BodyShop Business

Jobber Relations » Waterborne/Low-VOC » Advanced Materials

March 2013//Vol. 32 No. 3 www.bodyshopbusiness.com

Social MediaMarketingCommunicating who you are, not what you offer.

Social MediaMarketing

Circle 1 for Reader Service

InsideMarchMarch 2013 Vol. 32 No. 3

BODYSHOP BUSINESS (ISSN 0730-7241)(March 2013, Volume 32, Number 3): Publishedmonthly by Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 EmbassyParkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330)670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Copyright 2013Babcox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Periodicalpostage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additionalmailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to BODYSHOP BUSINESS, P.O. Box13260, Akron, OH 44334-3912.

Member, BPA Worldwide

Guess the Car ....................................................................................4Industry Update ................................................................................10NASCAR Performance........................................................................12Detours ............................................................................................20Tech Tips..........................................................................................28Product Showcase ............................................................................80The Shop ..........................................................................................84

Marketing Through Social MediaMore and more collision repair facilities are using social mediato establish a connection with customers by communicatingwho they are...not what they offer.

ON THE COVER

34

50

60

FEATURESTECHNICAL

Do You Know What You’re Working On?It’s critical for technicians to be able to identify the advancedmaterials in today’s vehicles to perform proper and safe repairs.

SHOP PROFILE

Great InventionsWith ingenuity and innovation, Eddie’s Auto Body hastransformed itself into a lean, mean and efficient machine.

68 JOBBER RELATIONS

Using Your Jobber for a Win-WinYour jobber can be huge asset in helping you reduce paint and material costs.

DEPARTMENTS

68

1424

SHOP TALK

Editor’s NotesPartsTrader: The best thing that ever happened to the collisionrepair industry.

Publisher’s PerspectiveA customer satisfaction lesson at 30,000 feet.

Clark’s CornerWaterborne/low-VOC requires you to follow the rules.

Web Presence ManagementTwitter is not for twits.

Guessthe Car

4 March 2013 | BodyShop BusinessCircle 4 for Reader Service

What vehicle MODEL does this picture represent? Fax your guess

to (330) 670-0874. Include name, title, shop name, city, state and

phone number. Or submit your guess with our online contest form

by visiting bodyshopbusiness.com/guessthecar. The winner will be

randomly selected

from correct entries

and awarded $50.

Entries must be

received by March 29.

*Only one winner willbe selected. Chances ofwinning are dependentupon the number ofcorrect entriesreceived. Employees ofBabcox, industrymanufacturers andBSB advertisers are noteligible to enter.

Wendy Wold, owner, Quality Auto Body,

Menomonie, Wis.

Ram-page = (Dodge) Rampage#120

Reader Contest! Win $50!

#118

WINNER!

Tore-rent = (Pontiac) Torrent

#119

SOLVED!

See the April 2013 issue for

winner of Guess the Car #119.

One needs to look only at all thenew associations that have beenformed since State Farm unveiledPartsTrader to the industry.

For the first time ever, collisionrepairers in Utah formed their ownassociation, holding their first meet-ing on Jan. 12. Word is more than 100people showed up, despite a blind-ing snowstorm. In case you think itwas just coincidence that a bunch ofcollision repairers decided to cometogether in the Beehive State andsing “Kumbaya,” think again.

And then there’s Alabama. TheAlabama Collision Repair Associa-

tion disbanded roughlysix years ago, but

now another onehas been born: theAlabama Auto-motive RepairIndustry Societyof Excellence

(ALARISE). If

you recall, Alabama receivednational attention last year when thePartsTrader pilot was launched inthe Birmingham market and 17shops quit Select Service in protest.Even though there are some repair-ers who are upset that ALARISE wasformed by an ex-State Farmemployee, it’s up and running.

Let’s not forget about the IdahoAutobody Craftsmen Association.Dormant for nearly a decade, repair-ers in the Gem State decided lastsummer to reunite.

These three new associations alsodecided to become affiliate associa-tions of the Society of CollisionRepair Specialists (SCRS). Whilethere are many good reasons fordoing this, the overriding one is thebelief that many united are betterthan one.

In 2012, the Texas IndependentAutomotive Association and theNorthern Michigan Body ShopAssociation also became SCRSaffiliates.

All this activity points to repairerssaying, “Enough is enough.” Many

repairers believe insurerssubscribe to the “divide and con-

quer” mentality, but it seemsPartsTrader has done just theopposite: it has unitedrepairers.

Editor’sNotes Publisher

S. Scott Shriber, ext. 229 [email protected]

EditorJason Stahl, ext. 226 [email protected]

Associate EditorGina Kuzmick, ext. 244 [email protected]

Contributing EditorsCharlie Barone, Mitch Becker,Mark Clark, Mark Claypool,Erica Eversman, Tom Ferry,Curt Harler, John D. LymanSr., Hank Nunn

Graphic DesignerLisa DiPaolo, ext. [email protected]

Advertising ServicesKelly McAleese, ext. [email protected]

Director of CirculationPat Robinson, ext. [email protected]

Director of eMedia & Audience DevelopmentBrad Mitchell, ext. [email protected]

Subscription ServicesEllen Mays, ext. [email protected]

Tel: (330) 670-1234Fax: (330) 670-0874Website: bodyshopbusiness.com

Corporate

Bill Babcox, PresidentGregory Cira, Vice President,

Chief Financial OfficerJeff Stankard, Vice PresidentBeth Scheetz, Controller

A limited number of complimentary subscrip-tions are available to those who qualify. Call(330) 670-1234, ext. 288, or fax us at (330) 670-5335. Paid subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at: U.S.: $69 for one year.Canada/Mexico: $89 for one year. Canadian ratesinclude GST. Ohio residents add current countysales tax. Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds.Mail payment to BodyShop Business, P.O. Box75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. VISA, MasterCard or American Express accepted.

I’m starting to think that PartsTrader is the best thing that ever happenedto the collision repair industry. Before you go gather your pitchforks, ropeand knives, please hear me out.

Coming Together

Jason Stahl, Editor

Email comments to [email protected]

I Just Dribbled

In my job, I have to travel a fair amountand find myself on airplanes fairly regular-ly. I don’t have any fancy status; at best, Ihave the initial level of status that gets meon the plane a little early. I just want to beclear that my recent experience was a regu-lar old coach one and pretty mundane.

On this particular trip, I had to fly fromMemphis to Houston on my journey home.

It was a small jet with only oneflight attendant. She was very

friendly and had a great rap-port with the customers.When she asked me whatkind of soda I wanted, sheeven called me by my name.What? How did she know myname? I left this cramped, un-comfortable flight with a good

feeling, and it was completelydriven by this flight atten-

dant’s attitude. Iforgot all about

the hard seats.Onto my

next leg andinto the bigbird with

decent room and seats. Four flight atten-dants and lots of breathing room…ahhh.Enter the customer satisfaction killer (CSK).

The CSK was a seasoned veteran, bark-ing orders up and down the aisle and slam-ming carts around. She came to my rowand my seatmate ordered water. As shehanded the cup to the guy at the window, itspilled into my lap and just missed mycomputer. (Good thing because now I canwrite this). Her comment has not left meyet: “Gosh, I’ve just been dribbling stuff allday.” She quickly stuffed a few napkins atme and moved on – no “Sorry!” or any sortof apology.

As I reflect back on the incident, I realizethere’s a great business lesson here. Whichattendant do you have working for you?All organizations will make mistakes. It’sthe way our people handle them thatmakes the difference. I’ve learned over mycareer that empathy is not a teachable skill;it’s inherent in our DNA. It’s important tokeep the people who have it in front of ourcustomers, and our less skilled membersout of the front lines.

Better be on the look-out for CSKs onyour team!

Publisher’sPerspective

S. Scott Shriber, Publisher

Email comments to [email protected]

On a recent flight home, I had one of those experiences that moves me to writeabout it. These epiphanies are usually related to customer satisfaction – and thisone was no exception.

The Carlyle Group recently final-ized its acquisition of DuPontPerformance Coatings, and an-nounced the renaming of the

company to Axalta Coating Systems. With many in the collision repair in-

dustry wondering about the company’snew name and strategy, BodyShop Busi-ness and aftermarketNews.com inter-viewed two top executives at Axaltawith the intent of answering the indus-try’s questions: Michael Bennett, NorthAmerican marketing manager, andMichael H. Crickenberger, global mar-keting, communications and strategicplanning director.

BSB: Why are you changing the namefrom such a universally recognized one?

Bennett: The red oval and the DuPontname is a strong brand and enjoys fan-tastic recognition in the marketplace. Buttoday, we’re no longer owned byDuPont, so we must change with thattransition. We plan to ensure that ourmarket understands that while the nameis changing, the same people, productsand services that have been in this mar-ketplace for 90-plus years are not chang-ing. And so the trick here is to transitionthat recognition from the DuPont nameto Axalta by giving the clear under-standing that, while the name is chang-ing, the legacy will remain.

Our brands such as Standox, CromaxPro and Spies Hecker will not change.Our product lines enjoy great recogni-tion in the market today, and we haveno plans to change any of them.

Crickenberger: This was the result ofa fairly long and intensive process to

come up with a name that was unique.And when you do business in 130 coun-tries like we do, that’s a significantprocess. The name is derived from otherwords, but like many names, it’s madeup. But we can look at it and build fromit, and it’s really what this businessstands for. When you say ‘Axalta Coat-ing Systems,’ we’re emphasizing thesystems we supply to our customer andthe systems we utilize in our own plantsand processes.

Having ‘coatings’ in the name nowsignals to customers that these coat-ings are the sole and only focus of ourbusiness. There’s no need to repatriaterevenues to parent company DuPont –we’re now an independent business.And Axalta does resonate with theconcept of a heightened purpose, toexult, to drive the performance of thebusiness. The combination of ‘Axalta’and ‘Coating Systems’ makes a namethe company felt really wrapped upwho we are into a good package.

BSB: How long will body shops and job-bers be able to display the DuPont logo ontheir business cards, stationery and build-ings? What’s going to happen if they ignorethat and just continue to use the logo?

Bennett: The DuPont logo can re-main at shops for many months. Onceour full new logo and design is ready,our sales teams will be in direct per-sonal contact with all of our customersto help them switch over a period oftime. Nothing needs to be done in themeantime. Also, our customers cancontinue to use all of our products thathave the DuPont name on them indefinitely.

IndustryUpdate

10 March 2013 | BodyShop BusinessCircle 120 for Reader Service »

Axalta Coating Systems’ Top Executives Discuss Transition from DuPontName, Global Strategy

Michael Bennett, NorthAmerican marketing manager

Michael Crickenberger, globalmarketing, communications andstrategic planning director

BSB: How aggressive do you plan to be as far as boostingyour market share? Who do you intend to target?

Bennett: Our primary strategy is to effect this transi-tion in a seamless manner for our existing customers. Wewant to make sure our customers understand that we’refocused on them and will deliver the same products andservices to them.

For quite some time, we’ve had a growth strategy.Because of this transition, I think this now gives us agreater opportunity to focus on that. This is a bit of aliberation for our business in that we now get to focussolely on our market segment. The profits and earn-ings that were being funneled back to the parent com-pany, DuPont, for some time now get to stay in ourbusiness so we can fund growth.

What customers are we going to target? My answeris simple: If cars are sitting in front of a body shop andthey’re spraying paint, those are the customers wewant to focus on. If they’re repairing cars, we want tosell paint to them.

BSB: Does this strategy take into account the consolida-tion currently occurring in the industry?

Bennett: We have a lot of programs in place to focuson protecting and supporting our existing customers.But in addition to that, with a dynamic occurring inthe marketplace, we have to understand that dynamic.And given that we intend to grow and invest in thisbusiness, you can’t ignore the dynamic in this market-place. We have a clear understanding of this consoli-dation effort going on, and our growth plan takes thatinto consideration. But the first thing is to protect andsupport our existing customers, helping them to growso we can grow organically through the shops we al-ready have. Then we also need to effectively targetsustainable shops and grow with them as well.

BSB: Does The Carlyle Group owning both Service Kingand Axalta Coating Systems indicate a desire to integratethe two?

Bennett: Carlyle has made it perfectly clear to usthat, while they’re invested in Service King, they ex-pect [Axalta] and Service King to operate our busi-nesses in our best interests. There is no grand strategyof integration. They expect us and Service King tomake business decisions that suit our respective busi-ness needs.

When I get asked this question by a lot of my cus-tomers, I point out that paint companies have investedin body shops for awhile. In fact, one of our largestcompetitors is heavily invested in The Boyd Group(Gerber) and some other types of customers, but it’sonly this relationship where there seems to be this per-ception of integration.

Carlyle has been very forthright with us in telling

us to operate our business to suit our needs and giveService King the same attention we would give themwhether they were owned by Carlyle or not.

We currently do provide Service King paint andhave enjoyed some business with them for a period oftime. They’re not just supplied by our competition.

Crickenberger: When Carlyle makes an investment,they do it through various funds that they’ve raisedinside of Carlyle, and these two acquisitions (ServiceKing and DuPont) were made with different funds.So, from Carlyle’s perspective, those investments needto be managed independently and for the best interestof the fund they’re part of.

BSB: How much will the new business focus on growingbusiness outside of North America?

Crickenberger: We do business in 130 countries to-day. We have a significant presence in China, Brazil,Russia and India. We have made new investments inIndia and China with new manufacturing facilitiesover the last five years. If we’re talking specificallyabout the refinishing business, it’s those areas that aredriving global growth, whereas the more developedmarkets like North America and Europe are stable to declining.

BSB: How aggressive are you going to be in convertingshops to waterborne/low-VOC coatings?

Bennett: Our waterborne not only enjoys a nice position given the environmental legislation that’s occurring across the globe, but the real value proposi-tion is that it also delivers a productivity advantageover any other competitor in the marketplace. Soeven in areas that aren’t focused on meeting legislat-ed requirements, we believe our new water-basedtechnology offers advantages from a productivitystandpoint. So our effort is beyond just those regulat-ed areas – we’re going to be moving on our water-borne technology globally.

We will continue to be aggressive because we be-lieve [our waterborne product’s] value proposition issuch that a lot of customers are responding to it evenoutside of regulated areas. We’ve seen some states inOTC regions postponing or delaying establishing adeadline for conversion, yet we’re still able to sell onthe value proposition of ‘more environmentallyfriendly and greater productivity.’

Crickenberger: Outside of Europe, the U.S. andCanada, the market is still generally a solventbornemarket. When you look at emerging economies andBRIC countries, it’s primarily a solventborne market.In China, there are a lot of OEM certifications drivingthe refinish market there, and some OEs are utilizingwaterborne technology for the sake of being green, not

»| Industry Update |«

www.bodyshopbusiness.com 11« Circle 121 for Reader Service

Continued on pg. 78

Track Talk

In 1992, General Motors waslooking for ways to decreasethe number of lower leginjuries to its Indy Car drivers.In the automaker’s research, itwas lacking one piece of tech-nology to help them measurethe force drivers were subject toin crashes.

GM did, however, have adevice placed in shipments ofexpensive equipment goingoversees to determine how thecargo was being handled, andtrack when it was mishandledand by whom. With a fewtweaks, such as an increasedrange of measurement, thecompany realized these devicescould be placed in cars tomeasure the impact of a crash.

That was the beginning ofthe incident data recorder(IDR), or "black box," inautomobile racing.

Today, NASCAR supplieseach of the cars in its threenational racing series with anupdated version of that

recorder. In the event of acrash, big or small, NASCARofficials are able to retrieve thedata and details of the crash,including the rate of decelera-tion when the car hits a barrier.

According to Tom Gideon,senior director of safety,research and development forNASCAR, the incident datarecorder hasn’t failed to collectinformation on a crash yet.

"From 2002 to now, we'verecorded over 6,000 incidentsin the national series," he said."All the vehicles in our nation-al series – which includeNASCAR Sprint Cup,Nationwide and CampingWorld Series racecars andtrucks – are required to have acrash recorder."

Since 2002, the accidentdata recorders have riddenalong with NASCAR drivers.Teams are responsible only forthe aluminum bracket thatholds the recorder in place inthat car. Before each race, a

team of fieldinvestigatorsplaces arecorder intothat bracket.Once a mag-netic sensorinside thebox detects ithas beenplaced intothe car, itgoes into a state of readiness.

Because the units don't havean on/off switch, the magnetsensor helps to preserve batterywhen they aren't in a car.During a race, the device meas-ures the acceleration or deceler-ation of the car 10,000 timesper second. NASCAR officialsremove the IDRs from the carafter each race, recording infor-mation from those in carsinvolved in wrecks.

Once NASCAR extracts thedata from a crash, the num-bers are then released to theteam whose car held therecorder. Teams use thisinformation to determine

how hardthe car washit, andw h e t h e rthe impactwas bigenough tocause dam-age to theseat andrestraints.If so, theseat –which cancost up to$12,000 –will befully in-

spected before being replacedor repaired.

NASCAR also uses thesedevices to reconstruct actualcrashes to improve safety andto test new developments.Technicians are able to take thenumbers from a wreck and,using a hydraulic cylinder anddummy model, examine theeffects of that identical force onthe body. They have even usedthese data recorders to test theGeneration-6 car's improvedroll cage by capturing theimpact when a car is droppedupside down in the Researchand Development Center park-ing lot.

"We're at all times lookingfor improvements to the carthat we can validate, so thatwhen we finally put it in thecar, we're not worried thatmaybe we did somethingwrong," Gideon said.

Learn more about the latesttechnological advances inNASCAR by visiting the new NASCAR AutomotiveTechnology Center EngineeredBy Mobil 1: www.nascar.com/automotivetechnology.

By Kristen Boghosian,NASCAR.COM

Inside NASCAR’s Black Box

During a race, the “black box” measures the

acceleration or deceleration of a racecar 10,000

times per second.

An incident data recorder, also known as a “black box,” gives NASCAR officials the ability to

measure the effects of crashes.

Follow NASCAR Performance on Twitter and Facebookwww.twitter.com/NASCARauto ■ www.facebook.com/NASCARPerformance

Specific strategies for painting carshave been the hallmark of productivepainters throughout the many yearsI’ve been in our industry. Successful

painters don’t just wander into the booth andstart pulling the trigger – they have a plan.How to prep the vehicle, adjust the spray gun,mix the components, position the car withinthe booth and where to begin and end are allpart of producing attractive paint work quick-ly. You make money in collision repair by get-ting it done right and fast the first time.

Having a plan is still key to refinishing suc-cess, but the elements of the plan havechanged and are much less at the whim of thepainter these days.

Birth of the Spray Gun » The critical pieceof application equipment, the spray gun, hasbecome more efficient and more expensiveover time. When I began selling them in 1970,shops’ spray guns of choice were a Binks No.7, a DeVilbiss MBC or JGA, or a Sharpe 75. Allwere suction feed and based on the designcreated by Dr. Allen DeVilbiss, an ear, noseand throat doctor in Toledo, Ohio. Usingsome tubing, a rubber bulb and the base of anoil can, DeVilbiss created the atomizer toenable his patients to spray medicine on theirsore throats. In 1907, Allen’s son, ThomasDeVilbiss, used his father’s principal designto create the first hand-held spray gun.

All suction, or siphon, feed guns work onthe same notion: crossing air streams in front

of the tip to create a partial vacuum, loweringthe atmospheric pressure (14.7 PSI). By virtueof the hole in the top of the attached one-quart, push-lock cup, the liquid in the cuprushes up the pickup tube to fill the vacuumand is blown onto the surface to be painted.

While these devices were faster than apply-ing the coatings with a brush, the cloud of tur-bulent air flying around in front of the air capblew much of the paint into the atmosphere.Until the air quality folks in Southern Califor-nia passed Rule 1151 in 1987, no one caredthat the transfer efficiency (how much of thepaint reached the surface and how much waslost in overspray) was only about 30 percentfor suction-feed guns. As much as 70 percentof the liquid in the bottom-mounted cup waslost into the atmosphere.

Modern Marvels » These days, the meticu-lously machined, cleverly designed, smallfluid tip diameter, high transfer efficiency,gravity feed spray guns do a better job. Withthe cup mounted above the tip, the paint runsdown into the atomizing air stream. Theseguns are able to finely atomize high solidscoatings and keep at least 65 percent of thepaint on the target and out of the atmosphere.

What hasn’t changed is the painter’s abilityto wave the gun at the car productively. Thenecessity to smoothly trigger, pass and releasethe gun exactly parallel to the surface aremandatory to duplicate the OEM finish. Gundistance, hand speed, head position, body

14 March 2013 | BodyShop Business

Clark’sCorner By Mark Clark

Waterborne/Low-VOC:

Not Yours

stance and general coordination arestill critical to good-looking paintwork the first time.

20-20 Rule » Back when I wantedto learn to paint cars, I asked for theadvice of three of my customerswhose work I admired. They eachhad slightly different strategies aboutwhere to begin, how fast to move,how to reach difficult areas (rockerpanels, wheel wells, etc.), but theyeach had a consistently repeatableplan. One lesson I took away fromtheir instruction was that they all hadsome valuable tips. If you learn topaint from a single co-worker, youmay miss some important elements– derisively referred to as the 20-20Rule, as in, “He learned to paint in 20minutes and has been doing thesame thing for 20 years.”

Every paint manufacturer offershands-on training on the most pro-

ductive way to apply their products.If you haven’t attended your brand’sclasses, you may be missing somekey tips on getting great-lookingwork even more quickly.

Spray Latitude » Prior to the latestlegislation to further reduce air pollu-tion by lowering the solvent contentin auto paint, painters had manychoices in blending the right concoc-tions to accommodate their uniquepainting styles and conditions. Onepaint company called this ability“spray latitude,” meaning the paintercould speed up or slow down thedry and evaporation rates to accom-modate the weather conditions ortheir own proclivities by changingsolvent and catalyst speeds.

For years, I think the industryclosely approached chemical parityin paint, meaning that the solvent-based offering from brand A was

similar to the offerings from brandsB, C and D. Each brand had somedistinguishable features, advantagesand benefits, but they mixed andsprayed in familiar fashion.

Low-VOC » One of the biggestchanges in my era has been the adop-tion of compliant, low-VOC coatings.Whereas the existing National Rulecoatings mix and spray in similarways, the compliant systems useeither water (no VOC) or one of fivecompliant solvents to meetmandated maximum levels ofvolatile organic compounds. Inresearching the eight articles I’vewritten for BodyShop Business on low-VOC coatings, I’m now clear thatpainters are required to mix andapply them in specific manners.Painters can no longer mix solventsand catalysts to get the results theydesire. First, water is a one-speed sol-

»| Clark’s Corner |«


were those who insisted on shootingthe new coatings the old way.

Their Way, Not Yours » Some ele-ments are still the same betweenwaterborne and solvent-basedpaints. For example, moving air pastany waterborne finish helps driveout the water, and good prep workstill makes for clean paint jobs. Butthe steps to mix, spray and recoat thevarious waterborne offerings arebrand specific. Whether legislationhas come to your market or not, thecolor match and clarity ofwaterborne finishes do a great job ofmatching the OEM coating. Butunderstand you’ll have to follow themanufacturer’s exact instructionsrather than mixing your own brewand applying it your way. You’ll stillneed a plan to productively paintcars, but there are fewer painter-con-trolled variables. Let your jobber orpaint rep show you how to get itdone correctly and quickly. BSB

Mark R. Clark is the owner of ProfessionalPBE Systems in Water-loo, Iowa; he is a well-known industry speakerand consultant. He is cel-ebrating his 25th year asa contributing editor toBodyShop Business.

»| Clark’s Corner |«



vent, and second, the H2O chemistryemployed by brands A, B, C and Dare quite different from each other. In

the course of my many interviewswith regulated Southern Californiapainters, the ones having trouble

Ferry’s “auroraborealis” paintingshows differentcolors dependingon the angle youlook at it.

Detours

Tom Ferry’s painting changes colors.That’s right. It actually changes col-ors. And you don’t need to ingest anyhallucinogens to see this. All you

have to do is look at it from different angles. The painting, which is made entirely

from auto paint, arose from Ferry’s fascina-tion with the aurora borealis and night,themes that play out through many of hisworks. And the masses seem to like it – itsold at a recent art show in Ketchikan,Alaska, where Ferry works as a painter forKetchikan Autobody and Glass. The cura-tor told him if she had 20 of those paint-ings, she could have sold every one.

“I was amazed when she said that,” said Ferry.

A Gold Star Student » Ferry was alsoamazed when, in second grade, he receiveda “gold star” for a ship he drew in art class.That’s when he realized he might havesome talent.

Later on in his academic career, he wasnamed art editor of his high school newspa-per and also cultivated his passion for art bycreating cartoons, aspiring to one day be-come a political cartoonist. It wasn’t until af-ter high school that he started pursuingdifferent types of artwork more seriously.

Painting Cars » After Ferry parlayed his tal-ents into a career in the collision industry, hediscovered that painting for work and paint-ing as a hobby can be a difficult balance.

“It’s kind of hard [managing both],”Ferry says. “Here at the shop, I’ll just prepa piece of aluminum, or get a canvas from

someone, thenpick a particular paintright off the wall of the paintroom and start painting away as I’m alsopainting a car. It’s kind of wild.”

With 40 years of experience in auto paint-ing and a lifetime as an artist, Ferry equallyenjoys both his occupation and his hobby.

“[I love] my hobby as an artist becausethere is no pressure to produce like a trueprofessional artist, but I have and could sell alot of artwork if I wanted to,” says Ferry.“The one thing I like about auto painting isthe challenge, as it’s the hardest part of doingan auto repair; it makes or breaks the job.”

Experimentation » Like all artists, Ferryenjoys experimenting with different formsof “art and medium.” Looking to broadenhis scope, he recently delved into three-di-mensional art, including sculpting and con-struction. An aluminum sculpture he laideyes on for the first time inspired him to tryto craft one in the future. As for construc-tion, he just built an addition to his parents’1940s-style home.

“To design something on a 1940s-stylehome and put an addition on that doesn’tlook like an addition is quite a task,” he

By Lauren Weidinger


for the Sky with Artwork

Painter Reaches

says. “It went really well, and a lotof local architects really liked it,too. So now I’m also an amateur architect.”

Music » Ferry also discovered alove of music early in his life whenhe was introduced to the bass gui-tar in high school. He became soenamored with music that hemoved to California to pursue it asa career, writing songs, recordingthree albums and participating indifferent groups, including “BlackIce Hot-N-Heavy.” Through thisprocess, he discovered that heloved music above all other artforms…and that the inspiration forart and music is quite similar.

“With art, sometimes you gothrough spurts of inspiration; it justcomes flowing out of you, which islike music also,” Ferry says. “WhenI was playing music, I would have arecorder next to my bed so I couldmake up songs and hum a few barson the spot, record them and thenplay them in the morning. Withartists, you have spurts of real cre-ativity, and then you have timeswhere you just draw a blank.”

Recognition » Ferry’s recent suc-cess with his “shifting colors”painting was not the first time hiswork has been recognized. He alsoreceived a few awards at the Blue-berry Art Festival held annuallythe first week of August in Alaska.

When he retires, Ferry hopes togenerate a series of paintings de-picting fishing boats in coves orother remote areas. He also dreamsof being commissioned to createpaintings for art enthusiasts.

Having worked in numerous artforms, including sculpting, design-ing logos and tattoos, painting,drawing and others, Ferry believesthe future is limitless. BSB

Lauren Weidinger is a student at RevereHigh School in Richfield, Ohio, and anaspiring journalist who hopes to furtherher studies at Northwestern University.

»| Detours |«



Web PresenceManagement

Twitter Is Not For Twits“I

t’ll be a cold day in hell before you’llever catch me tweeting,” a shop ownerrecently told me. The mere thought of having a Twitter ac-

count for his business made him disgusted,and you could clearly see that on his face.It’s too bad. According to HubSpot, 42 per-cent of businesses have gotten salesthrough their participation on Twitter.

Ignorance Is Bliss » Ignorance is bliss fora lot of people in this world. There’s onlyso much collision work out there, and thecompetition for each and every vehicle ishigher than it has ever been. Social mediais all about branding your business. In fact,it was the new frontier of marketing. Butdescribing it as “new” anymore is so 2012.Generation Y (people under 30 years ofage) is the largest generation on the planet.An astonishing 97 percent of them are onsocial media. It should come as no surprisethat most of them are participating in socialmedia via their mobile phones. Twitter ishuge with Generation Y.

Do you ever see anyone under 30 in yourshop? Of course you do. So even if youdon’t “get it” with regard to Twitter, youshould not turn a blind eye to it. Designatesomeone in your organization who is al-ready on Twitter to set up and manage aTwitter account for your business, or getsomeone to research and learn about it. An-other option is to outsource the manage-ment of Twitter to a company that will dothe tweeting and monitoring for you. Thiscan be done for as little as $95 per month.

Setting It Up » Twitter allows you to cre-ate a customized background that show-cases your company’s brand. The sizeshould be 2,048 pixels wide by 1,900 pixelshigh. These backgrounds don’t scroll downas the visitor scrolls; they remain static. Youshould include your contact information onthis background as well.

For the sake of consistent representationof your brand, the icon, or profile picture,that you choose to represent your businesson Twitter needs to be the same as what

you use on Facebook andGoogle+. If you have a hori-zontally oriented logo, itshould be altered into a squareor it will be cut off on the rightand left edges. Twitter limitsthe size of the image you sub-mit to 700KB, and then theywill resize the image you up-load. Twitter accepts images inJPG, GIF or PNG formats.

By Mark Claypool


Collision Works of Del City, Okla.’sTwitter account showcases their brandwith a nice logo and consistent colors.

The “cover” photo will reallyallow you to showcase your busi-ness. Make it graphically pleasingto the eye, interesting, fun andengaging. Unlike Facebook, youcan include a call-to-action thatdirects your followers to an ac-tion you want them to take. Toadd a cover to your Twitter ac-count, you simply need to clickon the gear located at the topright side of the Twitter page,then click on “Settings” from thedrop-down menu. Next, go to the profile tab on the left and upload your photo under theheader option.

Search Ranking » Effectivesocial media participation is nowhaving a positive effect on yoursearch ranking potential, so besure to include keywords in your160-character bio on Twitter.Remember that those keywordsare “auto body,” “body shop,” etc.(visit www.bodyshopbusiness.comand type in “using SEO” in thesearch box).

Build a following and promoteyour Twitter participation every-where you can. Use QR codes onyour printed materials. Find andfollow people in your communitythrough https://twitter.com/search-advanced. You can search by placesor by terms like “car crash,”“body shop,” etc., to see who inyour area was in an accident andtweeted about it. And keep inmind that anyone who followsyou should automatically be fol-lowed back. It’s considered badform to only take on followers andnot follow others.

Character Limit » When youpost something on Twitter, called a“tweet,” it’s limited to 140 charac-ters, including spaces. But tweetsof 120 characters or so are gettingmore clicks, so less is more. Youcan schedule your tweets to go outat a certain date and time so youdon’t have to be hovering over

your computer all day long to sendthem out. You should send out atleast two tweets per day, and asmuch as 15 to 25 if you’ve got thetime and content.

You can pay a few bucks to fea-ture a tweet at the top of your Twit-ter feed. This provides you with anopportunity to run specials andpromotions and provides you withincreased visibility for a longer pe-riod of time than the typical tweet.These should feature a photo orvideo which will be more engagingand ideally provide you with moreleads for your business.

Next Up: Twitter Vine » Nextmonth, we’ll explore more onTwitter, including information onthe new Twitter Vine, a newmobile video app that allows youto capture and share short videossix seconds long or less to high-light various aspects of your busi-ness. This opens up an entirelynew option for brand recognition.Cutting edge is what you’ll be ifyou’re a body shop participatingon Twitter. BSB

BSB Contributing Ed-itor Mark Claypoolhas more than 30 yearsof experience in thefields of workforce de-velopment, business/education partnerships,

apprenticeships and Web presencemanagement. He is the CEO of OptimaAutomotive (www.optimaautomotive.com), which provides website design,development, SEO services and socialmedia management services. Claypool’swork history includes stints at MetroPaint Supplies, VeriFacts Automotive,the National Auto Body Council(NABC), the I-CAR Education Foun-dation and SkillsUSA. He is thefounder of Mentors At Work and co-founder of the Collision Industry Foun-dation. He served, on a volunteer basis,as the SkillsUSA World Team Leaderfor the WorldSkills Championshipsfrom 2003 to 2011.

»|Web Presence |«


Vehicle manufacturers are oncemore asking us to becomemetallurgists. Without an un-derstanding of the changes

they’re incorporating into new ve-hicles, we in the collision businessultimately may compromise the safe-ty of our customers and the integrityof their vehicles.

What’s the deal with steel? Oneconsequence of strict government-mandated Corporate Average FuelEconomy (CAFE) standards will bea change in construction materials.As manufacturers strive to meet the2016 requirement of 37.8 miles pergallon, structural integrity, safetyand weight considerations will allcome into play – which directly im-pact what the vehicle is made of.

Critical structural components willno longer be constructed of the mild

steel that was once the norm. UltraHigh Strength Steels (UHSS) with ayield strength or MPa of 800 or morewill be one of the mainstays of vehicledesign. Currently, repair of this ma-terial is not even considered.

Technicians, estimators and insur-ers need to understand that identi-fication and reparability will becritical factors when a vehicle comesinto the shop. Access to proper, up-to-date OE information will be required before repair/replace de-cisions are made.

Decisions take time, and time cutsinto productivity, profit and customersatisfaction. And what if you’rewrong? Can you really afford to doa job twice when you’re only gettingpaid once? Information is the nameof the game in today’s world of com-plex vehicles.

There is no sub-stitute for havingmanufacturers’ in-formation readilyavailable. OE infor-mation is the goldstandard for mate-rial identification.Here are somemanufacturers’ di-agrams and infor-mation on vehiclesthat incorporateUHSS.

Service Informa-tion » Always referto ALLDATA Colli-sion for safety proce-dures, identification ofmaterial types, recom-mended refinish ma-

terials, removal and installation procedures.Always refer to the manufacturer for ques-tions relating to applicable or non-applicablewarranty repair information.

HSS Steel » The bodywork is madeup of a number of different steels toimprove fuel economy and provideoptimal protection in the event of acollision. The types of steel in thissection are High Strength Steel (HSS),which has a higher tensile strengthand yield point than ordinary steelsheet. The yield point increases whenit’s heat treated. HSS steel can bemore difficult to align than ordinarysteel plate.

When using an alignment bench,HSS components can cause problemsif the counterhold is not fully tight-ened. Note how the bodywork reactsto tension, and ensure that only thedeformed area moves.

NOTE: HSS steel must not be heataligned.

Boron Steel » Boron steel is in thesame group as HSS steel.

In Figures 1-3, the componentsmarked in black are manufacturedin boron steel, and the gray/darkgray sections are HSS with a yieldpoint above 340 MPa and thereforemust be treated with extra care dur-ing repair.

Boron steel is high tensile with ahigh breaking point. When replacingboron steel components, the weldscannot be drilled. Grind or plasmacut instead. It has good tolerancefor welding, and it cannot be galva-nized during manufacture. Thesecomponents must be rust-proofedextra thoroughly.

TechTipsWhat’s the Deal with Steel?

By Dan Espersen and Jeff Webster


2013 Lexus GS 350

NOTE: Boron steel must not bebent or heated.

NOTE: Boron steel can only bejoined where indicated in the method.Mark carefully using a template.Use a cutting disc or plasma cutter.

Extended Information » Steel canbe divided into further subgroups

based on the yield point, or the forcerequired to deform the steel. Thesegroups are:� HS (High Strength Steel)Steel with a yield point between 220to 450 MPa (marked light gray inthe illustration).

There are three main types of steelwithin this group:

1.Phosphorous-alloy steelThis steel has a higher strength dueto the use of phosphorous alloy.2.HSLA steel (High Strength LowAlloy)This is a low alloy steel, where alloys such as vanadium, niobiumor titanium are used to increasethe yield strength.3.DP steel (Dual Phase)This steel is strengthened byheat treatment during manufac-ture. A two-phase structure ofiron and carbon is formed. DP

»|Tech Tips |«


Figure 2: 2013 Volvo XC90



steel will lose its strength if it’sexposed to temperatures exceed-ing 300 °C.

� EHS (Extra High Strength Steel)EHS has a yield point between 450and 800 MPa. It’s light gray in theillustration. Both HSLA and DPsteel are within this group, althoughthe strength has been increasedthrough the addition of greater alloysubstances.

� UHS (Ultra High Strength Steel)UHS has a yield point between 800and 1400 MPa. UHS is dark grayin the illustration. There are twomain types of steel within thisgroup:

1.DP steelThe strength is even higher dueto an advanced manufacturingprocess and the greater quantitiesof alloys.

2.Boron steelThe addition of boron gives thissteel greater strength. Boron steelalso contains relatively high quan-tities of carbon. The profiles ofthe sheets are formed between apress and pad while the metal isred hot. The material also hardenshere. These sections must not bestraightened because of their ex-tremely high strength.

NOTE: These repair/service pro-cedures are excerpted from infor-mation published by the vehiclemanufacturer and are intended forthe purpose of promoting OE colli-sion repair information to trained,professional technicians with theknowledge, tools and equipmentto do the job properly and safely.Before attempting any repairs de-scribed, refer to the complete articlein ALLDATA Collision S3500. It’s

recommended that these proceduresnot be performed by “do-it-your-selfers.” BSB

Dan Espersen is ALLDATA’s seniorcollision program manager, holds anAA degree in automotive technology,and has 46 years of experience in theautomotive industry, 19 in collision.

© 2013 ALLDATA LLC. All rights re-served. All technical information, imagesand specifications are from ALLDATACollision S3500. ALLDATA is a regis-tered trademark and ALLDATA CollisionS3500 is a mark of ALLDATA LLC.

Lexus and GS 350 are registered trade-marks of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.Volvo and XC90 are registered trade-marks of AB Volvo, Volvo Car Corpo-ration or Volvo Cars of North America,LLC. All other marks are the propertyof their respective holders.

»|Tech Tips |«


By Curt Harler

The body shop world seems to be dividedinto two sectors: those who use social mediaand love it, and those who don’t and are ter-rified of it. There’s definitely a learning curve,

just like switching to waterborne/low-VOC refinishes.And embracing something new is scary. But thereare a few shops where the outcome proved rewarding,one being Paul’s Quality Collision in Monroe, Mich.

Community Connection » Run by Paul andTammi VanAken, Paul’s Quality Collision integratedsocial media into its overall marketing strategy onJan. 27, 2010.

“Social media is a great resource and hugely un-

More and more collision repair facilities are usingsocial media to communicate who they are tocustomers...and increase sales.


COVER STORY

Marketing

Social MediaThrough

derrated,” Paul says. “Social media is about revealingwho we are to the community. It requires a commit-ment. It will expose both your strengths and weak-nesses. But the object is to get the customers talkingabout us to other potential customers.”

VanAken can point to glass repair and towingjobs that were a direct result of the shop’s socialmedia presence.

Camille Eber, the second generation of the Eberfamily to be owner-operator at Fix Auto PortlandEast, the former Roth & Miller shop in Portland,Ore., has found success with social media as well.

“Success in this endeavor is not so much that Ican track that Mary Jones found us via Facebook,

but rather, she canfind us regardless of where she hap-pens to be searching and let us knowshe found us ‘online,’” says Eber.

Finding out how the customerfound them is not so easy, Eber says,particularly because they don’t wantto be drilled beyond the initial ques-tion, “Where did you find us online?”

States Mark Claypool, CEO of Op-tima Automotive and Optima SocialMedia, Chicago, Ill., “Social media isthe new frontier of marketing and,when done correctly, beats the pantsoff other examples of marketing. Yel-low Pages? I don’t think so…hardlyanyone uses them anymore. Radiocan be expensive in some markets.Billboards might be okay, too.”

Brenda Kyle, customer service repwith Douglas Auto Body & Paint,Pasadena, Calif., says that not being amulti-shop operation means that TVand radio are not in their price range.But since social media is free, they’reall about it.

“With social media, the feedback isinstant and more personal,” says Kyle,who also advertises in a local paperthat has a loyal following (but no bill-boards since there aren’t any in Pasade-na). “Facebook lets me know who‘likes’ me – the gender and age grouptoo. It’s working for us in the sensethat we get to build a rapport withprevious customers and future cus-tomers at the same time, in a waythat isn’t obtrusive. We don’t bombardour customers with emails, nor dowe send out big mailers. We generallydon’t ‘talk shop.’ We focus on thesocial part of social media. We give

safety tips, tell jokes,give community news,

post funny pictures andbefore-and-after shots.

“When a customerthinks of Douglas Auto,

we want them to feel likethey’re bringing their vehicle

to a friend. Every once inawhile, we throw in a copyof an ad we’re working on,

but we’ll also tell the storyof how we came up with the

concept. Our goal is to makesure our customers know we’re

real people, and we’ll treat themlike a real person.”Some shop owners might bristle

at the term “free”; after all, they haveto pay someone to monitor socialmedia. But other than an investmentin time and giveaways you chooseto offer, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedInand local bulletin boards are free.Claypool figures it shouldn’t takemore than a couple hours a week toparticipate in all three of the big socialmedia sites.

Fear of the Unknown » Fear of theunknown seems to be a big deterrentto shops that don’t use social media.

“Don’t be afraid to participate,”says Dusty Dunkle, vice presidentof SureCritic who believes social me-dia offers the best ROI. “It’s mostlikely our strongest form of market-ing to Generation Y, a quickly in-creasing percentage of our industrycustomer base.”

“Social media tops the market,”VanAken says, comparing it to otheroutlets. He notes that it’s much morethan advertising – more an adjunct toa good community outreach or publicrelations campaign. “The key is to co-ordinate what is effective for yourshop in your market.”

In his case, it’s leveraging a program

COVER STORY » Social Media

www.bodyshopbusiness.com 35

to discourage texting and driving.They’ve given away 8,000 T-shirtswith the same message they promoteonline. “It gets good PR and TV newscoverage, too,” he adds.

Big Influence » Roughly 47 percentof social media users say that infor-mation from sites like Facebook andTwitter influences their buying deci-sions. Plus, they’re three times morelikely to believe and trust peer opinionsthan advertising.

“Social media is not a fad or trend;it’s the latest way we keep our businessin front of a huge number of potentialcustomers,” Dunkle says.

Eber says the first steps in theirsuccess with social media were tohave claimed, set up and verified (ifverification is required or an option)profiles (listings) in directories suchas Facebook, Google+/Google Places,Twitter, Foursquare, Yelp, Angie’s

List, Merchant Circle, City Search,Yahoo Local and YouTube, to namea few.

“That is success online, becausethere are still many shops that havenot done this,” she says, addingthat a greater measure of successwould be to visit and update atleast something on the shop profileevery three months.

Time to Update » Updates don’thave to be all hard-sell auto bodyor paint matching. Any auto ormusic buff has to love the fact thatDouglas Auto Body is located onColorado Blvd., made famous inJan & Dean’s song about the LittleOld Lady from Pasadena. The shopplays that up with a video clip.They go farther, too, hyping localties with the Rose Bowl Parade andfootball game and posting a dozenor more photos of the best cars in

the parade. That’s the kind of soft-sell that draws users back to thesite again and again.

Their “Name that Car” feature andsafety tips seem to be most popular.Recently, Kyle posted a picture of aroadside emergency kit with a packageof kitty litter. A customer asked, “Whykitty litter?” Kyle explained that itwas for traction in icy conditions. Thatmay be common knowledge for 75percent of the country, but SouthernCalifornia drivers may never give icea second thought.

“She was rather appreciative,”Kyle says. “She was the only personwho commented, but a substantialnumber of people saw it, includingher friends.”

Blow Your Horn » Shop ownersshould not be shy about blowingtheir own horns. If you sponsor aLittle League team, post pictures of



the team to the account. If you bought20 soccer shirts for the girls’ team, letpeople know about it. Update theirwins and losses. Every ballplayer hasparents, uncles, grandparents andneighbors who will feel just as goodabout seeing you support local causesas you do.

Eber notes that customers on the

Internet have no idea how online in-formation is generated.

“It’s get-fished for by search enginesfrom here and there,” she explains,warning that the data may not be ac-curate unless an owner takes the timeto take ownership of it. I have hadfriends contact me via Facebook withregard to business and then have them

brag about us on Facebook. That getsspread around.”

Her shop also has cards in the officeand QR (quick response) codes thatcustomers can scan with their smart-phones to get to their Facebook page.

Earlier this year, Eber tallied 116“Likes” on Facebook.

“It’s not a huge amount, but if Ipost something, it’s likely to be seenby all of them and any friends or the public they allow to see their information.”

Followers’ participation is measure-able, SEO expert Claypool says.“Through Facebook’s ‘Insight,’ youcan see how many people are partici-pating in what you’ve been posting.You can see how many friends yourfollowers have.”

The hard part for shops is gettingpeople to follow them (i.e. “liked” onFacebook). Shops must take every op-portunity to promote their social mediapresence. Hand out flyers, discussFacebook when the vehicle is deliveredback to the owner, position flyers withQR codes at the counter, and providelinks on cardstock in the glove box ofvehicles worked on.

Most shops, including VanAken’s,focus their efforts on the consumermarket. If there is some carry-overwith DRPs, that’s a bonus.

Lack of Understanding » Since al-most every body shop owner has acomputer, and there’s always somedowntime during a typical week,why don’t more shops set up an online presence?

“I think they don’t understand it orthe importance of it,” Eber says. “Manyof the sites are difficult at best to nav-igate and figure out.”

Although Eber is quite tech savvy,she says she’s frustrated with thechanges Google has made.

“I’ve not had the time to dedicateto keeping up with their changes whileI worked on some other projects. Theymay start to get it if they stop gettingnew business.”

“I think that other shops are slowto accept social media because they



think of it as a waste of time,” Kylesays, noting people go to a bodyshop because they have to, not be-cause they want to. “I was hesitantat first because we offer a service,not a product.”

But then she changed her perspec-tive. “Our product is Douglas AutoBody & Paint. Once I thought about

shifting the focus from ‘what we do’to ‘who we are,’ it was easier. The‘what we do’ falls into place.”

Creating an Icon » The first step tosuccess is creating an icon that repre-sents your brand, Claypool says. Then,to the extent that each system allows,create the background (or cover on

Facebook) to further project yourbrand/image.

VanAken has an online avatar that’strademarked. He says one reasonmany independents don’t have strongonline presences is they feel the crushof the job in many areas and socialmedia falls by the wayside.

“If it’s not important to you, it willnot happen,” VanAken says. “It hasto have a level of priority.”

“Regular posting of quality contentis crucial,” says Claypool. That means,ideally, once a day on Facebook, min-imum of once a week; twice a day onTwitter; and at least once every 72hours on Google+. By “quality” con-tent, Claypool means things that getfollowers to engage in the conversationeither by liking, commenting or sharingwhat has been posted.

“Tweets take very little time,” saysKyle. “How difficult is it to type, ‘It’sraining out there, Pasadena. Slowdown and drive safely!’”

Defending Your Reputation » TheInternet not only gives people an op-portunity to tell the world how greatyou are, but also how lousy you are.If people are saying bad things aboutyour shop – poor workmanship, failureto meet delivery promises – it’s bestyou find out and meet those problemshead-on before your online reputationis shot.

There are social media sites fromYelp to Angie’s List that rate the per-formance and service of local busi-nesses. Whether you like it or not,your business is likely to end upbeing reviewed on some of these sites.

“All businesses need to keep a closeeye on everything that’s said aboutthem online,” Dunkle says. Shopsneed a consistent process, or program,in place that detects negative sentimentimmediately. “Otherwise, there areimmediate consequences.”

Negative comments are part ofthe bargain with social media,VanAken says. “Everyone is human.If we make a mistake, our first com-mitment is with the customer toremedy the problem.”



If a shop feels it was slandered, sayon a Google review that was grosslyoff base, its first contact should beGoogle, VanAken advises.

When negative comments appear,it’s essential to respond immediately,whenever and wherever possible.

“In responding, never get de-fensive,” Dunkle says. “Show the

online community that if a cus-tomer has a problem with yourbusiness, you pay attention, youcare, you react quickly and youdo everything in your power tosatisfy the customer. Consumersknow that no business is perfect,and when there’s a problem, theywant to see how you react.”

Most reviews, positive or negative,are on review sites like Google, Yelpand Yahoo rather than on YouTube orFacebook. A shop might find morereviews on Twitter than Facebook.

Claypool agrees that, when facedwith a negative review, a shopshould respond professionally with-out being defensive.

“Point out your high CSI ratings,that you’re sorry you didn’t delightthem with your service, and tell themthat you’re hoping to have the op-portunity to earn back their businessagain some day,” he says. “For positivereviews, shops can thank the reviewerfor the opportunity to serve them.”

Kyle says, “At the moment, wehave one dedicated person. Me!” Onebenefit is that the shop’s “voice” isconsistent. “Plus, I double check my spelling.”

Fix Auto Portland East has hadonly one negative posting, and Ebersays it was bogus since the shop doesno engine work (the gripe was aboutthem ruining an engine).

“It appears to have been posted ei-ther by a competitor or by a companyattempting to sell a service that sup-posedly could remove negative re-views,” she says.

In response to it, she publicly en-couraged the person who posted it tocontact the shop to discuss the problem.She posted that they didn’t recognizethe claimed scenario.

The same review was posted onYelp and Google. Yelp filtered itout as irrelevant. Periodically, Eberresponds publicly to favorable re-views by acknowledging them witha thank you.

“Plus, it’s an incentive to do thebest you can do,” VanAken says. “Itcomes down to business ethics.”

Managing Metrics » Before a bodyshop attempts to use a tool like socialmedia, it should have some idea ofthe size and scope of what it’s doing.The previously mentioned “Insights”feature on Facebook can help monitorthis reach. Google also provides asimilar service.



“With social media, manyof the benefits are commonsense,” Dunkle says.

For example, estab-lishing regular com-munication withpotential customersthrough Facebookand Twitter, alongwith maintaining aglowing online repu-tation, will have a positiveimpact on the bottom line.

Eber admits pinning thisdown can be tough. “I’ve found ROIdifficult to measure other than peoplesaying they found us online,” shesays. “We’re only going to get backwhat we put in.”

Last year was “complicated,” shesays, noting that she’s a bit behind inher social media efforts.

“I’ve tried a few deals in the pastin order to track where people were

finding us, but my experience hasbeen the number of deals turned inis miniscule compared to the effortto make and maintain them,” Ebersays. “What’s working for us are thepositive online reviews we’ve re-ceived, and verified reviews – peopletell us they see those and it was the differentiator.”

Eber predicts that, at some point,as online reviews compile and nearlyeveryone has many of them, theirsignificance may decrease slightly.“But directories such as Google willcontinue to find ways to mix upthe game, like they did last year, inan attempt to set themselves apart.We owners will have to figure that

out, too.”It can help upstream, too. “When



“Once I thought about

shifting the focus from ‘what

we do’ to ‘who we are,’ it was

easier to accept that social

media would not be a waste

of time.” — Brenda Kyle, Douglas

Auto Body & Paint

we call on agents or market our shopto insurance companies, we alwaysmention our Facebook page,” Kylesays. “We have gotten referrals fromagents directly from our Facebookpage. It’s a great way for companiesthat are out of state to geta ‘sneak peek’ as to whowe are. It’s definitelymore relaxed than ourwebsite, and has theadded bonus ofinteraction.”

ROI » VanAken says the power of so-cial media is experienced when youcan trust your customers to do yourtalking for you and you give them avast network of potential customerswith whom to speak.

“You’re putting the microphone inyour customers’ hands,” she says.

Claypool, who helped the VanAkensset up their original program, haslong maintained that many shop own-ers are so busy working “in” theirbusiness that they don’t have time to

work “on” it.

“When presented with new things,they dismiss them because they haveenough to worry about already intheir business (and one of those keythings is that they could truly usemore cars to fix, something that effec-tive marketing campaigns like socialmedia can do for them),” Claypoolsays. “The fact is, however, that I’mseeing more and more shops at least attempting to get on Face-book. Whether they’re doing it correctlyor not, they’re making the attempt.”

One concern shops have is the



“I’m seeing more and more shops at least

attempting to get on Facebook. Whether

they’re doing it correctly or not, they’re

making the attempt.” — Mark Claypool, SEO expert

time investment. “It is time consum-ing. It does take resources, eitheryour own if you manage it yourselfas I do, or money if you hire it out,”Eber says.

But Kyle says benefits are track-able since they can see how manypeople they reach, including demo-graphics.

“We get weekly reports giving usfeedback on our posts, pins andtweets,” she says. “I find the infovery helpful for finding more contentto post. For example, the bulk ofthe people who ‘Like’ us on Face-book are women, but on Pinterestour followers are men. Once we at-tach ‘coupon codes’ for social mediaspecials, we’ll be able to see howmuch traffic it will drive throughour door.”

Gen Y’s Job » Many shops put theiryounger office staff in charge ofsocial media.

“As long as parameters are estab-lished as to what can and cannot beposted to represent the business, thatcan work well,” Claypool says. But,he adds, owners still need to pay at-tention. “My company, Optima Au-tomotive, provides these services asthe shop’s outsourced partner, too.That’s another option.”

Dunkle points out there are indi-viduals who live and breathe socialmedia. “Many of them are efficientand effective. There are also vendorsthat provide turn-key solutions thatdon’t require the staffing and associatedexpenses. These options allow you tofocus on the core of your business,”he says.

If you do hire someone outside ofyour shop to do the job, be sure youget someone familiar with the industry. Eber says she handles social media herself to ensure it gets done well.

“Initially, it would be easy tospend all day for several days to acouple of weeks getting things inorder, depending on how accurateyour information is portrayed al-ready,” Eber says.

Someone has to develop a systemto manage it, too. “The few thingsthat I have hired out, I’ve been verydisappointed in the outcomes,” Eberstates. “Providers have not fullygrasped that ‘auto body’ is not ‘auto repair’ and the work has beensloppy.”

Brand Recognition » The key ben-efit from social media use is brandrecognition.

“Online reputation is a segment

of social media that’s imperative tomanage,” Dunkle says. Many shopshave large advertising budgets andmay use social media. “But if a pooronline reputation exists, potentialcustomers are lost,” he warns. “Themarketing may have worked per-fectly, but customers are lost due toa poor online reputation in the finalstages. There’s no metric to provehow much business is lost at thisstage. A positive online reputationeliminates this leak.”

“Social media is a great resourceand hugely underutilized,” VanAkensays.

The average person on Facebookhas more than 200 friends, Claypoolsays.

“If they participate in what theshop is posting, their friends oftensee this participation, giving theshop brand exposure, or impres-sions, that they wouldn’t have gottenotherwise,” Claypool says. “Loyaltywith existing customers can be ex-pected as well, when they’re activelyfollowing the shop’s Facebookpage.” BSB

Curt Harler is a Cleveland-based freelancerspecializing in the auto, technology andenvironmental areas. He can be reachedat [email protected].




Repairing dents without breaking the factoryfinish is always beneficial. Not only is itbetter for the vehicle, but it saves time andmoney. Steck Manufacturing’s Tab-It, a

PDR accessory upgrade for the Stud Lever, allowsyou to quickly pull glue tabs or pull pins (used intraditional body repair processes) while controllingthe dent pulling process as well as the accuracy ofthe pull. By using the dent repair capabilities ofboth the Stud Lever andTab-It, the technician hascontrol over both typesof repair.

Tab-It’s glue tab collarsimply slides over the

Stud Lever, and the U-shaped capture mechanismslides under the top of the glue tab and grabs it bythe stem. The U shape accommodates both roundand oblong glue tab stems. Tab-It also includes apadded extension block to protect the vehicle’spainted surface, and allows the technician to easilyadjust to the glue tab’s height. The product’s uniquedesign allows PDR specialists and body shop tech-nicians to take advantage of the Stud Lever’s pivot

base, which allows one-handed operation and provides increased lever-age, accuracy and reachfor the pull and crowncompression processes.

ProductSpotlight

Paintless Dent Removal (PDR)Is Making Its Way Into Traditional Body Shops

For more information on the Tab-It, Stud Lever or Steck’s other innovative tools,

visit Steck’s webpage at www.steckmfg.com and see your Steck dealer today.

TECHNICAL

Change is the one constant in life we can counton. It’s happening right now in vehicle man-ufacturing with the additions of new elec-tronics for comfort and safety and changes

in designs to add strength but reduce weight. Thisevolution is the reason shops need to be educated on

the repair of these vehicles. Identifyingthese changes and adapting to new re-pair procedures will help shops maintainvehicles’ structural integrity and servicelife longevity — not to mention keepthe shop’s quality and integrity intact.

These vehicle changes have been driv-en by numerous factors. One is the newCorporate Average Fuel Economy

(CAFÉ), which will require vehicles to hit 54.5 milesper gallon by 2025. To meet this standard, automakersare increasing their use of combinations of lighter con-struction materials. This “hybrid construction” willcreate a challenge for shops.

In the automotive world, most people think of


Do You Know

You’re Working On?Today’s vehicles are made up of a combination ofdifferent materials for weight reduction and improvedsafety. It’s critical for technicians to be able to identifythese materials and repair them properly to avoidliability and wrecking a shop’s reputation. By Mitch Becker

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) whenthey hear “hybrid.” HEVs combineinternal combustion engines and electric

drive systems. Simply defined, hybridis the combination of two or more dif-ferent things.“Hybrid construction” isthe use of two or more materials to

manufacture vehicles. The evolutionof today’s automobile has requiredshops to rethink, retool and retrain onhow vehicles are repaired. To learnabout materials currently being usedand what is coming, take I-CAR classesNew11 and New13. I also recommendtaking SPS07 and the new AIL01.

Aluminum and Steel » One trend isthat a lot of automakers are using alu-minum to reduce vehicle weight. Theincreased use of aluminum is drivingthe need for more production and ex-pansion of existing suppliers. The com-bination of steels and aluminum invehicle construction will only increasein years to come. The trend of manu-facturing more high-production, alu-minum-intensive vehicles forconsumers is also evident with the in-troduction of the Mercedes Benz SL.

The 2013 Honda Accord Front Sub-frame is an example of a vehicle that

TECHNICAL » Advanced Materials


Weld bonding the uniside of a vehicle.

combines steel and aluminum. Thisnot only reduces weight but increasesthe rigidity of the suspension mountingpoints. The two metals are joined by afactory process called friction stir weld-ing (I-CAR NEW13). It’s a factory-

only procedure of joining galvanizedsteel and aluminum. The use of gal-vanized steel prevents corrosion be-tween two dissimilar metals.

But hybrid construction can also beused in a combination of steels that

are different in strengths and mechan-ical properties. Stronger steels in the700 MPa to 1,500 MPa range may re-quire different welding procedures.The 2013 Honda Accord does not allowGMA (MIG) plug welds to be done



Roof panels on Fords are now adhesively bonded or rivet bonded using urethane similar to the kind used for windshields.

on the 1,500 MPa steel (I-CAR NEW13). Instead, MIG brazing is required.

Why Change? » Hybrid constructionis changing many procedures in colli-sion shops. “I’ve been doing it thisway for 20 years. Why should Ichange?” becomes a dangerous state-ment to a shop that values its reputationof quality and skill. It can also be dan-gerous from a liability standpoint.

Rivet bonding, weld bonding andMIG brazing are procedures shopsneed to learn and use every day.Squeeze Type Resistance Welding (STRSW) is also recommended formany repairs. If a shop doesn’t havethe equipment to do STRSW, alternaterepair procedures may be required.

Adhesives » The majority of proce-dures to date have involved adhesives.Their ability to bond to many differentsubstrates at the same time has given

them a multi-purpose role. They notonly bond the materials, giving themgood strength characteristics, but alsoadd rigidity and stiffness. These prop-erties allow the vehicle to not only bestronger but quieter.

Adhesives also have good corrosionprotection properties, an area oftenoverlooked during repairs. They bondmaterials but also separate the mate-rials, preventing galvanic corrosion.

Fasteners » Mechanical fasteners arealso being used in the factory, in somecases in place of welds to bond panelswith adhesive. Using rivets to join alu-minum to steel has been and still isbeing used extensively. The CadillacATS uses rivets and adhesives to bondthe aluminum front wheelhouse tothe upper and lower rails. A new pro-cedure using flow drill screws is beingused to join aluminum panels to boronalloyed steel and inner aluminum

structures, such as on the 2011 AudiA8 and 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera.

On aluminum panels or aluminumintensive vehicles, flange preparationis critical to the performance of thismaterial. To prevent weak links in therepair, prep all flanges according todirections. This may involve flametreating the flange, then applyingprimer before bonding the aluminumparts – a procedure recommended byBMW and Jaguar. More training canbe found in I-CAR AIL01.

Carbon Fiber » Carbon fiber is alightweight, extremely strong con-struction material. Since it’s so expen-sive, its use thus far has been limitedto high-end luxury models. Future ve-hicles may have more carbon fiber inthem as mass production proceduresevolve and costs go down.

Carbon fiber panels could be at-tached using bolts, rivets or adhesives



with rivets. Lexus is producing a vehiclewith a carbon fiber exterior similar tothe Corvette, where most of the exteriorpanels are made of this composite.

Carbon fiber can be repaired under certain criteria. I-CAR PLA03covers many types of repairs onthese materials.

Magnesium » Magnesium door shellswith aluminum skins are being usedon the Jaguar XJ and on the Ford MKZliftgate. These durable and lightweightdoors help reduce stress and fatigueassociated with opening and closing.Magnesium is also used on the coresupport of the 2011 Jaguar XJ.

Panel Removal » Repairers thesedays even have to stop and pause be-fore removing panels due to the factthat heat can damage the steel or cor-rosion protection on damaged or ad-jacent panels. New spot welding

removing tools that don’t also removethe thin surrounding metal reduce theneed to use drill bits, which can bedestroyed during panel removal.

When using drill bits, techniciansshould be careful not to leave materialor let material come in contact withother materials. Using a vacuum in-stead of a blow gun will prevent metalcontamination to other vehicles. Thisalso helps to reduce technicians’ ex-posure to metals in the shop air.

Ford roof panels or the new alu-minum roof panels being used on steelstructure vehicles are now adhesivelybonded or rivet bonded using urethanesimilar to the kind used for windshields.Shops must follow recommendationswhen adhesive bonding the aluminumpanel to the steel structure since theuse of incorrect urethane could causepart failure. A non-conductive urethaneis recommended to prevent corrosionbetween the aluminum and adhesive.

Although I-CAR GLA02 is a glass re-placement course, it teaches all thetechnical procedures for using adhe-sives in performing a quality repair.

The Big Picture » With all this hybridconstruction going on today, it’s criticalto identify materials you’re workingon. Training on aluminum repair, MIGbrazing and other repair proceduresis necessary. Without this information,a technician could cause serious dam-age or do an improper repair, damag-ing a shop’s credibility along withincreasing its exposure to liability. Un-derstanding procedures and whythey’re used will help techniciansmake good decisions for shops andvehicle owners. BSB

Mitch Becker is a technical instructor forABRA Auto Body & Glass. Contact him at (763) 585-6411 or mbecker@ abraauto.com.



Eddie Lupinek is always thinking one step ahead, striving forconstant improvement in his shop’s operations. His forward-thinking mindset comes from years in the business – or rather, hisentire life.

“I waited for the kindergarten bus at the shop,” he recalls. “I grew up there.”Back then, Eddie’s Auto Body was owned by his father, also named

Eddie, who started the business after leaving the army in 1956. Originallylocated inside a Chevy dealership, the shop quickly began to see anincrease in business. Eventually, Eddie’s outgrew the dealership andmoved to its current location in an industrial park in 1986.

“It’s a very rural, small town in Connecticut,” he said of East Haddam.

SHOP PROFILE

With ingenuity andinnovation, Eddie’s Auto

Body has transformed itselfinto a lean, mean and

efficient machine.

By Gina Kuzmick


Great Inventions

Eddie’s Auto Body

Location: East Haddam, Conn.

Established: 1956

Gross Sales: $1 million

Square Footage: 3,300

Owners: Eddie and Carol Lupinek

No. of Employees: 1 painter, 3 technicians,

2 detailers

Repair Volume/No. of Cars Per Month: 60-70

Average Repair Cost: $1,200 to $3,000

DRPs: None

SHOP PROFILE

Eddie’s custom bumper rack lifts bumpersto the ceiling, adding extra floor space.

A portable, ultra bright light allows techs tosee more clearly what they’re working on.

With a drive-through setup in the booth,cars can exit the shop right from the booth.

“We overlook a skating pond. Itwould actually be a beautiful placefor a house.”

Perhaps the scenic environmenthelps stimulate creativity as well – Ed-die’s custom creations would cer-tainly serve as a testament to that.

Outside the Box » As an innovator,Eddie looks to factors he can controlin order to improve his shop’s effi-

ciency, including equipment. He hadwanted to redesign his cross-flowbooth for years, but just couldn’tfigure out how to accelerate the cur-ing process. He and his wife, Carol,discovered the missing link at a tradeshow last year: a medium-wave in-frared drying system from SunSpot.

“They gave us the ability to gooutside the box with spraybooth de-sign,” he said.

Installing the drying system intothe booth allowed Eddie to create adrive-through setup, which lets carsleave the shop right from the booth.The new renovation, which merelyheats the paint film without air move-ment, fully cures water-based color todry in six minutes and clearcoat in 10.

“It gives us a real edge in that itsaves us a lot of time in moving carsthrough the shop and decreases bay

SHOP PROFILE » Great Inventions



ProductSpotlight

tie-up time,” said Eddie. Eddie’s spraybooth doesn’t have an

air make-up unit. Instead, it uses a“clean room,” which takes air fromthe shop’s ceiling and filters it threetimes before entering the booth. Thisprocess generates a consistent flow ofwarm air, not only making the workenvironment efficient but safe as well.

“The body men are getting freshair and using it first,” he explained.

The booth redesign also presentsa cost savings to the business. Whilemost shops spend about $25 to $35per bake cycle, Eddie’s is spendingonly 30 cents.

“It’s very energy efficient and verysafe for the employees as well,” hesaid. “For all our curing, we’re usingthe equivalent [amount of propane]of a gas grill per month.”

Custom Gadgets » The redesignedbooth isn’t the only innovation of

Eddie’s. He also takes pride in hiscustom bumper rack that he at-tached to a garage door opener.With a remote control or wall-mounted unit, the bumpers are safe-ly lifted out of harm’s way up tothe ceiling, theoretically adding anextra bay of space.

“Whatever can get mounted onthe wall, does,” said Carol. “We’realways looking for ways to makethe shop cleaner and run more efficiently.”

Eddie also recognizes how impor-tant it is for his employees to have aclear view of what they’re workingon. To fulfill this need, he affixed awaterproof spraybooth light to abase with wheels to create a portable,ultra-bright lamp. It even includesa handle so users can pick it up andcarry it around.

“It takes ups very little space,about the size of a person standing,

and it has an extension cord builtright into it,” said Eddie. “We’vebeen on a very extreme course onfinding ways to continually makethe shop run better.”

That goal goes for the shop’s op-erations, too. Every Sunday, carsthat are due for repair are droppedoff at the shop by 5 p.m. Eddie thendraws up each car’s location on asketch pad and arranges them inthe shop accordingly.

“We’re maximizing work area andputting two undamaged sides to-gether so there’s no activity between[two cars],” Eddie explained.

The next morning, the techs comein to find each car’s parts laid outand ready to go. “It saves hoursevery week by bringing the cars inon Sunday night,” he said.

Maximizing Space » Eddie andCarol are planning an addition totheir shop, which will include anextra customer waiting area and adrive-in estimating bay with a liftand wash bay.

“Oftentimes in the winter, youhave to rinse off a vehicle beforeyou can assess damages because



Behind the Bays

Estimating System: CCC One

Management System: QuickBooks

Spraybooth: Modified Viking downdraft

Lift: Rotary

Measuring System: Autorobot

Welding Equipment: Miller

Paint Mixing System: DuPont

Paint: DuPont

Future Equipment Purchase: Rotary

screw compressor, solar panels,

in-ground lift

ProductSpotlight

Martech Services Company has been

manufacturing

Quality Air Breathing

Systems

Since 1991

As the use of waterborne paints becomes more popular and in some areas, required,the need for clean and dry compressed sprayable air is a critical component. Theneed for the proper filtration to remove moisture, oil vapors, gaseous hydrocarbons,dirt, rust, scale, and other potentially dangerous contaminants is the minimum at

best. Then if the dew point and relative humidity can be drastically lowered, you can createa quality of spray air necessary to properly apply today’s waterborne paint products.

The convenience of having a solution to comply with OSHA regulations for proper airsupplied respiratory protection, and delivering Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air from a singlesystem, is cost effective and efficient. The Model 50-WB can process up to 50 SCFM ofBreathable Air or 35 SCFM of Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air, or any combination within thoseparameters.

The Model 50-WB is designed to work with your existing compressed air source toproperly filter and monitor the compressed air for Grade “D” Breathable Air, plus this systemalso provides Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air for use in spraying waterborne or solvent-basedpaints.

This system can handle up to two painters at the same time. The Model 50-WB is a 50SCFM system, and is also available in an 80 SCFM system.

For more information, contact your local jobber/dealer or

800-831-1525www.breathingsystems.com

Waterborne-BreathableAir Combo System

MARTECH SERVICESC O M P A N Y

We’re serious about the air you breathe.

Model 50-WB



there’s so much snow and gunkon it. It just makes sense,” saidCarol.

The addition will also include aparts room. Instead of having partsdelivered through the shop and intoa tech’s workspace, they’ll be deliv-ered to a reserved space that doesn’tinterrupt their work. The couple alsohopes to incorporate solar panelsinto the shop design.

“We’re moving forward in hopesof going as green as possible,” said Carol.

Customer Advocacy » If you visitthe website for Eddie’s Auto Bodyat www.eddiesautobodyct.com, one ofthe main things you’ll notice is thegreat amount of information relatedto consumer rights and car repair.As the former president of the AutoBody Association of Connecticut(ABAC) and a current member of

its Board of Directors, Eddie feelsthat it’s his duty to protect his cus-tomers’ rights by being honest andfair with them.

“We educate them on their choiceof the parts to be put in their cars,”said Carol. The couple has aftermar-ket parts in the shop to show to cus-

tomers, but chooses to exclusivelyuse OE parts.

“I find it to be really helpful totell the truth and tell the customershow things really are,” said Eddie.

Eddie’s Auto Body used to havesix DRPs, but eventually eliminatedthem because of their restrictions.Not having any hasn’t affected busi-ness, though.

“We’ve found that [by] being verytransparent and truthful, the cus-tomers appreciate that,” said Eddie.“We’re busy, even when direct repairshops are slow, because of our verystrong customer base.”

It seems that the sky is the limitwith Eddie and Carol’s business. Byputting customers first and educatingthem about collision repair as muchas possible, as well as by maximizingefficiency through creative inven-tions, Eddie’s Auto Body hopes tothrive for years to come. BSB


66 March 2013 | BodyShop BusinessCircle 66 for Reader Service Circle 89 for Reader Service

Eddie and Carol Lupinek.

So I don’t sound like a broken record, I’ll keep mycomments on the state of the industry to a minimum.However, it’s necessary to consider what’s currentlygoing on in the industry to understand that the jobber

and the shop owner are in the same boat. Shops no longer control their labor and material rates if they

choose to do work for insurance companies. Parts prices havebeen pre-determined for years and are being cut into moredeeply every day. Many insurers don’t allow mark-up on

sublet, so the only thing left to makegood gross profit on is paint andmaterials. But, with material ratesbeing scrutinized more every dayand some insurers imposing materialthresholds, even that profit center isbeing squeezed.

Seek a Better Price » There arethree ways, however, to increaseyour paint and material profit – andyour jobber is key no matter whichone you choose.

The most common way is to seeka better price. It has become standardpractice for some shop owners toseek a new paint company everythree to five years in order to takeadvantage of the money that’s avail-able for switching brands. With thiscomes a new contract and purchaserequirement that’s nothing morethan a prepaid discount, which trans-lates to a better price. The downside

JOBBER RELATIONS

Using Your Jobber

for a Win-WinYour jobber can be a huge asset in helping you reducepaint and material costs.

By Tony Nethery


for the jobber is the fact that theymost likely participate in the contractmoney, so their profit is greatly re-

duced until near the end of the agree-ment. About the time they begin tomake a little return on their invest-

ment, they lose the business. Thedownside for the shop owner is theconstant disruption in their businesscaused by changing product, retrain-ing technicians and rewriting stan-dard operating procedures (SOPs).

Since the rate is fixed, how doyou gain margin between salesprice and cost if you can’t reducecost? The truth is you can’t – andthat’s why the best method for re-ducing cost is to allow your jobberto sell you less. You might ask your-self, “Why would my jobber wantto sell me less?” Well, ask yourselfthis: Would you be just as successfulif you could repair 20 percent fewercars but made 30 percent moreprofit on each vehicle? The obviousanswer is yes, and this is possibleif you become selective about thecars you repair.

It’s the same for a jobber. Thereare some product lines that a jobbermakes a better gross profit on thanothers. While you may be an experton repairing vehicles because you’verepaired hundreds of them and havebeen formally trained, your jobberhas sold product to and receivedfeedback from hundreds of shopsand has most likely been trained onthe products they sell. Tell your job-ber what you need the product to

BUSINESS » Using Your Jobber



do, then let them select the productbased on the best price and whatthey make the best profit on.

I can’t tell you how many timesI’ve seen technicians, when the se-lection of the product wasleft up to them, selecta name brand whenthe exact sameproduct pack-aged under ageneric namecould havebeen purchasedat a much betterprice. The onlydifference wasthe cost and whowarrantied theproduct (the manufac-turer or the jobber). Some-times using a less expensive productmay not be as cost effective becauseit doesn’t cover as well or go as far. A good jobber will take this into consideration.

Use Less Product » The secondthing you can do to increase yourpaint and material profit is use lessproduct. While it’s true that the jobrequires what it requires, the key isto eliminate the waste. There aremultiple things the jobber can do toaccomplish this goal.

Most paint formulation softwaretoday has the capability of tracking

what’s weighed across the scales.More than once, I’ve had a shop own-

er tell me that they didn’twant their technicians

to be bothered withany additional

tasks such as en-tering customerinformation be-cause of theloss time. Butlook at whathappens in an

emergency roomat a hospital. The

ER personnel aredealing with life-and-

death situations and stillmanage to get the information theyneed to perform their jobs properly. Each time I’ve seen shopowners enforce material tracking,usage improved.

Another thing that a jobber cando is report usage based on yoursales. Looking at what other cus-tomers purchase, they may be ableto give you benchmarks as to whatyour range should be. The jobberI work for can give you a purchas-ing report that flags usage of prod-ucts and whether it has trendedup or down in relation to otherproducts purchased.




While it’s

true that the job

requires what it

requires, the key isto eliminate the

waste.

Another way to use less productis to use the right one for the job.For example, most anything that canbe masked with 2-inch masking tapecan be masked with 1 1/2-inch tape,and the 1 1/2-inch tape is 30 to 40percent less expensive than the 2-inch tape. The same holds true with18-inch masking paper and 12-inchpaper. While many shop owners of-ten complain about the price of theseproducts, jobbers will tell you thatsomeone continues to order themevery day. At one point, we had apallet of 12-inch masking paper inour warehouse, and when I did asales search, I discovered that weonly had one customer buying it.

Masking products are only oneexample; there are many others likemixing cups, cans and clearcoats. Ifyou use disposable cups for mixing,spraying and storage, you can elim-inate cans, mixing cups and a lot ofclean-up thinner. Many shops areusing disposable cups, but are stillbuying the other products as well.This is where your jobber might beable to provide some training. Whileless expensive clears might not besuitable on some vehicles, you mightstill consider using them on jambsand high-mileage vehicles.

Increase Sales » The final thingyou can try to increase the marginbetween cost and sales is to increasesales. You might say that estimatingsoftware and allowed material ratesdictate sales, but if there was everan opportunity to add sales throughpaint and materials, it’s today.

As technology has changed in newvehicles, we’ve failed to keep up onthe material side of the equation.For example, think of the variousmaterials used in replacing the av-erage outer door panel. You mayneed panel bond adhesive; seamsealer; intrusion beam absorber ad-hesive; sound dampening material;peel rivets for the window regulator;chip coating; flex additive for trim;trim adhesive; weather strip adhe-


74 March 2013 | BodyShop BusinessCircle 74 for Reader Service Circle 92 for Reader Service

Circle 122 for Reader Service »

sive; and door trim clips. Every one of these productshas a part number and may need to be added as a lineitem on the final bill. In many cases, the insurer willpay for these items if you have a method of trackingand invoicing them. This is where the jobber comesinto the picture.

Most jobbers have access to some method of trackingthese types of products. Every jobber will have currentpricing on these products, and should be able to helpyou document and invoice them. There are many waysto do this.

You may have an internal method of tracking andinvoicing these consumables, and only need the jobberto keep pricing updated and provide a purchasingreport to identify what products you or your techniciansare ordering. Another method might be to establishwhat items you purchase that you may choose to re-sell as a consumable item or as a part. When an orderis placed for one of these items, it may be treated alittle differently. You may want to provide the jobberwith a purchase order that includes a repair ordernumber. When the order is filled, you can require thatthe jobber put the repair order number on the invoice.You might also include the service representative’s or


www.bodyshopbusiness.com 75Circle 75 for Reader Service Circle 93 for Reader Service

Let your jobber select the best product for you – after all, they’vereceived feedback on the products they carry from hundreds ofbody shops.

« Circle 123 for Reader Service

estimator’s name and ask that a copy of the invoice begiven to them so it can be filed and added to the bill.

Because jobbers work with multiple shops that areall struggling with the same issues, they often workwith consultants who may offer assistance and training

on increasing sales. They may also work closely withmaterials management software, or some type of coop-erative that offers rebates on purchases.

Find the Right Jobber » Whether you decide to tryto increase paint and material margins by cutting cost,cutting usage or selling more product, your jobber canbe a huge asset to you. Mostwill gladly go out oftheir way for a loyalcustomer.

As a formertechnician,shop manag-er and own-er who hasworked fora jobber forthe last sev-en years, Istrongly rec-ommend sit-ting down withyour jobber andasking for their helpwith material management.Here’s the bottom line: If you want to be aboveaverage on paint and materials profitability, you needto find and partner with an above-average jobber. Ifyou find the right jobber, they’ll deliver more than acan of paint. BSB

Tony Nethery is the business development manager at COLORMATCH. He’s an I-CAR instructor and has workedin the collision industry for more than 30 years. He can bereached at (731) 267-5627 or [email protected].



Considering a jobber’s vast array of products, sometimes choosingthe less expensive one is not cost effective.

Most anything that can be masked with 2-inch tape can be maskedwith 1 1/2-inch tape, which is 30 to 40 percent cheaper.

If you want to be above average onpaint and materialsprofitability, you need

to find and partnerwith an above-average jobber.

consolidators, they’re focused inthe south and even more focusedin urban regions, but the more tra-ditional model is prevalentthroughout the majority of thecountry. So we will be cognizant ofthese trends.

Our first goal is to protect andsupport our existing customersand help them grow, and then takeadvantage of our products and of-

ferings to selectively grow as themarket is growing. Mike [Cricken-berger] talked about where there isgrowth in the industry on a globalbasis, but whether it’s Chicago orShanghai, we seek growth oppor-tunities in North America as well.We think we have an opportunityand the right people, products andservices to grow here, and that’swhat we’re challenged to do.

»| Industry Update |«


because legislation is mandating it.And many are looking at this as away of driving productivity.

Bennett: Solventborne applica-tions might take four to five passesto achieve effective color develop-ment or hiding; our waterborne re-quires one to one-and-a-halfpasses, so there is a significant timeadvantage in moving cars in andout of the booth.

BSB: What predictions do you havefor the collision market over the next10 to 15 years?

Bennett: I think the industry isgoing through several dynamicchanges. Consolidation is one ofthose changes, and will continue tooccur if not accelerate. But therewill always be the traditional mod-els in place. If you look at the dis-tribution of some of the big


Axalta continued from pg. 11


GEICO Joins State Farm in Seeking Gag OrderAgainst Gunder’s Auto Center

GEICO has joined State Farm in seeking a gag order against Ray Gunder of Gun-

der’s Auto Center in Lakeland, Fla. Gunder is suing the insurers on behalf of his

customers for intentional short pays and a variety of other alleged misdoings.

According to Gunder, GEICO recently brought in additional legal counsel from Ari-

zona as co-counsel, who immediately sent notice to his attorney, Brent Geohagan,

that they would be seeking a delay/continuance for several scheduled depositions

and request the court to issue a gag order to stop Gunder from sharing his legal

journey with the collision repair industry.

Last month, State Farm filed a similar motion with the local court to stop Gunder

from sharing information relative to the numerous lawsuits he has filed on behalf

of his customers, including deposition transcripts and results of hearings and

discovery.

“Because no ‘trade secrets’ (i.e. policy premiums, methodology to set or

determine pricing, demographics, etc.) will be part or parcel of the discovery in these

cases, and because the terms of the insurers’ policy/contracts are readily available

to all, as are their marketing efforts, I can see no viable or ‘legitimate trade secret’

concerns that would warrant the courts to issue such an order to silence Ray,” said

Barrett Smith of Auto Damage Experts (ADE). “Based upon what has been learned

through discovery thus far, I can fully understand why these two insurers would not

want the information relative to their conduct exposed. As such, Ray’s actions and

successes have been extremely beneficial to other repairers and consumers and to

the collision repair industry at large and may encourage some insurers to change

their business practices.”

EightWorkingHeightsThe AmericanFreedom is a ver-satile collision re-pair framemachine thatgives you eight working heights from 12 to 42 feet, a9,900 pound lift capacity and 10 tons of pulling. Thismachine is available in 20, 22 and 24 feet with two ormore towers as well as an optional computerizedmeasuring system. With its well-engineered technol-ogy, the American Freedom is designed with manyfeatures that will give the shop owner a much quicker return on their investment.CJJ, Inc.www.autobodyshop.com


ProductShowcaseVOC-Compliant Primer Surfacer MRS-80 DTAM is a high-build,primer surfacer that’s isocyante-free and VOC compliant. It has corrosion-resistant properties,eliminating the need for pre-treat-ment primer over bare metal, aluminum, galvanized steel and othermetal substrates. MRS-80 levels to a smooth surface and sands easilywithout loading sandpaper. Medallion Refinish Systemswww.medallionrefinish.com


Vertical Sand with EaseThe Dynabug II is an air-powered orbital finishingsander that features a lightweight design and is idealfor vertical sanding applications. The small, compacttool utilizes a 10,000-RPM motor and features a 3/32-inch diameter orbit, making the sander suitable forblending andfinishing. It’savailable as anon-vacuum tool, aself-generated vacuumtool and as a centralvacuum tool. Dynabradewww.dynabrade.com


Lots of Power, Little NoiseBendPak’s TRI-MAX air compressor is an ASME-

certified powerhouse that features a TRI-MAX extreme-duty three-cylinder pump, designed and

manufactured to operate with maximum efficiency un-der all load conditions. The 100 percent cast iron pumphas a “W-3” configuration that provides 360-degree cool-ing efficiency, and splash lubrication ensures total reliabil-ity. A low RPM pump combined with a 7.5-hp motorpacks a lot of power but makes little noise.BendPakwww.bendpak.com



Grow Shop RevenueLancer Insurance Company’s autorental program allows shop ownersto minimize their customers’ incon-venience while adding a new profitsource. It offers the necessary insur-ance coverage for starting your ownrent-a-car operation. Lancer Insurance Companywww.lancerinsurance.com/autorepair.htm


Air Cleaner for Small ShopsU.S. Body Products/Airomax has a new, smaller air cleaner suitablefor shops up to 700 square feet insize. After using the Model 700, the shop air will be 75 to 90 percentcleaner, the company claims. U.S. Body Products/Airomaxwww.usbodyproducts.com


»| Product Showcase |«

Improve Frame RackVersatilityChief’s tower extension, designedfor its EZ Liner Express system,adds another 18 inches of clear-ance between the frame rack’stower and the vehicle being re-paired. It removes obstructionsand makes working on all vehicleseasier for technicians. The towerextension attaches to the deck in 10different locations, creating a true360-degree repair system. Whennot in use, the extension can be removed from the tower assemblyfor better storage.Chief Automotivewww.chiefautomotive.com


Quick and Easy Color IDThe AccuShade Color Variant Selector makesit easy for refinishers to quickly and accu-rately identify the exact color formulas theyneed. It’s organized by manufacturer alphanumerically, covering both domesticand import vehicles. This system features 2007-2011 vehicle modelyears with room for future updates.Matrix Systemwww.matrixsystem.com


Weld With StyleThe CE-certified VIKING Seriesof auto-darkening helmets fea-tures three sizes, variable shadecontrol, arc sensors and solar

power with battery assist. They include a switchblade grind mode, extrainside/outside cover lenses, a Lincoln Electric bandana and a helmet bag. Lincoln Electricwww.lincolnelectric.com


Fast and Easy Contaminant RemovalMedallion’s Paint Prep Cloth (MRS-673) is designed to remove surface contaminants faster and easier than claybars. It safely removes paint overspray, rail dust, waterspots and other surface contaminants from automotivepaint, glass, moldings and plastic. MRS-673 can be used upto 50 times and works best with MRS-675 Clean & Shine.Removing surface contamination prior to polishing or wax-ing will extend the life of the paint job and give it a show-room finish. Medallion Refinish Systemswww.medallionrefinish.com


Assess Operations and RepairsVeriFacts’ VQ program providescollision repair facility operatorswith comprehen-sive third-partyverification of afacility’s technicalcapabilities in-cluding equip-ment, techniciantraining and skill levels along withoverall commitment to safe, qualityrepairs. It allows body shops to assess their operations and actual repairs to provide independentverification to customers and insurers.VeriFacts Automotivewww.verifactsauto.com


Zero-VOC Plastic CleanerUrethane Supply Company’s new EcoClean is a zero-VOCplastic cleaner for use before plastic repair and refinishingjobs to ensure the best performance from fillers, paints andadhesion promoters. It’s designed to perform as well as solvent-based plastic cleaners when preparing plastic for repair and refinishing work. It removes mold release agentsand silicones, and is safe for use on all plastics.Urethane Supply Companywww.urethanesupply.com



MIG / TIG / PLASMA / SPOT* Fixed & Flex-Neck Torches * Tips / Nozzles / Caps / Diffusers

* Wire / Rods / Tungsten * Helmets / Gloves / Safety Gear

The Body Shop SpecialistsToll-Free 1-866-568-3170

WELDINGDIRECT.COM

1-800-472-4551Wholesale Body Shop REFINISHING SUPPLIES:Sherwin Williams, Sunfire, Spies, House of Color, Dimen-sion, AWLGRIP, 3M, Marson, Fiberglass-evercoat, USC,SEM, Mequires, Pin Stripe, Binks, DeVilbiss, SATA, Tools& Equipment!

Great Service & Lowest Prices.Paints Plus, Stover, MO.

www.paintsplus.com

FILTERS For Any Equipment! NEED A PREP STATION...?

We ORIGINATED Prep Stationproduction in the U.S.A. and lead in Quality,

Performance and Price!In-Ground and

Above-Ground Models

SPRAYBOOTHS & PREP STATIONSALL MAKES AND MODELS INCLUDING THE DUSTER 3000

Call Us ToSAVE

MONEY!

OVER 25 YEARS OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS!

Call: 1-800-449-2525 for quotes

www.cleanshopmfg.com

Are you not convinced thatcookie cutter "lean" processesare the fix for your shop? Triedto implement these processes toyour shop only to have pushback resulting in the same old way?

No cookie cutter processworks for everyone. I help putthe pieces you should adopt to-gether. With the one most importantelement... Buy in. Also vast experi-ence with social networking and online reputation management.

Reasonable rates. Measura-ble results.

Process Consulting

Call Kevin Schwarzhoff at

[email protected]

collisionconsult.com

Body Shop Inventory & Web Softwareby Rossknecht Software www.rossknecht.com

A Windows® inventory system for BodyShops that also salvage vehicles or havenew/used parts to sell – vehicle and parts

inventory, invoicing, reports, instant sales totals,bar-code labels, digital pictures, electronic cata-log of body parts. NEW: Put your inventory on yourWebsite included.No monthly fees. $895 complete. Free Demo [email protected] phone 303-884-5315

Order your Wheels at:www.newwheel.com

or 800-486-0931

• Original Equipment Wheels In Stock• Limited Lifetime Guarantee• 1000s of Wheels In Stock• Affordable Prices

We ship from eight different locations:Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Los Angeles,Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami

Alloy Wheel Remanufacturing

1.800.529.2640W W W . K AY C O S P R AY B O O T H S . C O M

QualitySolutions forthe Collision

Industry

MarkiNgpeNdepot.coMCollision Shops, Towing, Auction Sites, Dealers,

Recyclers, OEMsTow Pro $2.50Autowriter $3.50Posca $3.50Bopagla $2.00Unipaint $3.86MPD-15 $1.30Volume Discounts!

Call 888-906-9370or online at

markingpendepot.com

USED BIG TRUCK PARTS

FRONT IERTRUCKPARTS .COM

Dismantling Medium & Heavy Trucks.Large stock of Cabs, Hoods, Doors, Fuel Tanks, Front& Rear Axles, Engines, Engine Parts, Radiators and

Air Chargers. Plus Repairable Trucks

NEW *USED* SURPLUSCALL THE BOYS (866) 241-2110

or view at:

What does your typicallunch look like?Chicken and rice, veggies and

wheat bread.

Do you surf?No. I do more what you proba-

bly see in the Midwest: riding

ATVs, shooting and hunting. I’m

definitely a beach guy, though.

We have a little place in Newport

Beach where we hold barbecues

and pit fires. We’ll ride ATVs at our

family ranch in Lancaster. My whole

family is in the automotive business,

and my cousins are mechanics. They’ll

bring out their big trucks there and go

through the mud.

What’s the best thing about livingin California?The accessibility to different climates.

You can snowboard in the morning,

and literally the same day go to the

beach in the afternoon. There are so

many options that you never get

bored. Also, there are many big cities

here where not everyone knows you.

You can move around and do your

own thing. Unlike a small town

where everyone knows you, there

are a lot of cities here where you

can get a fresh start. BSB

You look pretty cut. What’syour workout like?I work out four times a

week, mostly heavy lifting. I

hate running. It’s just not

my thing. I run enough

around the shop getting

cars in and out.

Do you belong to a gym?Yes, I work out there with

my girlfriend. It’s probably

one of the only times I get to

spend with her, with her

going to school at UCLA and

me working all the time. But we make it

work, and at least we get to stay

fit together.

Is staying fit a California thing?I would definitely say that. I’ve traveled

throughout the U.S. quite a few times, and

it seems people in California care a little

more about how they look. Then again, we

have beaches and places where we want to

go and take our shirts off, so we have to stay

lean for that.

Does everyone in California eat healthy?I don’t know about everyone, but I definitely do.

With our industry the way it is, you have to eat

quick and you can only eat what’s around you.

So to stay healthy, you have to bring your own

food to work. Plus, you save a lot of money.

TheShopThomas MaimoneCollision Repair Advisor –Dealership, VIP ClientsMarco’s Collision Centers � Pasadena, Calif.


BodyShop Business

Documents

Transcript of BodyShop Business