National News

CIECAhas announced the formation of a new Standards Development Committee focused on electric vehicles (EVs) and electric batteries. The committee will be chaired by Frank Phillips, senior manager of Certified Collision North America for Rivian; Jake Rodenroth, North American body repair program operations manager for Lucid Motors; and Ginny Whelan, senior consultant for the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA).

The first meeting is March 1. All industry stakeholders, including CIECA and non-CIECA members, are invited to ...

Shops, suppliers and other collision industry businesses around the country constantly lodge complaints about the lack of qualified help entering the workforce, but the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) works hard to connect businesses with future employees.

Half a dozen High School & College Transportation Student Career Fairs have already been scheduled this spring from coast to coast, providing industry employers with an ideal opportunity to get acquainted with thousands of incoming industry professionals.

“CREF’s Career Fairs offer a great forum for connecting collision industry employers with hundreds of students who have trained for entry-level positions and are prepared to begin their careers,” said CREF Program Manager Tiffany

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) announced a record 20 new recipients to receive its 2023 WIN College Student Tuition and Conference Scholarship Awards.

These scholarships are presented annually to deserving students enrolled in a post-secondary collision repair technology program. This year, WIN expanded its signature scholarship program, continuing its tradition of financially supporting women and girls who demonstrate a desire to excel in the field of collision repair.

The expansion was designed to attract more students and increase the number of awards, starting with doubling the award rate this year and enabling a variety of students to grow in their collision repair career journey. As part of the application process, each WIN Scholarship applicant

Join CIECAand the collision industry at the 15th annual CIECA conference---CONNEX 2023.

The event is being held Sept. 12-13 at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton in Bloomington, IL, and will include:

• Insightful and high-profile business and technical speakers
• Networking opportunities with all industry segments
• An NABCRecycled Rides® vehicle gifting
• A private factory tour of CIECA member Rivian's EV plant
• CIECA's Open Annual Meeting and Board Meeting

The theme of the conference this year is “Connected Car, Connected Industry." All industry stakeholders, including CIECA members and non-members, are invited to attend.

Registration

Juwan Willis Sr., a National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certified automotive technician from Pontiac, MI, was honored with the Byrl Shoemaker/ASE Education Foundation Instructor of the Year award, presented in late 2022 at the ASE Board of Governors meeting in San Diego, CA.

“Juwan, who is an automotive instructor and the four-campus program teacher leader at Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast in Pontiac, is one of the outstanding ASE Certified professionals recognized annually by different segments of the automotive service and repair industry,” said Tim Zilke, president and CEO of ASE.

Zilke, along with Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation, and Brad

The CAACapitol chapter held a successful meeting Jan. 10 in Sacramento, CA, featuring a presentation from the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR.)

With many auto body shop owners, managers and employees in attendance, the topic of storage was discussed.

During the Q&A many issues were addressed such as when a shop can begin charging storage fees, what is considered a “reasonable” storage fee, how and when a lien arises and more.

A copy of the presentation given by Matt Gibson of the BAR can be found here.

Source: CAA

Following the huge success of the inaugural Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show in 2022, the auto body associations of Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota and the Iowa Collision Repair Association are doubling the size of the event for 2023. 

The 2023 Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show and Conference will be held May 19-20 in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS, again at the Overland Park Convention Center. 

To register, go to www.midwesttradeshow.org. 

Co-coordinators Janet Chaney and Gina Cotton, who manage the associations involved in hosting the Midwest Show, were thrilled with the success of the

In 2022, the National Auto Body Council® and its members fulfilled their mantra of “Changing and Saving Lives” by gifting more than 300 refurbished vehicles to people in need of reliable transportation.

Veterans, military families, single mothers and more received vehicles donated by NABC member insurance carriers and rental car agencies, refurbished by collision repair centers and technical schools, and gifted to recipients who were nominated by local charities all across the country.

Through the NABC Recycled Rides program, members can give back to their local communities and support those less fortunate by providing them with one of the most important assets a person needs after housing---a vehicle. For those overcoming challenging personal situations, fighting

Avid golfers from the collision repair industry and local Southern California businesses had an opportunity to tee it up in the desert sunshine at Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort on Jan. 17 for the annual NABC® Palm Springs Pars for Cars Golf Fundraiser, presented by Hertz, all part of NABC Day.

Each year, the NABC and its member partners raise funds to support hundreds of NABC Recycled Rides® car presentations to those in need, NABC F.R.E.E.™ education programs for first responders, and NABC® Drive Out Distraction programs that keep thousands of drivers safe on the road.

When the scores were tallied, just two shots separated the winners, and second and third had to be settled in a scorecard playoff. Winners of the event included:

Knowing how important it is to start the year off with one’s house in order, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) set out to make sure its members have the best information available on how to be OSHA compliant, by inviting Bob Plett of American Compliance Systems to review requirements during its January membership meeting, held virtually.

Keeping a collision repair business afloat in this challenging and ever-changing industry is complicated enough without the stress of OSHA or other compliance handlers surprisingly knocking on your shop’s door. Fines and penalties can be costly and could send a shop into serious financial debt. But these potential visits don’t have to be a threat if one has all their records

Sun Hong of HL Mandohas been appointed to CAWA’s Manufacturers Advisory Council. 

“We are pleased to have Sun join our leadership team and contribute to our discussions of current and future industry issues," said Young Suhr Jr., chair of the Board of Directors. “We look forward to his participation and contributions which will assist the association in achieving its goals as an effective and valuable automotive aftermarket industry organization."

Hong is the chief operating officer of HL Mando’s Aftermarket North America, with more than 25 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket. In his current role, he is responsible for the overall business strategy of HL Mando’s Aftermarket North

What is success? Success is defined as reaching a goal or accomplishing one’s purpose. For the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), that purpose is to “support collision repair educational programs, schools and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities.” 

And based on that purpose, it’s fair to say CREF enjoyed a lot of successes in 2022, with more than $12 million in support distributed.

“CREF is incredibly proud of everything we accomplished last year…and we accomplished a LOT,” said CREF Managing Director Brandon Eckenrode. “From school grants to scholarships to representation at various events around the country to raise awareness of the many wonderful opportunities

The ongoing technician shortage poses a problem for many collision repair facilities around the country, and while most can agree the resolution begins with the youth who will become the industry’s future, students often struggle to pay post-secondary tuition.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) attempts to address some of those funding concerns through its Student Scholarship awards.

In order to be eligible for the foundation’s scholarships, applicants must visit a collision industry business---shops, suppliers, paint companies or any other segment---and CREF urges industry organizations to participate in

The National Auto Body Council® (NABC) announced Jan. 11 it has named Deborah Robinson as the executive director for the organization.

Robinson, who has served the NABC as head of marketing and public relations as president of Victory Management Group since 2017, was selected in a unanimous decision by the NABC Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the role after an extensive search process.

“I am honored to continue serving the National Auto Body Council and its members in a new role as the executive director,” said Robinson. “I admire the members and the work they do in giving back to their communities, and look forward to continuing the momentum of the NABC in changing and saving lives every day.”

Robinson brings deep

The CAAis pleased to provide its members with all labor rate surveys available from the California Department of Insurance.

The CAA website has been updated as of Jan. 1 and includes new surveys from GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Sentryand USAA.

After logging in to the CAA website, all Labor Rate Surveys can be found under the "Labor Rate Surveys" link.

If you are a CAA member but have not signed up on the website, you can do so through the "Sign Up" button on the top left of the homepage banner, or call our state office for assistance at 916-557-8100 ext.1. Once registered, you will have access to all of the CAA's

Auto Care Alliance has partnered with Eliteto offer online sales training for service advisors. Elite is offering a benefits package valued at more than $300 to ACA member shops who are new to the program.

Each ACA member that signs on with Elite's Sales Master University will receive a full year of access to 16 lessons taught by Ratchet & Wrench All-Star Award winner Jen Monclus, including quizzes and activities to improve retention and accountability, and quality content developed by America's top shop owners and service advisors with real-world applications that can be implemented immediately, ensuring consistent and profitable sales cycles.

"Sales training is an important cornerstone to a successful repair facility.

The winter registration period for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence(ASE) for testing and recertification is now open at ASE.com.

Those service professionals registering by the end of the winter testing period on March 31 will have 90 days to schedule an appointment to take their selected ASE tests. ASE offers three options for taking certification or recertification tests.

1. ASE in-person testing is available throughout the year and is conducted days, nights and weekends at more than 450 secured, proctored Prometric test centers.

2. Those with unexpired automobile certifications (A1-A9) can use the ASE renewal app for recertification, making it easy

The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey’s (AASP/NJ) flagship event, the NORTHEAST® Automotive Services Show, has been named to the prestigious Top 100 Trade Shows in the U.S. list by Trade Show Executive magazine.

Trade Show Executive magazine’s Gold 100 honoree list recognizes the top trade shows across all industries that set a gold standard in 2021 by managing to prevail among challenges set forth by the pandemic. Other honorees named include SEMAand AAPEX.

“There are close to 13,000 trade shows annually in the United States, so we are deeply honored that NORTHEAST has been included in TSE’s Gold 100,” said Alicia Figurelli, senior vice president of Thomas Greco Publishing, the

At any moment, someone in the collision repair industry could be impacted by a natural disaster or other catastrophic event.

“If that were to happen, the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) ensures that others in our industry will be there in support,” said CIF President Michael Quinn, who is also president of AirPro Diagnostics. “We help each other, we look after each other, and we connect the industry.”

Prior to the creation of CIF in 2001, members of the collision industry rallied donations and volunteers to perform works that would benefit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald House. Although their efforts were successful, Quinn said they were the result of the work of a small group

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists(SCRS) is pleased to announce a renewed commitment from the Oklahoma Auto Body Association (OKABA) to reestablish its affiliate association membership, as part of the national network.

OKABA originally joined SCRS as an affiliate association in 2002. Twenty years later, the Oklahoma-based association officially relaunched on Dec. 9, after a several-year hiatus and months of rebuilding efforts to create a reinvigorated association and board of directors.

OKABA’s objectives are to serve the small businesses and the motoring public in Oklahoma through leadership, education and initiatives that uplift the professionalism and business conditions of those engaged in our state’s collision industry.

“I’ve had the

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
Published Dec. 28, 2022

SEMAand PRImust share that despite strong Congressional backing and extraordinary support from the racing community, the 2021–22 Congressional session is ending without passage of the RPM Act.

Key negotiators in Congress could not reach an agreement on bill language that balanced the need for federal law to protect racers and motorsports parts businesses from EPA enforcement with reasonable measures to ensure race parts are not used on vehicles driven on roads and public highways.

The RPM Act made incredible progress in the 2021–22 session of Congress. In addition to more than 1.5 million letters advocating for the RPM Act from the grassroots motorsports community to

Early December brought the loss of two longtime members, supporters and friends of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) with the passing of Jack Wilson, former owner of Coury’s Auto Body in Toms River, NJ, and Sebastiano “Sal” Failla of Sal’s Auto Body in Green Brook, NJ.

Wilson passed away Dec. 5 at the age of 68. Wilson was the prior owner of Coury’s Auto Body and a past vice president of an organization that he assisted in starting to address the problems of the collision shops in that area, which ultimately turned into the Ocean County Chapter of AASP/NJ. He retired with his wife to Florida, where they enjoyed living along Jupiter Inlet and made many new friends.

Wilson’s

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has announced its award winners for 2022.

“We want to congratulate all of the award winners and wish them continued success in their respective careers,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “We had a tremendous group of nominees, and they all were deserving of this recognition.”

• Big O Tires/ASE Automobile Technician of the Year: Steven Whittenberg, Jefferson City, MO
• BMW/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Michael Hanson, Shelby Township, MI
• BodyShop Business/ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish Technician of the Year: Thomas

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) on Dec. 16 announced a new member benefit being offered in partnership with partslink24, an SCRS Company Member.

partslink24 is a web portal for direct access to more than 15 premium OEM part catalogs, including Audi, Porsche, BMW, Land Rover and more. The premium part catalogs provide parts information, OE illustrations, parts mapping to VIN, an intelligent search function, vehicle data, paint codes, vehicle options, equipment and the ability to order genuine parts online from authorized dealers.

SCRS members will receive:

• Six months of free access to partslink24
• After the six-month free trial, SCRS

As the collision industry mourned the passing of Jeff Silver, who was instrumental in creating both I-CAR and the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), his family immediately recognized the best way to honor his memory and continue his long-lasting legacy on the industry he loved: by creating the Jeff Silver Memorial Scholarship.

“Jeff was passionate about helping collision school programs and their students, which is why he had an active role in establishing the Collision Repair Education Foundation back in 1991,” said Jeanne Silver, his wife and soulmate of 36 years. “This memorial scholarship will allow his vision to carry on in supporting these students. Thank you in advance for considering helping honor Jeff’s

The Auto Care Association on Dec. 13 announced sponsorship opportunities are now available for its May 2023 Auto Care Connect event experience.

This is the second year the Auto Care Association will be hosting this premier in-person event that brings together four of the association’s signature spring events to one location, in one week.  

Auto Care Connect is the Auto Care Association’s largest spring industry event that brought together more than 750 attendees in 2022 to maximize networking, collaboration and educational opportunities for enhanced industry connections.  

Sponsorship opportunities for the co-located events of Auto Care Connect will span:  

• ACPN

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) now offers three ways for service professionals to take certification or recertification tests.

1. ASE in-person testing is available throughout the year and is conducted days, nights and weekends at more than 450 secured, proctored Prometric test centers. 

2. Those with unexpired automobile certifications (A1-A9) can use the ASE renewal app for recertification, making it easy to extend the expiration date of their ASE certifications without having to take time off or go to a secure test center for testing.

3. ASE now offers ProProctor remote testing as an online recertification solution for all ASE recertifications tests, excluding L1 and L2 tests.

Those service professionals

WIN(The Women’s Industry Network) opened registration for its 2023 Annual Educational Conference, May 1 -3, 2023, to be held at the WESTIN San Antonio Riverwalk, in San Antonio, TX.

Themed “Reimaging Tomorrow,” attendees will see this reflected throughout the agenda of the three-day event that brings education, connection and celebration to collision industry professionals each year.

“For our 2023 Educational Conference this year, we ask our members to join us for three days of industry learning, mentorship, celebration and community giveback,” said Yolanda Sandor, Conference Committee co-chair. “Unlike the past two years where we had virtual and hybrid conferences, we truly look forward to hosting everyone in one fantastic venue again, where

Rob Payne of the Automotive Parts Associates has been appointed to CAWA’s Board of Directors.

“I am excited to announce that Rob Payne of the Automotive Parts Associates is joining the CAWA Board of Directors," said Michael Rukov, chair of the Board of Directors. "I look forward to Rob’s participation and contributions to CAWA in assisting the association in achieving its goals as an effective and valuable automotive care industry organization."

Payne is director of product for Automotive Parts Associates (APA), with more than 25 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket. In his position at APA, he is responsible for the management of supplier relationships and overall product strategy. He is also actively

More than 60 years ago, Enterprisefounder Jack Taylor established his rental business in neighborhoods, while so many competitors were focusing on airport rentals.

Over the last six decades, Enterprise has evolved the replacement vehicle rental business to get customers back on the road as seamlessly as possible.

Enterprise continues to work very closely with its partners across the insurance and collision industries to increase collaboration and optimize the customer experience when a vehicle rental or replacement is needed after a car accident or during vehicle repair.

What began with a small fleet of cars in 1957 has expanded to a network of mobility solutions and a fleet of more than 2.1 million vehicles serving customers in more than