Auto Body Shop Owner Richard ‘Pinkey’ Feest is 98 and Still Going Strong

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published June 06, 2022

If you want to live a long and healthy life, consult Richard “Pinkey” Feest, the enigmatic owner of Pinkey’s Capital Auto Body in Milwaukee, WI.

He’s 98 and still works 40 to 50 hours every week at the auto body shop he established in 1956.

When Feest entered the industry, there were no DRPs, self-driving cars were something out of sci-fi movies and the average body tech was earning $10 to $15

After the Donation: Veteran’s Donated Car Enables Her to ‘Pay It Forward’

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published June 06, 2022

When deserving people get fully refurbished vehicles from auto body shops, whether MSOs or independents, it is always a major win-win for the industry and the community.

...

Capture the Keys Uses Geofencing to Find Customers in the Right Place at the Right Time

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published May 31, 2022

Thomas Zoebelein, owner of Stratosphere Studio in Bel Air, MD, creates marketing concepts for auto body shops well-known for pushing the envelope.

His latest product is Capture the Keys, a software product that can target and pinpoint potential customers who have physically visited competing shops. It’s totally legal and

Heidi Foster at Crash Champions is In It to Win It

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published May 11, 2022

Heidi Foster has been fighting battles her entire life.

She went up against the best as a Division I college softball star athlete, entered an industry where she wasn’t initially embraced and, two years ago, experienced a stroke that would have sidelined many people permanently.

It’s fitting that Foster now has a leadership position as vice president of operations for the Mountain Region at a company called Crash Champions,

Day Job/Night Job: She Sold Her Auto Body Shop to Become an Artist

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published May 10, 2022

In the world of collision repair, there are a ton of multi-talented people doing other things when they’re not repairing vehicles.

I would bet the average customer does not realize the tech, painter or estimator working on their car is a musician, artist, actor, writer, movie director---even the owner of a champion Frisbee dog! I have enjoyed interviewing these mega-talented individuals since I started this column in 2008 when I ...

Collision Repair Industry Consultant Won’t Let Health Issues Stop Him

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published May 10, 2022

What happens when your body starts to fail you, but your mind is as sharp as ever? Do you quit or do you re-invent yourself?

This is a question many people in every industry---including collision repair---have to answer at some point in their careers, but it usually when approaching retirement.

Chis Maimone has had to face these life-changing issues at the young age of 38 due to some serious health issues requiring

Tesla Giga Fest at Giga Texas: Attendance Figures, Time, Other Details Revealed

Tesla’s Giga Fest at Gigafactory Texas is officially set for April 7, and new documents released March 8 reveal the plans for the event, including attendance figures, time and other details.

The eventwill start at 4 p.m. and end at midnight, according to new documents from Travis County Commissioner’s Court. The eventwill celebrate the opening of Tesla Gigafactory Texas, the

Tony and Isabel Flores opened Tony’s Body Shop in Oxnard, CA, in 1965. Considered to be hard-working business people by their friends and family, the couple taught their children good work ethics from an early age.

Their son, Jay, found they were struggling financially and began working at the small mom-and-pop shop after graduating from college. He now operates the family business with his wife, Evelyn, their children, Jayson, Jaycob and Jasmine, Jay’s older sister, Maria, and his cousin, Adrian.

The family business is located about two miles from where it originally opened more than 50 years ago, and the

Members of the collision industry recently had an opportunity to tour the DCR Systems location in Mentor, OH, prior to the July Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Cleveland.

Founded in 2004 and owned by CEO Michael Giarrizzo, DCR Systems is known for its progressive thinking and operating in a process-centered environment.

The company helps dealerships outsource their auto body shops by having DCR team members run daily operations while being co-branded with the auto dealer. Currently, DCR Systems operates nine production cells in seven dealer-based collision repair facilities in four states: Ohio, New York, North Carolina and Massachusetts.

The tour was sponsored by AirPro Diagnostics, AkzoNobel and

Nearly eight months ago, Mitch Barrett was researching spray guns as the head painter at Santa Margarita Auto Body in California. He learned about the 3M™ Performance Spray Gun from Stan Ehresmann, a regional business manager at 3M.

“He encouraged me to try it and wanted to know what I thought,” said Barrett. “I’ve used it every day since then.”

In addition to being cost-effective, Barrett said ease of use and dependability are of the utmost importance when choosing a spray gun, and the 3M gun meets both those requirements.

“This gun is great,” said Barrett. “You can feel comfortable while using it and you don’t feel like anything is going to go wrong. It’s my ‘go to’ gun.”

Since the early 20th century, steel has been the material of choice by auto manufacturers worldwide. Almost every vehicle model has been designed using steel due to its strength, cost-effectiveness, workability and availability.

“Automakers are now moving away from the use of mild steel, which was a core substrate used for automotive construction for a long time,” said Ryan Mandell, director, Claims Performance, Auto Physical Damage Solutions for Mitchell International.

Instead, OEMs are increasingly using lightweight materials such as aluminum, high-strength steel, ultra-high-strength steel and plastic.

Ryan Mandell, director, Claims Performance, Auto Physical Damage

Train Carrying Ford F-150s, Transits Derails in Missouri

If you are waiting for your brand new Ford F-150 to be delivered, we have bad news.

A serious number of F-150s and Transits were totaled in a train accident in northeastern Missouri the first week of August. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, according to a statement released by the Missouri Highway Patrol and brought to our attention by our colleagues at The Drive.

The exact details surrounding the rail crash are not known at the moment, though it is known the derailed train is currently blocking a local road in Ralls County. Judging by the available photos, it will likely take at least a few days for the authorities to clean up the mess.

The Drive reports the

'Car Guy,' Actor Mark Wahlberg Talks About Opening Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Avon in Ohio

Actor Mark Wahlberg has always wanted to be in the car business.

Now, along with his film career and multiple other business ventures under his belt, Wahlberg and business partner/car dealer Jay Feldman have added the newly christened Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Avon to their portfolio.

Wahlberg and Feldman, who owns The Jay Feldman Automotive Group of 15 dealerships in the metro Detroit area, added the former Joe Firment Chevrolet on Chester Road to their four existing Columbus-area car dealerships this week. The dealership celebrated its grand opening under the new branding July

Texas Police Puts 'Ghost Camaros' Into Action to Catch Reckless Drivers

It's an all-too-common occurrence. Someone is speeding a little too fast and suddenly they see a hard-to-miss police car. They stop in their tracks and slow down just in time. But what if they couldn't spot the police car?

Houston, TX-area Harris Country Sheriff's Office has a new fleet of cars and instead of the usual clear writing, the vehicles are equipped with ghost decals that blend into the cars' paint, making it difficult to spot on the road, reported CHRON. They also don't have the top emergency light.

According to the Harris County Sherriff's Office, the ghost decals are meant "to support our multi-pronged efforts to get dangerous drivers off our

Feral Cat Joins the Crew at Northern California Body Shop

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published June 9, 2021

When I started covering the collision repair industry 15 years ago, I was writing for an automotive publication where the editor didn’t like pets or animals in general.

I began noticing many shops---both collision and mechanical---had animal mascots, mostly dogs. Since I love animals more than Dr. Doolittle, I would often include a picture of a shop’s dog mascot with one of my stories.

This particular editor would invariably crop them out. “We are not Pet

Auto Body Shop Paint Booth Builder Cleans Up with Lottery Ticket Bought in VA

As part of his work building paint booths for auto body shops, Brian Jasper needed to pick up some dishwashing detergent.

He was working on a job in the Fredericksburg, VA, area, so he went by the Royal Farms store at 5301 Jefferson Davis Highway.

Along with the soap, he bought a ticket for the Virginia Lottery game Commonwealth. A few moments later, when he scratched the ticket in his truck, he immediately saw this was no ordinary ticket.

“I saw all the zeros, and it blew my mind!” he told Virginia Lottery officials. “I’ve never won something like this before!”

Commonwealth is one of dozens of Scratchers available from the

Giles County, TN, Auto Body Shop Owner Remembered as Authorities Investigate Possible Homicide

Giles County, TN, business owner James "Jim" Grimes, 62, is being mourned as authorities continue to investigate his death as a homicide.

The Giles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed officers were dispatched to the scene of a residence at the 6000 block of Buford Station Road in Lynnville, TN, where Grimes was shot and killed April 19.

Grimes was the owner of Auto Body Advantage collision repair shops in both Spring Hill and Thompson's Station.

He was a well-respected businessman and involved in helping the community, local business leaders say.

Grimes had attended a board meeting at The Well Outreach,

Florida Trans Am Shop Burns

Written by Steven Symes, Motorious

Fire claimed two classic cars at Trans Am Specialties of Florida during the final weekend of March.

It broke out in the middle of the night, but thankfully the owner was able to push several Pontiac Trans Ams outside before they too were lost. Even better, nobody was hurt in the blaze.

Despite the good news, the loss of a Pontiac Trans Am which was personally owned by the late Burt Reynolds is tragic. With the "Smokey and the Bandit" actor gone, and the impact the actor had on the Trans Am community, having one of the few connections to him destroyed is too much.

The shop didn’t release

NY Officials Announce Convictions of Long Island Auto Repair Shops for Tax Evasion

New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Michael Schmidt on March 26 announced the guilty pleas of two Long Island auto repair shops and their owner for tax evasion.

Broadway Towing, Inc. and Broadway Auto & Towing, Inc. pleaded guilty to criminal tax fraud for underreporting more than $8 million in taxable sales over a 10-year period. The owner of both shops---Luis Crespo, 53 of Freeport---additionally pleaded guilty to petit larceny.

As part of their pleas, the defendants agreed to repay the state of New York more than $900,000 in restitution,

DMV Arrests 3 Las Vegas Men in Connection with Illegal Lien Scam

Nevada officials with the Department of Motor Vehicles have arrested three Las Vegas men accused of a lien sale scam involving five vehicles.

Yousef Hammoudeh, 61, Suleiman Showbaki, 36, and Eric Brambila, 46, were arrested in mid-March in connection with a scam involving the five cars, including two “high-end exotic vehicles,” which combined are worth more than $328,000, according to a news release from the department.

Showbaki is the owner of S & M Auto Body, a paint and car repair business in the northeast Las Vegas Valley, the department said. Brambila is the owner of Sharp Transmissions, a repair shop in North

Proposed California Bill Erroneously Includes Body Shops

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published February 4, 2021

Every year at this time, Jack Molodanof, a registered lobbyist for the California Autobody Association (CAA) and president of Molodanof Government Relations in Sacramento, CA, begins the process of reviewing hundreds of proposed bills.

He needs to identify the ones that can potentially affect the collision repair industry, either positively or, more importantly, negatively.

One particular bill, introduced by Assemblymember

Body Shop Owner Triples Advertising Budget During Pandemic

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published May 7, 2020

Bob Juniper, owner of Three-C Body Shop, Inc. in Columbus, OH, has always been a strong believer in marketing and advertising.

While many shops all over the country are abandoning much of its marketing during these uncertain times, Juniper is tripling his budget from 5% to a full 15%. That’s right---he is spending an unprecedented amount of money on advertising even with an uncertain immediate future for his shop and his crew.

History

Dean Seif, owner of CARSTAR Allstar Collision in Corona, CA, was named the 2019 Citizen of the Year by the CORONA Chamber of Commerce.

The local businessman and philanthropist was recognized Feb. 6 during an awards ceremony held at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona. This is the 109th year the chamber has recognized individuals and local businesses.

“I was absolutely honored to receive the Citizen of the Year award by the CORONA Chamber of Commerce,” said Seif, who has been involved with the chamber for the last 15 years. “I feel special.”

Bobby Spiegel, president and CEO of the CORONA chamber, said Seif has an excellent background in creating processes.

“To open a business, it takes more than financial stability; it takes

Family Tragedy Turns into Miracle for Body Shop Family

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published April 6, 2020

If you’ve ever been in the Minneapolis area, you’ve likely heard of Schoonover Bodyworks and Glass in Shoreview, MN, which recently celebrated its 82nd anniversary.

When this third-generation business opened its doors in 1938, Packards and Buicks were popular with drivers, while a new car named the Volkswagen Beetle hit the market.

Owner Mike Schoonover’s grandfather began the business. Mike's dad took it over in

Longtime Dealership Parts Director Retiring After Building a Powerhouse Department

Written by Abby Andrews, Autobody News
PublishedMarch 6, 2020

In 1970, Rick Stewart was a recent high school graduate who took a job as a parts delivery driver for a local Ford dealership, thinking it was a temporary gig.

Instead, Stewart climbed the ranks and now, five decades later, he is the parts director for Commonwealth Dodge in Louisville, KY, just now contemplating leaving the parts department---if his boss will let him.

“He can’t retire,

Steele Auto Group Expands into the U.S.

Steele Auto Group has announced the acquisition of its first U.S. dealership, Luling Chevrolet Buick GMC in Luling, TX.

“We have been planning to establish a foothold in the Austin-San Antonio area and are excited to have a presence here. This is a great, well-run dealership,” said Rob Steele, chief executive officer of Steele Auto, which has 40 dealerships in Eastern Canada, and now one in the U.S.

Carroll Barron, longtime owner of Luling Chevrolet, said he wanted to thank his customers and employees for their loyalty over the years.

“We are confident the Steele team will continue to deliver quality customer service,” said Barron.

Just over two decades ago, Marlene Spence entered the Autobody Repair & Paint Program at Honolulu Community College in 1997 and earned an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree two years later.

Fast forward to 2020, and Spence is now teaching as a lecturer in that same program to help train the technicians of the future.

When prospective collision repair students ask Spence about the importance of attending an auto body program, she tells them that it will provide the knowledge they need to work at a body shop.

“If they come to college, they won’t have to start as the guy who sweeps the shop or washes the car or moves the car,” said Spence. “Instead, they can start with an entry technician position with better pay.”

This is

Sixty years ago, John (J.T.) Whaley opened a small body shop in Nashville, TN, which he named Whaley Body Shop.

Although John retired in 1981, the business has remained in the family ever since and prides itself on offering quality repair work to its customers.

Autobody News spoke to Linda Whaley, owner of Whaley Body Shop, about how the business has survived tough economic times and retained its employees.

Q: How did you get involved in the business, Linda?

A: When John sold the business to his son Gary, who I was married to at the time, I began working at the shop. It was the early 1980s; we had two small kids and I worked part-time. Interest rates were very high, and we were going through

After the Donation: CA Veteran’s Benevolence Car Helps Her in Time of Need

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published July 11, 2018

When deserving people get cars from body shops, either MSOs or independents, it is always a win-win for the industry and the community.

In this series, we will follow up to find out how these vehicles have helped these deserving people pursue their dreams and achieve their goals after they received their cars.

In 2016, Army Reserve Veteran TeJae Dunnivant and her son, Asad, received a 2014 VW Jetta from

Earlier this year, industry veteran David Caulfield opened Fix Auto Anaheim North in Anaheim, CA, using an innovative business model.

Caulfield has been in the collision repair industry since 1975, working every aspect of the trade from the bottom-up.

In 1988, he opened his first body shop in Orange County, CA—East Hills Auto Collision—which eventually grew to include three locations and became part of the Fix Auto franchise. Last year, Caulfield sold his interest in the business and opened Fix Auto Anaheim North, a 23,500-square-foot facility that focuses on heavier collision repair work.

Caulfield recently shared information with Autobody News about the processes he uses at Fix Auto Anaheim North---his specialized