Original One Parts™ Merges with Headlights Depot

PublishedJuly 10, 2023

Original One Parts, LLC, a portfolio company of private equity firm Kinderhook Industries, LLC, announced its merger with Headlights Depot.

Serving the auto collision industry, Original One Parts operates out of two warehouse and remanufacturing facilities in Texas and Maryland. With its nine strategically located distribution centers supplying business and consumer customers, Headlights Depot adds to Original One's capability to deliver a robust product line of reconditioned, recycled and aftermarket headlights and taillights to both collision professionals and consumers anywhere in the U.S. quickly and

CA Governor Gets $180 Billion Climate Package Approval

By Ria Roebuck Joseph, The Center Square
Published July 10, 2023

The California Senate on July 6 approved Gov. Gavin Newsom's package of up to $180 billion in clean infrastructure, with funds to be disbursed over the next decade. The action is expected to yield 400,000 construction jobs.

The governor’s package, guided by the final report, is a blueprint for regulation changes and steps for various sectors to promote climate action and develop the required infrastructure to support California’s climate goals.

Funding will come from the state’s budget, the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction

More Electric School Buses on the Way in CA with $150M in Grants

By Ria Roebuck Joseph, The Center Square
Published July 10, 2023

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) are collaborating to transition school districts from diesel dependent school buses to green energy alternatives. 

The initiative is a partnership to use $150 million in the state budget to award funding to public school districts who apply to the program in an effort to transition to zero emissions bus technology. 

The California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) funds vouchers for the purchase of zero emissions trucks and buses and has a

Criminal Penalties for Car Thieves Toughen in NJ

Written by Christian Wade, The Center Square
Published July 10, 2023

New Jersey is trying to shake its old reputation as the "car theft capital of the nation" with a new bill that toughens criminal sanctions for auto theft and permits prosecutors to seek harsher sentences.

A package of bills were signed by Gov. Phil Murphy earlier in July, including creating new charges for stealing or receiving a stolen vehicle and updating sentencing guidelines to provide longer prison terms for individuals with multiple convictions for auto theft. It also makes it a crime to possess vehicle master keys and software that can be used to steal

David Simms Elected CAWA's 2024 Secretary to the Board of Directors

PublishedJuly 10, 2023

At the CAWA June Leadership & Educational Forum, David Simms, a NAPAmulti store owner, was elected the 2024 secretary to the Board of Directors. 

Other officers for the 2024 year include Chair Tom Ogaz of the Parts Authority, Vice-Chair Wayne Schaack of the Pronto Network, Treasurer Dan Hanson Jr.of Hanson Distributing Company and Immediate Past Chair Young Suhr Jr.of APW-Knox Seeman Warehouse.

Shortly after purchasing a small auto parts store 12 years ago, Simms

Toyota Auto Insurance Expands to Colorado, Georgia, Oregon

PublishedJuly 10, 2023

Toyota Auto Insurance, the automaker's branded insurance product, is now available to customers residing in the states of Colorado, Georgia and Oregon. 

Introduced to select markets in 2021, Toyota Auto Insurance offers customers quality, customizable coverage at affordable rates. Now, Toyota Auto Insurance customers in the Centennial State, the Peach State and the Beaver State will be able to receive an immediate upfront discount and may be able to save even more with good driver, good student or multipolicy discounts.

Toyota Auto Insurance offers consumers a quick, easy and flexible policy purchase process via

Classic Collision Adds New Location in Fridley, MN 

PublishedJuly 7, 2023

Classic Collision, LLC, announced a new closing July 7, the acquisition of a Maacofranchise in Fridley, MN. 

The owners have provided their customers an easy, affordable and hassle-free experience for many years. 

“Our mission has been to be the reliable choice in collision repair and provide excellent customer service and I believe that Classic Collision will uphold that mission,” said Andy McClure, former owner of Maaco Fridley Franchise. 

“We’re honored to welcome the Maaco Fridley team to the Classic family. We recognize their dedication to excellent customer

New Florida Law in Effect for Out-of-State Driver's License Classes

Written by Steve Wilson, The Center Square
Published July 7, 2023

Driver's license classes in five states have been singled out as no longer valid in Florida, in accordance with legislation that took effect July 1.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 presidential candidate, said July 6 the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has published a list of classes by state which are invalid because people living in or entering the country illegally can obtain them in Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Vermont or Hawaii.

Senate Bill 1718 prohibits issuing driver’s licenses to anyone without proof of lawful

Nick’s Auto Body Opens in Ohio

Written by Kelcey Norris, Mahoning Matters
Published July 7, 2023

Nick’s Auto Body celebrated a grand opening at its newest location, its first shop in Mahoning County, OH. This automotive repair shop’s employees are all ASEcertified, specializing in repairing cars after collisions. 

In operation since 1960, it's a direct repair facility already detailing cars in Pennsylvania at its New Castle and Clarion locations. Chief Operating Officer Marcus Cook said they hope to gain the respect of everyone in Mahoning County as they continue carrying on the family-owned business.

According to its website, the shop is a National Auto Body

Northwood University Names New Aftermarket Industry Chair

PublishedJuly 7, 2023

Northwood University in Midland, MI, has named Dr. Thomas Litzinger, an accomplished high-performing executive with more than 30 years of aftermarket industry experience, its new industry chair of aftermarket education.

"Dr. Thomas Litzinger has already made an impressive impact as executive director of the University of the Aftermarketand in the classroom. With Thomas now leading our academic aftermarket program, Northwood looks forward to further gains in serving the emerging talent needs of this important sector of our economy," said Dr. Kristin Stehouwer, academic vice president and provost of

Nissan to Build 2 Electric Sedans at Mississippi Plant

Written by Dan Mihalascu, InsideEVs
Published July 7, 2023

Nissanis transforming its plant in Canton, MS, for the electric age. The company has pledged $500 million to remake the facility into its North American hub for EV production.

The plant has produced more than 5 million gasoline-powered trucks, crossovers and vans since it opened in spring 2003. Two decades later, the 4.7 million-square-foot site is being prepared to build electric vehicles.

By mid-decade, production will begin on the first of several battery-electric vehicles for the Nissan and Infinitibrands.

"Canton will be North America's electrification hub

Volkswagen Rolls Out Autonomous Driving Test Program in TX

Written by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Published July 7, 2023

Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) on July 6 implemented an autonomous driving vehicle test program in Austin, TX.

“We are thrilled to bring our exciting ID. Buzz vehicles to American roads," said Pablo Di Si, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America.

The program will conduct tests using VW ID.Buzz units outfitted with autonomous driving technology from Volkswagen’s partnership with Mobileye, formed in 2016 to develop autonomous driving technology. At the time, the partnership focused on developing camera-based real-time image

Relentless Collision Opens Durham, NC, Location

PublishedJuly 7, 2023

Relentless Collision opened another auto body shop location at 442 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Durham, NC, the company's third location in the Raleigh Durham market. 

Owner and CEO Todd McGowan was recently featured on The Collision Vision podcast by Autobody News. 

"Durham will specialize in electric vehicles from brands like BMW, Lexus, Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvoand Mercedes-Benz. In June, the new Durham Center was designated a

Governor: New EV Program will Help Vermont Reach Climate Goals

Written by Brent Addleman, The Center Square
Published July 6, 2023

A new electric vehicle charging program in Vermont is getting an infusion of cash.

The Vermont Community Electric Vehicle Chargers Incentive Program is getting $7 million in funding, Gov. Phil Scottsaid, that will be used to make electric transportation equitable and more accessible to state residents.

According to a release, the investment follows a $1 million appropriation from the General Assembly in the spring of 2022. That funding created a pilot program to incentivize Vermont residents to install charging stations at multi-unit affordable housing

Members of the Glendale/Foothill chapter of the California Autobody Association (CAA) recently came together at the Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills, CA, to network, learn from one another and hear about topical issues impacting the collision industry.

Part of the June 20 event included a presentation from Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). Schulenburg shared insight on the SCRS Blend Study Report: A comparative analysis between full refinish and blend operations.

The event was supported by Annex Automotive &

States Enact Legislation Related to OEM Procedures, Labor Rate Studies

Written by John Yoswick, Autobody News
Published July 6, 2023

With this year’s legislative session wrapping up in many states, here’s a round-up of some the new laws impacting the collision repair industry.

Rhode Island

Gov. Daniel McKee signed into law legislation (S 925) making it an unfair claims practice for an insurer to refuse to compensate a shop for “documented procedures identified as necessary by the original equipment manufacturer [or] paint

Honda Brake Failure Recall Issued Over Brake Boosters

By David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com
Published July 6, 2023

A Hondabrake booster and tie-rod fastener recall involves more than 124,000 vehicles with brake master cylinders that could detach. This means a driver may suddenly find the vehicle has no working brakes.

The tie-rod fastener that connects the brake booster and master cylinder may not have been put together correctly during manufacturing. Honda says this can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.

These recalled Honda and Acuravehicles may have brake booster assemblies that need repaired:

Group Steals Cars from Hickory, NC, Dealership Hour After Initial Break-In

Written by Dave Faherty, WSOC-TV 9
Published July 6, 2023

On July 3, luxury and sports cars worth thousands of dollars were stolen from Cloninger Ford of Hickory, NC.

Surveillance video showed two suspects breaking into the dealership using a rock. They then pried open a safe lock box to access a set of keys, according to the Hickory Police Department.

Police said the original two suspects left for more than an hour before returning with several other suspects. They then stole four DodgeChargers, a CadillacEscalade and two BMWs.

General Manager Brian Palm showed

AkzoNobel Unveils Mural at Pontiac Transportation Museum in Michigan

PublishedJuly 6, 2023

AkzoNobelcelebrated Independence Day by unveiling a mural at the new Pontiac, MI, Transportation Museum. The museum is expected to open later this year and will honor the industrialization of this community and the many people whose work inspired these efforts. 

Through the museum’s existing and growing collections, it will help educate and inspire young people to chart their own destiny in an increasingly digital world. The museum will be in a 55,000-square-foot facility featuring vehicle and artifact display galleries, a theater, research library, classrooms and restoration spaces. 

AkzoNobel’s

Multimillion-Dollar Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Dismantled in Bucks County, PA

PublishedJuly 6, 2023

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office on June 27 announced the dismantling of a multimillion-dollar organized criminal enterprise that specialized in the theft of catalytic converters throughout the Delaware Valley region in Pennsylvania. 

A nearly yearlong investigation resulted in the charging of Philadelphia tow yard TDI Towing, along with 10 adult individuals and one juvenile, with corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity and related charges. All but one of the defendants have been arraigned. 

Over the past few years, the theft of

6 Ways to Take Action During Right to Repair Awareness Month

PublishedJuly 5, 2023

July is Right to Repair Awareness month and the Auto Care Association is calling on the auto care industry to take action this summer by making their voices heard in Washington. 

Following the recent attempt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to ...

Multi-State Car Theft Ring Busted in Louisville, KY

Written by Steven Symes, Motorious
Published July 5, 2023

Police in Louisville, KY, cracked open a sophisticated multi-million-dollar car theft ring. According to one detective who spoke with local news station WLKY, police who stopped these vehicles for moving violations had no idea the cars were even stolen, so only a minor citation was issued.

Authorities

‘Driving Privileges’ Law for Undocumented Motorists Goes into Effect in RI

Written by Dave Fidlin, The Center Square
Published July 5, 2023

A new law giving undocumented motorists the authority to drive in Rhode Island officially went into effect July 1.

The change comes a year after legislation in both chambers of the General Assembly was passed.

Late last June, Gov. Dan McKee swiftly signed House Bill 7939 and companion legislation Senate Bill 2006, into law, starting the countdown clock to the law’s enactment to the midpoint of this calendar year.

The new law means undocumented motorists will have the opportunity to obtain what state officials are referring to as “driving

Maine Bill Would Raise Inspection Fees to Create Automated System

Written by Brent Addleman, The Center Square
Published July 5, 2023

A bill that would create an online vehicle inspection database run by the state police is the focus of a Maine bill that would raise fees on residents.

Legislative Document 900, sponsored by Rep. Bruce White, D-Waterville, would be taken back to the drawing board in the House of Representatives after the measure passed in a slim 74-68 vote in June. It was defeated in the Senate, 30-2.

If enacted, the bill would raise inspection fees to $20 from $12.50 or $20 from $18.50 for Cumberland County residents. White said nothing would change about what is

Report: New England's Embrace of EVs, Infrastructure

Written by Brent Addleman, The Center Square
Published July 5, 2023

Five of six New England states have earned praise through a new report examining electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

Massachusetts led the way in the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s report “2023 State Transportation Electrification Scorecard,” just edging out Vermont in the newest rankings.

“We are seeing incremental progress, not transformational progress,” Peter Huether, senior research analyst and lead author of the report, said in a statement. “States will have to move far more aggressively to do their part to enable the

USAA Settles Georgia Class Action on Underpaid Taxes in Auto Claims

Written by Insurance Journal Staff Reports
Published July 3, 2023

A federal judge in Georgia has given preliminary approval to a $2.3 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that charged USAA Casualty Insurance Co. with underpaying for taxes on totaled vehicles.

“The Court finds, subject to the final fairness hearing … that the settlement agreement is fundamentally fair, adequate and reasonable,” U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May wrote in the order in June.

The final hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 13.

Some 9,000 Georgia policyholders joined the suit, one of several class actions

Tesla Driver in Fatal Model S Crash in CA Gets Probation

Written by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
Published July 3, 2023

The driver of a Teslainvolved in a crash in California in 2019 that caused the deaths of two people in another car has been sentenced to two years of probation, after pleading no contest to two counts of vehicular manslaughter. 

The case is significant as it is believed to be the first felony prosecution in the U.S. involving a driver who was using a driver-assist system like Tesla's Autopilot. 

At a preliminary hearing in March 2022, prosecutors said Kevin George Aziz Riad was driving the Model S when it ran a red light at Vermont Avenue in Gardena, CA,

CARSTAR South Thornton in GA Celebrates White Christmas in July

PublishedJuly 3, 2023

All the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. But Jamie White, owner of four CARSTARcollision repair facilities in northeast Georgia, got a lump of coal instead.

On Christmas Eve, just as White was preparing to celebrate the holiday with his family, he got a call from the fire department that his sprinkler system had been activated at his CARSTAR South Thornton location. White sprang into action, donning his cap and heading to see what the clatter was all about.

Dalton, GA, was in the middle of an unseasonable deep freeze, and the pipes

ProColor Collision Welcomes Shop in Cypress, TX

Published June 30, 2023

ProColor Collision Cypress is the latest to join ProColor Collision’s growing family of advanced collision repair facilities in the U.S. The new location is operated by Jack Pilavian, who has spent more than 26 years in the collision repair industry.

Located at 13800 Cypress North Houston Road, ProColor Collision Cypress is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and the latest technology to provide customers with the highest level of precision and quality in collision repair services. The team of attentive customer service representatives and highly skilled technicians are dedicated to handling all types of damage quickly

Hunter Engineering Partners with Lincoln Tech on New Denver Training Center

PublishedJune 29, 2023

Hunter Engineering is pleased to announce Lincoln Tech’s Denver campus will be the latest site to house a Hunter Training Center. Local students and repair shop technicians will be offered the opportunity to train directly on Hunter equipment through a wide range of available Hunter courses.

The new training center, Hunter’s 47th across the nation, will open Aug. 1.

Lincoln Educational Services Corp. is a leading provider of diversified career-oriented post-secondary education, offering recent high school graduates and working adults programs in automotive technology, health sciences, skilled trades,