November/December 2010 Volume 12 • Issue 6Volume 12 ... · glass bonding systems EZKits from Dow...

Auto Glass Repair and Replacement Magazine

www.agrrmag.com • www.glassBYTEs.com™

November/December 2010 Volume 12 • Issue 6November/December 2010 Volume 12 • Issue 6

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Also Inside:• SEMA Show Preview• Ten Marketing

Ideas That Work• First Look at Auto

Glass Week™ in 2011

OEM vs.Aftermarket

PartsIndustry Experts Offer Their Insights

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Contents© 2010 AGRR Magazine. All rights reserved. No reproductionof any type without expressed written permission.

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4 Field of Vision letter from the editor

6 Independent’s Day an iga viewpoint

8 Customer Service tips for quality service

10 Driving Technology today’s business practices

12 AGRReports breaking news

14 Price Points industry stats

28 Industry Insiders people in the news

30 The Showcase directory of suppliers

31 Advertising Index index of advertisers

32 Avocations life beyond the auto glass business

24 Ask the Doctor tech tips

26 Repair Round-Up nwra reports

27 WGRReports repair news

— F e a t u r e s — Volume 12 • Issue 6 November/December 2010

C o l u m n s

D e p a r t m e n t s

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

©2010 by Key Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. AGRR (USPS 020-897) is published6 times per year by Key Communications Inc., 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford,VA 22554; 540/720-5584; fax 540/720-5687. Advertising offices listed on page 4. Un-solicited manuscripts and other materials will not be returned unless accompanied by aself-addressed, stamped envelope. All contents are ©2010 by Key Communications Inc.Neither publisher nor its representatives nor its subcontractors assume liability for errorsin text, charts, advertisements, etc. and suggest appropriate companies be contactedbefore specification or use of products advertised or included in editorial materials. Viewsand opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. For per-mission to reprint, contact editorial offices. Printed in the U.S. Postmaster: SEND AD-DRESS CHANGES TO AGRR, P.O. Box 569, Garrisonville, VA 22463. ©2010 by KeyCommunications, Inc. No reproduction permitted without expressed written permissionof the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Stafford, VA, and additional post offices.Questions? Call 540/720-5584.

New Sightsat SEMAA g l i m p s e i n t o j u s t

s o me o f t he v e h i c l e a dd - o n sa v a i l a b l e a t S E M A .

The OEMDebateT h e O E M v s .

a f t e r ma r k e t p a r t s d e b a t eh a s t a k e n o v e r t h e e n t i r ea u t o mo t i v e r e p a i ri n du s t r y i n r e c e n tmo n t h s . S e e w h a t s o me i nt h e g l a s s i n du s t r y t h i n ka b o u t t h e i s s u e .

Auto GlassWeek™2011

Ma r k y o u r c a l e nda r no wfo r t h i s i m p o r t a n ti ndu s t r y e v e n t .

Ten Ways That Work toMarket Your BusinessL o o k i ng fo r a ne w w a y t o a t t r a c tc u s t o me r s ? Tu r n t o p a ge 2 2 fo rs o me i n s i de r t i p s .

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2 AGRR November/December 2010 www.agrrmag.com

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THE QUALITY OEM VERSUSaftermarket parts debate cer-tainly is not a new one in the

industry, but in recent months it’s be-come an increasingly prevalent con-troversy in both the auto glass andcollision repair industries. Just thismonth, it has achieved new visibilitywith the release of a Consumer Re-ports articleencouragingconsumers todemand OEMparts in someinstances.

On page18, you’ll seean inside lookat this issuefrom the per-spectives of several industry expertswho offered their insights into the dif-ferences, the possibilities for making“OE-like” products and more. You’llalso see a call from an industry execu-tive for aftermarket parts manufactur-ers to come forward and prove theirproducts live up to the standards setby OE manufacturers (see page 6).

But it seems many are silent on thesubject. During one of my interviews, Iasked one industry expert why hethinks manufacturers and others are sotight-lipped on the issue.

“OE manufacturers often use differ-ent or looser specs for aftermarket prod-ucts,” says Russ Corsi, who worked forPPG for many years and now serves asan industry consultant.

But what Corsi and others suggest,as you’ll see in the article, is that in-stallers do have a duty to make surethat the products they install are safefor the consumer.

But what happens when insurersare pushing cheaper, aftermarketproducts? What do you do then?And, how do you determine what’ssafe?

I’d like to hear your thoughts onthis. I hear from readers who strugglewith glass quality on a daily basis. Buthow are you dealing with these prob-

lems? Andhow do youc h o o s ewhether touse OE or af-t e r m a r k e tglass in anygiven instal-lation? Is itup to theconsumer, or

the insurer or some other entity?I’m looking forward to learning

your thoughts on the topic, and hopeto feature them in a future articlewritten about the installer’s perspec-tive on the OEM versus aftermarketissue. Hopefully, together we can getto the bottom of the issue—and canremove the hush that seems to strikethe industry when the topic arises.

Please e-mail me [email protected], or give me a call at540/720-5584, ext. 148.

P.S. In other news, the dates havebeen set for next year’s Auto GlassWeek™ event, which will be held inMemphis, Tenn., September 15-17.Turn to page 20 for the dates and de-tails, and be sure to watch the eventwebsite, www.autoglassweek.com, formore information. ■

◗Penny Stacey is the editor of AGRRmagazine.

Publisher Debra A. LevyExtension 111 • [email protected]

Editor Penny StaceyExtension 148 • [email protected]

Managing Erin HarrisEditor Extension 130 • [email protected]

Contributing Ellen RogersEditors Extension 118 • [email protected]

Megan HeadleyExtension 114 • [email protected]

Art Directors Chris BunnExtension 132 • [email protected]

Dawn CampbellExtension 150 • [email protected]

Exhibit Tina CzarManager Extension 115 • [email protected]

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

Marketing Ally CurranAssistant Extension 133 • [email protected]

Customer JaneenMulliganRelations Mgr. Extension 112 • [email protected]

Customer Katie HodgeService Assistant Extension 0 • [email protected]

Web Bryan HoveyDeveloper Extension 125 • [email protected]

Video Marshall StephensProducer Extension 121 • [email protected]

Contributing Mike Boyle Russ CorsiColumnists Harvey Cohen Alan Epley

Dale Malcolm Carl Tompkins

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

Advertising Offices:

Midwest Lisa Naugle,Associate [email protected] 312/850-0899Fax 312/277-2912

Northeast & BrianWelshEastern Canada [email protected]

Phone 215/679-8826Fax: 215/679-0408

Southeast Scott [email protected] 770/664-4567Fax 770/740-1399

West Coast & EdMitchellWestern Canada [email protected]

Phone 805/262-2932Fax 805/262-2933

Europe Patrick [email protected] Kings RoadWestcliff on SeaEssex SS0 8PH ENGLANDPhone (44) 1-702-477341Fax (44) 1-702-477559

China & Asia Sean [email protected], Block 17, Wuyimingzhu,No.6 Jinshan RoadFuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.Phone (86) 591 83863000

All Others Contact Publisher Directly

Member,

F i e l d o f V i s i o n

[email protected]

Shhh…by Pe n ny S t a c ey

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

4 AGRR November/December 2010

“ O E m a n u fa c t u re r so f t e n u s e d i f f e re n t o r

l o o s e r s p e c s fo ra f t e r m a r ke t p ro d u c t s . ”

— R u s s C o r s i


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I n d e p e n d e n t ’ s D a y

[email protected]

The Aftermarket Issueby A l a n E p l ey

RECENTLY, FORD MOTORCompany raised the issue of re-placing automobile structural

crash parts with original equipmentmanufactured (OEM) parts versus af-termarket parts andconsumer safety. Ford’stesting results dis-closed that there aresignificant differencesin the raw materialsthat compose the OEMand aftermarket parts. The differencewas so extreme that Ford engineerRoger Chen rated the material com-parison as being “like tofu versus arock.” The results also indicated that,in addition to raw material differences,the testing showed that manufacturingprocesses used in making aftermarketparts were inferior when compared tothose used in making OEM parts.

Over the course of the last severalmonths, the Independent Glass Asso-ciation (IGA) has been voicing con-cerns over the quality of windshields inthe same regard. Members have re-ported incidents whereby the rearviewmirror has been detaching from thewindshield and taking shards of glasswith it. Other comments received bythe association from its members haveincluded clarity issues and the fact thatwindshields are not being cut to theexact opening of the vehicle.

Questions must be raised. Do after-market windshields afford the sameamount of protection to vehicle occu-pants in the event of a rollover accidentor in the deployment of the passengerside airbag? Is the fact that a shop in-stalls a windshield in accordance withthe Auto Glass Replacement SafetyStandard (AGRSS) enough to offset any

safety factors that may be compro-mised due to the installation of inferiorglass? While we debate these issues, wemust consider that officials at FordMotor Co. raised concerns about com-

parison of the structural parts of an au-tomobile. Isn’t the windshield astructural part of a vehicle?

Structural StabilitySince the windshield is a structural

part of an automobile and an integralpart of a vehicle’s safety system, the In-dependent Glass Association (IGA) istaking the initiative to include wind-shields in the discussion and is makingevery effort to have them included in thetesting process. The association is plan-ning to establish a tracking system to fa-cilitate the tracking of inferior glass inthe marketplace. Once established,shops will have the ability to report de-fective glass to the IGA, which will, inturn, monitor glass for defect patterns.In addition, the IGA is discussing the in-clusion of automobile replacement glassinto the testing procedures by the bigthree automobile manufacturers. Thusfar, I am happy to report that those dis-cussions are progressing and there is re-ceptivity from manufacturers to do so.

On a related matter, Consumer Re-ports magazine recently reported thatconsumers must insist on OEM replace-ment parts in the event that their vehiclehas been damaged in a crash. The articlepoints out that insurance companies

pressure automotive repair shops to useaftermarket replacement parts in an ef-fort to contain the cost of a claim, butmay compromise consumer safety inthe process. And naturally, the aftermar-

ket parts manufacturersargue that the cited Fordtesting was flawed.

The Time is NowThe IGA believes that

the time to make the de-termination as to the relevance of thisdebate is now. Are aftermarket partsevery bit as good as OEM parts? Everyinsurance company, governmental au-thority, parts manufacturer and repairshop has the responsibility to protectthe consumer by making certain thatevery motor vehicle, whether dam-aged in an accident or in need of a re-placement windshield, is restored toits pre-loss condition.

The IGA believes that the debate ini-tiated by the testing of OEM and after-market parts conducted by Ford MotorCo. must be expanded to include auto-mobile glass and undertaken by moremanufacturers, including General Mo-tors and Chrysler. And the burden tocontradict those results with factualproof remains the responsibility of theaftermarket parts and glass manufac-turers. A windshield that will not sup-port the roof in the event of a rollover orthe airbag in the event that it is de-ployed is unacceptable at any cost. ■

◗Alan Epley is president of the Inde-pendent Glass Association (IGA). He

also serves as president of Southern Glass andPlastic in Columbia, S.C. Mr. Epley’s opinionsare solely his own and not necessarily thoseof this magazine.

a n i g a v i e w p o i n t

“ T h e a s s o c i a t i o n i s p l a n n i n g t oe s t a b l i s h a t r a c k i n g sys t e m t o

fa c i l i t a t e t h e t r a c k i n g o f i n f e r i o rg l a s s i n t h e m a r ke t p l a c e. ”



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

[email protected]

Benefiting from Product Diversificationby C a r l To m p k i n s

FOR YEARS I’VE HAD THEopportunity to share the bene-fits of adding new products and

services to a core product type thatrepresents the majority of an organiza-tion’s income. I refer to this as productdiversification. What remains surpris-ing is how so many companies strug-gle with this subject, failing to benefitfrom its merits.

MotivationI’ll start with some motivational

concepts in order to make sure that youare willing to pursue product diversifi-cation. First off, so many people withinthe AGR industry suffer from havingonly one product to sell—auto glass.This creates enormous vulnerability tofailure—if something goes haywire inthe industry, eliminating your ability tosell auto glass, you’re out of business. Afallback plan for business survival is es-sential and, at minimum, requires yourability to sell an entirely different prod-uct line in order to secure the necessaryrevenue to support your operation.This may require more than one prod-uct or additional line of products.

The second benefit of product di-versification is new and additional rev-enue. For every auto glass replacementsold, product diversification createsthe means to increase sales dollars byat least 15 (if not 20) percent per job.

Also, product diversification doeseliminate a lot of stress in the workplaceas it keeps you from putting all youreggs in one basket. Having visited manyglass shops over the years, those thatseem to be most at ease with the diffi-cult conditions that arise in the autoglass replacement industry are thosethat have more than one product to sell.

Getting StartedAdding new products and services

to your business starts off with what ismost important: product expertise.You must be knowledgeable in the fea-tures and benefits of the product, thecompetition, how to sell it, how to in-stall it (if not an over-the-counterproduct sale), how to warranty it, andhow to buy it. This knowledge allowsyou to associate with the best brandsof products, receive adequate supportfrom a manufacturer, and deliver aneffective marketing approach thatadds profit. A study conducted re-cently through Belmont University re-vealed that on the list of the top tenreasons why businesses fail, the sixthof these was adding new products thatdrag down the profitable ones. Therisk of this occurrence is eliminatedthrough product expertise.

The second most important step ofeffective product diversification is se-lecting products that complementyour core business. For instance, autoglass installation companies would beadvised to find products that relate tothe automobile and, going even fur-ther, that relate to auto glass. Examplesmight be wiper blades or glass clean-ers. This is important because it allowsyou to focus on one category of cus-tomers, which simplifies marketingand training and reduces selling costs.

The third element of effective prod-uct diversification is employee train-ing. People within your organizationmust understand every element ofproduct diversification, such as its im-portance and the role it plays in creat-ing success. Next, they must be trainedto sell the product and then receiveproper management support to make

it happen. Finally, management mustmeasure each employee’s success andcreate proper forms of recognition.

PersistencePersistence also plays an important

role in product diversification. Frommy own assessments of companiesthat have not done well in product di-versification, I’ve found the first reasonfor failure often is that a company hasno other products to sell. The second isthat there is no persistence in the saleof the additional products. One com-pany in Pennsylvania did poorly withits additional product sales and, fol-lowing my review of the company pro-gram, discovered that the only thingmissing was that the company’s em-ployees were not promoting the prod-uct with every potential customer.

Once the proper training and meas-urement procedures had taken place,they sold add-on products to 71 percentof their customers. Keep in mind that acustomer willing to buy a core productfrom your company is six to seven timesmore likely to purchase additional prod-ucts and services than someone who ismerely shopping; make sure to take ad-vantage of this selling opportunity.

All four of these points are criticaltoward benefiting from product diver-sity, but, again, should be followed intheir written order to ensure that yourtime spent in growing your businessyields rewarding dividends. ■

◗Carl Tompkins is the global marketingresources manager for SIKA Corp. in

Madison Heights, Mich. He is based inSpokane, Wash. Mr. Tompkins’ opinions aresolely his own and not necessarily thoseof this magazine.

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



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Part Ordering Made Easyby R o b R u s t

ONCEUPONATIME,WHENANindependent shop owner ortechnician needed to provide a

quote to a customer, he/she likelywould have had to have taken the per-son’s phone number and promised tohave given thema call back afterlooking up pric-ing for the glasspart needed anddoing the neces-sary calculations.

In the near past, sometimes this hasrequired a call to one or more distribu-tors to find the most economical pricefor the part in mind. And, in more recentyears, while much of this informationhas been available online, it’s requiredcustomer service representatives ortechnicians to visit multiple websitesand comparison-shop them—all whilethe customer waits impatiently.

Changing TimesNow, step into 2010. Gone are the

days of multiple phone calls to multi-ple suppliers. The autoglass business has actu-ally become quiteunique in that shopowners and techniciansare now able to priceproducts in realtime using a va-riety of softwares y s t e m s — a l lwhile speak-ing to thecustomer

on the phone. This not only eliminatescallbacks to customers—but probablysaves many of them as well, as they nolonger have the chance to shop aroundand find someone else with a ready-made “deal” while you’re calling

around for pric-ing from yoursuppliers, all tofind out whenyou call backthat the workhas already

been given to one of your competitors.We live in an “I-want-it-now” world.But none of that’s an issue anymore.

Using the software available to us intoday’s market, all of this can beavoided.

Modern software has the ability togather those price and availabilitytimes and automatically select,markup and order those parts—allwhile the customer is still on thephone. This allows a higher close per-centage—and fewer lost sales.

Installed on your office PCs, your In-ternet-enabled laptops and other de-vices allow techs or one-man businessesto search for part-pricing easily and fromthe field. ■

◗Rob Rust is the point-of-sale software sales man-

ager for Quest Software inSt. Johns, Mich. Mr.Rust’s opinions aresolely his own and not

necessarily those of thismagazine.

D r i v i n g T e c h n o l o g y

[email protected]

u n d e r s t a n d i n g t o d a y ’ s b u s i n e s s p r a c t i c e s

“ G o n e o n a re t h ed a ys o f m u l t i p l e

p h o n e c a l l s t om u l t i p l e s u p p l i e r s . ”


™

International Window FilmExpo, Conference and Tint-Off™

Markk Your Callendars!September 15-17, 2011

Memphis Marriott Downtown andMemphis Cook Convention Center

Memphis, Tenn.www.autoglassweek.com


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A G R R e p o r t sbreak i ng news

powe r ed by

Guardian Forms Joint Venture to ServeAutomotive Retail Glass Market

C O M P A N Y N E W S


GUARDIAN INDUSTRIES HASformed a joint partnershipwith a company called LRST

LLC. The joint venture was formed “tomanage and grow its retail auto glassbusiness,” according to a companystatement.

LRST LLC was formed by four equalpartners—former Pittsburgh GlassWorks(PGW) executives Jim Latch and MarcTalbert, along with former GlasPro/EliteAuto Glass founders Jerry Ray and NeilSmith. The new joint venture will benamed Guardian Auto Glass LLC.

Guardian will have the majorityownership in the new Guardian Autojoint venture company.

“We see the new joint venture en-hancing Guardian’s current operationsas well as key in developing a nationwidepresence,” says Mike Morrison, presi-dent of Guardian’s Automotive group.“Guardian is focusing on growing all itsbusinesses and we anticipate greaterand stronger opportunities in the auto-motive retail glass (ARG) segment as a re-sult of this strategic decision.”

With the formation of Guardian Auto,

the new retail joint venture will be man-aged and operated by the LRST partners.

Latch was involved in the creation ofLYNX Services and had responsibilityfor PPG’s ARG distribution and servicesbusiness. Talbert was president of PPGAuto Glass and also had responsibilityfor PGW’s ARG distribution business.

Ray and Smith were two of thefounders and owners of the 34-storeGlasPro/Elite retail business that waspurchased by Belron in 2005. They pre-viously partnered in the formation ofWestern Windshields.


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www.agrrmag.com November/December 2010 AGRR 13

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L E G A L N E W S

Safelite Fined $52,000 byTexas Dept. of Insurance

Safelite Glass Corp. recently wasfined $52,000 by the Texas Departmentof Insurance (TDI) for allegedly provid-ing continuing education (CE) coursesin the state after its provider registrationand course certifications had expired.

According to the final consent order,Safelite initially registered as a continu-ing education provider (for insurancecourses) in May 1993, and, as the stateof Texas began using Sircon for admin-istration of the CE program, Safelite reg-istered as a Sircon provider fromSeptember 2007 through September2009, with its registration expiring onSeptember 3, 2009. It re-registered as aprovider on December 16, 2009.

In addition, the TDI alleges that reg-istration for four of the CE coursesSafelite teaches also had expired priorto September 2009. TDI claims thateach of the four courses was taught be-tween October 2007 and February2009, before the company re-registeredthe courses on March 31, 2009.

Though the company did re-registerthe courses, TDI alleges all four courseswere taught numerous times betweenOctober 2009 and November 2009, be-fore the Safelite re-registered as a CEprovider in December 2009.

“The situation in Texas was causedby an unfortunate administrativeerror—one we’re taking strong meas-ures to prevent in the future by work-ing with a compliance liaison andsubmitting quarterly compliance re-ports to the Texas Department of In-surance,” says Safelite spokespersonMelina Metzger. ■


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P r i c e P o i n t scompe t i t i v e p r i c i ng and s t a t s

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt

FOR ITS RECURRING PRICEPoints department, AGRR sur-veyed five major cities in the

United States for the windshield re-placement on a 2010 ChevroletCobalt (two-door coupe). As usual,

the companies were told that insur-ance will not be involved and the cus-tomer wishes to pay for thewindshield out of pocket.

AGRR also asked shops to break outparts and labor. When available, this is

noted below. In some cases, shops werenot willing to provide the breakdown—or would only include a portion of it—and this is noted accordingly. ■

Boise, IdahoTotal Price Glass Price Labor Urethane Kit Glass % off NAGS % off NAGS Total

Shop #1 $205.00 $115.00 $90.00 N/A -49.3 -40.2Shop #2 $200.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A -41.6Shop #3 $487.55 $398.55 $89.00 N/A +75.8 +42.2Shop #4 $198.00 $113.00 $85.00 N/A -50.2 -42.2Average $272.64 $208.85 $88.00 N/A -7.9 -20.5Median $202.50 $115.00 $89.00 N/A -49.2 -40.9

Hartford, Conn.Total Price Glass Price Labor Urethane Kit Glass % off NAGS % off NAGS Total

Shop #1 $220.00 $142.00 $48.00 $30.00 -37.4 -35.8Shop #2 $185.00 $145.00 $40.00 N/A -36.1 -46.0Shop #3 $279.05 N/A N/A N/A N/A -18.6Shop #4 $270.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A -21.2Average $238.51 $143.50 $44.00 N/A -36.7 -30.4Median $272.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A -20.6

Helena, Mont.Total Price Glass Price Labor Urethane Kit Glass % off NAGS % off NAGS Total

Shop #1 $235.00 $125.00 $110.00 N/A -44.9 -31.4Shop #2 $210.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A -38.7Shop #3 $219.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A -36.1Shop #4 $355.79 $235.00 $100.00 $20.00 +3.6 +3.8Average $254.95 $180.00 $105.00 N/A -20.6 -25.6Median $227.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A -33.8

New Orleans, La.Total Price Glass Price Labor Urethane Kit Glass % off NAGS % off NAGS Total

Shop #1 $185.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A -46.0Shop #2 $245.84 $121.06 $85.00 $20.00 -46.6 -28.3Shop #3 $222.94 N/A N/A N/A N/A -35.0Shop #4 $209.00 $134.00 $75.00 N/A -40.9 -39.0Average $215.70 $127.53 $80.00 N/A -43.8 -37.1Median $215.97 N/A N/A N/A N/A -37.0

Sacramento, Calif.Total Price Glass Price Labor Urethane Kit Glass % off NAGS % off NAGS Total

Shop #1 $189.10 $129.10 $60.00 N/A -43.1 -44.8Shop #2 $210.00 $90.00 $100.00 $20.00 -60.3 -38.7Shop #3 $212.85 N/A N/A N/A N/A -37.9Shop #4 $238.08 $125.70 $80.00 $20.00 -44.6 -30.5Average $212.51 $114.93 $80.00 $20.00 -49.3 -38.0Median $211.43 $125.70 $80.00 N/A -44.6 -38.3

Replacement Rates

Total Price Glass Price Glass % Off NAGS % off NAGS TotalNat’l Average $238.86 $156.12 -31.1 -30.3Nat’l Median $215.93 $127.40 -43.8 -37.0

NAGS Part No. DW01605 GTY2.9 Labor Hours (calculated at $40 per hour)

NAGS Part Price: $226.75 • NAGS Total: $342.75



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is proud to celebrate its 10th yearwith Bo Roberts of Northstar Auto Glass in SiouxFalls, South Dakota

With aggressive pricing from and awide variety of glass parts, Bo Roberts, his son Chrisand Mark Wendt, along with their hard work anddedication have built a very strong and solid inde-pendent wholesale and retail auto glass business inSioux Falls, South Dakota.


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Companies from all over theworld will gather in Las Vegas todisplay the best they have to

offer at the Specialty Equipment Mar-ket Association’s (SEMA) annual show.SEMA, which takes place November 2-5 in Las Vegas, has divided the morethan 1,500 exhibitors into 12 sectionsto make the show more visitor-friendly.

In addition to auto glass business op-portunities, attendees will be looking to

add new services to their companies.Once of the most popular add-on’s forauto glass shops is window tinting, andshows like SEMA can provide an intro-duction to new products for companiestesting the water. Attendees can talk towindow film manufacturers and learnabout the product, observe demonstra-tions and mingle with other tinters whoknow the challenges and benefits tolearning the window tint business.

Read on for more information ongrowing and expanding your businesswith window film.

Film DebutBooth #12225: Sun-Gard

Sun-Gard® will debut its newest filmlines at this year’s SEMA show, includingthe new charcoal automotive windowfilm series. This 1.5 premium-grade filmis available in high-performance or non-reflective films.

Sun-Gard will also show its newpaint protection product, DefenZallpaint protection film, which has aseven-year manufacturer’s warranty.Both products will be available forhands-on installation demonstrations.❙❙➤ www.solamatrix.com

Happy AnniversaryBooth #12325: AmericanStandardWindow Film

American Standard Window Film(ASWF), a division of Erickson Interna-tional and based in Las Vegas, will cele-brate its one-year anniversary at theSEMA show this year. ASWF will be show-casing its five lines of automotive films.The lines also feature point-of-purchasemarketing materials and retail displays.❙❙➤ www.aswf.com

Show Sparks Interest inVehicle Add-Ons

Revisit RepairWhile visiting new companies to learn about add-ons don’t forget about old fa-

vorites. Along with window film exhibitors, auto glass repair companies will beshowing their latest products and services on the SEMA show floor.

Independent ReferralsBooth #12265: Delta Kits

Delta Kits, based in Eugene, Ore.,has developed and launched a new re-ferral website. The website, www.wind-shieldreferral.com, is a portal forindependent windshield repair compa-nies to gain visibility and attract cus-tomers. Companies can obtain a freelisting on the website and other analysis options are also available. Represen-tatives from Delta Kits will be available to answer questions about the new web-site and show attendees how it works.❙❙➤ www.deltakits.com

Ride theWaveBooth #12610: Glass Technology Inc.

Durango, Colo.-based Glass Technologywill bring its new UV curing technologycalled Diamond BluWave™, which can bepaired with the company’s product, Dia-mond Clear Resins™. According to the com-pany, the high-intensity LED UV technologyof Diamond BluWave allows for a break tocure quickly and with a strong bond.

Glass Technology also will provide infor-mation about its headlight restorationtechnology.❙❙➤ www.gtglass.com

by Katie Hodge

New Sights at SEMA


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Super SolarBooth #11925: SunTek/Common-wealth Laminating & Coating

This year at SEMA SunTek/Common-wealth Laminating &

Coating will offera close-up

look at itsn e w e s tautomo-tive win-

dow film.The company will showcase its Car-bonXP™ film, which is available inseven different VLTs (5, 18, 35, 45, 55, 70and 80 percent) and has a lifetime war-ranty against peeling, cracking, adhesivefailure and fading.❙❙➤ www.suntekfilms.com

Interactive ActivityBooth #11959: Nexfil USA

Nexfil USA will provide booth visi-tors with a first-hand look at its line offilms. The company will have demo

cars on-site for attendees to see actualinstallation of its films. Nexfil USA hasalso made its Nano IR films interactiveby allowing attendees to perform heat-rejection testing, which will allow themto see the results first-hand.❙❙➤ www.nexfilusa.com

Enjoy theViewBooth #12317:WINTECH

Buena Park, Calif.- based WINTECHwill showcase a few of its film productsincluding NANO technology-based,

environmentally friendly, energy-sav-ing films. These films are designed toprotect the consumer from the sun’sharmful UV rays and feature spectrallyselective coatings.❙❙➤ www.wintechfilm.com

Taking CareBooth #11811: Solutia

Solutia will roll into Las Vegas withplenty to show. The St. Louis-based

company will dis-play its variousfilm lines includ-ing LLumar,Hüper Optik, For-mulaOne high -p e r f o r m a n c eauto tint and V-Kool. In additionto the film lines,paint protectionfilm and high-

performance film installationdemonstrations, Solutia also will fea-ture its new line of car care kits forconsumers. The Window Film CareKit and a Paint Protection Care Kitwill both be available and can providebusinesses an add-on option for cus-tomers, according to the company.❙❙➤ www.llumar.com

Six PicksBooth #11911: 3M

The 3M Company will exhibit a fulldisplay of its window film lines. The St.

Paul, Minn.-based company will bringits color-stable automotive windowfilm, ceramic series automotive win-dow film, Crystalline automotive film,FX HP automotive window film and itsnewest addition—FX Premium auto-motive window film. Each of the sixlines offers 99 percent UV protectionand a sun protection factor up to 1,000.❙❙➤ www.3M.com ■

◗Katie Hodge is an assistant editor forAGRR magazine.

Beyond the FloorOutside of the show floor, SEMA also educates and entertains. There are plenty of educational opportunities available to those

in attendance. On the schedule this year are seminars on topics ranging from “New Car Buyer’s Aftermarket Intentions” to “Bor-rowing Money in Today’s Credit Jungle” to “Stand Out From the Crowd: Defining Your Company’s Value Proposition.” And for thosein attendance who learn better hands-on, SEMA also has an enormous volume of demonstrations taking place on the show floor.

Entertainment and special guests will grace the stages and entertain attendees during the show. James Gregory, once de-scribed as “America’s Funniest Man,” will keep the crowd laughing at the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet. Other specialguests include legendary off-road racer Rod Hall, Stacey David from SPEED’s show “Gearz,” MTV host Funkmaster Flex, the“Queen of Cars” Genevieve Chappell and many more. Visit www.semashow.com for more information including hotel reser-vations, show registration and a complete list of exhibitors.

Breaking NewsBooth #12115: AGRRMagazine,WINDOW FILMMagazine

AGRR magazine and its sister publication, WINDOW FILM magazine,will be on-site with all the latest news and industry updates directlyfrom the show floor. Stop by to find out how to receive the daily glass-BYTEs.com™ and weekly Focus on Film newsletters, pick up a copy ofrecent magazines or sign up to receive them digitally to catch up onall of the latest auto glass and window film news.❙❙➤ www.agrrmag.com, www.windowfilmmag.com, www.glassBYTEs.com



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“Don’t let your in-surance companypressure you into

using aftermarket collision-repair body parts, especiallysafety-related ones.” This warn-ing appeared in the October issue ofConsumer Reports (CR) magazine as acaution to consumers, in light of manyrecent open discussions aboutwhether aftermarket and OEM partsare of like kind and quality.

The article also followed the recentrelease of a video by Ford showing a sawcutting through two different bumpers,one made by Ford and one by an after-market manufacturer. In the video,available on line at AGRR magazine’swww.agrrmag.com/studio page, an en-gineer shows that a saw easily cutsthrough an aftermarket bumper, whilethe Ford bumper actually dulls the saw’sblades and resists being cut.

CR goes on to urge consumers to goso far as to go back to a repair shop if

non-OEM parts have been in-

stalled—and warns against insurersthat might demand the use of cheap, af-termarket parts. “If your car has alreadybeen repaired, check your invoices orask your insurer to see whether after-market parts were used. If knock-offswere used, demand that they be re-placed with original-equipment,” addsthe report.

While these arguments (and the re-cent video) often revolve around colli-sion repair parts, the CR warningincludes any “safety-related” parts—and we in the auto glass industry arefully aware of the role a windshieldplays in a vehicle’s safety equation. SoAGRR sought out several industry ex-perts with their thoughts on this con-troversial subject.

The DifferencesThe most important question to an-

swer, when it comes to OEM and after-market windshields, is this: are thereactual differences in the end product?Is one safer than the other, or safer forthe end customer?

Many are tight-lipped onthe issue; several

major U.S. OEMmanufactur-

ers de-

clined to be interviewed on the topic.Guardian Automotive president

Mike Morrison offered his thoughts,but advised AGRR magazine there’s nodefinitive answer.

“We don’t discount [ignore] one orthe other,” he said during an interviewin late-August (see related story in Sep-tember/October AGRR, page 30). “Wesay the OE business is here and the af-termarket is here.”

Chevrolet glass engineer Tom Hagenhas a different take on the issue, from atechnical perspective.

“I guess, as the OE, I would say if [theglass] meets every requirement on theengineering side, which obviouslywould be all of the dimensional data, itmeets all the solar performance andtransmission data, if it meets all thequality standards for distortion, noisetransmission and things like that, itwould be OE-equivalent,” he says.

But there are other items to con-sider, he says.

“Having said that, I did leave out allthe regulatory requirements such asFederal MotorVehicle Safety Standards,”says Hagen. “There is wide separationthere. Some are very good, and some arenot very good. OE to me sets a very dif-ferent standard on the parts. I cannotcontrol the aftermarket so I cannot saywhether it meets OE standards.”

Industry consultant Russ Corsi, whoworked for PPG for many years in the

auto glass arena, offers a sim-ilar outlook.

by Penny Stacey

OEMvs.


Editor’s Note: This article is the firstin a series.

AftermarketParts

Auto Glass Industry Experts Weigh in on the Debate


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“It’s possible [to create an OEE]product,” he says. “The manufacturerwould have to get the engineeringdata and use that data to develop thetooling. That’s the first step.”

But the next step is crucial.“The inspection process is what’s

critical,” Corsi says. “Typically theOEM products have very strict criteriaand very tight tolerances. So you canmake an aftermarket product, but itwon’t necessarily meet the original-equipment specifications.”

And when the tolerances do differ,sometimes the human touch of an af-termarket installer is what makes anaftermarket product still work.

“A lot of OE product is installed ro-botically on an assembly line,” hesays, “but if you have a piece of glassthat is being installed in the after-market, if the size is a little different,[the installer] can make it work in away that’s safe for the vehicle and itsoccupants.”

Corsi explains that windshields arechecked on a particular fixture forbend and other tolerances, and usesthis to offer an example of differencesthat could be found in the parts.

“Let’s say the off bend for the original-equipment windshield is 2 mm off thefixture, but the [aftermarket manufac-turer] might discover that 4 mm offworks just fine,” he says. “Aftermarketmanufacturers operate in a differentrealm of specifications that will still workwith the installation.”

Corsi also says he feels that suppliersthat make OE products—but might notmake OE across the board—have a dif-ferent set of tools available to make glassproducts, and that plays a role as well.

“Ifyou’restrictlyanaftermarketsupplier,it’s obviously a lot more difficult to make aproducttothesamespecifications,”hesays.“You might not have the equipment tomeet the specs that an OE can.”

Still, though, Corsi says OEsuppliers might not alwaysuse the same tolerances for their after-market products.

“OE manufacturers often use differ-ent or looser specs for aftermarketproducts,” he says.

The Burden of ProofWhile it is up to manufacturers to

provide quality products, installers alsohave a responsibility to make sure theproducts they utilize are safe, Corsi says.

“The key is to make sure it’s going towork and that the consumer is happy,and that it’s going to fit properly andsafely,” he says. “That’s part of theAGRSS Standard as well.”

But still, he says, manufacturersshould take a look at the products inthe factory to ensure that fitwon’t be a problem.

“Quality manu-f a c t u r e r s

should trial-install the glass in the ve-hicles to make sure there aren’t any is-sues,” Corsi adds.

What are your thoughts on this issue?Please e-mail [email protected]. ■

◗Penny Stacey is the editor of AGRRmagazine.


“We Choose Not to Use Aftermarket”When Rich Lutton, owner of Metro Glass in Omaha, Neb., purchased his auto glass

business four years ago, he focused mainly on using aftermarket parts—due to priceand what he heard from others.

“We didn’t know the difference in an aftermarket and an OEM product, and wethought we had to go with the aftermarket to meet pricing needs,” he says.

But today, Lutton aims to only use OEM parts when possible.“We choose not to use glass from the aftermarket manufacturers,” he says, “and

when people call us we tell them we use OEM glass.”However, there are some instances where he’s found aftermarket is a necessity.“When I pull up a 1995 Saturn, and the OEM windshield is going to make it a $500

job that’s worth more than the car, I give the customer a choice,” says Lutton. “Weexplain everything to our customers …”

However, when the company agreed to replace a windshield in a 1995 Saturn in arecent instance with an aftermarket part, at the customer’s request, he was remindedwhy he’s chosen to stick with the OEM route.

“We dry-set it and it was terrible,” says Lutton. “We called our distributor and toldthem to send us a different aftermarket brand and it worked better.”

And what about the customer’s delay? Fortunately for Lutton, who does mostlyin-shop work, the customer had left the vehicle at the business, so there was nofurther interruption for him. But he says he also learned from the experience,that, beyond the OEM versus aftermarket debate, not all aftermarket manufactur-ers are created equal.

“There are several different variations of aftermarket quality and some are betterthan others,” he adds.

And though the business has lost some potential customers with his decision touse OEM only, Lutton says it’s paid off in the long run.

“We’ve never looked back,” he says. “We’ve lost a lot of customers, but that’s okay—we feel we’ve gained better customers who are willing to pay more for safety.”


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If your calendar isn’t already marked, you’ll want to besure to start planning early to be in Memphis, Tenn., nextSeptember. For the first time, all of the major auto glass

groups have announced that they will join together in 2011for one educational and exhibition event, Auto GlassWeek™to be held September 15-17, 2011, at the Memphis CookConvention Center and Memphis Marriott Downtown.

The 2011 event will bring together the Auto Glass Re-placement Safety Standards (AGRSS) Council Inc., the In-dependent Glass Association (IGA), the National GlassAssociation (NGA), National Windshield Repair Associa-tion (NWRA), and AGRR magazine’s Pilkington ClassicAuto Glass Technician Olympics and the Walt Gorman Me-morial Windshield Repair Olympics for one event in onevenue. The International Window Film Tint-Off and Con-ference also will be held concurrently.

“This joint event is an incredible testament to the desire byall the groups to preserve and advance the auto glass industryas a unique industry,” said a joint statement issued by thegroups.“We all believe in the future of the auto glass industry.”

Auto Glass Week will be managed by AGRR magazine.

The VenueThe 2011 Auto Glass Week will take place in the heart of

Memphis at the Memphis Marriott Downtown and theMemphis Cook Convention Center. The hotel, which boaststhe title of “largest hotel in Memphis,” has spectacularviews of the skyline and the convenience of being just a fewsteps from the competitions and seminars.

The 19-floor hotel andconvention center are at-tached by a short skywalk

™ ™

International Window FilmExpo, Conference and Tint-Off™

Home of the Blues: Memphis, Tenn.You may want to consider adding some time on to your stay in Memphis (or bringing a

spouse along), as there is much to do in the city. The city is known for its exceptional bar-beque, blues music and rock ‘n roll history. Attendees can take a stroll downBeale Street, which honors many of Memphis’ most famous and influential mu-sicians, to take in the sights and sounds of this famous stretch of restaurants,bars and stores. With close proximity to both shopping and the MississippiRiver, visitors will have the option to enjoy both indoor and outdoor activities.Graceland, the home of the legendary Elvis Presley, is just a short drive and al-most anywhere you go in Memphis you can find traditional Memphis barbeque.

Other local attractions include the nearby National Civil Rights Museum,AutoZone Park and the FedEx Forum.

New Industry-Wide Event to Premier


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and feature a fitness center, indoor pool, coffee shop and a UPSstore for shipping needs. The hotel is located on the Memphis trol-ley line, which provides attendees with easy transportation torestaurants, shopping and other attractions.

Attendees can stay at the hotel for the low room rate of $99, whichincludes free Internet. Reserve your room by contacting the Mem-phis Marriott Downtown at 901/527-7300.

More to ComeFurther details will be announced in the coming months. Be

sure to watch glassBYTEs.com™, along with the event website,www.autoglassweek.com, for more information as it is released. Ifyou’re interested incompeting in eitherthe AGTO or WRO,please contactHolly Biller [email protected] at 540/720-5584,ext. 123. ■


Need More Info?Watch www.autoglassweek.com for more information as it becomes available.


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No matter whether the mar-ket is up or down, businessowners are always lookingfor new ways to attract

business, get customers to notice youand to keep past customers as re-peaters. Following are new ideas de-signed for auto glass businesses tomarket themselves simply and eco-nomically, that I’ve seen work.

1.Attend both traditional and non-traditional events. It’s often help-ful to attend both auto and insuranceevents where you might be able toreach out. But also consider attendingless traditional events such as bridalshows, safety events, antique car showsand environmental events (especiallyfor windshield repair businesses) to tellpeople about your services. Customizeyour offerings for the event in ques-tion. For example, at an environmen-tal show, promote your efforts to begreen. At bridal shows, perhaps youcould offer car safety packets and holda drawing and award one lucky bride-to-be a coupon for future service.

2.Wrap your vehicle. Show whatyou do and how you can help by

having your company vehicleswrapped in a way that shows potentialcustomers clearly what you do. If costis an issue, you might be able to barterwith a wrap provider, such as a windowfilm company, to provide work or evenreferrals in return for the service.

3.Network everywhere. Look intojoining your local Chamber of

Commerce to meet other business own-ers and potential customers. Offeringdemonstrations is a major part of this—especially for windshield repair techni-

cians, who can easily and economicallydemonstrate the service they provide topotential customers who might nothave even known that it exists.

4.E-mails are as good as gold.E-mail is going to be the future of

the auto glass industry, and collectinge-mails from your customers and po-tential customers can create marketinglists for the future. Once you’ve com-piled the e-mail addresses, every timeyou have a special or something excit-ing that happens, you can inform pastand potential customers of this.

You also can market seasonallyusing the e-mail list you develop. Forexample, in the fall you might send outpress releases, warning potential cus-tomers about back-to-school dangersand suggesting they pay attention tothe cleanliness of their windshields atthis time for safety purposes.

5.Market to keep customers fromcradle-to-grave. Aim to get that

customer for life. Record the date of acustomer’s wedding and send him/hera card on that date saying “Happy An-niversary.” You also can track children’sages, so when a customer’s child isnearing driving age, you can send anew driver alert.

Others have found success con-ducting demonstrations for drivers’education students and sponsoringsmall scholarships for graduating highschool seniors.

6.Become a certified child safetyseat inspector. Many auto glass

shop owners have found success withbecoming certified child safety seat in-spectors and using this ability either atlocal safety fairs, or even having cus-

tomers bring the vehicles into theirshops. This helps potential customersnot only come to recognize your brand,but also helps show your company is anauthority on matters related to safety.

7.Become registered with the AutoGlass Replacement Safety Stan-

dards (AGRSS) Council. By becomingAGRSS-registered, you not only can uti-lize the registered logo in your market-ing, but also can become listed onwww.safewindshields.org, where manyconsumers locate auto glass businesses,and can utilize your status as an AGRSS-registered shop to show customers ex-actly how committed you are to safetyand your customers’ well-being.

8.Beabig fish in a small pond.Thispiece of advice comes from Cindy

Rowe Auto Glass in Harrisburg, Pa. Earlyon, company founder Cindy Rowe-Tay-lor made a decision to dominate thesmall, local, market of Harrisburg, Pa.,and that she did for more than 20 yearsuntil she and her husband, David Tay-lor, sold their company in 2008.

Others can use the same strategy.Try to make everyone in the town inwhich you live start thinking aboutyour business when they need autoglass repair or replacement work.Using this mindset, you can be the bigfish in the pond, if you choose the sizeof the pond carefully.

9.Utilize social media. It’s all overthe media these days—Twitter,

Facebook, YouTube, and the other so-cial media sites out there. But you mightbe asking yourself, “Why bother?” Well,the main reason to “bother” with thesesites is that’s where all your customers(and potential customers) are.

WaysThatWork to MarketYourBusiness10

byDebra Levy


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If you have a television commer-cial, you might consider placing thison YouTube. If not, you might simplymake a page about your company onFacebook and encourage your cus-tomers to “like” it. Everytime some-one “likes” your company, your namewill be popping up on the Facebooknewsfeeds of your customers’ Face-book friends. It’s free, so there’s noeconomical investment—just a littletime in setting it up and updatingevery so often to keep your namepopping up on those same cus-tomers’ newsfeeds.

10.Publicize your company. Al-ways remember that a lot of

what you do is promote-able. Send outpress releases about what you’re doing,or come up with an innovative pressrelease that will get media attention.

For example, several months agoUnited Kingdom-based Auto Wind-screens issued a press release abouthow people might respond to beingcheated on by a spouse or significantother and highlighted that many ofthose surveyed advised they would beprone to damage the spouse/signifi-cant other’s vehicle’s glass. The storywas picked up in newspapers acrossthe world, each of which referencedthe company’s name.

If you attend Chamber of Com-merce meetings, participate in localactivities, or attend industry confer-ences, promote that, too. Newspapersoften are looking for local companiesto highlight and this is a simple way toget some extra exposure. ■

◗Debra Levy is the publisher of AGRRmagazine and the president of AGRR’s

parent company, Key Communications Inc.


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A s k T h e D o c t o r

[email protected]

Repairing the Edge Crackby R i c h a rd C a m pf i e l d

Editor’s Note: This is the first part ina series.

CRACK REPAIR HAS BEEN Apart of the windshield repairindustry for more than two

decades.The most important and critical com-

ponent of crack repair is the resin used.You must know a resin’s properties anduse the right resins. The resins have to beable to deal with four stresses, excludingthe thermal stress from exposure.

The Edge CrackNinety percent of cracks repairs are

edge cracks due to both residual stressand induced stress at the edge of thewindshield. As with any adhesive ap-plication you must understand thestresses you are dealing with in orderto obtain a proper bond.

Residual stress is created during theannealing or cooling process after theglass has been bent and molded andcomes out of the oven. The level or mag-nitude of residual stress can be limitedby controlling the cooling rate throughthe annealing range. This prevents mol-ecules from splitting apart by the varyingrates of cooling occurring at the edge

area. This phenomenon causes aperimeter band of residual tensile stressand is hence the weakest area of thewindshield.Very quick cooling results inhigh stress levels while slow cooling re-duces the levels and hence increases thetime and cost to manufacture the wind-shield. A band of tension exists just infrom the edge. This tensile stress willtaper to zero usually 1.5 inches from theedge. This area is called the “weak spot”by windshield manufacturing engineers.

Induced StressInduced stress comes from the in-

stallation and is also referred to as “in-stallation stress.” This is the stress thatcauses the fracture in the “weak spot”to crack and is also why nine out of tencracks will be longer than 6 inches. Be-

cause the windshield is being glued tothe vehicle at its weakest area, theresidual stress is both increased inmagnitude and expands to about 2inches in from the edge. You can feelthe induced stress by knocking withyour knuckle at the edge and going in-ward until you feel and hear it change.This usually occurs 4 to 5 inches in-ward. This is the stress your resin mustbe able to handle. This stress causesthe fracture to split apart (outward orperpendicular to the crack), creating agap. The stress upon cracking is re-lieved for the time being and then theopposing lamination stress pulls thecrack back together, usually after it hascracked 8-12 inches and the crackstops. This is why an edge crack has awide gap at the edge and it has to bepried open at the point to inject resin.

So, remember an edge crack haswell more than 1,000 psi of stress anda gap at the edge and no stress and nogap at the point. The resin used at theedge area, therefore, needs to have thehigh-viscosity properties of a struc-tural adhesive.

If the resin does not have thestrength to hold the stress at the edgeor it loses strength after exposure, itwill look like Figure 1 after a fewmonths.

p r o s w h o k n o w

focuson

REPAIR

If the resin does not have the strength to hold the stress at the edge orit loses strength after exposure, it will look like this after a few months.


The lamination stress is why stone breaks outside of the “weak spot”do not crack without an outside force, such as temperature change.

Figure 2

Figure 1


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Lamination StressThe lamination stress is why stone

breaks out of the “weak spot” do notcrack without an outside force, such astemperature change (see Figure 2).This is an inward stress from the bond-ing of the PVB to the glass. This is thestress that stops the crack when it be-comes greater than the induced stress,which is usually at 8-12 inches.

Surface TensionThere are mechanical bonds and a

chemical bond to be achieved. Thestrongest and most durable bond toglass is achieved with acrylic adhesives.Surface tension is created with acrylicsbecause they are attracted to the glassand not the PVB, so when they are curedthey will pull off of the PVB as the mole-cules crosslink/chemically bond withthe glass. Since there is no chemicalbond to the PVB, you must bond me-chanically to the PVB or the repair willhave a line of refraction, which is a sep-aration between the resin and the PBV.The resins viscosity controls and deter-mines this bond to the PVB. The viscos-ity has to be such that it is mechanicalenough to stay put while curing (see thefield tests in (my) Patent No. 5,425,827).

Working with different tempera-tures affects the windshield repairresin and can call for alternative resinapplications, which we will cover laterin this series. In the next issue, I willcover the tools needed to repair edgecracks and their functions. ■

◗Richard Campfield is the founder andpresident of Ultra Bond Inc. in Grand

Junction, Colo. Mr. Campfield’s opinions aresolely his own and not necessarily those ofthis magazine.

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

$35.00. Office of publication is located at 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA22554; Headquarters of general business offices of the publisher is located at 385 Gar-risonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554.

Publisher: Debra A. Levy, 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554. Editor:Penny Stacey, 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554. Managing Editor: ErinHarris, 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA 22554.

The owner is Key Communications Inc., 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 116, Stafford, VA22554. Stockholders holding one percent or more of total amount of stock: Debra A. Levy.Known stockholders, mortgages, and other security holders holding one percent or moreof total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None.

The average number of copies of each issue during the twelve months preceding thedate shown is: (A) Total number of copies: 21,172; (B) Paid and/or requested circulation[(1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, or counter sales: 0; (2) Paid or re-quested mail subscription: 20,640]; (C) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 20,640;(D) Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary and other free): 89; (E) Free distri-bution outside the mail (carriers or other means): 125; (F) Total free distribution: 214; (G)Total distribution: 20,854; (H) Copies not distributed [(1) from office use, leftover, unac-counted, spoiled after printing: 318, (2) Returns from News Agents: 0]; (I) Total: 21,172;(J) Percent Paid and/or requested circulation: 98.98.

Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date; (A) Total num-ber of copies: 20,922; (B) Paid and/or requested circulation [(1) Sales through dealers andcarriers, street vendors, or counter sales: 0; (2) Paid or requested mail subscription:20,224]; (C) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 20,224; (D) Free distribution by mail(samples, complimentary and other free): 90; (E) Free distribution outside the mail (car-riers or other means): 600; (F) Total free distribution: 690; (G) Total distribution: 20,914;(H) Copies not distributed [(1) From office use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after print-ing: 8, (2) Returns from News Agents: 0]; (I) Total: 20,922; (J) Percent Paid and/or re-quested circulation: 96.70.

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


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

[email protected]

Scratch Removal Standardsby M i ke B oy l e

STANDARDS ARE IMPORTANTin any industry. They create abenchmark, a process and a

guide. And, when they’re available,they also give an industry the opportu-nity to show consumers and customershow something is done, the quality of aservice and more.

Today the auto glass industry hastwo main standards, one for replace-ment, the Auto Glass ReplacementSafety Standard (AGRSS™), and one forrepair, the Repair of Laminated AutoGlass Standard (ROLAGS™).

Both were developed by industrygroups that are committed to qualityand wanted to further the profession-alism of the industry, and today bothare used as benchmarks for work. TheROLAGS Standard, specifically, governsnot only what type of auto glass dam-age can be repaired but also theprocess that should be followed, per-formance of the final repair and more.It was the result of many years of workby a group of people committed to thegrowth of the repair industry from boththe National Windshield Repair Asso-ciation (NWRA) and the National GlassAssociation.

In fact, the NWRA recently becamethe secretariat for future administra-tion of the ROLAGS Standard, which isan official ANSI-recognized standard.

Where Now?But what’s next? Should the NWRA

and those on the ROLAGS committeestop with what they’ve already devel-oped? No, they shouldn’t. The RO-LAGS Standard is reviewed andupdated periodically, to make surethat it’s always current and in-linewith the industry’s current needs.

Changes are made through a detailedprocess followed by the ROLAGS com-mittee and monitored by ANSI.

But that’s not the only other step.The NWRA, and its parent organiza-

tion, the Global Glass ConservationAlliance (GGCA), also continuallymonitor the needs of the industry todetermine whether other standardsare needed. And, as the need forscratch removal of architectural glasshas grown in recent years, the ScratchRemoval Council, also a part of theGGCA, has determined that thereshould be standards for this processas well. The group currently is in theprocess of undertaking this effort.

Though it’s still early in theprocess, much like the ROLAGS Stan-dard, we anticipate that the newscratch removal standards will ad-dress not only the process for remov-ing a scratch, but also the types ofglass on which the process can beused, the types of damage and howthey vary, and even safety precautionsto take when removing a scratch froma piece of glass.

Get Involved NowOne of the most important parts of

developing a standard like this is tomake sure that those developing thestandard represent a fair cross-sec-

tion of those whom the standards willaffect. That means the group shouldconsist of retailers offering the serv-ice, those who manufacture theequipment and ideally some end-users of the service as well.

If you are in any of these groups, oranother related to the scratch re-moval field, the time to get involved isnow. Please visit www.glassconserva-tion.org today to share your thoughtswith us, or e-mail me personally [email protected].

We look forward to working withyou—and to developing scratch re-moval as a common practice. ■

◗Mike Boyle is the past president of theNWRA. He also serves as president of

Glass Mechanix in Bend, Ore. Mr. Boyle’sopinions are solely his own and not neces-sarily those of this magazine.

n w r a r e p o r t s

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REPAIR

“ We a n t i c i p a t e t h a t t h e n ew s c ra t c hre m ova l s t a n d a rd s w i l l a d d re s s n o t

o n l y t h e p ro c e s s fo r r e m ov i n g as c r a t c h , bu t a l s o t h e t y p e s o f

d a m a g e a n d h ow t h ey va r y. ”


Mark Your Calendar!The National Windshield Repair

Association will hold its annualconference as part of Auto Glass Week™2011 in Memphis, Tenn., September 15-17. See page 20 for more information.


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THE REPAIR OF LAMINATEDAuto Glass Standards (ROLAGS)Committee met in Las Vegas in

October for its first time under the aus-pices of a new secretariat, the NationalWindshield Repair Association.

The committee chose a new chair-person—Keith Beveridge of Novus—

and also reconstituted its marketingcommittee, which will be chaired byRich Campfield of Ultrabond. Mem-bers also voted to review operatingprocedures and to wait to submit a setof changes to the standard to ANSIuntil recommendations from the Prod-uct Performance Subcommittee are

completed and ready.“We plan to move quickly to make

up some transition time,” said Bev-eridge. “And new participants are al-ways welcome to be part of theprocess.”

The ROLAGS Committee is an ANSI-accredited standards developer thathas developed the standard for wind-shield repair. Its next in-person meet-ing of the full committee will be held inMarch.

r epa i r n ews

focuson

REPAIR

W G R R e p o r t s

S T A N D A R D S N E W S

ROLAGS Committee Meets inVegas;Confirms New Chair


The next full in-person ROLAGS committee meeting will be held in March.

C O M P A N Y N E W S

An App for Glass: United Kingdom-BasedAutoWindscreens Launches iPhone “Chip Checker”

United Kingdom-based Auto Windscreens has designed an iPhone application that allows consumersto take photos of chips in their windshields to determine whether the damage is repairable.

The application, developed by the United Kingdom-based Auto Windscreens, allows consumers tonot only determine whether the rock chips in their windshields are repairable by the company’s stan-dards but also to book the work on their phones. In addition, the application includes a list of UnitedKingdom-based insurers in a section called “Is It Free?” to allow potential customers to tell quickly ifa deductible will apply to the work.

The first step included in the application has the user select the area of the windshield in which the damage is located.Then, the iPhone is used to take a photo of the damage (using a credit card to keep the appropriate distance between thephone and the windshield). A circle then appears on top of the damage; if the damage fits inside the circle, Auto Windscreensdeems the rock chip repairable and offers the consumer a form within the application to provide details on the type of car,preferred date for appointment and personal contact info.

The system is estimated to permit rock chips one centimeter or smaller to be repaired.Visit www.agrrmag.com/studio and click on the September newscast to view a video demo of the application. ■

BR I E F LY …

NOVUS Glass has new franchisees inRichmond, Ind., and Troy, Va. The newIndiana franchise is owned by GaryHamilton, and Matt and Amy Morrisare the new proprietors of the Virginiafranchise … Glasspro Systems hasmoved its headquarters to New Port,N.C. The company previously was lo-cated in Rockville, Ill. (❙❙➤www.glassprosystems.com) …


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A P P O I N T M E N T S

Dow Names NewGlobal MarketingDirector for Adhesives

Dow Automotive Sys-tems has named TonyBuchan as its globalmarketing director foradhesives. Effective im-mediately, Buchan as-sumes responsibility foroverall business growthand technology innova-

tion, focusing on all adhesive technolo-gies across OEM, aftermarket andcommercial transportation market seg-ments, as well as major Tier 1 suppliersand distribution partners.

Before joining Dow, Buchan was re-gional vice president for the businessunit industry at Sika AG. While at Sika,

he held several other positions includ-ing: vice president, corporate trans-portation, and industry generalmanager for the United Kingdom (UK).Prior to that, Buchan held a variety ofleadership positions at Dow Automo-tive, Dexter and ITW Plexus.

Buchan, who will be based in theUK, holds a degree in chemistry fromUCC in Ireland.

Safelite AnnouncesNewMarket Managers

Safelite AutoGlass® recently pro-moted Chuck Pertzsch to generalmanager of the company’s DesMoines, Iowa, market, and hired JeffGillespie to serve as the company’sWichita, Kan., market manager.

Pertzsch worked as a technician forAuto Glass Center for 13 years beforebecoming a store manager in Iowa City.

After serving as store manager for fouryears for Auto Glass Center, Pertzschwas placed in charge of the two largeststores in the Des Moines market, wherehe spent six years managing theirgrowth, according to Safelite, which hejoined through its acquisition of AutoGlass Center last year.

Gillespie previously worked withPayless Cashways for 13 years in vari-ous roles, including store manager.He then spent eight years as an areamanager with Coinstar Entertain-ment Services.

i n d u s t r y i n s i d e r speop l e i n the news

BR I E F LY …

Tony Buchan

Quality, professional windshield repair equipment… for everyone!

GlasWeld’s family of windshield repair products are designed foreveryone including entrepreneursand seasoned professionals. From our G3fusion™ kits to theeconomical ecoVac™, we are committed to providing you with patented ProVac™ technology, quality equipment, and trainingfor results you and your customers can count on. We’re dedicated to your success and welcome you tojoin our family.

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injectorsfrom

$495complete kits from

$895


Glass Doctor named Billy Culpep-per of the Glass Doctor of Metro At-lanta franchise the National ServiceProfessional of the Year during its2010 Annual Reunion Conference inSan Antonio. ■


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And now everywhere in between.Now you can find quality SRP Totalseal auto glass adhesives virtually everywhere auto glass is repaired or replaced. Try SRPTotalseal today and see why glass shops across North America enjoythe peace of mind that can only come from an OEM adhesive.

It’s the urethane designed For Installers, By Installers.™

For more information call us at 1-800-728-1817 or check us online at www.shatrproof.com

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA.

SRP, Shat-R-Proof and For Installers, By Installers are registered trademarks of TCG International Inc.


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Adhesives/SealantsAUTO GLASS ADHESIVE SYSTEMS

SHAT-R-PROOF CORP.12800 Hwy. 13, Suite 500Savage, MN 55378952/946-0450 (phone)952/946-0435 (fax)[email protected]

Auto GlassNATIONAL GLASSBROKERS, LLC3115 Fry Rd., Suite #401Katy, TX 77449281/599-1550 (phone)281/599-8158 (fax)[email protected]

SAINT-GOBAINAUTOVER USA, INC.3351 Southwest Blvd.Grove City, OH 43123614/801-2290 (phone)614/801-0303 (fax)[email protected]

RV GLASS

COACH GLASS98 North PolkEugene, OR 97402800/714-7171 (phone)888/714-7171 (fax)[email protected]

Information SourcesASSOCIATIONS

NATIONAL WINDSHIELDREPAIR ASSOCIATIONP.O. Box 569Garrisonville, VA 22463540/720-7484 (phone)540/720-3470 (fax)www.nwrassn.org

PUBLICATIONS

AGRR MAGAZINEKey Communications, Inc.385 Garrisonville Rd.Suite 116Stafford, VA 22554540/720-5584 (phone)540/720-5687 (fax)www.agrrmag.com

Tools and SuppliesA.N. DESIGNS INC./ULTRAWIZ®30 Norwood StreetTorrington, CT 06790860/482-2921 (phone)860/482-8585 (fax)

EQUALIZERINDUSTRIES, INC.2611 Oakmont DriveRound Rock, TX 78665512/388-7715 (phone)512/388-4188 (fax)[email protected]

WindshieldRemoval ToolEXTRACTOR/CRYSTALGLASS CANADA9508 - 45 Ave.Edmonton, AB T6E 5Y9Canada877/628-8837 (phone)780/438-5915 (fax)www.extractortools.com

WindshieldRepair ProductsDELTA KITS INC.P.O. Box 26509Eugene, OR 97402541/345-8554 (phone)800/548-8332 (toll free)541/345-1591 (fax)[email protected]

GLASS PRO SYSTEMS1116 Deanna Dr.Rockford, IL 61103815/713-4480 (phone)815/713-2030 (fax)www.glassprosystems.com

GLASWELD SYSTEMS20578 Empire Blvd.Bend, OR 97701541/388-1156 (phone)541/388-1157 (fax)www.glasweld.com

GLAZEXP.O. Box 2180Orem, UT 84059800/545-2770 (phone)800/226-6464 (fax)www.glazex.com

LIQUID RESINS/A.C.T.4295 N. Holly Rd.Olney, IL 62450618/392-3590 (phone)800/458-2098 (toll free)618/392-3202 (fax)www.liquidresins.com

REPAIR SYSTEMS & SERVICES

GLASS MEDIC7177 Northgate Way, Ste. CWesterville, OH 43082614/891-9222 (phone)614/891-9227 (fax)www.glassmedic.com

AEGIS TOOLSINTERNATIONALP.O. Box 259688Madison, WI 53725-9688608/274-9254 (phone)608/274-9395 (fax)[email protected]

WINDSHIELD REMOVAL TOOLS

A.N. DESIGNS INC./ULTRAWIZ®111 Putter LaneTorrington, CT 06790860/482-2921 (phone)860/482-8585 (fax) ■

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


To place a listing, call Janeen Mulligan at 540/720-5584,ext. 112, fax 540/720-5687 or e-mail [email protected].

• Perfect foron-the-road reference

• Ideal for internationalsubscribers

• Searchable index• Free to those in theglass industry

An electronic version of AGRR magazinedelivered right to you via e-mail

www.agrrmag.com/digital

At Your Fingertips


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A D V E R T I S I N G I N D E X


1. Please check the ONE category that BEST describes the business activity of your company:

1 � Retailer/dealer of auto glass &/or related products(repair &/or replacement).

2 � Distributor/wholesaler of auto glass &/or related products (repair &/or replacement).

3 � Manufacturer/fabricator of OE auto glass &/or related products.

4 � Manufacturer/fabricator of AGR glass &/or relatedproducts (repair &/or replacement).

2. Please check the ONE below that best describes your title and function:

A � Owner, president or other managers

B � Repair technicians/Auto glass installer

C � Technical engineers

D � Claims adjuster, agent or other insurance official

E � Others allied to the field (please specify): _______________________

3. Number of employees:

A � 1-4 B � 5-9 C � 10-19 D � 20-49 E � 50-99 F � 100+

4. Please check all organizations you are a part of:

A � IGA B � NWRA C � NGA D � None

5 � Manufacturer/fabricator of both OE & AGR glass &/or related products.

6 � Other AGR-related companies such as auto body, collision repair, fleet management or insurance companies.

7 � Others allied to the field (please specify):____________________________________

MY BUSINESS IS ENGAGED IN THE AUTO GLASSREPAIR, REPLACEMENT OR OEM INDUSTRY.

� YES � NO

� CHECK HERE TO ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO THEFREE DAILY glassBYTEsTM E-MAIL NEWSLETTER.

I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE MY SUBSCRIPTION INTHE FORM OF: (CHECK ONE)

� PRINT � DIGITAL

Subscriptions are free to all qualified recipients at U.S. addresses. Addresses outside the U.S. please add $65 per year. Digital edition is free world wide. By subscribing and signing this form, I also agree to allow publisher to contact me via fax, e-mail and/or telephone in the future.

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS ENTIRE FORM AND FAX IT TO 630/482-3003

Subscribe to for FREEor subscribe online at www.glass.com/subcenter.php

I want to start/continue my FREE SUBSCRIPTION to AGRR: � YES � NOPrint your name: ___________________________ Signature: _____________________________ Date: _________

Company: _____________________________________________ Title: ____________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________ State: __________________Zip: ________________________

Phone: ______________________ Fax: __________________ Email: ______________________________________

Page Company Phone Fax Web Address

11 A.N. Designs Inc. 866/482-2921 860/482-8585 www.ultrawiztools.com

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

10 Auto Glass Week™ 540/720-5584 540/720-5687 www.autoglassweek.com

25 Coach Glass 800/714-7171 541/393-5896 www.coachglass.com

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

13 Curved Glass Distributors 800/243-6546 203/735-3623 www.autobusglassdistributors.com

23 Delta Kits Inc. 800/548-8332 541/345-1591 www.deltakits.com

5 Dow Automotive 800/698-6246 734/697-8228 www.dowautomotiveaftermarket.com

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

9 Glass Doctor 800/280-9858 254/745-5098 www.glassdoctorfranchise.com

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

28 GlasWeld Systems 800/321-2597 541/388-1157 www.glasweld.com

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

12 Mainstreet Computers 800/698-6248 734/698-8228 www.mainstreetcomp.com

15 Northstar Automotive Glass 866/664-5262 316/269-2656 www.northstarautoglass.com

C2 Pilkington North America 866/377-3647 419/247-3821 www.epremier.net

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

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

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


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WHEN BOB BIRKHAUSER,president of AEGIS Tools In-ternational, and his wife,

Caryn, operations manager, purchaseda 35-acre farm eight years ago, theythought doing some gardening andfarming in their spare time would sim-ply be a fun pastime.

“Originally we were looking at theseagricultural opportunities as a hobby,”says Bob, who spent summers on farmsin Ohio while growing up and learned todrive a tractor before he was 10 years old.

Caryn, who was raised in New YorkCity and has a degree in agriculturaleconomics, agrees. “I was looking atsomething that was going to be relax-ing in my later years,” she says.

However, their daughters, Liz, 28,and Katie, 26, had other plans in mind.Two years ago, Liz (who also works atAEGIS during the winter months) de-cided to launch a community-sup-ported agricultural farm (CSA) on theland. She began cultivating the land andbegan planting a variety of herbs bothfor medicinal and cooking purposes,vegetables, edible flowers, and somefruits. So far they’ve planted five acres ofthe land and plan to expand that areanext year with both hops (which areused to brew beer) and mushrooms.

Liz currently has subscribers whoreceive weekly CSA boxes of producegrown on the farm. “She delivers everyThursday and has two delivery drop-offs,” says Caryn. “Each subscriber re-ceives one of those big, reusableshopping bags overflowing with food.”

Likewise, their other daughter,Katie, is in the process of moving fromher home in Olympia, Wash., to farmthe land as well. She is a plant scientistwith a background in mushrooms and

fungus-related products. After return-ing to Wisconsin, she’ll continue towork as a consultant for Planted Pro-ductions LLC on its Life Box™ project;the company develops and sells pack-ing materials infused with seeds andfungi that can be planted after use.

While the Birkhausers don’t cur-rently have any livestock on the farm,Caryn says they hope to add chickenand sheep next year. All of the crops aregrown using organic methods, andthey are in the process of obtainingcertification. They also are planning tobe a certified biodynamic farm.

“Everything at the farm must bethere for at least three purposes—torepel deer, attract pollinators, improvethe soil, etc.,” says Caryn, “It gets verycomplex, but it’s like treating the farmas a complete living system. You’re re-ally creating a community.”

The Birkhausers’ son, Steve, 22, alsohas taken an interest.

“He worked at a landscape companyand he’s going back to school for con-struction management. He’ll also takeclasses on farm equipment mainte-nance,” says Caryn.

And now that all three of their chil-dren are involved, the Birkhausers saytheir hobby has become a secondbusiness of sorts, and they’ve namedthe farm “Birch House Farms LLC” (asBirkhauser means “birch house” inGerman).

“When we got started, this didn’thave to work economically,” says Bob.“It was just something we had aroundus, and now that the kids are involvedit has to work.”

And the Birkhausers are no strangersto family business; Bob’s parents,Robert and Bette, founded Auto GlassSpecialists (known for its “Little RedTruck” branding), and Bob invented hisown windshield repair system—andlaunched AEGIS—in 1982. ■

A v o c a t i o n sl i f e be yond the au to g l a s s bu s i n e s s

A Family AffairThe Birkhausers, AEGIS Tools International

AEGIS Tools president Bob Birkhauser(right) and his family, including hisdaughter, Liz (far right), grow avariety of fruits and vegetables.



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The Choice of Glass Professionals Worldwide!View product demonstrations at www.aegistools.com

1-888-247-6000 toll-free in U.S. and Canada

The Choice of Glass Professionals Worldwide!View product demonstrations at www.aegistools.com

1-888-247-6000 toll-free in U.S. and Canada

NEED TOOLS?NEED TOOLS?Think AEGIS® for Great Products, Service & ValueThink AEGIS® for Great Products, Service & Value


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November/December 2010 Volume 12 • Issue 6Volume 12 ... · glass bonding systems EZKits from Dow...

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Transcript of November/December 2010 Volume 12 • Issue 6Volume 12 ... · glass bonding systems EZKits from Dow...