Centre in Brisbane. The totalof nine finalists is made up ofrepresentatives from New Zealand andeach Australian state and territory.

The 2018 PPG Colour MatchingCompetition final is all about“matching it with the best” as theyare required to match two colours(typically, a solid colour followed by ametallic colour), which will beassessed by a judging panel. As well

as the honour of winning, contestantscan also walk away with cool prizesincluding gift vouchers, SATA sprayequipment and MIRKA tools. Nomatter whose name is engraved onthe 2018 winner’s trophy, the skill ofcolour matching is already a winner!

The Winning formula

The National Collision Repairer – 9

The Motor Traders’ Association ofNSW (MTA NSW), together with theAustralian Heavy Vehicle RepairersAssociation (AHVRA), havecommitted to donating a total of$15,000 to the Buy a Bale campaignin support of local farmingcommunities who are struggling withsevere drought conditions.

“On behalf of our executiveboard and members, the MotorTraders’ Association of NSW hascommitted to this donation in orderto provide practical support tothose farmers in need,” said MTA

NSW CEO, Stavros Yallouridis.“With over half of our members’

businesses located within regionaland rural NSW, the ongoing droughtconditions are also having an adverseeffect on their own businesses withinthe affected communities,” Yallouridissaid. “By supporting the farmers, weare also indirectly helping the localautomotive businesses that aredependent on farming and theagricultural industry.”

AHVRA Chairman, RichardNathan, said, “Our members, whospecialise in accident repairs totrucks and trailers, wanted tocontribute after learning of thedevastating effect the drought washaving, especially those businesses

employing locals within the regionalcommunities.”

The employer associations’ jointcontributions will be directed towardsbuying bales of hay to be transportedto affected farmers across the fouraffected NSW regions of the Hunter,New England, Southern NSW andWestern NSW.

MTA NSW andAHVRA supportdrought relief

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Holden has announced theappointment of Daniel Cotterill asSenior Manager ProductCommunications. Cotterill has abroad range of experience thatincludes several years as a specialistdefence industry journalist, workingas chief of staff for a federal cabinetminister, time as a director with alarge multi-national PR agency,managing PR for Ateco Automotive’sAsian brands and as associatepublisher of GoAuto Media.

“Holden has the best productline-up we’ve ever had, it’s an excitingtime for Daniel to be joining theHolden team,” said Anna Betts,

Holden’s Director of Communications.“His product knowledge isoutstanding, matched by his passionfor the Holden brand, which will bean asset as we continue to build ourreputation as an SUV and LCVcompany, with the soon-to-belaunched, all-new Holden Acadia justaround the corner,” she added.

“I am thrilled to be joiningHolden at a time when the companyis looking to strengthen its marketposition and is demonstrating thedetermination necessary to makethat happen,” said Cotterill. “As along-term Holden enthusiast, andsomeone who races an old Holden

touring car in his spare time, I’mlooking forward to getting stuck intomy new role.”

Cotterill will work closely withpress fleet coordinator Jessiie Rees-Dielenberg and is available for allproduct-related queries.

Holden appoints Daniel Cotterill

Axalta Coating Systems is offering an I-CAR approved leadership course designedfor body shop owners, managers and teamleaders to develop the skillset to becomesuccessful leaders within a team andbusiness. Participants will walk away withan in-depth understanding of how todifferentiate leadership from management,motivate and develop staff, build a positiveworking culture and create the nextgeneration of leaders, which will ultimatelytranslate into happier, more effective staffand a strong business model.

Running a body shop requiresleadership at all levels of management.Axalta Services understands theimportance of this and the impact it

can have on a body shop’s businesssustainability. This led the team atAxalta to develop a leadership coursethat focuses on providing the righttechniques to lead a team effectivelyand efficiently. The course targets:• Understanding the differences

between leadership andmanagement.

• Developing and motivating bodyshop staff to improve performance,retention and conflict resolutionwhilst creating a positive andmeaningful culture.

• Identifying the right managementstyle for the business.

The program will show attendeeshow to effectively communicate, buildand sustain better teams, create apositive culture in the business, andkeep staff engaged for the long term.Strategies designed to keep and

develop staff have never been morecritical as the pool of people fromwhich to draw upon is dwindling at analarming rate.

The I-CAR certified leadershipcourse is taught using a highlyinteractive guided learning model tokeep attendees engaged in thelearning process. Numerous conceptswill be available, including:• Identifying the task or functions critical

to becoming a successful leader.• Increasing retention and reducing

absenteeism.• Providing opportunities to network

with other business leaders.• Providing techniques to establish

and improve employee engagement. Axalta’s Training Alliance with I-

CAR means that, upon completion ofthe leadership course, an attendee willbe awarded credit hours that can beapplied towards the I-CAR Gold ClassProfessionals, Platinum Individualdesignations, or be used to meet role-relevant annual training requirements. The training dates for Leadership in2018 have already been completed inSouth Australia and Queensland withthe following still to come:25 September New South Wales10 October Western Australia5 December VictoriaFull details on Axalta Services andthe latest courses available can be found atwww.axalta.com.au/AxaltaServices.

Axalta Servicesoffers an I-CARleadership course

Daniel Cotterill.

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Craig TonkesAxalta Coating Systems

When did you join the industry? A long time ago - 1984

What was your first job in the industry?Apprentice Spray Painter

What do you do now? National Business to Business Manager

What do you like about the industry? The challenge of adapting to the ever-changing pace of our industry

What don’t you like about the industry?Doomsdayers

What music do you like? A mix of genres depending on my mood

Your Favourite Artist? Van Morrison

Your favourite food? Thai

Your favourite drink? Beer

Your hobbies? Surf Lifesaving

Who in the world would you most like to meet? Leonardo DaVinci

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During the month of July, AxaltaCoating Systems took Seamless, theirbody shop management program, on anational roadshow with thepenultimate event staged in Melbourneat the Crown Promenade. The eventwas attended by a mix of distributorpartners and body shop owners.

Hosted by Michael Kirchner, VictorianTerritory Business Manager, andpresented by Craig Tonkes, National B2BManager, the event was designed notonly as a presentation and interactivediscussion, but also a live demonstrationof the features and benefits of thesystem. Seamless was developed tofacilitate the smooth and continuous flowof work through the body shop. “It hasbeen designed as a simplified systemthat does not overly-complicate theprocess and makes the complete repairprocess visible,” said Tonkes.

The 100 percent web-basedSeamless system is built upon threefundamental modules: Body ShopManagement, Shop Floor DataCollection and Vehicle Repair Tracking,and every employee in the business hasindividual access which, of course, iscustomised depending on their job roleand the requirements of the business.

The body shop managementmodule covers all aspects required torun an efficient and productive facility,such as: job allocation, bookingmanagement, recording cycle times,parts management, staff management

and business analytics. However, it isnot a one-size-fits-all approach, asSeamless is fully customisable to suitthe individual body shop. “Werecognise that our customers havevery different business models andSeamless has the capability tocustomise key features to suit therequired model,” said Tonkes.

The shop floor data collectionmodule is, as the name suggests,designed to clearly identify and trackall the vehicles in the system, includingthose scheduled to arrive – a type ofpipeline management process.Interestingly, one of the functionsallows the allocation of resources withthe effect that it minimisesbottlenecks in the business. The datais shared in real time, provides fulltransparency, and generates a rangeof operational reports designed tobetter manage the business.

The repair tracking module is thecustomer interface function thatallows the vehicle owner access toreal-time information about theprogress of the repair. Online access issupplemented by an automated SMSfunction that proactively interacts withthe customer. It also encourages thecustomer to provide feedback throughthe customer satisfaction survey.

In this current environment wheremulti-site operations are becomingmore and more prevalent, Seamless isalso designed to be scalable, enablemanagement reporting from each siteand consolidate the information into awhole-of-business system. In addition,Seamless integrates with most of theexisting quoting systems and can evenintegrate with multiple quotingsystems across a multi-site operation.“We at Axalta are proud to be able toextend our offering to includeSeamless. It has been designed toassist the business owner to make thetransition from working in thebusiness to working on the business,”concluded Tonkes.For more information, contact AxaltaCoating Systems on Tel: (02) 8818 4343 or visitwww.seamlessbsm.com.au

The National Collision Repairer – 1 1

Seamless – by name and by nature

The formative yearsCarmine De Maria speaks fondly of hislate father, Cobram Valiant–ChryslerDealer, Joe De Maria, as he reflects ongrowing up in the car game. Thedealership included a smash repairshop and was a key service providerto commercial vehicles in the Riverina.In his early years, Joe gave youngCarmine a sage piece of advice thathe still lives by today: if you want tosucceed in life, think and plan for thelong term and align yourself with thebest people.

From his early days, Carmine wasdriven by achievement and, as anapprentice at Barry Dickson Paint andPanel in Cobram, he was awardedApprentice of the Year in each of histhree years at Wangaratta TAFE. Byhis mid-twenties, he was anaccomplished body builder and wasnot satisfied until he won the MrAustralia Contest in 1998 – ineverything he does, he strives to bethe best.

It is the same with his automotivecareer. On completion of his spray-painting apprenticeship, De Mariaworked for several differentbusinesses, both in Melbourne and inregional Victoria, before setting up DeMaria Smash Repairs in Cobram in1993. However, he discovered thatbeing a great spray painter did notnecessarily mean he would be a greatbusiness owner and he closed downthe business in 1999.

Notwithstanding his roots and his

obvious affection for his home town, DeMaria headed to Melbourne to furtherdevelop his skills and knowledge where,once again, he worked in variousbusinesses including Lemax with an oldfriend of the National Collision Repairer,Max Chanter. “Carmine was one of thebest spray painters I ever worked with.It is no surprise that he has gone on tobecome one of the best in the country,”said Chanter.

Building the brandHowever, De Maria was looking for anedge, and in 2009 he headed to theSEMA Show and discovered thecustom car scene and was hooked –C.A.D. Custom was born! He wasdetermined to make his mark on theindustry and so he set out on hisjourney. Following his father’s advice,he set an objective to “win every show

in the country” – quite a challengewhen you start out in a rentedproperty and a second hand Lowbakespray booth. However, as he built hisbusiness and built his network, hisreputation grew, and he has nowfulfilled this goal with the various carsthat he has built over the years.

Owen Webb, MotorActive said, “Ifirst met Carmine when he was planningto open his custom shop and Iimmediately liked his attitude. I told himit would be a long road and you mustturn out great work with a high servicelevel – which he has done. It has beenhis investment back into his businessand continual hard work that makes himone of Australia’s top custom shops.”

In 2014 C.A.D. Custom displayedno less than eight cars at MotorEx,including “Toxic Q”, the big block HQHolden that featured on the cover of

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Driven by

PERFECTIONWHEN YOU FIRST MEET CARMINE DE MARIA OF C.A.D. CUSTOM ELITE BODY AND PAINT, YOU CAN’THELP BUT GET CAUGHT UP IN HIS ENTHUSIASM AND PASSION FOR LIFE AND FOR WHAT HE DOES FORA LIVING – CREATE AND DELIVER GREAT CUSTOM CARS.

Carmine De Maria.

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Street Machine magazine. De Mariawas getting noticed.

True to his father’s mantra, healigned himself with the best in thecustom car scene, and in the US thatmeant people like Chip Foose andCharlie Hutton. In 2015, De Maria wona competition to have a car (an XBFalcon) painted by Hutton at theSydney Hot Rod and Custom Showand was blown away when Huttoninsisted that they paint the cartogether. De Maria still recalls that dayand has stayed in touch ever since.

On his annual trips to SEMA, DeMaria would drop in to Foose Designin Huntington Beach and began tobuild a relationship with Chip Fooseand his team. However, it was in 2016,when he was selected by a panel ofindustry leaders to represent Australiain the 3M PPS World Cup at the 2017Woodward Dream Cruise week, thathe really cemented his relationshipwith Foose and the team at 3M. “Theexperience was unbelievable as all thecontestants had the chance to learnfrom each other, using the very best ofproducts – I can’t thank 3M enoughfor the opportunity,” he said.

Where are we now?De Maria has since taken on anambassadorial role for 3M PPS and hasworked alongside the 3M team atseveral events in the past 12 months.“Carmine has been a greatambassador for the 3M brand and theAustralian custom car scene. Hisexcitable passion for cars is infectious,his workmanship is top class and wereally enjoy working with him,” saidAndrew King, 3M AutomotiveAftermarket & Marine Division BusinessManager – Australia & New Zealand.

There is no doubt that Carmine DeMaria is now a major force in the customcar scene in Australia and this was nevermore evident than at Meguiar’s MotorExin Melbourne in May this year, where hehad three of his creations on display. The’32 Ford (Chooda), the ’57 Chev Bel-Airand the HK Monaro all picked up awardsin their categories. Interestingly,although De Maria runs the business andmanages a great team, he does all thepainting himself. “This is what mycustomers expect, it’s my area of

expertise and I love it.”In addition to becoming one of

the pre-eminent custom car buildersin Australia, C.A.D. Customs has beenappointed the Australian distributorfor NotcHead Fasteners and Socketsand is yet another example of De

Maria aligning himself with the best inthe business.

As I stood on the shop floor in hisTullamarine facility, I watched his teamat work and it’s clear they too have apassion for what they do. I was stunnedto see none other than Tom Peach,

The National Collision Repairer – 1 3

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Open day at C.A.D. Custom.

CHOODA ... a standout at any show.

Award winning HK Monaro.

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renowned master of metal shaping,imparting his knowledge to youngAdam Vella as he rebuilds the ’28 FordCoupe. “It’s just so great to havesomeone of Tom’s experience comeinto the shop – he is a great supporter

of what we do,” said De Maria.Not unlike collision repairers,

attracting and retaining experiencedcustom builders is a perennialchallenge. “I look to recruit oncharacter, charisma and competency

whenever I’m recruiting. Trying to geta great fit at the beginning improvesmy likelihood of success. With accessto people like Tom Peach, it onlyenhances our ability to recruit andretain the best staff.”

I just had to ask what his favouritecreation has been over the years, andwithout hesitation he said, “The ’65Chevy Impala, ‘Supernatural’, because itgreatly exceeded the customer’sexpectations. This is why I do what I do.”

Where to from here?Asking this question, I expected ananswer more in line with “who knowswhat the future holds”. However, DeMaria is a very focused individual and heworks on up to eight projects at any onetime. A typical build is a two-yearproject, and he has another eight in thequeue already. He shares with me thatwhen he began his “custom career”, oneof his dreams was to build a car to astandard that was worthy of enteringthe Ridler Award. It was no surprise tohear that he has now beencommissioned to do just that, and I wasprivileged to see the early progress onthis confidential project. Look out for thefinished car at the SEMA Show in 2020.

As I leave the facility, I reflect onthe advice Joe De Maria passed on toa young up-and-coming Carmine:“think and plan for the long term andalign yourself with the best people”. Itis clear that Joe’s advice has been welland truly put into practice.

Carmine with Chip Foose and Andrew King.

SUPERNATURAL.

Peter Lamb, Carmine and Norm Stewart.

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Tom Peach sharing the knowledge.

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1 6 – S P E C I A L R E P O R T

Being blasted in a straight line viarocket propulsion at speeds of wellover 1,000mph may well be enough topersuade even the staunchest ofspeed demons that life is betterserved in the slow lane. For AndyGreen, however, the thought of beingfired across an expanse of desertbrings nothing more than a quietreminder that life should be lived atthe very limit of human, andmechanical, potential.

“That’s the thing I get up for in themorning,” he begins, speakingexclusively to National Collision Repairer.“In the serenity of getting out of bed,there’s a stillness, but that doesn’t lastlong. No sooner are we at the track orthe test unit do the engines start, therevs increase and the vigorous, violentprocess gets underway.”

Green, 55, presents himself withan admirable nonchalance that’s bornout of his prestigious position as theworld’s current land speed record-holder, having achieved a velocity of1,228kph in 1997 with Thrust SSC.

“It’s not the same sort of high-endurance sport that most motorracing is because it’s relatively short,”Green says of his penchant forsupersonic driving. “Ultimately, for thefastest run we do, we’re expecting toget from standstill to 1,000mph, andback to a standstill again 12 milesaway. That will only take two minutes.

“Two minutes could be quite hardwork, but it’s not exactly like turningaround in circles going aroundSilverstone for over an hour-and-a-half, as Lewis Hamilton does – it’s acompletely different set of skills, butthere is still a lot to do in that twominutes. A Formula One driver looks

in the cockpit as little as possible,whereas I will be looking in the cockpita lot to check temperatures, pressures,speeds and jet engine power settings– I’m monitoring all of that.

“It’s a very different level ofphysical requirement and nearly all ofthat challenge is mental,” he says. “It’sall to do with the distractions of thenoise, the disorientation, the somaticgraphic illusion…”

The somatic what? A“mathematician by training”, reelingoff these sorts of complex scientificconcepts mid-conversation appearsno more difficult for Green thanshattering the sound barrier.

“It’s a disorientation of the innerear,” he laughs, raising a hand as if toapologise. “Somatic graphic illusion iswhere your sense of up and downbecomes so distorted that you feel likeyou’re going vertically up into the skywhile you’re accelerating – it’s moststrange. And if that’s not bad enough,there’s also the feeling of goingvertically down into the earth whendecelerating,” he explains. “It feels likethe whole world is tilted 90º up whenyou’re going straight up and then 90ºdown when you’re going straight down.

“That is something that I willsimply have to cope with,” Green saysin another example of gloriousunderstatement, referencing his nextspeed challenge, when he tries tobreak his own record in the nearfuture with Bloodhound, a machinedesigned solely with the purpose ofhitting the 1,600km/hr mark andbeyond. The RAF Wing Commanderstruggles to contain his excitement atthe technical prowess of what helabels “the world’s most advancedstraight-line racing car”. But this isn’t aproject that has come easily, even forsomeone who has the level ofexperience that Green possesses.

“Little did we know that it wasgoing to take us five-and-a-half yearsto solve the incredibly complexaerodynamic problems that wouldallow us to provide the right degree ofstability, control and load distributionon the car,” he muses. “But the fact is,we have. We’ve solved problems thatno-one has even addressed beforebecause nobody has tried to build acar doing these speeds at ground level.

“Just to put that into perspective,the world’s fastest jet fighters max out

JET FIGHTER PILOT BY DAY, LAND SPEED RECORD-HOLDER BY NIGHT. WHEN IT COMES TO PUSHINGMODERN MOTORING TECHNOLOGY TO ITS LIMITS, NO-ONE DOES IT QUITE LIKE ANDY GREEN.

Andy Green.

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Speed demon

The National Collision Repairer – 1 7

at about 900mph down at groundlevel in thick air. They can go twice asfast up in the thin air at 50,000ft, butdown at ground level we are aiming tobuild a car that is faster than any jetfighter. The task is that ambitious.”

However ambitious, goodresearch makes the job achievable,and Australia has certainly played itspart in terms of scoping out apotential location for the new worldrecord attempt.

“We scoped out four potential sitesin Australia – Lake Gairdner, Lake Eyre,Island Lagoon and Lake Frome.Immediately, we ruled out IslandLagoon and Lake Frome. They weregreat locations but too ‘soft’, so the tripthen focused on Gairdner and Eyre.”

Both lakes have “previous” –Donald Campbell set a world record of403mph on Lake Eyre in 1964, whileAustralian record-breaker RoscoMcGlashan launched his AussieInvader jet car onto the barren LakeGairdner in 1996.

“Both lakes are completely unique.Very dry, very smooth surfaces withwhat I have described before as‘pressure ridges’. There is a crystal-likesheen to the top where salt spins intoweaves with several 1–2cm bumps.There is a hardness which, whilebeneficial for sitting the car on, can alsobe unforgiving if any bumps appear.”

He continues: “We concluded thatboth sites have real potential, and itwould be great to do this in Australia,but we have concerns about howoften the surfaces dry. It’s said thatDonald Campbell might have made450mph on a better surface, whileMcGlashan’s team were on the lake fora year waiting for the right conditions,which never came. It could be a longway to go to sit around frustrated.”

At least Green will have company– not only is he being aided byRichard Noble, a former Land Speedrecord-holder who held the positionbetween 1983 and 1997, but theproject has become a mecca of sortsfor any aeronautical or automotiveengineer worth their salt.

“To a certain extent, theengineering team is almost self-selecting,” Green says. “We work with a

huge variety of individuals,organisations and engineeringinstitutions – people come and find us.They are the sorts of characters whohave the expertise, the drive and theinspiration to do something that no-onehas even attempted before. These arethe mechanical minds who try to solveproblems that don’t yet have solutions.”

Of course, when they do findGreen and the Bloodhound team, theselucky souls are met with one of themost – if not the most – visionaryengineering challenges in automotivehistory. And the answers toBloodhound’s many potential problemsspan every aspect of modernengineering, from space to the sea.

“The wheels at high speed will notfunction like rubber tyres – they aresolid aluminium discs rotating 10,000

times a minute,” he explains. “Theactual underside of the wheel at highspeed is the same as a high-speedboat. We have to try to predict howthe wheels are going to function atsuch incredible rotational velocitywhen the dry mud surface underneaththe wheel starts to act more like a fluidthan it does a solid, because we arenow travelling at supersonic speed.

“Then we have to look at how tojoin the front half of the car to theback,” he continues. “The cockpit is acarbon fibre monocoque structure –much like a Formula One car, exceptours weighs 200kg and is thestrongest monocoque cockpit in thehistory of motorsport.

“How do you join that to the backhalf of a car that is taking these hugeloads and accelerating at fantastic

The official launch.

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speeds? That’s not the sort of thingFormula 1 can tell you, because theircar weighs a few hundred kilos andours weighs 10 times as much. We’retalking about the sorts of loads thatVolvo Ocean racers see when they tryto join stainless steel fittings to carbonfibre hulls. So, you can see the level ofexpertise we need on board – it’s top-level mechanical engineering.”

What Green admires most aboutthe personnel, though, is the variedbackgrounds on show, and anacceptance that despite the need forpinpoint precision of speed andscience, at the heart of any land speedrecord is the time spent in the garage.

“Everything starts and ends withthe mechanic, with the body shopexperts and with ensuring the car is inthe most streamlined condition,” hesays. “We need this this thing to be abullet, and any dents or loose parts canhave a catastrophic effect, not only ona record attempt, but driver safety too.

“The care, attention and love thatgoes into every surface of the car issomething to behold, and the realstars of the show are those who getthe exterior of this car in a positionwhere it can break records.”

Later this year, Green will begin toreally put the Bloodhound through itspaces with a series of runs aiming tohit speeds of 500mph on theHakskeen Pan track in South Africa.With well over half a decade ofdedication, funding, and cutting-edgeexpertise having gone into the projectalready, the racer is under no illusions

as to the historic significance of whatBloodhound could achieve.

“To bring my skills as amathematician to this fantastic, veryhighly-skilled, multi-disciplined scienceand engineering team is an incrediblehonour. It’s a huge privilege to be partof that and to help them to solve thecountless problems that come into this,”he nods. “Of course, by employment I’ma Royal Air Force fighter pilot, so I’vegot the world’s best day job: flying orindeed supporting Royal Air Forceoperations around the world.

“I can bring that skillset to theproject in terms of understanding jetengines and supersonics and thecontrols, precisions and dynamics ofaccelerating at 2G before slowing downat 3G. If you want to think about 3G,that’s 60mph per second. So, in termsof that deceleration, that’s driving alongthe road at 60mph and coming to acomplete stop in one second – that’show quickly the car will slow down.That is something that will be a normalprocess every time I drive the car.”

It appears the pressures of the taskin terms of physical exertion andindividual responsibility would makemost men turn and run. So, could it bepossible that Green, who lives an almostcomic-book hero existence of speed, isfeeling any pre-race jitters already?

“I’m human like everyone else,” heoffers. “I talk a good game and I haveto, because unless I believed I wouldemerge unscathed, then I wouldn’t getin the car. But emerging unscathedisn’t enough – you have to emerge

victorious, and it’s at that point whereyou push a bit more … past the pointof any return.

“I guess I’m nervous more becauseI’m working with one of the world’s bestmulti-disciplined engineering teams,” hesays. “I’m sitting in the most advancedand sophisticated high-quality, straight-line racing cars ever created. My drivingstandard needs to be up to the quality oftheir engineering design and build, everysingle time. I need to drive the car asprecisely as possible and bring back asmuch feedback as possible: how thesuspension is working, steering, stability,the dynamics of the vehicle. With all themodelling in the world, the real-worldtesting will show up all the differencesbecause they’re always there betweeneven the most advanced modelling in theworld and what actually happens outthere on a dry lake bed, with crosswindsand slight undulations and the hardnessand the smoothness of the surface.

“That is what we need to work outin detail, so we can get the car step-by-step up to supersonic speed and,ultimately, to 1,600kph, because weunderstand everything that’s happeningas accurately and as completely aspossible. So, my driving skills need to liveup to the quality of their engineeringand design skills. The pressure is on meto actually live up to that.”

But if this unique vehicle and theteam behind it do realise their goal,it’s entirely possible that Green’scurrent position at the top of thespeed leader board will remainunmatched for some time.

“Well, it’s been over 20 years sincethe last one and it’s difficult to seewhere somebody would get the nextidea to go that much faster from,” heagrees. “But I would be so sad if thesport just finishes with Bloodhound.There is a unique thrill in doing speedsthat are just not imaginable.

“I think these are challenges andopportunities that come along prettymuch once in a generation, so it wouldbe a great shame if that didn’t happenany further. I hope it isn’t, but if this isit, the last record, then let’s make it areally good one.”

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This interview was conducted by Ian Faulconbridge on behalf of The National Collision Repairer.

Stripped down.

Axalta Coating Systems recentlyannounced that its board of directorshas appointed Terrence Hahn as ChiefExecutive Officer (CEO), effective 4September 2018. Hahn will succeedCharlie Shaver, who has served asAxalta’s chairman and CEO since 2013.Hahn will also serve on Axalta’s board,expanding the board’s size from eightto nine directors.

Hahn was most recently Presidentand CEO of Honeywell InternationalHome and Building Technologiesgroup. Shaver, who has chosen to stepdown as CEO to pursue a uniqueprofessional opportunity, will remainon Axalta’s board and serve as non-executive chairman, working closelywith Hahn to ensure a seamlessleadership transition.

Shaver said, “On behalf of Axalta’sboard, I want to welcome TerrenceHahn to the company. We areconfident that Terrence is a greatchoice to lead Axalta going forward.His accomplishments as an executivewith over a decade of domestic andinternational experience acrossmultiple business groups atHoneywell, along with his nearly twodecades of previous experience in a variety of leadership roles at AirProducts and Chemicals, make him a terrific fit for Axalta.

“Since I became CEO more than fiveyears ago, we have prudently managed

Axalta’s business and balance sheet,positioning the company to capitalise onopportunities as they arise and generatelong-term shareholder value. I am veryproud of our achievements as well asour excellent prospects for the future. I recently informed the board that I wasconsidering stepping down as CEO and,consistent with our long-term successionplanning, the board commenced asearch for a potential successor CEO tobuild on Axalta’s accomplishments andlead the company forward,” said Shaver.“We identified Terrence as having aproven track record of success, and theright expertise, experience, andpersonality for Axalta. I look forward to a successful transition of the chiefexecutive officer role to Terrence and a wonderful partnership with him in myrole as chairman.”

Shaver continued, “Serving asCEO of Axalta has been an honourand a privilege. It was an extremelydifficult decision to step away from anexecutive role at Axalta, but I amconfident that Terrence has the rightskillset to take Axalta to the next levelof growth and development.”

Hahn commented, “I am honouredto join Axalta at this dynamic time forthe company and the coatingsindustry. Axalta has leading positions, a terrific executive team, strong globalpresence, and top brands. I am excitedabout the tremendous opportunity atAxalta to drive organic growth throughinnovative and value-added offeringsthat will deepen existing customer

relationships and attract newcustomers, as well as add inorganicgrowth through strategic acquisitions. I appreciate the board’s confidence inme and look forward to working withCharlie and the Axalta leadership teamto help drive the next phase of Axalta’sgrowth and build shareholder value.”

Mark Garrett, Presiding Director ofAxalta’s board, added, “On behalf ofthe board, I would like to thank Charliefor his outstanding service to Axalta.As CEO, he led the company’sseparation from its former parent andoversaw Axalta’s initial public offeringand listing on the New York StockExchange. Under his leadership, Axaltahas made tremendous strides, drivenby a resolute commitment to customerservice and innovation. We are verypleased that he will continue to serveas chairman. We are confident of aseamless transition of leadership toTerrence Hahn. With his experienceand impressive track record, he is well-suited to lead Axalta’s continuedgrowth in the coatings industry.”

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Terrence Hahn tojoin Axalta as CEO

Automated vehicles will bring newand perhaps unanticipated trafficsafety issues to the United States.The Governors Highway SafetyAssociation’s (GHSA) Preparing forAutomated Vehicles: Traffic SafetyIssues for States report outlinesthese issues and discusses how lawenforcement and State HighwaySafety Offices (SHSOs) shouldprepare for them.

Funded by State Farm, thereport analyses market trends andfinds that, for the foreseeable future,most autonomous vehicles (AVs) will

share driving responsibility withhumans and are likely to do so formany decades. There will continue tobe crashes, injuries and fatalitiesinvolving AVs, especially during thistime when AVs share the road withvehicles driven by humans.

Former senior NHTSA official DrJim Hedlund authored the report,which was developed with inputfrom an advisory panel of experts.Because human error is the cause ofthe large majority of car crashes,AVs have the potential to greatlyimprove safety.

“Many people are unconvinced ofthe safety benefits of AVs and unwillingto share the road or to ride in them,”said Ryan Gammelgard, Counsel atState Farm. “However, researchsuggests that public enthusiasm andsupport will grow as people learn moreabout AVs and are able to experiencethem first-hand, and if there isobjective proof that the technologyoperates better than humans.”This article courtesy of RussellThrall III, publisher CollisionWeek.Check out their website at:www.collisionweek.com

Safety Association report examines traffic safety issues

Terrence Hahn.

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This unprecedented approach betweena metropolis and Europe’s leadingelectric vehicle manufacturer testifies toa shared vision of the future of mobilityin the face of challenges such as publichealth, climate change, easier travel,accessibility and economicattractiveness. It will result in short,medium and long-term actions in favourof the development of connected andautonomous electric vehicles.

As a first step, Groupe Renault hasdecided to gradually roll out acommercial offer of electric mobility forParisians, Ile-de-France residents andvisitors, starting in September 2018:• an electric VTC offer via Marcel from

Groupe Renault;• an offer of self-service car-sharing

electric vehicles accessible 24/7 andwithout stations;

• an offer of self-service electricvehicles in a carsharing loop, forlonger journeys, accessible 24/7 fromRenault or partner car parks.

This offer will be based on GroupeRenault’s 100 percent electric range:ZOE, Twizy, Kangoo Z.E and Master Z.E.By the end of 2019, they will representa fleet of 2,000 electric vehicles.

In a second phase, the City ofParis and Groupe Renault wish toinitiate an open working group,associating major cities andcompanies, whose aim will be to thinkcollectively about the integration ofchanges in mobility in the city.

This global initiative for sustainablemobility will be a space for dialogue,expertise, experimentation and

acceleration of the development of newmobility services, as close as possible tocitizens’ expectations and uses. It willdraw on the expertise of the C40network, which brings together some100 cities around the world and iscurrently chaired by Anne Hidalgo,Mayor of Paris and President of C40.

“Cities and car manufacturershave a vocation to join forces for thefuture of mobility. Paris and GroupeRenault are now leading the way byconverging their action in the areas ofcar sharing and electric motors. Thiswill make it possible to offer Parisiansand Ile-de-France residents a healthier,less polluted living environment whereeveryone can move more easily. Thisconstructive agreement is also anopportunity to promote majortechnological and industrial advancesthat contribute to the implementationof the Paris Climate Agreement andcreate sustainable jobs and activities,”stressed Hidalgo.

“As the European leader in electricvehicles, Groupe Renault has alsobeen a player in mobility services forseveral years, notably through RenaultMobility and the Zity car-sharingsystem in Madrid. Today, we aredelighted to be part of the City ofParis’ desire to develop safe andenvironmentally respectful electricmobility for all. This shared visionlaunches an ambitious model that caninspire many cities in France andaround the world,” said ThierryBolloré, Executive Vice President ofGroupe Renault.

Paris and Groupe Renault to share electricmobility expertise

The National Collision Repairer – 2 1

2 2 – G LO B A L N E WS

The term Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)refers to the bundling of various typesof public transportation, such as buses,subway, car sharing, bike sharing, andtaxis, to form a multimodaltransportation solution. Customers bookand pay for services using an integratedaccount accessed via one app. Thiscombines public transportation optionswith the sharing economy to form aseamless, flexible service. moovel Groupintroduced its first MaaS platform withintegrated booking and paymentfunctions in 2015.

With its multimodal mobilityplatform, moovel offers cities andtransit authorities a toolbox they canuse to help integrate various mobilityproviders. The MaaS platform can alsobe used to optimise a city’s trafficflow. moovel refers to this as an“operating system for urban mobility”.One of the most importantcomponents of this operating systemis the mobility app – an interfacebetween cities, transit authorities, andend users. This allows users to bookand pay for public transportationtickets as well as other mobility

options such as car sharing and rentalbikes. For example, users in Stuttgarthave been able to book and pay forrides by bus and subway, car2go,mytaxi and Deutsche Bahn directly viathe moovel mobility app since 2015.moovel also offers apps for Hamburg,Karlsruhe, and Aschaffenburg.

moovel North America, based inPortland, Oregon is the USA’s leadingprovider of mobile-ticketing apps thatenable customers to book and pay fortickets using their smartphone. moovelproducts are used by five million people– an increase of 71 percent, adding twomillion users over the past 12 months.

“We are, of course, pleased that five

million people are excited about ourmoovel products. As a Mobility-as-a-Service pioneer, we will continue towork to simplify mobility in cities andimprove people’s quality of life,” saysmoovel Group CEO Daniela Gerd tomMarkotten, commenting on reaching thefive-million mark. A study published inJuly 2018 by The Insight Partnersindicates that the global MaaS markethas strong growth prospects. Accordingto the study, the market will see annualgrowth of 34 percent between 2018 and2025 and is anticipated be a USD360billion market in 2025.For further information visit:www.moovel-group.com

Daimler subsidiary moovel: Mobility-as-a-Service pioneer has five million users

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The UK-based NationalBody Repair Association(NBRA) recentlyannounced it is launchingan investigation into

insurer treatment of the body repairindustry. The aim of the investigationis to understand which insurers actresponsibly in true partnership withthe industry and those that may betaking advantage of their power.

Chris Weeks, Director of theNBRA said, “In the last 20 years, theworking relationship betweeninsurers and body repairers haschanged drastically. Originally,consumers selected their own carbody shop, which estimated the timeto complete the repair and chargedwhat they thought was a fair ratefollowing negotiations with a motor

engineer. Over time, most repairersjoined insurer networks with fixedcontracts and regular work volumes,which worked well for both parties.Eventually, as insurer supply chainmanagement became moreadvanced and repairers became soreliant on the work, the overallbalance of power between the twoentities has arguably shifted firmlytowards the insurers.

“As a first step, NBRA is initiallyasking for members and non-member repairers to complete adetailed and confidential insurerattitude survey, which began inAugust, with the results to be collatedby the end of September, dependingon how quickly the NBRA gets asignificant response back,” Weekscontinued. “We have been liaising

with representatives from the topinsurers and our aim is to lobby andcollaborate with them individuallyand work together in the interests ofrepairers to increase their long termprosperity, standards, andimportantly, the ongoing relationshipbetween the two entities. By workingin a positive way and building onbest practice already out there, wehave already seen insurerwillingness to engage, listen andchange in a controlled way whenpresented with honest opinion. Thisis an important piece of work andwe are calling on the whole repairindustry to get involved.”This article courtesy of RussellThrall III, publisher CollisionWeek.Check out their website at:www.collisionweek.com

UK’s National Body Repair Association launching investigationinto insurer treatment of collision repair industry

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To view the entire 2018 SEMA Show Education program, visit www.semashow.com/education.

2 4 – S E M A U P DAT E

Most sessions are available free ofcharge to those with SEMA Showcredentials and cover a variety oftopics, including:• Thriving in your career while staying

true to your beliefs with MeganAlexander

• Defending against the data breach• Addressing forbidden topics to get

to back to work• Advanced vehicle technology:

practice, policy and challenges• Motorsports media workshop

“What separates SEMA ShowEducation from other learningconferences is the diversity ofprogramming that is offered. Whetheryour interest rests in data security,marketing, finance, technology,leadership or collision, the SEMA Showhas created sessions to help yourbusiness succeed,” said SEMA SeniorEducation Director Zane Clark. “Withover 20 distinct learning tracksavailable, the SEMA Show is anextremely valuable, efficient andresourceful event where companiescan send their employees to benefitfrom the education program and theShow’s overall experience.”

Created through a partnership

with the Society of Collision RepairSpecialists (SCRS), the Inter-IndustryConference on Auto Collision Repair(I-CAR) and the Tyre IndustryAssociation (TIA), the SEMA ShowEducation sessions are taught byindustry leaders and business expertsfrom all over the world. To make iteasy and convenient for show goers toattend the seminars, sessions beginthe day before the official opening ofthe SEMA Show and continue at

various times throughout the event.“The Education Program offers a

comprehensive learning experiencethat shows how to compete in today’smarketplace,” said Peter MacGillivray,SEMA Vice President of Events andBusiness Development. “The seminarsteach everything from how to betterpromote products and grow abusiness to how to use industry toolsfor professional development andcareer advancement.”

THE EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THE EXCLUSIVE 2018 SEMA SHOW, SCHEDULED FOR 30TH OCTOBER TOTHE 2ND NOVEMBER IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, WILL OFFER SHOW GOERS MORE THAN 100 SEMINARSFOCUSED ON HELPING AUTO-RELATED BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS SELL MORE PRODUCTS AND BEMORE PRODUCTIVE.

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SEMA successEducational programs

O C T O B E R 3 0 – N O V E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 8 • L A S V E G A S , N E V A D A

SUCCESS STARTS HEREInnovation sells, and if you want to compete in today’s market, you’ve got to have the newest and best products. All the products and technologies your customers will be buying next are yours for the taking. It’s all here: more than 3,000 new product introductions, 500+ first-time exhibitors, plus all the brands, innovations and opportunities that will drive your business to success.

R E G I S T E R F O R S U C C E S S AT S E M A S H O W. C O M

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Symposium2018Exceeding all expectations

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WE REPORT ON THE MOBILITY, TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY SYMPOSIUM RECENTLY HELD IN MELBOURNE. WE WERE THRILLED BY THE

LEVEL OF INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENT IN THIS CUTTING-EDGE EVENT.

Ian Christensen addresses the delegates.

The symposium kicked off in style asdelegates from around the countrygathered for the what was a first of itskind in Australia. Initially mingling witheach other and absorbing theimpressive displays, demonstrationsand information from our sponsors,delegates could sense that somethingspecial was in the wind.

In the morning session, key notespeaker, Ian Christensen, ManagingDirector – iMOVE Australia, got theball rolling by painting the big pictureas he outlined the major transport andmobility trends that are impacting ourindustry. Initially, many in the audiencewondered where Ian was going, but asthe presentation unfolded, it was clearhe was setting the scene for what wasto become a riveting day.

iMOVE is working on threedistinct, but inter-related projects: • Stakeholders involved in the

movement of people, predominatelythe public transport sector and theirsuppliers, with a focus on improvingthe journey experience.

• Stakeholders involved in themovement of goods, such as freightcompanies, large retailers and

delivery services, focussing on theefficiency and reliability of theiroperations and their supply chains.

• Stakeholders who manage the roadand rail networks that are used bythe first two groups, whosechallenge is to cope with thedemand for mobility from a stronglygrowing population.

Christensen stated that thebiggest single mobility challenge is thegrowing congestion issue in our majorcities. He highlighted the cost to oureconomy and indicated that iMOVEhas been given a ten-year mandate towork on solutions to this critical issue.As he said, there are no quick-fixes oreasy answers, and building more roadsis not the answer, particularly with therate of population growth in Australia.

Some of the solutions mayinclude: car sharing, ride sharing andmulti-modal options, many of which

Giles Wallis.

have become possible on the back thelatest technology. However, one of themajor impediments is the acceptanceof shared mobility solutions, althoughwe are seeing a generational shifttowards greater acceptance of“mobility as a service”, or MaaS, as it ismore commonly known.

The presentation was theprecursor to the first discussion panel,where Christensen was joined byGeoff Gwilym, Executive DirectorVACC, Mario Dimovski, ManagingDirector, Tradiebot Industries andSamantha Cockfield, Lead DirectorRoad Safety Transport AccidentCommission of Victoria.

The discussion commenced with areflection on the congestion issue andthere was universal agreement that itis the biggest single issue impactingour mobility and the efficiency of ourtransport systems. However, there wasmuch debate about how thetechnology and greater levels ofautomated and autonomous vehicleswill improve the situation. As Gwilympointed out, “Even if I had a fullyautonomous vehicle tomorrow, I’d stillbe stuck on the Monash at 10kph.”

Whilst there was no real argumenton this point, it was agreed that it isimportant to separate the congestionissue from the vehicle technology inthe short to medium term. It is theadvent of the ever-evolvingtechnology that will allow us to findsmarter solutions in the longer term.

Dimovski, a pioneer of the use ofrobotic technology in body shops,implored the audience to embrace thetechnology and the changes theybring as they will be inevitable. “Ourindustry will never be the same again,”he said. An interesting twist on thecongestion issue is that it has apositive effect on the road toll andCockfield has no doubt that the recentimprovements that have resulted fromthe TAC’s initiatives will continue withthe Towards Zero campaign

It was generally accepted thatproblems on our roads will continuefor some time to come and, in fact, arelikely to get worse, or even muchworse, before they get better.However, there are some very smart

people across Australia grappling withthe problem.

Immediately after the lunch break,delegates where “exposed” to StuAtkins, an internationally-renownedpresenter and self-declared digitalentrepreneur who delivered aninsightful view of how the connectedworld in which we live presents uswith so many opportunities to marketour businesses and enhance our

brands. Atkins informed us aboutdigital trends, such as peer-to-peerdisruptors, industry aggregators andthe pros and cons of “big data”,together with the importance of socialmedia as a means of connecting withcustomers. One of the more tellingcomments was the significance of“word-of-mouse” – the information onthe internet about your business. Atkinskept the audience entertained with his

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The National Collision Repairer – 2 7

The Technology Panellists.

The Mobility Panellists.

2 8 – I N D U S T RY E V E N T

own relaxed and engaging style andsummarised the topic by giving theaudience a “to-do” list that includedunderstanding the changing demandsand being first to move with the newdirection of the industry. These, hesuggested, would add immediate value.

And, just as the delegates wereabsorbing this exposé, Giles Wallis,National Marketing Manager – BoschAutomotive Aftermarket Australia,demonstrated why their tagline is“Invented for Life”. The presentationbegan with an overview of themegatrends, such as an agingpopulation, growing urbanisation, higherenergy demands and acceleratingconnectivity. Wallis illustrated how Boschwas at the forefront of technologicaladvancements in the automotiveindustry with their collaboration with atleast ten global OEMs in thedevelopment of their technology.

The main thrust of the presentation was: • The connected environment, which

included an overview of auto

emergency calls, “over-the-air” softwareupdates and predictive diagnostics.

• Electrification, which included thetransformation of the powertrain,regenerative braking and thermalefficiency.

• Automation and the importance ofcalibration to ensure all the systemsare functioning correctly, and the useof crash data retrieval.

This really set the scene for thefinal panel discussion.

Barry Edney – IntegratedCommercial Excellence, dialled in fromAmsterdam and joined Rob Bartlett –Suncorp, Mark Czvitkovits – I-CAR,Bernadette Gigliotti – CareerEducation Association of Victoria, andDarren Todd – Bosch, to discuss bothtoday’s and tomorrow’s technologyand how it will impact our industry. Itwas clear that the technology isadvancing at such a rate that we canbarely keep up, although, according toTodd, compared to what is coming,what we have now is relativelystraightforward. Edney provided an

overview of the latest Europeantechnology and how it is changing thecollision repair industry – surely a signof things to come.

However, the discussion turned tothe challenge of how best to ensure ourfuture technicians have the requiredskillsets, with Gigliotti making the salientpoint that the industry is now complexand high-tech, attributes that are highlyattractive to the next generation oftradespeople – we, as an industry, needto find a better way to market thesebenefits. This became a key tenet of thediscussion as it is well-recognised thatthe dearth of new technicians is one ofthe more difficult challenges faced byour industry. Czvitkovits reinforced that,as the motor vehicle is one of the most“high-tech” pieces of equipment on theplanet, training the next generation andre-training the current pool oftechnicians will be a key success factorfor all the industry’s stakeholders. Froman insurer’s perspective, Bartlett spokeof their commitment to a safer worldand reinforced the importance ofsuitably-trained technicians using thecorrect repair procedures.

As the event came to a close, itwas clear that it was the sponsorswho got behind the initiative, thespeakers and panellists whocontributed, and the delegates whowere in the room who were the realbeneficiaries, and these are the peoplewho will make the difference and leadthe way in the coming years.

We were really excited to bring thisevent to the industry and were thrilledby the level of engagement – theconversation has now begun, and welook to build on it as we move forward.

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The Bosch Team Steve O'Brien – iBodyshop

The Capricorn Display

SYMPOS IUMMobilityYMPS

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We wish to acknowledge and thank the following industry-leading organisations

for their sponsorship of our inaugural Symposium.

www.nationalcollisionrepairer.com.au/industry-forum

Thank you

The 41st All Ford DayThere were just over 1,300 entrants forthe event, which was held at theSydney Dragway. The entrants, alongwith close to 10,000 spectators, weretreated to an amazing display of veryrare Fords from the early 1900s all theway up to the very recent Mustangs.Cars from around the state andaround the country were on display.Of particular note were the race cars.For 2018, there were some trulydelectable racing Fords on displayfrom various private collections. These

cars represented the best that Fordhave delivered to motorsport in thiscountry from the 60s, 70s, 80s and90s. The drool-worthy Moffat Trans-Am Mustang was on display, as wereBrock and Johnson Sierras. There wasalso a factory-backed Galaxy, as wellas a range of very special Bathurstracing Phase 2 and 3 Falcons. Moffat’s1971 Hardie Ferodo 500 Bathurst-winning XY GTHO Phase III was ondisplay, and next to it was the still-born Phase IV XA GT Falcon. What apicture to see these two cars together

again. In 1971, five of the top 10 cars atthe conclusion of the race were XY GTPhase IIIs. But it wasn’t just thenotorious touring cars on display. Thebrutally fast Big O XW GT Falcon ofLarry Ormsby was also there after arecent restoration and with theappropriate period stickers on everypanel. These cars represent a timewhen Ford backed many differentforms of motorsport in Australia.Ormsby was very successful in dragracing right across the country andthe recent restoration is a tribute to allinvolved. The current owner alsomanaged to track down the exactFord D series transporter for the car.

The range of road cars thatparticipated included Fords of allages, sizes and performance. Thisday is a celebration of the cars thatFord has made all around the world.There were vehicles representing themanufacturing that Ford did forWorld War 2. A fully restored FordBlitz truck was driven to and fromthe event. I can just imagine the joyof riding high into the event in thefully sprung driver’s seat. It shouldbe noted that this is only for thedriver and not for any passengers –they have to sit on a solid woodenbench! One early car that caught theeyes of many who passed hadstrange bronze-coloured stripingthat lit up in the sunlight. Uponcloser inspection, the 1950s Ford

3 0 – T H E C A R G U Y

The heartbeatof the nationWITH ALL THE GREAT DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING IN RELATION TO THE FUTURE OF THE CAR SCENE INRECENT MONTHS, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE TRUE PASSION COME OUT TO SUNSHINE AND TWO VERY BIGEVENTS IN SYDNEY IN JULY AND AUGUST. THE ALL FORD DAY AND ALL HOLDEN DAY SHOWS WERE HELDA WEEK APART IN SYDNEY. BOTH THE SHOWS ARE PUT ON BY COMMITTEES REPRESENTING A RANGE OFCLUBS FOR EACH MARQUE.

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GT Phase 3 and 4.

Ford Prefect 2C Car.Ford Blitz.

The 34th All Holden DayThe sheer size of the location inSydney’s north-west, theHawkesbury Showgrounds inClarendon, allowed for a swap meetto coincide with the event, and therewere all sorts of car parts,memorabilia and garage collectiblesavailable for those who walkedaround the site to take home. It wasinteresting to see people picking upspare headlights, guards, wheels,and even stainless-steel trim tosupport their next restoration. Theevent committee now limits theentrant numbers to about 800 cars(for 2018 it was 817). Even so, thecar parks around the event are filledwith other Holdens of all ages andbecome part of the spectacle. Therewere just over 8,000 people whotravelled to see the event. All up,they raised over $42,000 on the dayfor a range of charities, with an even$10,000 being donated to thefarmers suffering in the drought.

As it is the 50th anniversary forMonaro, there was a good range ofdifferent body styles from the HK-T-Gthrough to HX, and then a good rangeof late model Monaros on display aswell. One of the most detailed recentrestorations was an HQ Monaro coupein splendid orange. This car is correctin every detail and is one of the bestHQ coupes in the country. It wasproudly on display at the front of the

long line of Monaros there on the day. The Toranas were also there in

large numbers, and it was great to seesome of the late 70s A9X racing carson display. The Bob Morris andGraham Smelt A9X cars sat proudly

next to each other, with many takingphotos and hearing stories of theseamazing cars. Not far away, though,was a group of cars from the previouscollection of Peter Champion, whocollected a number of Peter Brock’s

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GT40.

Monaros old and new.

1978-79 HDT A9X.1984 VK Big Banger Group C.

The National Collision Repairer – 3 1

Prefect was tastefully covered withAustralian 2 cent pieces down thesides, on stripes across the roof, andover the entire bonnet. There werealso 2 cent pieces decorating thehubcaps. This car even has specialnumber plates that detail theowner’s combined passions for hisPrefect and for Australian money.

The Mustangs turned up in bignumbers and, seeing as these cars arenow available at the local Ford dealers,there were modern examples mixed inwith classic ones of all shapes andengine configurations. There was evena tease of a Supercheap Auto liveriedversion, which is what we will seecoming very soon to a track near youfor the Virgin Supercars in 2019.

5

Kim O’Neill3M Australia

When did you join the industry? 5 years ago!

What was your first job in the industry? Marketing Co-ordinator, 3M CollisionRepair Solutions

What do you do now?Product Manager, 3M Collision RepairSolutions.

What do you like about the industry?Working in an industry where people arepassionate about their work and care forthe industry’s future. We also get to giveaway some great prizes, such as ourcurrent ‘win a trip to SEMA’ superchargespecials promo. Also, introducing paintersto Chip Foose makes for a prettyenjoyable day’s work!

What don’t you like about the industry?I think the rate of change can be hard tokeep up with, particularly as productdevelopment and commercialisation isn’talways as quick as you’d like it to be.

Your Favourite Artist?Last concert I went to was Meg Mac andshe’s still on high - rotation

Your favourite drink?AM = Coffee, PM = Wine

Your hobbies? Reading, swimming,eating – if I had endless $$, travelling.

Who in the world would you most like to meet?I’d join Amy Poehler and Jerry Seinfeld in one of his ‘comedians in cars gettingcoffee’ episodes.

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Minuteswith ...

3 2 – T H E C A R G U Y

race cars. They are now coming up forauction after the Bathurst 1000 eventthis year. The cars on displayincluded the 1981 VC Brock Race car,the A9X from 1978–1979, and the1984 05 “Last of the Big Bangers” VKBrock Commodore (with eye piercingday-glo orange paint). Peter Brockconfirmed this is the actual 05 carthat crossed the finish line atBathurst in 1984, followed closely bythe 25 car driven by John Harvey.Champion was actually sitting downwith members of the HDT OwnersClub on the day and enjoying theopportunity to hang out with like-minded souls. Apart from the Brockrace cars, there were also a numberof Holden Dealer Team (HDT) roadcars on display. These cars weremade by Brock from 1980 to 1987and many are kept standard to hismodifications and represent some ofthe best driving Holdens made inAustralia in those years.

Speaking of Toranas, there waseven a special SS Torana hatchbackon display, complete with the HatchHutch. This was a 1970s tent madespecifically for the Torana hatch andwas an option from the dealers. Ithelped make the car attractive tothe Australian youth of the time forcamping and enjoying the greatoutdoors. Also on display was arange of Holden Sandman vans.Some of these were original and

some represented the fullycustomised vans of the late 1970sand early 1980s with fully deckedout interiors. Some even had theappropriate bumper stickers.

A sign of the times is that one ofthe largest clubs on the day was theSS Owners Club with a full range ofCommodores from 1980 through to2017 on display. Most of these wereeither SS models or high-performancevariants. There were so many otherHolden highlights on the day and somany great people to meet.

Both the All Ford Day and AllHolden Day are annual events andhighlight the continued passion forAustralian-built cars. Both eventswere well attended by spectators onbeautiful sunny days. May wecontinue to celebrate all the greatcars and stars of our history ofautomotive manufacturing in thiscountry. Being able to attend or bepart of these events shows how wecontinue to learn, once again, that ourcars are so much more than justmetal, glass and rubber.

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John’s love of custom andrestored cars has seen himbecome an industry leader inthe activities of car clubs andautomotive enthusiasts acrossAustralia and around the world.

Morris’ SS Torana A9X.

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The National Collision Repairer – 3 3

The Fix Auto Australia family cametogether in Adelaide from 3rd to 5thAugust for their first national conferenceas One Family, with One Vision. Over 40franchisees, valued suppliers, partners, andteam members from Fix Auto experiencedinteractive sessions, informativepresentations, and compelling speakers inthe Majestic Roof Garden Hotel.

Delegates were treated to severalinspiring and spirited keynotespeakers, including Paul Martin,National Manager Assessing Strategyat Allianz. Paul provided key insightsinto the industry from an insurer’sperspective, discussing the challengesand opportunities provided byconsolidators such as Fix Auto.

Key speaker Stephen O’Brien,Managing Director, DNS Technology,gave insights into the power of theiBodyshop platform and how it canassist Fix Auto in achieving predictableconsistency in operating systems. Finally,Jeff Williams, chairman of the AustralianMotor Body Repairers Association(AMBRA), gave an interactive Q&Asession covering the value of industrystandards and the need to ensure aprofessional, competitive, compliant andsustainable motor body repair sector.

Updates from the Fix Automarketing and operations teams gavethe conference delegates a look into theagenda for this year and beyond, while apresentation from Ralph Marks, RegionalManager, NOVUS glass, gave strategicinsights into the synergy offered bycombining the Fix Auto and NOVUSbrands. As well as a platform to discussand share best practices, and illustratethe next steps for Fix Auto Australia, theevent provided an opportunity for awine tasting and team building activity

integrated with a charity fundraiser.Through the efforts and donations of FixAuto delegates, $2,500 was raised forthe Ronald McDonald House inRandwick, Sydney, NSW.

“Fix Auto Australia has recentlycelebrated its second anniversary, andit is more important than ever for usto come together, reflect and discussour achievements as a network, andwhere we plan to be in the future,”said Terry Feehan, Head of Business,Fix Auto Australia. “All of ourattendees at this conference are thepioneers and the foundation of our FixAuto network. Our mission is tocontinue delivering the quality repairsand premium service customers andwork providers expect. With theindustry constantly evolving, Fix Autoin Australia is now seen as the localsolution for accident repairs, and partof the global solution to theaftermarket industry as a whole.Having established the pioneers, weare now poised to expand the FixAuto model in Australia.”

Fix Auto strategic franchisepartners left the conference united asa family, and ready to work togethertowards a common goal. “Great to seelike-minded individuals together and

united by one brand and one vision,”commented Fix Auto Lake Macquarieowner, Jason Whittaker. “Theconference showed the strength of theFix Auto family and our power as anaftermarket repair network.”

“It was great to get together withthe Fix family and see some of thetools being developed by the team tohelp better our business,” agreedconference delegate Lana Pagiamtzis,of Fix Auto Mulgrave.

“Following Australia’s first Fix Autonational conference, we were able torecap on our achievements so far andsee how much we have grown as anetwork,” added Travis Arnold from FixAuto Morley. “As a team, we were able toset structured goals that will enable usto drive our business forward in 2019.”

Feehan concluded: “This conferencenot only gave our team the opportunityto network and share experiences withother members of the Fix Auto family, butalso provided the industry insights, toolsand thought-provoking leadership to helpbetter their business. It was fantastic tospend the time with our incrediblefranchise partners and team, and toreaffirm that we are all on the same path,heading for the same destination as OneFamily, with One Vision.”

FixAutoAustraliaOne Family – One VisionTHE FIX AUTO AUSTRALIA NETWORK AND STAFF CAME TOGETHER FOR THEIR INAUGURALCONFERENCE UNDER THE THEME: ONE FAMILY, ONE VISION.

The bell rings at 9:00am and theworld’s industry movers and shakerstake their place for the grand openingof the summit inside a huge conventioncentre at the Hilton Munich Park Hotelin Germany. With a who’s who of theworld’s key players in many diverseareas of the business in attendance, thistwo-day intensive think tank on keyareas of activity will see a host ofspecialist speakers strut their stuff.

Setting the sceneIBIS CEO, Jason Mosely, takes care of thewelcome and house rules as the delegatessettle down for the first presentation whilePaul Steele, sales director – DACH,TrustPilot, hovers in the wings.

The first presentation of the day is“Can the customer make adifference?” Steele started out bysaying that in the world today, over athird of the car-buying public now doit online in order to get a better deal.It is happening more than ever before,and dealers are looking to increaseconversion rates on the internet forthe online buyers by using elements oftrust and keeping their eye on thecontent to build credibility for theirservices. The car-buying public willvisit less and less dealerships for theirproposed purchase and the worry iswhat will happen to the front-line staffat dealerships inside their million-a-month rented showrooms across theworld as we know it today.

What’s behind the numbers?Steve Young, managing director ofICDP, a cross-industry consultingcompany, delivered his presentationentitled, “What’s behind thenumbers?” He took a look as far as2030, where Europe will see around€45billion being generated by collisionrepair concerns while the projectedturnover of mechanical repair shopswould be more than double that at€130billion. Motor parts turnover willbe around €75billion as car parcnumbers increase across Europe,particularly in Italy.

Accident rates are predicted todrop by some 27% in the future asdriver safety legislation powers ahead.This has also been the primary cause ofincreased technology in cameras andbody construction, which add to early

graves for the modern car. A sort ofweird bright spot for accident countersin body shop businesses is the fact thatdrivers using their mobile phones anddistracting infotainment devices are amajor cause of accidents right now. So,the decline in crash rates are not yet atlevels where the safety-consciousbrigade would like them to be.

Along with all of this is a clearindication that vehicles were lastinglonger, but the well-documented awardof a $42 million payout for a poorHonda repair in the US was a clearindicator of how a poor-quality repairmay impact on a body shop’s activities.Chaos theoryAndrew Marsh, director, Auto IndustryInsider, is no stranger to the industry.He set out his theories on the chaosthat exists from manufacturers as well

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IBIS 2018Challenging Perspectives Global SummitOUR SOUTH AFRICA PUBLISHING PARTNER REPORTS FROM MUNICH AS THE WORLD’S ‘MOVERS ANDSHAKERS’ COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THE GLOBAL TRENDS SWEEPING ACROSS THE COLLISIONREPAIR INDUSTRY.

Paul Steele. Steve Young.

as the implementation of camerasafety technologies as he describedeach motor makers’ idea of the perfectcar, including 3D cameras, night visioncameras, ultrasound, dead reckoningsensors, short range radar, long rangeradar and other Lidar sensors that arenow embedded in new vehicles. Marsh,in his charismatic, dotty professorapproach, then told a fairly baffledaudience how the VW VAS approachwas used to realign all this stuff to pre-accident condition with the correctwheel alignment equipment.

He then moved on to the NissanMicra CMOS camera calibrationfunction, which was completelydifferent in every way, with its owntargets, wall-mounted while static, andexplained that downloading the appwas vital in putting the car togetherproperly, stage by stage.

With giant steps forward predictedin new methodologies in collisionavoidance systems and governingbodies powering ahead, with lanedeparture warnings soon to bemandated in Europe for heavy dutyvehicles, and the introduction of autobrake standards for bus makers insidethe EU by September this year, it seemsthat future trends are arriving eversooner. Marsh says that, by around 2030,self-calibration will become the order ofthe day within the three distincttechnology groups. Having said that,there are plenty of unknowns that lie

ahead as the tsunami of new electronictechnology washes over the traditionalstandards of repair that we know today.

So, the message is quite clear:repairers must now embrace newelectronics, software systems,networks and big data, and strive tomeet new commercial partners andinvest in staff and training accordingly.

The future of mobilityAfter the Hilton chefs had weaved abit more magic for lunch, everyoneheaded back for the importantafternoon session, when the future ofmobility came under the spotlightwith a strategic view of the nextdecade in all things automotive waspresented by Dirk Utman (seniormanager consultant, risk advisory,automotive Deloitte) and PhilippEnderle (consultant, strategy andoperations, Deloitte Germany).

Deloitte’s specialised sector spans 150countries in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific and offers an end-to-end packagefor their corporate customers frombusiness growth, operational excellence,finance, digital and technology to people.

The problem now is that anumber of disruptive forces arechallenging the traditional businessmodel because of the speed ofchange, with major differences comingin urban mobility. Some companies areoffering full service leasing and multi-brand fleet portfolios, with a number

of new players emerging. Key enablersfor electric and autonomous vehicleswere revealed, with drivers moving toincreased vehicle sharing and motormakers moving down the value chainto keep their place with the customer.

Panel discussionA panel discussion with Frank Liu,CEO of Fix Auto China, and MichaelWilmshurst, chief executive ofNationwide Accident Repair Services,took centre stage to discuss variousgrowth scenarios in their respectivemarkets in the body shop repairoperational side.

They all have to push hard inevery area to maintain their profitswith Fix Auto now having over 40operations up and running in China,according to Liu. Wilmshurst said thatrepairs had to be carried out andcompleted at reasonable costs.

In China, with 4,000 body shopscurrently trading, Liu said there is alwaysa big need to keep up to speed ondelivery times quoted, while Wilmshurstsaid that the average cost of repair in theUK was approximately £1,600.

The National Collision Repairer – 3 5

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This article courtesy ofClaire Macfie of AutomotiveRefinisher magazine – thevoice of the Africancollision repair industry.Check out their website atwww.autoref.co.za

Andrew Marsh.

Some are the number of Muscle cars,others are exceptional vehicles, someare about the race tradition, but“Back to the 50s” in Minneapolis on22nd to 24th June was the sheer sizeof the event. It is held at theMinnesota state fairgrounds,covering over 200 acres with 12,000vehicles and over 200 vendors.When you add the 150,000spectators and buddies, it really wasa city for the three days. I had heardthat this is the largest car event inthe US, which I found hard to believe,but now that I’ve seen it, I think thisevent and the Street Rod Nationalsin Louisville are by far the largestevents in the US outside of SEMA.

Back to the ’50s is a pre-1964event, which makes it even moreamazing. I believe the reason for thesize of this show is that it’s the first real

3 6 – C U S TO M CO R N E R

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Back to the ’50s

Minneapolis2018

The Foose-built Madam X.

Opening Day.

I REGULARLY START THIS COLUMN WITH A “WOW” OR SIMILAR EXPRESSION, AND THIS ONE IS NODIFFERENT. ALL THE EVENTS I ATTEND IN THE US ARE “WOW”, BUT ALL FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.

opportunity the locals get to drivetheir cars after winter storage.Something else I never reallyunderstood was that the majority ofcar owners from right across the northstore their cars in sheds, barns, aircrafthangers and wherever else they canremove the wheels, drain the fluids andcover them up over winter. It’s a bigdeal to get them out and drive them asthey really only get six months at themost to enjoy their cars up here.Another feature of this event is that it’sall outdoor, driving around thefairgrounds, parking in the fairgroundstreets and outside cruising the city.Like all the other US events, the policedon’t hassle the entrants who ownsome really outrageous cars, as long asthey’re not doing anything stupid.

There were quite a few show cars,but the majority were nice drives

along with heaps of rat style vehicles.This is still a huge movement in the USwith some crazy mechanicals inchopped up bodies, including a lot ofpatina paint with good engineering.

All the top name vendors werethere with their rigs – Meguiars,Edelbrock, PPG, Lokar, 3M, Ford andChevrolet Performance, many buildersincluding Rad Rides, Dave Kindig andheaps of smaller builders chasing jobs.House of Kolor had a great line-up ofcars painted by Bo from Vesicocustom shop in Minneapolis and JonKosmoski had his personal cars thereand was firing as good as ever. Therewere also two huge pavilions withover 30 vendors in each.

There were quite a few cars forsale; no real bargains over the first fewdays, but Sunday was swap meet dayand some cheaper cars, great

memorabilia and parts available there.Swap meets are big in the US, withthis one covering the full 20 acres onthe Sunday.

It had been wet for the monthleading in, but the weather was hotand humid and great for the cars andcruising. If you like pre-64 cars andalmost all types of vehicles, this is anevent you should try and get to. Backto the 50’s, which has been going forover 45 years, is looking strong forquite a while yet.

Typical old Gasser.

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The Dave Kindig set up.

You can have this for only $10k.

Jon Kandy's Brandywine Olds.

The great Jon Kosmoski.

Owen is the BusinessDevelopment Manager ofMotoractive. He is also aleading figure within theauto re-styling andvehicle modificationindustry.

Unlike Tesla’s Autopilot, whichdemands drivers keep their hands onthe wheel, Cadillac calls Super Cruise“the world’s first true hands-free driverassistance feature”. The system,currently available for the CT6, lets thecar drive itself on more than 130,000miles of freeway.

However, there’s a catch: thedriver must still pay attention andcan’t really do anything too interestingwith their hands, merely “commontasks, such as using the navigationsystem, adjusting the audio system ortaking a phone call,” according toCadillac. “Even while using SuperCruise, drivers must always payattention and not use a handhelddevice,” the OEM cautions. SuperCruise software will monitor thehuman with an interior camera andalert them if it deems the driver toodistracted. If a driver seemsincapacitated, the car will stop itselfand alert authorities with OnStar.

The cheapest version of SuperCruise is a $US5,000 upgrade to the$US65,295 Premium Luxury CT6 trim.The option has been available on allPremium Luxury trims made afterSeptember 2017 and is standard onthe 2018 Platinum trim.

A Cadillac spokesman did notrespond to an inquiry asking if theOEM will restrict repair capabilitiesgiven the proximity of Super Cruisesensory technology to “cosmetic”repairable surfaces such as thewindshield and front end.

“The Super Cruise driver assistancefeature is made possible by precisionLiDAR map data, high precision GPS, astate-of-the-art driver attention systemand a network of camera and radarsensors,” Cadillac wrote. “It requires anactive OnStar service plan withemergency services to function.”Currently, GM restricts CT6 structuralparts and measurements to its certifiednetwork but permits cosmetic repairs.No other Cadillacs or GM vehicles areso restricted.

Either way, some combination ofdealerships, collision repairers and glassshops will need to be ready for thistechnology and follow OEM repairprocedures or risk customer lives andshop reputations. Witness the scrutinywhenever a Tesla crashes on Autopilot(a system that arguably gives thevehicle less responsibility than SuperCruise) and imagine media and federalinvestigators tearing into your work.

Just because the driver is supposed towatch the road doesn’t mean the shopwill duck responsibility (or bad PR) forscrewing up some aspect of the system.

Consider the recent example inwhich a shop had to cover the bill afterits failure to properly restore andcalibrate a backup camera systemusing OEM procedures led to acustomer banging a 2014 Impala intoan Audi. The fact that the OEM tellsowners not to rely solely on the cameraand to pay attention clearly wasn’tenough to get the shop off the hook,and arguably, nor should it have been.

As Society of Collision RepairSpecialists Chairman Kye Yeung(European Motor Car Works) observedat the April Collision IndustryConference, there will be a time,probably right now, when a hybridbody-mechanical technician able toscan, calibrate and restore ADAS andSRS systems would be “the mostimportant technician in your shop.”Yeung recalled a recent high-profileTesla Autopilot crash and asked theaudience to consider the liability if thevehicle had last been calibrated attheir shop. So many vehicles havesuch technology, “it is our duty” toreturn them repaired to the best of theshop’s ability with properly trainedemployees, Yeung said.

Cadillac also said it would offerV2X communications within a “high-volume crossover by 2023 andeventually expand the technologyacross Cadillac’s portfolio.” The “V2X”

3 8 – TECHNOLOGY

CADILLAC RECENTLY ANNOUNCED IT WOULD ROLL OUT THE HIGHWAY SELF-DRIVING FEATURE SUPERCRUISE AS AN OPTION TO ALL ITS US MODELS STARTING IN 2020, FOLLOWED BY “OTHER GM BRANDS”.

Kye Yeung.

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SuperCruiseCadillac’s Self-drive Technology

abbreviation refers to a combinationof “vehicle-to-vehicle” (V2V) and“vehicle-to-infrastructure” (V2I)technology in which the car can “talk”to other devices on the road, in theoryallowing safety and efficiency activitylike vehicles warning each other offfrom an impact and coordinating theirmovements with traffic signals.

“National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration estimates that safetyapplications enabled by V2V and V2Icould eliminate or mitigate theseverity of up to 80 percent of non-impaired crashes, including crashes atintersections or while changing lanes.”

According to Cadillac, “Using thebasic safety message as a base, V2Vcan be extended to the roadwayinfrastructure and other roadwayusers (such as cyclists andpedestrians), establishing a V2Xecosystem. Using V2X, compatiblevehicles can be notified of hazardousroad conditions, traffic light status,changing work zones and more. Witha range of nearly 1,000 feet, driverscan be alerted to possible threats intime to avoid a crash.”

The trick is having enough otherdevices able to listen to the “Caddy”and talk back. General Motors startedby installing 5.9 GHz dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) V2Vstandard on the 2017 Cadillac CTS andthe system could “handle 1,000messages per second from vehicles upto about 1,000 feet away”, but OEMswith similar tech were hard to comeby and Cadillac didn’t respond to aninquiry about the compatibility of its

V2X with other OEMs.However, Toyota recently

announced it would start producingV2V-equipped vehicles starting in2021, “with the goal of adoptionacross most of its line-up by the mid-2020s.” Toyota’s format uses sevenchannels on the 5.9GHz spectrum forits DSRC, and safety and qualitycommunications manager Brian Lyonssaid the system could communicatewith GM’s vehicles. “I know we talk tothem a lot,” Lyons said of GeneralMotors. He said GM, Nissan and Hondawere all “really high on DSRC”.Toyota’s system also sounded likewhat the NHTSA proposed in 2016.However, it couldn’t communicatewith a different technology Ford plansto use for its V2X starting in 2019,according to Lyons.

Rapid adoption of a consistentV2X across the auto industry seemslikely to eat into collision frequency,

which is great for society but bad forshop business, and the Cadillac andToyota announcements suggest thistrend could start early next decade.“The expansion of Super Cruise andV2X communications technologydemonstrates Cadillac’s commitmentto innovation, and to makingcustomers’ lives better,” GM globalproduct development, purchasing andsupply chain Executive Vice PresidentMark Reuss said in a statement. “GM isjust as committed to ushering in a newera of personal transportation, andtechnologies like these will enable it.”

The National Collision Repairer – 3 9

Cadillac CT6 Supercruise.

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This article courtesy of John Huetter of RepairerDriven Education (RDE). Check out their websiteat: http://www.repairerdrivennews.com/ for thisand many other informative and educationalarticles on the collision repair industry

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FutureLeadersof the industryTHE LATEST FUTURE LEADER PRESENTATION WAS MADE AT THE NEW IAG CORPORATE OFFICE INSUSSEX STREET, SYDNEY TO TRUDY CAMILLERI, FIRST YEAR TEACHER AT TAFENSW, ULTIMO.

Troy Johns, Industry Risk andGovernance Manager for IAG, was theMC for the occasion, which wasattended by several representatives ofIAG Insurance and TAFENSW, theNational Collision Repairer and, mostimportantly, Trudy’s parents, Angeloand Maria.

Following the acknowledgementof country, Johns commented that

Trudy, not unlike many who enter ourindustry, found she did not reallyassociate with the formal educationsystem. Trudy was only too happy towork in her father’s shop, Cool CustomRestorations in Leumeah. Johns wenton to say that when Trudy left schoolafter Year 10, she planned to be anengine builder but was convinced byher father that her future was incollision repair.

Trudy’s first thought was that shecould be the spray painter; however,the business really needed an autobody technician and it has been in herblood ever since. Trudy did herapprenticeship through CampbelltownTAFE where she met her teacher,Frank Goodlad, who guided herthrough her years there. Building agreat relationship with Goodlad, Trudyoften joked that one day she wouldcome back and take his job. WhenFrank retired, she did just that.

Garry Clear, Head Teacher atUltimo TAFE, said that since joining histeam earlier this year, Trudy has foundthe experience interesting andchallenging: “Trudy has gained therespect of the students and just goesfrom strength to strength. She has allthe skills, determination,professionalism and is so future-focussed – watch this space.”

Steve Fitzpatrick, ExecutiveGeneral Manager, Short Tail Claims

reflected on Trudy’s Regional GoldMedal at WorldSkills, mentoring the 33competitors at the recent 2018National WorldSkills competition andbecoming a teacher so early in hercareer. He congratulated Garry Clearand Rainer Malkki for their ongoingsupport as he presented the awardand the two I-CAR training courses.“IAG is proud to support the FutureLeaders of the Industry initiative andto support the next generation of autobody technicians. Trudy is a great rolemodel for women considering a careerin the industry with her dynamic, can-do attitude,” he said.

In receiving her award, Trudysaid, “I am forever grateful to Garryand Rainer for their support over theyears. I especially want to thank Mumand Dad for everything they havedone for me over the journey. I knowat times it’s been tough, but you bothstuck by me.”Editor: IAG’s ongoing support andsponsorship of these awards is greatlyappreciated. We all wish Trudy everysuccess. I am quite sure we will seemore of her in the future.

iag donates two I-CARcourses valued at more than$500 to the Future Leaderthat we feature each monthin this section

4 0 – F U T U R E L E A D E R S

Trudy Camilleri.

Steve Fitzpatrick presents the award.

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Acknowledging a lifetime ofcontribution

The National Collision Repairer thanks and acknowledges theongoing support of our sponsors

Criteria for induction into the National Collision Repairer LifetimeAchievement Honour Roll1. A minimum of 10 years in the collision repair industry2. Contributions to the collision repair industry beyond the scope of their

local area3. Contributions to the collision repair industry beyond the scope of their

direct employment4. Nominations shall come from within the collision repair industry on the

nomination form with supporting rationale.

A nomination form can be obtained from:The National Collision RepairerPO Box 3183, Dendy, Victoria 3186Email: joe@nationalcollisionrepairer.com.auTel: +61 458 588 333

GROUP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Richard Nathan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Weatherall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terry Flanagan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marshall Duncan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Graham Winter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff Hendler (Int) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Max Chanter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Howes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Renwick (Int) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Newton-Ross. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wayne Phipps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Richard Pratt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Rees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lance Weiss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Brady. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Don Wait OAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Farrugia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Christie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Zulian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom Vukelic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robin Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ray McMartin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Colin Edwards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ian Wilkinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Thomas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brian Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terry Feehan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Owen Webb OAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Phil Nixon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Trevor Parkes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Warrener OAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brenton Abbott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael Killen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carl Tinsley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Per Madsen (Int) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rex Crowther (Int) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael Wilkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Garry Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cec Simpson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Honour Roll

The National Collision Repairer – 4 1

4 2 – STATESIDE

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FROM EQUIPMENT TO MARKETING AND CALL CENTRES, BODY SHOPS SHARE HOW THEY FOCUS THEIR RESOURCES.

Most shop owners have no troublerattling off a laundry list of items they’dlike to invest their time and money intoin order to improve their business.From marketing to new equipment,from OEM certifications to an upgradeof the shop’s office or “street appeal”,it can be hard to know what’s the bestuse of your limited resources.

Here’s what shop owners acrossthe United States say they’ve chosento invest in this year and next. Theirdecisions may not jibe with what’sbest for your business, but theirthought process may help you narrowdown your choices.

Ron Nagy of Nagy’s CollisionRepair, which operates 10 shops inOhio, said some of those morerecently acquired locations neededequipment to be brought up-to-date,leading to some significant capitalexpenditures this year. “The other bigmove we made was a central callcentre,” Nagy said. “All assignmentsgo to the call centre and then aredispersed out to the ten locationsdepending on scheduling and theaddress of the customer’s work orhome. We can already see the hugebenefits of that.”

Does he foresee a return on thatinvestment? “My CFO and controllerboth ran the numbers on it. We werelooking for two things. Firstly, fasterfollow-up on DRP assignments, whichwe wanted to happen within 20minutes. The workload in our shops’

offices is pretty heavy, and theyweren’t getting it done for hours. Thesecond part of it is follow-up calls oncustomer service, accounts receivable,that type of thing. We’re trying to seeif we can do the work of three shoplocation office staff with one person atcorporate. So far, we’re real pleasedwith it.”

Like a lot of shops, this yearAmerican Auto Body in Montana hasbeen focusing on getting the trainingand equipment needed for OEM shopcertifications, and making sure itstechnicians have ready access to OEMrepair procedures. “Moving into 2019,one of our biggest focuses is going to

be marketing,” the shop’s MariahSampson said. “We’re seeing theindustry starting to slow down, both incollision repair and car sales ingeneral, so we want to make sure thatwe’re maintaining our front-of-mindawareness with our customers.”

Jim Guthrie of the Car CraftersMSO in New Mexico said he isspending less money this year andnext on equipment for his multipleshops. “Our equipment investment hasslowed for 2018 and will be slower in2019,” he said. “Over the last fouryears, we have bought all kinds ofbooths, frame machines and welders,all due to the OEM certifications that

FocussingyourResources

Elissa Larremore. Jim Guthrie.

we chased. I can see us adding a fewmore OEM certifications at somestores as far as steel repairs go, butaluminium will continue to be morespecialised for a while.”

Paul Sgro of Lee’s Garage in WestLong Branch, New Jersey, is alsospending resources on marketing.“Social media is the big avenue thatwe’re focusing on this year and next,”he said. “We feel you can get more foryour money doing things of thatnature than the old traditional ways.”

“The big thing for us recently hasbeen making sure our front office staffis properly trained, making surethey’re writing estimates properly andusing the sources available to them:the I-CAR portal, ALLDATA and soon,” said Troy Lindquist of PremierAuto Body in Oregon. “OEMcertifications are next on our list.There are a couple of them we’d liketo have by the end of the year.”

Scott Benavidez, owner of Mr. B’sPaint & Body Shop in New Mexico,said he, too, has been going after theOEM shop certifications “for the carsthat I prefer that we work on”, and isalso trying some new approaches tomarketing. “We’re doing someweekend events, like a women’sweekend, where we invite them in tolearn how to change a tyre, how touse the systems on their vehicles, or aback-to-school night where newdrivers can learn these things. Thatcommunity involvement is reallyhelping our business.”

For Elissa Larremore, who ownsand operates CBS Collision, a 3-shopbusiness in Louisiana, equipment andacquisitions are on her radar. “Wehave spent a lot on equipment overthe past 18 months, and we still havesome equipment to add,” she said.“There’s also another location that I’dlike to add – actually a couple of them,but one in particular. So we’reexploring that opportunity right now.”

“We’re always in an acquisitionmode,” echoed Sam Carubba, CEO ofCarubba Collision, which has 20locations in upstate New York. “We puta retired attorney on-staff who tracksdown people who have shown sometype of interest in looking to move on

or semi-retire. What we’re finding are alot of businesses totally unequipped todeal with what’s coming down theroad. That’s added dollars to theretooling of a facility we acquire, buton the other hand, it’s reduced thepurchase price. If you have to go inand spend a half-million dollars onequipment, it certainly makes theirbusiness worth that much less.”

Carubba said the company isdoing more marketing, particularlythrough social media. “We’redeveloping an app for your phone thatwill put you in contact with our callcentre and explain what to do in caseof an accident,” he said. “We are alsogoing back to grass-roots marketing.We have a couple of sales andmarketing reps paying close attentionto civic groups, and we’re going backto hand-shaking, door-to-door, viainsurance agents.”

Aaron Schulenburg talks withshops all over the country as part ofhis work as executive director of theSociety of Collision Repair Specialists,a US-based trade association. “I thinkthe OEM certifications absolutely arethe way a lot of shops are going,” hesaid when asked where shops areinvesting time and money. “Focusingon the brands of vehicles they see alot of is a good piece of advice forshops choosing which certifications to

pursue. But the reality is that, even ina market where there may not be aton of Porsches or Audis or Mercedes,there are some of those vehicles andsomeone must serve those customers.So, looking at ones where you canspecialise is a way that you can stillget a meaningful return in caseswhere you are the one who can repairthose vehicles.”

Whereas dedicated aluminiumrepair space was a big focus for shopsthree or four years ago, he said, “Ithink we’re just at the cusp right nowof conversation around investing indedicated calibration space.” He saidhe also sees shops investing more ontraining, including “increased trainingto develop specialty, top-endtechnicians, as well as building abench of entry-level team membersthat can be developed internally.”

It’s clear there are a myriad ofthings you can do to invest in yourbusiness – it’s just determining whichis right for you.

Ron Nagy. Troy Lindquist.

The National Collision Repairer – 4 3

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John is a freelance writerbased in the United Stateswho has been writing aboutthe automotive industrysince 1988, he is also theeditor of the weekly Crash Networkwww.CrashNetwork.com

4 4 – I - C A R U P DAT E

Recently I had the enjoyment of lookinginside a Snap-On tool truck whilst I wasin Newcastle. The memories cameflooding back as I rememberedsometimes giving half of my pay awayto buy certain tools that I needed to domy job. As I reminisced about this withthe Snap-On representative, I informedhim that I still have those tools, evenafter consistent use every day. Some ofthese tools were purchased when I waseighteen years old!

There have been, and always will be,demands on a business to ensureefficiency and the ability to repairvehicles correctly. Today, nothing haschanged when investing in tools,although the selection is obviouslygreater due to the need to understandthe high technology in vehicles today.We are seeing riveting, aluminiumwelding, more powerful spot welders,equipment that provides faster curingfor refinishes, more efficient measuringtools, a vast range of benches for everystyle of vehicle and the list goes on andon. Not to mention systems that manageworkflow and customer relations: everyfacet of your business is affected.

So, the question is: “What is themost valuable tool in your toolbox orbusiness?”

Every one of your tools orequipment is purchased to deliverimprovements in efficiencies across abusiness, no matter how big or small.They are, at times, very expensive and

a return on investment is expected asthey depreciate over time. They do,however, have a finite life and, as newtechnologies are introduced, someequipment will need to be renewed toconform to new repair requirements.

Many collision experts from acrossthe globe are calling this era of ourindustry “the technological tsunami” orthe perfect storm that is relentlesslyattacking us from all sides. What weseem to lack at times are the knowledgeand skills to navigate our way through!That’s right – knowledge and skills!

The most valuable tools in everyone’stoolbox are their knowledge and skills.Unfortunately, quite often these areignored or not developed enough tomaster and understand the currenttechnology in vehicles. We spendthousands and thousands of dollars onequipment that it is not used everyminute or even hour of every day, butthey are a necessity to deliver betterrepairs. But what of the technician whomust work every minute of every dayrepairing cars and at times not necessarilyunderstanding why it must be done in acertain way? There are no uniformindustry procedures and vehicles are builtdifferently, using any number of variationsin the materials in the structure.

This is where training will ensurethat everyone who works on a vehicleunderstands what is required in arepair. The reality is that the technologycontinues to throw up new waves, and

as an industry we are only treadingwater when it comes to upskilling.Without training, it is difficult to acquirethe knowledge that in turn increasesyour skill level to understand thecomplexity of cars today.

Many businesses do not havetraining budgets; they only commit totraining when they are forced or told to.The benefits of training that increases atechnician’s knowledge and betters theirskills will be a return on investment everyminute of every day, by delivering betterefficiencies through understanding thecomplete repair. The question oftencomes back as repairers ask, “who willpay for the training?” It will be the personwho paid for the spray booth you arerequired to have, the spot welder you arerequired to have, the electronicmeasuring, everything that is required ina modern collision repair facility today.

All of these tools provide a return oninvestment when they are used. There isno difference with training; thetechnician will use their knowledge everyday and provide a return on investmentwith it. Better quality, more efficient andsafer repairs and a valued workforce.

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Mark is the CEO of I-CARAustralia. His mission is toensure that the collisionrepair industry understandsthe importance of having fullytrained personnel andknowledgeable technicians

A U S T R A L I A

The most

Valuable toolAS TECHNICIANS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, THE MONEY INVESTED IN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT IS OFTENMINDBOGGLING TO THOSE NOT INVOLVED IN THE COLLISION INDUSTRY. OVER THE YEARS, THE EQUIPMENT HASBECOME MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE HAND TOOLS THAT PROVIDETECHNICIANS WITH ANOTHER LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY BEING DEVELOPED AND REFINED.

- - - - - - - - - E V E N T S & T R A I N I N G - - - - - - - - -P R O U D L Y S P O N S O R E D B Y S U N C O R P

Calendar of eventsKNOWING WHEN IT’S ON AND WHAT’S COMING UP

Automechanika11th - 15th September 2018 –Frankfurt

The SEMA Show 31st October - 3rd November 2018 – Las Vegas

Automechanika27th November – 1st December 2018 – Shanghai

Motor Show Bologna6th – 9th December 2018 –Bologna

Training contacts3M AustraliaGeorge Di Scala Tel: 0400 382 649

AkzoNobelTel: (03) 9644 1711

Axalta Coating SystemsProduct trainingAxalta servicesTel: 1800 292 582

BASF Australia LtdPeter JonesTel: (02) 8787 0142

Dents R UsLaury ChibnallTel: 0438 383 555

iBodyshopE: seminars@ibodyshop.comTel: (03) 9548 7400

LORD (Fusor, Farecla & Sika)Tel: (03) 9560 6066

Mipa Australia Pty LtdTel: (03) 9793 8800

PPG Australia Pty LtdMVP Business SolutionsVIC/TASMindy Roberts 0407 528 869NSW/ACTGreg Tunks 0411 288 451Cliff Reed 0413 851 433QLD/NTJohn Stack 0413 274 035SA/WABrett Humphreys 0414 181 030

PPG Trainingwww.ppgrefinish.com.au/trainingVIC/TAS: (03) 8586 0000NSW/ACT: (02) 9854 6600QLD/NT: (07) 3823 8000SA: 0412 832 919WA: 0437 902 125

ProtecTel: 1800 076 466

U-polDamian CapellutiTel: 0400 366 483

Valspar AutomotiveTel: (02) 4368 4054

SuncorpProgramNew partnership turbocharges car buyingPurchasing a vehicle just became

much easier, thanks to a new

partnership between Suncorp and

specialist car buying service Georgie,

an Eclipx Group business. Georgie,

matches competitively priced vehicles

tailored to an individual’s lifestyle,

arranges test drives, manages trading-

in their old car and coordinates the

delivery of a new car.

The partnership follows new

Suncorp research that revealed buying

a car is one of the most common ‘big

moments in life’ for Australians and is

often a bigger investment in time and

money than many people anticipate.

Their car buying specialists have a

deep understanding of the thousands

of cars on the market. They match a

customer’s needs with available cars

to ensure buyers get the right vehicle

the first time and then Georgie takes

out the stress of the negotiation

process to get the best price.

Customers receive great service

and can achieve exactly what they

want, regardless of where they are in

the country, and dealers get to expand

their customer base by selling outside

of their regions.

Buying a car unseen can be a bit

daunting, but the team at Georgie put

customers at ease by guiding them

through the process and quickly

answering their questions every step

of the way.

The National Collision Repairer – 4 5

4 6 – P R O D U C T S H OWC A S E

High-tech, precision electronicmeasuring system for upper and lowerbody measuring, now with support forEVO anchoring and holding

Experience Car-O-Tronic Vision2 X3– the fastest, most accurate and easiestto use electronic measuring system onthe market today! The sensor-equippedmeasuring slide with a built-in versatileremote control and protective rubber“bumper-zones” delivers real-time datathree times per second to the advancedand easy-to-use software. Photo-based,and backed up by Car-O-Data, theworld’s most comprehensive vehicledatabase, it allows you to accuratelyand quickly target measuring points.Measuring slide with remote controlThe measuring slide communicateswirelessly with the Car-O-Tronic Vision2X3 software: no cords or cables to getin your way! The built-in, versatileremote control lets the operatormanage the entire measuring processwithout having to be at the computer.The unit is easy to use, with one buttonto enter commands such as automaticmeasurement of the entire vehicle andanother select button to browsethrough monitor menus. The entirerepair process can be documented inpictures with text and e-mail files tocustomers and insurance companiesdirectly from within the software.

The Car-O-Tronic Vision2 X3measuring system also offers multimediainstructions and support for our EVO 1-2-3 anchoring and holding systems.

Car-O-Data• Vehicle database with measurement

info on over 16,000 vehicles• First year included• Available by subscription• Updates continuously via InternetMeasuring is fast and easy• Register the work order and enter

car make and model.• Conduct measurement aided by the

unique ASP function (automaticsearch point). Advanced automationallows the system to always selectthe right point.

• Print out the results and you are done!Features and benefits• Compatible with nearly any frame system• Wireless – no targets, sensors or lasers• Real-time data delivered three

times/second• Precise measurements for all under-

and upper-body locations• Photo-based images offer easy

identification• Compatible with the Car-O-Data

measurement database• Contains information on EVO 1-2-3

anchoring and holding systems• InfoCenter for online software and

data updates, news, support andinteractive training

• Import/export of work order• Suspension check diagnosis.For more information, contact www.car-o-liner.com.au or call Car-O-LinerAustralia on Tel: (02) 4271 6287.

Car-O-TronicVision2 X3

Roberlo recently announced the release ofRobliner, a 2K acrylic polyurethane coating with amix ratio of 3:1. Both its high mechanical andchemical resistance make it an ideal product forcoating the visible parts of trailers, utes, or othersurfaces that may be exposed to more extremeconditions, both physical and environmental.

Its main features include high mechanicalresistance to abrasion, scratches and impact;high chemical resistance to water, oil andpetrol; corrosion protection; and weatherresistance and UV protection.

In addition, it has high hardness and flexibility,

excellent adherence on a range of differentsurfaces and a textured appearance that is easyto personalise.

The applied coating has a temperatureresistance of up to 85ºC and is recoatable withDicrom, Ucrom, Disolac and basecoat and 2Ktopcoat systems.Roberlo products are distributed by Le’Mix Pty Ltd. For more informationabout Roberlo or other Le’Mix products, visit www.lemix.com.au or contact Le’Mix on Tel: (02) 9708 4959.

The Roberlo bed liner

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Fine grade Cubitron II abrasive discs from 3M

CELETTE Naja 3D electronic measuringsystem approved by Volkswagen AG

The National Collision Repairer – 4 7

- - P R O D U C T S H O W C A S E - -

3M is excited to announce that the new,finer-grade Cubitron II abrasive discsand sheets were released in August.They provide superior performance inprimer prep, primer sanding, e-coatsanding and bumper bar sanding. Panelbeaters have been enjoying thebenefits associated with 3M Cubitron IIproducts for a few years now; however,the painters will start seeing thesebenefits with the introduction of thenew fine grades: 240+ and 320+. 3Moffers Cubitron II products for autobody repair jobs from cutting andgrinding and finish sanding.

The 3M Cubitron II abrasivesfamily of PSG abrasive discs, wheelsand belts feature our precision-shapedgrain (PSG), the most advancedabrasive technology in the collisionrepair industry. 3M employsmicroreplication technology to createa uniformly sized and precisely shaped

ceramic mineral into triangularstructures. These grains areelectrostatically oriented at exactintervals on the abrasive surface. Theresult is an abrasive that cuts 30percent faster and lasts twice as longas conventional ceramic abrasives.They also run cooler, while producingsuperior results on the surface.

The discs also incorporate theclean sanding hole construction, whichprovides superior dust extractionwhile maintaining the abrasiveperformance demanded by thetechnician. All these featurescombined provide significant laboursavings to the repairer which, whencompared to traditional ceramicabrasive discs, aids in reducing yourtotal cost for the repair, resulting inmore profit per repair.To see these benefits for yourselfcontact 3M on: 136 136.

5

Kasey Douglas3M Australia

When did you join the industry?I started working at 3M 11 years ago andjoined the 3M Automotive AftermarketDivision (AAD) in 2010

What was your first job in the industry?Marketing Co-ordinator, 3M AAD

What do you do now?Marketing Manager, 3M AAD

What do you like about the industry?I love being able to launch new productsthat enhance body shop efficiencies. Ihave recently launched 3M Perfect-It FastCut Plus Extreme and 3M Flexible FoamAbrasives. Lastly, check out the frontcover for 3M Cubitron II 240+ and 320+.

What don’t you like about the industry?We are all so busy all the time so it’sdifficult to get out and see customers asmuch as I’d like to.

What music do you like?Anything I can sing along to in the car

Your Favourite Artist?It changes all the time but at the moment,I’m really into Angus and Julia Stone

Your favourite food?Dessert – I always flip to the end of themenu first!

Your favourite drink?Champagne

Your hobbies?It used to be snowboarding & horse ridingbut now I’m a mother of twins, so I don’thave much time for hobbies

Who in the world would you most like to meet?I’d love to have dinner with Snoop Dogg

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Minuteswith ...

CELETTE has announced the mostvaluable approval of its Naja 3DElectronic Measuring System byVolkswagen AG, which is availableunder VAS811001/8 or in compositionwith Griffon VAS811001.

CELETTE’S Naja Evolution 3Dsoftware directly takes measurementsfrom OEM-provided 3-D CADdrawings and provides technicianswith unique views of the controlpoints in relation to length, width andheight, allowing for an efficientdamage analysis on a database ofmore than 14,000 items.

So, if you’re in the market for anelectronic measuring system, buy thebest from the best – SAPE. Call ouroffice on Tel: (02) 9772 9000.

4 8 – P R O D U C T S H OWC A S E

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Featuring a crisp, clear factoryappearance, PPG’s new generationEN-V Performance Clearcoat isdesigned to give any refinish colour aluxurious gloss finish.

Technological developmentscontinue to drive improvements in therefinish paint shop and PPG’s new LVC-136 EN-V Performance Clearcoat is aperfect example of a production-friendlysolution for modern repairers.Formulated using PPG’s advanced resintechnology, this next generationclearcoat arrives as part of theENVIROBASE High Performance paintsystem. Featuring easy mixing andapplication characteristics, as well asfabulous flow and levelling qualities, it’sideal for reproducing a crisp, clear factoryappearance. What’s more, although it willreliably deliver superb gloss straight offthe gun, it’s also easy to polish, should itbe required. As an added bonus, EN-VPerformance Clearcoat hardeners andthinners are common to most of PPG’slow-VOC clearcoat range, making forsimpler mixing and less chance of errors,as well as reduced stock holding.

The next generation formulation,

which produces a crisp, clear glossfinish, does not limit the versatility ofEN-V Performance Clearcoat. Indeed, ithas the flexibility to fill virtually any role,from one panel to a full respray, and stillgenerate a premium gloss finish. Anewly developed LVT-444 ClearcoatAccelerator Thinner also ensures itanswers the need for speed by giving ahandy option to dramatically improvecycle time on smaller jobs. Acceleratedmode is very straightforward (simplymix LVT-444 Clearcoat AcceleratorThinner at 100%) and results in a baketime slashed to just 15 minutes! Indeed,combine a 15-minute bake with singlevisit application mode (a light, closedcoat over the whole job beforeimmediately returning to the start andapplying a full wet coat) and theproductivity benefits of using EN-VPerformance Clearcoat are significant.

This next-gen clearcoat alsocontinues PPG’s commitment to localmanufacturing. Along with the majorityof products in the Envirobase HighPerformance low-VOC range, EN-VPerformance Clearcoat is manufacturedat PPG’s Clayton, Melbourne productionplant. Thanks to its unique blend of eco-friendly credentials and no-fuss ease ofuse, combined with outright speed andexceptional colour capability and

accuracy, PPG’s Envirobase HighPerformance paint system (which nowincludes EN-V Performance Clearcoat)has cemented its place as the region’smost popular refinish system – bar none!Features of LVC-136 EN-VPerformance Clearcoat:• Advanced clearcoat resin technology• Crisp, clear, premium gloss matches

“factory” finish• Simple mixing and easy application• Excellent flow and levelling straight

off the gun• Easy to polish, if required• Accelerated mode • Shares hardeners and thinners• Locally manufactured.For more information visitwww.ppgrefinish.com

Green (or any othercolour) with EN-V

Compressed air systems are at theheart of the collision repair industry.They require periodic maintenance toensure the safety, efficiency,reliability and lifetime of thecompressed air equipment. Aninadequate service routine can havea significant impact on energyconsumption, creating lowercompression efficiency, air leakage,or pressure variability. Poorlymaintained equipment can lead tohigh operating temperatures, poormoisture control, and excessivecontamination. Most problems areminor and can be corrected bysimple adjustments, cleaning, partreplacement, or the elimination ofadverse conditions. Just likepremium cars, premium aircompressors also require servicingand maintenance. Scheduling regular

maintenance of your compressed airsystem is vital in ensuring itsoperational efficiency and longevity.It will also save you money in thelong term and help to avoid costlybreakdowns and loss of productivity.

The national network of over 50experienced technicians perform on-site maintenance and repairs orprovide service in our workshops. Weunderstand that you rely on your aircompressor to perform its functionand when breakdowns happen, youneed it fixed – fast. We have servicetechnicians operating fromworkshops in Sydney and Brisbane,plus a fleet of mobile techniciansensuring quick response times. Inaddition to these, we have a serviceagent network of over 50 servicetechnicians available Australia-widewho are on hand to assist you. We

not only service Pilot Air brand aircompressors, we can also serviceand repair most other leading brandsof air compressors.Our comprehensive service offeringincludes:• Scheduled maintenance and

preventative checks• On-site breakdown repairs• In workshop repairs• Installation servicesBook a service by emailingservice@pilotair.com.au or call 1300 667 579.

Pilot Air compressed air systems

Bed Liner and Protective Coating

er and andddve v

Coating

hanehahane Coating

COUNTING DOWN TO THE FINALThe 2018 running of the PPG Colour Matching

Competition is building to an exciting finale.Preliminary competitions are now completed and it has been wonderful to see so many apprentices from across the region take the opportunity to test their colour

matching skills – well done to everyone who took part! For those who won through to the final, we look forward to seeing you at the final in

Brisbane on October 12th to determine who will be crowned as 2018 champion!

www.ppgrefinish.com.auwww.ppgrefinish.co.nz

@PPGANZRefinish