hammer & dolly may 2014

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2014 WMABA Golf Outing Registration - page 16

May 2014Volume 8, No. 5$5.95

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A look back at WMABA’s most active session in history.BY ROBIN SHAIVITZ

LEGAL PERSPECTIVE2014 Maryland General Assemblyand WMABA Activity

COVER: ©thinkstockphoto.com/yganko

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

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©thinkstockphoto.com/Darko Novakovic

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DEPARTMENTS6 Calendar of Events

10 Editor’s MessageJOEL GAUSTEN

12 President’s MessageDON BEAVER

14 NewsFlash

37 Vendor CornerSCOTTIE DAVIS

45 Executive Director’sMessage JORDAN HENDLER

46 Advertisers Index

38

The association’s work on behalf of the motoring publicis far from finished.

BY JOEL GAUSTEN

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WMABA's biggest event of the year is comingsoon! Learn how you can sign up early andguarantee your spot.

2014 WMABA GOLF OUTINGREGISTRATION

CONTENTSMay 2014

34A look at some of the major changes hitting damageassessors and technicians.BY LARRY MONTANEZ III, CDA & JEFF LANGE, PE

TECHNICAL FEATURESteering & Suspension Damage Explained

5May 2014

NATIONAL NEWS BY JOEL GAUSTENLeadership Forum Tackles the Legitimacy of LegislationNORTHEAST® Panel Explores Parts Procurement, Insurer ControlThe 2015 F-150: Inside Ford’s New Auto RevolutionSCRS Responds to Issues Impacting MembershipSCRS 2014 Industry Awards & Corporate MemberRecognition LuncheonTechnical Tsunami Blows Through CICRepairer Roundtable Offers Straight Talk onProcedural Revolution

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COVER STORYIN DEFENSE OFTHE CUSTOMER:WMABA STANDS UPFOR CONSUMERPARTS CHOICE


Industry training opportunitiesand don't-miss events.

May 26, 2014STRUCTURAL STRAIGHTENING STEELFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

May 27, 2014WELDED & ADHESIVELY BONDED PANEL REPLACEMENTHampton Inn Salisbury, Salisbury, MD

May 27, 2014COSMETIC STRAIGHTENING ALUMINUMHarrisonburg (Manheim) Auto Auction, Harrisonburg, VA

May 29, 2014HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, PERSONAL SAFETY & REFINISHSAFETYFrederick Co. Career & Tech, Frederick, MD

June 2, 2014VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS 2014First Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

June 3, 2014PLASTIC & COMPOSITE REPAIRCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA

June 4, 2014REFINISHING EQUIPMENT & VOC REGULATIONSFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

June 9, 2014FULL-FRAME PARTIAL REPLACEMENTFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

June 10, 2014SUSPENSION SYSTEMSCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VAFULL-FRAME PARTIAL REPLACEMENTState Farm Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD

June 11, 2014SURFACE PREPARATION & MASKINGFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

June 12, 2014FULL-FRAME PARTIAL REPLACEMENTCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA COLLISION REPAIR FOR TOYOTA, LEXUS & SCION VEHICLESFrederick Co. Career & Tech, Frederick, MD

www.i-car.com or(800) 422-7872 for info

May 1, 2014A(nother) Day with Mike Anderson:The Encyclopedia of Estimating PracticesLKQ-Keystone Training Facility

815-A Central Ave., Linthicum, MD 21090For more information, please visit www.wmaba.comJune 26, 2014Annual WMABA Golf OutingVirginia Oaks Golf Club, 7950 Virginia Oaks Dr., Gainesville, VA1pm Shotgun Start

For more information, please visit www.wmaba.com

June 16, 2014REPLACEMENT OF STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURESFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

June 17, 2014RACK & PINION & PARALLELOGRAM STEERING SYSTEMSCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA WHEEL ALIGNMENT & DIAGNOSTIC ANGLESCanby Motors Collision Repair, Aberdeen, MD

June 18, 2014DETAILINGFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

June 19, 2014SQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA

June 23, 2014SECTIONING OF STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURESFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

June 24, 2014AUTOMOTIVE FOAMSHampton Inn Salisbury, Salisbury, MD REPLACING EXTERIOR ALUMINUM PANELSKeystone Linthicum, Linthicum, MD

June 26, 2014SQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGKing Volkswagen, Gaithersburg, MDREPLACEMENT OF STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURESKunkel’s, Baltimore, MD

June 30, 2014SQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

CLASS LISTINGS

CALENDAR OFEVENTS

May 1, 2014ALUMINUM-INTENSIVE VEHICLE REPAIRS Coxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA

May 5, 2014STEERING & SUSPENSION DAMAGE ANALYSISFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA SQUEEZE-TYPE RESISTANCE SPOT WELDINGCollision Plus, Blacksburg, VA

May 6, 2014CORROSION PROTECTIONHampton Inn Salisbury, Salisbury, MDCOSMETIC STRAIGHTENING ALUMINUMCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS 2014 (NOTE: CLASS FULL)State Farm Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD

May 8, 2014FULL-FRAME PARTIAL REPLACEMENTFrederick Co. Career & Tech, Frederick, MD REPLACEMENT OF STEEL UNITIZED STRUCTURESAutomotive Collision Technologies, Randallstown, MD

May 12, 2014OVERVIEW OF CYCLE TIME IMPROVEMENTSFOR THE COLLISION REPAIR PROCESSFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

May 13, 2014ALUMINUM-INTENSIVE VEHICLE REPAIRSBest Western Westminster, Westminster, MDRACK & PINION & PARALLELOGRAM STEERING SYSTEMSCanby Motors Collision Repair, Aberdeen, MD

May 15, 2014FULL-FRAME PARTIAL REPLACEMENTKunkel’s, Baltimore, MD

May 19, 2014MEASURINGFirst Team Toyota, Chesapeake, VA

May 20, 2014REPLACING EXTERIOR ALUMINUM PANELSHarrisonburg (Manheim) Auto Auction, Harrisonburg, VA COSMETIC STRAIGHTENING ALUMINUMKeystone Linthicum, Linthicum, MDWHEEL ALIGNMENT & DIAGNOSTIC ANGLESCoxton’s Gold Team Collision Center, Yorktown, VA

May 22, 2014ADHESIVE BONDINGKing Volkswagen, Gaithersburg, MD

6 May 2014


7May 2014


8 May 2014


9May 2014


Correction:On page 20 of our March 2014 issue (“Parts Procurement Matrix Unveiled at CIC”), the correct mission statement of theCIC Parts & Materials Committee should have read as follows: “The mission of the CIC Parts & Materials Committee is toidentify the issues and challenges related to the parts, materials and technologies utilized in today’s vehicles – includingthe effect they have on the collision repair process – and to identify and offer solutions where possible. Our membersrepresent numerous industry segments with wide-ranging viewpoints, but are working jointly to improve the overallquality of the repair process for the industry and vehicle owners alike.” Hammer & Dolly regrets the error.

Rodney Bolton ([email protected]) 410-969-3100 ext. 250Mark Boudreau ([email protected]) 703-671-2402

Kevin Burt ([email protected]) 301-336-1140Bobby Wright ([email protected]) 434-767-4128

ADMINISTRATIONEXECUTIVE DIRECTORJordan Hendler ([email protected]) 804-789-9649WMABA CORPORATE OFFICEP.O. Box 3157 • Mechanicsville, VA 23116

STAFFPUBLISHER Thomas Greco

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Alicia [email protected]

EDITOR Joel [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Lea [email protected]

OFFICE MANAGER Sofia [email protected]

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Norman [email protected] 800-991-1995 Fax 732-280-6601

PUBLISHED BY TGP, Inc.244 Chestnut St., Suite 202Nutley, NJ 07110973-667-6922 FAX 973-235-1963

Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission from the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine are not necessarily rep re sen ta tions of TGP Inc. orof the Washington Metropolitan Auto BodyAssociation (WMABA). Copyright © 2014Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.

valuable advance knowledge on issue and trends that directly impact members in theWashington Metropolitan region. For example, WMABA was one of the very first - if not thefirst - regional auto trade groups in America to raise a red flag over the insurance industry’sgrowing influence over the parts procurement process. That was because a number ofWMABA representatives not only had national ties with SCRS and AASP, but also got on aplane and met with industry reps in places like New Zealand (PartsTrader’s original homebase) and Australia. Few state associations in this industry can boast that kind of far-reach-ing influence, and this fact becomes even more evident as you read the stories in this issue.It doesn’t matter if it’s Oregon, New Jersey or the State House in Annapolis – WMABA is inthe room, and the association’s efforts are being felt and making a difference.

While some WMABA members are able to personally attend events on a nationalscale, never doubt for one second that their hearts and minds are with you – the local colli-sion repair shop owner or area vendor/supplier. You are the engine that fuels everythingWMABA does for the industry. Even if you are unable to attend some of the events wecover in Hammer & Dolly, know that your contributions in the local market are immeasura-ble. And you better believe that your presence makes a huge difference in the Legislature.

Although WMABA’s Parts Bill didn’t move forward in this session, the association’swork in and out of the legislative arena to protect consumers is far from over. Over the nextfew months, WMABA will be calling on you to become even more involved in local industryactivities to improve conditions for shops/vendors and consumers alike. We urge you tobecome a part of what is sure to be WMABA’s most ambitious campaign yet. The journeyisn’t finished until consumers have the right to use the parts they want – and that roadbegins right in front of your business. There’s no need to book a flight to help your industry;you will be able to make things better right where you are. Stay tuned. H&D

THERE’SNO PLACELIKE HOME

If you have read Hammer & Dolly over theyears, you know that several members of theassociation have committed themselves tobeing active in improving this industry on anational level. By regularly attending the Colli-sion Industry Conference (CIC), SEMA, theNORTHEAST® Automotive Services Show andthe various gatherings hosted by SCRS, AASPand other industry entities, these members gain

Joel Gausten(973) 600-9288

[email protected]

MESSAGEEDITOR’S

10 May 2014

©thinkstockphoto.com/anamad

2014 WMABA OFFICERSPRESIDENT Don Beaver

[email protected] 443-539-4200 ext. 17061VICE PRESIDENT Torchy Chandler

[email protected] 410-309-2242TREASURER Mark Schaech Jr.

[email protected] 410-358-5155SECRETARY John Krauss

[email protected] 703-534-1818IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Barry Dorn

[email protected] 804-746-3928

BOARD OF DIRECTORS


11May 2014


and if you’re already a member, we need you to make a contribution to our Legislativefund. We can change the industry, and we came awfully close this time. We will be head-ing back next session and hope to prevail with your help, but it won’t be cheap.

So as you sit and read this message, don’t think that things will never change; thingscan and will change. I truly believe that, because what’s right is right. We have right on ourside and when more people say, “Enough is enough,” things will finally change. This isOUR battle, and it is possible for David to slay Goliath. Join, donate and participate to helpus help YOU.

Good things are on the horizon! H&D

HELP USHELP YOU

Wow, 2014 is in full swing now, with thefirst quarter of the year already completed. Timesure flies when you’re having fun!

Although our proposed bills were not ini-tially successful in Annapolis, there were cer-tainly many wins. We now know our way aroundthe legislative process, and we made many newcontacts and supporters this time around whilealso rekindling some old friendships. With theexception of a few key votes, we nearlychanged our industry.

There are many things that are out of ourcontrol, and the ever-increasing outside influ-ences and mandates upon our business con-tinue to impact us tremendously. To be able torepair vehicles using correct procedures, keepwarranties intact and do what is right for theconsumer (our customers), we must gain someof that control back, and it appears that legisla-tion may be the only way to do it. The processof legislation is expensive and tiresome; it takesdays, hours and weeks of walking the halls ofCongress to educate our legislators and makethem effective allies. WMABA is the vehicleneeded to do just that. The association allowsshops to voice their concerns and worries whileremaining anonymous for fear of reprisals fromthose outside influences. There is no doubt thatthe insurance lobby has money, and they spenda lot of it at our State Capitols. The only way tofight this fire is with fire. We need your help.

We need people who are as tired as I amof these influences taking control over our busi-nesses. We need more people to join WMABA -

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MESSAGEPRESIDENT’S

12 May 2014

Don Beaver(443) 539-4200 ext. 17061

[email protected]


Alexandria Volkswagen107 West Glebe Rd.Alexandria, VA 22305703-684-7007Fax: 703-684-4138e-mail: [email protected]

Karen Radley Volkswagen14700 Jefferson Davis Hwy.Woodbridge, VA 22191703-550-0205Fax: 703-643-0081

Cook Volkswagen2110 Bel Air Rd.Fallston, MD 21047866-560-3957410-877-1500Fax: 410-877-8557

Russel Volkswagen6624 Baltimore National PikeBaltimore, MD 21228PH:410-788-1700Fax:410-818-2049e-mail: [email protected]

Lindsay Volkswagen of Dulles22455 Cedar Green Rd.Sterling, VA 20166703-880-8160Fax: 703-880-8219www.lindsayvolkswagen.com

Ourisman Volkswagen of Bethesda5415 Butler RoadBethesda,MD 20816301-652-2452Fax: 301-652-2589e-mail: [email protected]

Checkered Flag Volkswagen3025 Virginia Beach BlvdVirginia Beach, VA 23452Parts Direct: 757-687-3465757-490-1111Fax: 757-687-3514www.checkeredflag.com

Brown’s Volkswagen10501 Midlothian TurnpikeRichmond, VA 23235Parts Direct: 804-379-6610Parts Fax: 804-897-1654e-mail: [email protected]

Ourisman Volkswagenof Rockville801 Rockville PikeRockville, MD 20852Parts Direct: 301-340-7668Toll Free: 855-417-4511Fax: 240-499-2488e-mail: rockvilleparts@ourismanautomotive.comwww.ourismanvwofrockville.com

Fitzgerald Volkswagen114 Baughmans Lane Frederick, MD 21702Toll Free: 800-545-4745 Fax: 877-696-1841 e-mail: [email protected] www.fitzparts.com

King Volkswagen979 North Frederick Ave.Gaithersburg, MD 20879Parts Direct: 240-403-2300Fax:240-403-2398e-mail: [email protected]

Fitzgerald Volkswagenof Annapolis34 Hudson Street Annapolis, MD 21401 Phone: 410-224-4636Fax: 410-224-4264 www.fitzmall.com

Ourisman Volkswagen of Laurel3371 Ft. Meade Rd.Laurel, MD 20724Phone: 301-498-6050Fax: 301-498-0157www.laurelvolkswagen.com

13May 2014


News and reports from across the nation.

FLASHNEWS

14 May 2014

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN)recently announced the winners of its annualMost Influential Women award. Among themis Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Asso-ciation (WMABA) Executive Director JordanHendler.

Hendler has been entrenched in thecollision repair industry since 1998, when shebegan as an administrative assistant forConcepts, Inc., a company that later providedsupport to the Society of Collision Repairers(SCRS). She has worked with industrygroups including the National Auto BodyCouncil (NABC) and the Collision IndustryConference (CIC), and has served asWMABA’s executive director since 2007.

“It is an absolute honor to be recognizedby your peers, many of whom I’ve beenworking with my entire career spanning al-most 16 years,” Hendler says. “WIN has fos-tered women into non-traditional roles in theindustry, and helped them feel like theyweren’t at odds with industry perspectives bydoing so. I feel that they have initiated posi-tive and empowering dialogue, and offeredmentoring as a resource to those who needsome common perspective.”

When asked how she feels the role ofwomen has evolved over the years, Hendlerexpressed her hope that today’s industry isnow at a place where women are treated asequals and in no way different than their malecounterparts.

“It’s important to me that I do a good jobby any standard, and especially not becauseI’m ‘a girl in a man’s world,’” she says.

With nearly two decades’ worth of pro-fessional experience in the industry, Hendlerhas solid advice for women looking to estab-lish long-lasting careers in the collision repairworld.

“What should set you apart is how wellyou perform your job,” she says. “Being awoman in this industry is not a crutch butinstead a step up in the way of utilizing your

individual skills to accomplish personalgoals.”

According to WIN’s website, the awards“recognize women who have enriched thecollision repair industry with their leadership,vision and commitment to excellence [inalignment with] WIN’s mission to ‘enhancethe role of women in the industry.’” Pasthonorees include women in all areas of thecollision repair industry, from body and painttechnicians to shop owners, managers,lobbyists, educators and more.

In addition to Hendler, this year’srecipients include:

Frederica Carter, president of F. CarterEvents LLC (formerly communicationsmanager at AkzoNobel)Leanne Jefferies, director, Collision

Programs, AIA Canada

For more information about theWomen’s Industry Network, please visitwww.thewomensindustrynetwork.ning.com.H&D

WMABA Executive Director Among WIN“Most Influential Women Award” Winners


15May 2014


16 May 2014

2014 WMABAGOlF OuTiNG

JuNE 26, 2014 • 1:00 PM SHOTGuN START

For information about sponsorship or participation, visit www.wmaba.com

Virginia Oaks Golf Club 7950 Virginia Oaks Dr. Gainesville, VA 20155www.virginiaoaksgc.com

2014 Annual Golf Outing ENTRY FORM

Send entry to: WMABA PO Box 3157, Mechanicsville, VA 23116 or Fax to: (804) 335-1296

QUESTIONS? Contact Jordan Hendler at (804) 789-9649 / [email protected]

Entries must be received by June 14.NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE!!

TEAM AVAILABILITY*Four-person teams may be enteredTEAM FEE: $625 ($156.25 per player)

Please list the players:Name: _____________________________________________Avg. 18-Hole Score: ___ Handicap: ___Name: _____________________________________________Avg. 18-Hole Score: ___ Handicap: ___Name: _____________________________________________Avg. 18-Hole Score: ___ Handicap: ___

*Person responsible for the team must contact and inform the otherplayers and collect their portion of the fee from them.

Name: __________________________________________

Company: _______________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________

City: ___________________________________________ State: ___________ Zip: ________________________

Phone: _______________________________________ Email: _________________________________________

Avg. 18-Hole Score: ____ Handicap: ____TO PAY BY CREDIT CARD

Number: _______________________________________

Type: Visa MasterCard American Express

Expires: _____ /_____ Security Code: _______________

Signature: _____________________________________

TOURNAMENT FEE (check one)

$175 Individual Player

$625 Team Entry (Save $75 on entry)


Conquest your Mitsubishi parts needs!

Mitsubishi now offers Genuine OEM parts through our new “Opt-OE” parts program at discounted prices. See Mitsubishi’s Ultra-Conquest parts and prices in the Optional OEM Suppliers category of popular collision estimating systems.

Ultra-Conquest Collision Parts Program Highlights:

• Discounted prices on quality new and unblemished OEM parts• Automated price and part selection in collision estimating systems• High parts availability• Delivery to most major U.S. cities within 24 hours• Available through all participating Northeastern area Mitsubishi dealers• Includes the majority of key collision components for select popular models• We can meet or beat aftermarket prices!

To find out more about Ultra-Conquest pricing contact your local Mitsubishi dealer.

For Genuine Mitsubishi parts, contact these authorized Mitsubishi Dealers.

Buy Genuine Mitsubishi Parts and get the perfect fit at the perfect price. 10% off on all parts orders when you mention this ad.

Jerry’s Mitsubishi1906 East Joppa Road

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Toll Free: 800-255-0691

Direct: 410-668-2119

Fax: 410-513-0236

www.jerrysmitsubishi.com

Fitzgerald Mitsubishi1930 West Street

Annapolis, MD 21401

Direct: 410-224-4636

Fax: 410-224-4264

E-mail: [email protected]

Younger Mitsubishi1945 Dual Highway

Hagerstown, MD 21740

Direct: 800-296-1190

Fax: 301-733-5465

www.youngermitsubishi.com

Malloy Mitsubishi14655 Jefferson Davis Hwy

Woodbridge, VA 22191

Direct: 703-490-8263

Toll Free: 888-533-3400

Fax: 703-490-3864

[email protected]

17May 2014


What’s happening at the State House, inyour industry and everywhere in between.

PERSPECTIVELEGAL

As the weather turns warmer, we think of lazy days andvacations for the family. While that is all true, WMABA membersalso have a great deal to think about given the association’sgrowing legislative strength in Maryland. During the 90-daysession, which ended on April 7, the state dealt with over 2,600bills; two of them were the bills Alexander & Cleaver worked onbehalf of WMABA. We started in the fall to find strong sponsorsand were successful in working with John Astle (D-Annapolis) inthe Senate and John Olszewski (D-Eastern Baltimore County) inthe House. Senator Astle and Delegate Olszewski introducedSenate Bill 487 and House Bill 574, which essentially wouldprohibit an insurance company from putting an aftermarket part ona car that was less than three years old. The bills also prohibitedcertain types of online bidding through parts procurementprocesses. In spite of the fact that the bills did not pass, we learneda great deal about how to go about getting them passed in 2015.

Initially, we found no opposition to the bills; however, we foundout soon enough that the entire insurance industry - as well as theirarmy of lobbyists - was against us. For our next attempt, the issueswon’t change, but we will be more prepared for success, as theelection year will be behind the members of the General Assembly.By that time, the elected officials will feel more comfortablesupporting our position. Good bills always pass, but some of themtake a few years to build support. Alexander & Cleaver is pledgingto make that happen for you in 2015.

We hope that the membership will stay in touch with us andkeep abreast of legislative activities occurring in Maryland. Giventhe election of a new Governor, Lieutenant Governor and AttorneyGeneral as well as 188 members of the Maryland General Assem-bly, members of the WMABA repair community have plenty of waysto get involved. Our two bill sponsors, John Astle and JohnOlszewski, are both in tough races and each can use both yourfinancial support and your volunteer work to help them in their

respective campaigns. Additionally, two upcoming annual confer-ences in Ocean City, MD - the Maryland Municipal League (MML)in June and the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) inAugust - will attract elected officials. WMABA members areencouraged to meet them and tell them why this legislation isimportant. Alexander & Cleaver will host major receptions atSeacrets in Ocean City for both of these events, and we hopemembers will join us to meet and greet those folks who can weighin on these issues important to you as a businessperson and autobody specialist.

The ultimate key to success in the Maryland political arena isto remember to get involved, express your views in a polite andfactual manner and remember that winning is the long haul, not thequick fix. With that in mind, one can become a respected memberof the government relations community in this state. WMABA issurely on its way to becoming such a valued player in Maryland.H&D

Ms. Shaivitz is the chief operating officer ofthe government relations division of the LawOffices of Alexander & Cleaver. The firmrepresents WMABA on legislative issuesand represents many of its members on awide variety of legal issues. To reach Robin,call (410) 974-9000 or visit us atwww.alexander-cleaver.com.

2014 MarylandGeneralAssembly andWMABA Activity

BY ROBIN SHAIVITZGovernment Relations Consultant,

The Law Offices of Alexander & Cleaver

18 May 2014

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19May 2014


The latest from WMABAmembers and supporters.

NEWSNATIONAL

20 May 2014

On Friday, March 21, the 2014 East Coast ResolutionForum & Leadership Meeting treated attendees to somethingvery different from the norm.

A decades-long staple of AASP/NJ’s NORTHEAST® AutomotiveServices Show, the Forum (held just prior to the start of the show)has historically hosted representatives from different state associa-tions presenting updates on their individual state’s activities. Thisyear’s Forum (co-presented by SCRS, AASP/NJ and NYSACTA/LIABRA), however, was conducted in an informal “roundtable” formatwhere association leaders posed questions that other attendeescould answer and discuss.

Representing WMABA, Immediate Past President Barry Dornintroduced the topic of association-promoted legislation to the dis-cussion, no doubt inspired by his group’s recent attempt to get a pro-consumer bill passed in the Maryland General Assembly.

“Is there any advantage to even well-crafted legislation?” heasked.

Tony Lombardozzi, president for the Coalition for Collision Re-pair Excellence (CCRE), expressed the opinion that it is up to shops– not legislators – to address the insurer’s interference in the repaircontract between a repairer and vehicle owner.

“After 30-plus years, why are we still arguing over aftermarketparts?” he asked. “Nobody can dictate to the body shop – who as-sumes 100 percent of the liability – how that vehicle is supposed tobe repaired. They don’t have any right to come into [your shop] andsay you have to do this unless you let them. If you go to [promote]

legislation, there’s always com-promise. You’re also fighting anindustry that has a lot of moneyand a lot of time.

“Ninety percent of the billsI’ve seen get passed in otherstates are seen as wins, but arenot wins,” he adds. “Four or fiveyears down the road, [the repair-ers] find out it was a mistakeand you can’t undo it. Nobody inthis country can force a bodyshop owner who has his nameabove the door to choose a [par-ticular] vendor unless they allowit, so why are we going throughall of this?”

Presenting a different per-spective on the discussion,SCRS Executive Director AaronSchulenburg noted that legisla-tion could nonetheless be effec-tive as a tool to address theconsumer safety issues thatcould arise from utilizing partsother than those made by themanufacturer.

“I think there are a lot ofconsumers who are involved ina claim and are put in a positionwhere they go, ‘I want laws thatprotect me from my insurers orthe terms that are put in front of me,’” he offered. “I think there areconsumers asking, ‘Why can’t somebody protect me from a policythat’s going to put me in a position of having a part on my brand newvehicle that isn’t what was [originally] on there, or from having a re-pair performed in a way that isn’t in my best interest?’”

Expanding on the consumer angle, Auto Body Association ofConnecticut (ABAC) President Tony Ferraiolo detailed his associa-tion’s ongoing efforts to educate drivers through billboards and radioads.

“That’s where we believe our money has to be spent for the as-sociation to get [the message] out to consumers,” he said. “By edu-cating them, they’re fighting their battle for us. They’re educated;they’re coming in knowing about aftermarket parts and proper proce-dures. We want to put the time and energy from our association intoeducating shops, members and definitely consumers.”

On March 13, the Maryland House Economic Matters Commit-tee issued an unfavorable vote on House Bill 574, WMABA-sup-ported legislation that was also filed in the Senate (SB487). The billsought to prohibit “a specified adjuster, appraiser, insurance pro-ducer, or employee of an insurer from requiring a motor vehicle re-pair facility to use a specific vendor or process for the procurementof parts or other materials necessary for the repair of a motor vehi-cle.” Additionally, the bill would have prohibited an insurer in thestate of Maryland from requiring the use of aftermarket crash partsfor the first three years of a vehicle’s life. An in-depth report on theaftermath of the Committee’s vote – and WMABA’s plans to continueaddressing the issues identified in the bill – begins on page 38.

H&D

LEADERSHIP FORUM TACKLESTHE LEGITIMACY OF LEGISLATION

Tony Lombardozzi (CCRE)discussed alternatives to

industry legislation

Tony Ferraiolo of the Auto BodyAssociation of Connecticut(ABAC) discussed ways his groupis active in consumer education.


21May 2014



NEWSNATIONAL

With insurer-mandated parts procurement now a reality acrossthe country, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jer-sey (AASP/NJ) hosted a special panel discussion at the 37th AnnualNORTHEAST® Automotive Services Show in Secaucus, NJ to allowfor industry representatives from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic re-gions to share their views on the matter with area repair shops.Guest speakers at the March 21 gathering included Past WMABAPresident Barry Dorn (Dorn’s Body & Paint, Richmond, VA), EdKizenberger of NYSACTA/LIABRA, Tom Elder of Auto Body Distrib-uting Co. (ABD) and attorneys Mitch Portnoi (Post, Polak, Goodsell,MacNeill & Strauchler) and Joshua Bauchner (Ansell, Grimm &Aaron).

As Kizenberger stressed at the beginning of the event, thepanel was in place to discuss the concept of parts procurement, notany one company. During the discussion, he questioned the reason-ing behind the mandated use of PartsTrader in State Farm SelectService facilities.

“There has to be some benefit to State Farm,” he offered. “Weunderstand the benefit to PartsTrader because there’s going to be afee. There has to be something coming back to State Farm in the fu-ture, or why would they mandate it? I think the immediate benefit [toState Farm] besides price has to do with them being able to track re-turn history.”

Kizenberger also dispelled the notion that mandated parts pro-curement is in place to assist shops in improving their efficiency.

“Generally, [State Farm] acts like there’s something they can doto force you to deliver that car quicker, sooner and better, but that’swhat your business is,” he said. “It serves no purpose for you to siton the job.”

Bauchner suggested that industry groups emphasize the con-sumer protection angle if they attempt to seek legal remedies to in-surer-mandated parts procurement, comparing the effort to raiseawareness of the problem to starting a fire to get everyone’s atten-tion.

“Litigation is the kindling for the fire,” he said. “The best thing tohappen is not just to have all of you starting that fire, but to get con-sumer associations and groups involved. [They’re] going to recog-nize that this is a threat to them as well, and they have incredibleresources...They can be terrific allies.”

Attorney John Eaves, Jr., who at press time was working withthe Mississippi Collision Repair Association and other industry pro-fessionals to gain injunctive relief against PartsTrader in the state,spoke from the audience of the dangers of shops’ compromising

their work in order to appease aninsurance partner.

“We cannot emphasizeenough that you have a greatresponsibility,” he said. “They’renot going to come to the insur-ance company if something hap-pens when you do an improperrepair. They’re coming to you.”

Although injunctive reliefhas been viewed by many in therepair field as a possibleweapon against the spread ofinsurer-mandated programs likePartsTrader, Portnoi cautionedthat employing this methodcould potentially lead todisappointment.

“You file suit and ask forinjunctive relief to stop PartsTrader, and you walk in front of ajudge…and [he or she] looks at you and says, ‘Your client…whatexactly makes him have to contract with XYZ Insurance Co.? Whydoesn’t he just opt out?’ Everyone in this room quite potentially hasthat same opportunity to opt out,” he said. “It may be financially verydifficult for you to do so, but you certainly have that opportunity. Inorder to get injunctive relief here in New Jersey, one of the require-ments is that you have to show that there is a reasonable probabilityof success on the merits. So you’re looking at two adult businesses– obviously one holds a very significant economic advantage – butthe other party is a businessperson who is willing, able and capableof opting out of a contract that they don’t want. That could very wellbe the most significant problem in anybody obtaining injunctiverelief.”

Representing a network of 40 dealerships and nearly 200 bodyshops through the ABD, Elder shared that many of his dealer mem-bers have expressed that they feel forced to either sign up to Part-sTrader or lose the business of Select Service shops.

“Wherever you [decide to] go, it’s a business decision,” he said.“I’m not for it, and I’m not against, but I can tell you that almost with-out exception, dealers in our buying cooperative joined PartsTraderat least for the trial period...I’m disappointed at the whole thing, but Ican’t blame any one segment of the market.” H&D

NORTHEAST PANEL EXPLORESPARTS PROCUREMENT, INSURER CONTROL

Ed Kizenberger (NYSACTA/LIABRA) questioned the

reasoning behind State Farm'sPartsTrader mandate.

22 May 2014

Attorney Mitch Portnoi warnedof the potential pitfalls ofseeking injunctive relief.


23May 2014


BMW of Annapolis25 Old Mill Bottom RoadAnnapolis, MD 21409410-349-2565Fax:410-349-2586www.mybmwannapolis.com

Apple BMW of York1370 Roosevelt Ave.York, PA 17404800-839-1755Fax: 717-843-2948www.applebmwofyork.com

BMW of Fairfax2805 Old Lee HighwayFairfax, VA 22031800-879-2269Fax: 703-641-8562www.bmwoffairfax.com

BMW of Sterling21826 Pacific Blvd.Sterling, VA 20166888-954-8222Fax: 571-434-7727www.bmwofsterling.com

BMW of Alexandria499 South Pickett StreetAlexandria,VA 22304Direct: 703-684-5255Fax: 703-647-1853www.bmwofalexandria.com

BMW of Silver Spring3211 Automobile BlvdSilver Spring, MD 20904866-737-8937Fax: 301-890-3748www.bmwofsilverspring.com

Passport BMW5000 Auth WayMarlow Heights, MD 20746301-423-0733Fax: 301-423-2717www.passportbmw.com

Northwest BMW9702 Reisterstown RdOwings Mills, MD 21117410-363-1461Fax: 410-363-7749www.northwestbmw.com

For Original BMW Parts, contact one of these authorized BMW centers:

AS A COlliSiON REPAiR SPECiAliST, YOu MuST AlWAYS FOC HOWEVER, iNSuRANCE ESTiMATES ARE OFTEN FOCuSED ON

BMW centers stock Original Equipment Parts that never sacrifice quality or s

24 May 2014


BMW of Catonsville6700 Baltimore National PikeBaltimore,MD 21228800-828-6529410-744-2000Fax: 410-818-2600www.bmwofcatonsville.com

Checkered Flag BMW5225 Virginia Beach BlvdVirginia Beach, VA 23462757-687-3494Fax:757-687-3495bmw.checkeredflag.com

BMW of Bel Air1705 Conowingo Road(US 1 in Hickory)Bel Air, MD 21014443.640.1230Fax: 443.640.1234www.bmwbelair.com

BMW of Towson700 Kenilworth DriveTowson, MD 21204410.296.7908Fax: 410.296.4852www.bmwtowson.com

Richmond BMW8710 West Broad StreetRichmond, VA 23294800-237-0130Direct: 804-527-6860Fax: 804-965-6254www.richmondbmw.com

Valley BMW2824 Franklin Road SWRoanoke, VA 24014PH: 540-342-3733Fax: 540-345-9060www.valleybmw.com

Richmond BMW12100 Midlothian TpkeMidlothian, VA 23113Phone: 804-897-2211Fax: 804-897-2202www.richmondbmw.com

BMW of Rockville1396 Rockville PikeRockville, MD 20852301-984-8989Fax: 301-984-1710www.bmwrockville.com

FOCuS ON SAFETY, QuAliTY AND COST. ON JuST COST.

r safety for cost.

· Every detail is exactly matched to the vehicle’s safety systems for optimum occupant protection.

· Original BMW Panels and Components are built from premium materials using ultra-precise processes.

· To maximize the safety of all passengers, replacement panels undergo strict and extensive quality control tests.

· To ensure optimal paint adhesion, electrophoretically primer coats are applied during the manufacturing process.

25May 2014


Easily one of the most talked-aboutvehicles in today’s collision repair industry,the 2015 Ford F-150 made a game-changing appearance at the NORTHEAST®2014 Automotive Services Show (March 21-23), giving thousands of attendees their veryfirst glimpse of the vehicle’s breathtakingstructure and design.

In development since 2009, the newF-150 has an improved boxed frame withmore high-strength steel than ever before.Next, Ford used high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy throughout the body,

which improves dent and ding resistancewhile saving as much as 700 pounds,providing improved towing, payload andbetter fuel efficiency. In addition, the vehiclecomes equipped with a variety of high-techenhancements including a 360-degreecamera and a lane departure warning sys-tem. Ford is also implementing an extensiverecycling program at its plants, guaranteeingthat all scrap aluminum that is taken off atruck is put back into new aluminum –making the 2015 F-150 truck a smart choicefor consumers and the environment. Aspecial cutaway of the truck was the center-piece of Ford’s extensive display on theNORTHEAST show floor throughout theweekend.

Naturally, the introduction of the newvehicle means that the manufacturer is look-ing to the auto body industry to ensure thatFord drivers receive safe, dependable re-pairs. Melissa Lester, collision marketingmanager for Ford, appeared at NORTH-EAST 2014 on March 21 and 22 to presentan overview of the manufacturer’s new Na-tional Body Shop Program. Facilitated onFord’s behalf by the Assured PerformanceNetwork (APN), the program seeks to pro-mote those facilities that have the right tools,equipment and training to repair Ford vehi-cles back to manufacturer specifications.The cost for either independent shops ordealer facilities is $2,950 a year, whiledealers will have the ability to sponsor theirindependent body shop partners forrecognition on the program. The arrival ofthe 2015 F-150 underscores the need for a

sustainable national network of body shopsthat can properly perform aluminum repairs.

“Less than half of our dealershipsactually have body shops,” Lester said. “Ifyou are a customer and live in a communitywith a Ford dealership that doesn’t have abody shop, it will become necessary for youto have repairs performed at an independentrepair facility…We think it’s very importantthat during the collision repair process, ourcustomer is educated and knows that theyhave the right to request the right part andthe right body shop.”

More information on the Ford NationalBody Shop Program is available at www.FordCertifiedShop.com.

In addition to Lester’s presentations,Ford engineers held special “F-150 RepairInformation” classes all three days of theshow to present attendees with an overviewof enhanced service information, repairabil-ity methods, available training courses andrecommended tools/equipment.

In related news, I-CAR recently an-nounced the June 1 launch of a new six-credit hour 2015 Ford F-150 StructuralRepair course (FOR06) covering vehicle-specific repair information and various topicsrelating to aluminum. H&D


NEWSNATIONAL

THE 2015 F-150: INSIDE FORD’SNEW AUTO REVOLUTION

26 May 2014

Repairers cannot make the mistake oftrying to fix these vehicles without theproper training and equipment in adedicated space. This is decision time formost; either make the decision to investin doing it right, or step aside and letsomeone who has made that investmentfix these vehicles instead.

- Jordan HendlerFord Collision Marketing Manager MelissaLester

Executive Director’s Thoughts


27May 2014



NEWSNATIONAL

As with all Open Meetings hosted by theSociety of Collision Repair Specialists, theApril 8 gathering in Portland, OR featured acomprehensive report on a broad array ofissues being worked on in the background bythe national association.

SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulen-burg reported on a number of initiativesidentified by both the Board and themembership as ones of growing significance.Topics ranged from past meetings andpresentations to collaboration with SkillsUSAon recognizing the instructors behind thewinning students and strategic supportextended to state affiliate associations whohave been actively engaged in legislativeinitiatives. His report further detailed a varietyof data-centric areas of focus that haveproduced information the association isfashioning for release to its members. Onearea of research over the past quarterhas been relative to how length-of-rentalinformation relates to average hours per claim,and how that information can be used to helpthe association and its membership betterunderstand and anticipate estimated timefor repair. Schulenburg reported that theassociation had worked with a variety of datasources (both Information Providers and rentalagencies) to collect various data sets tocompare numbers. While giving no specificfigures, he reported that all of the resultspointed to the fact that average hours perday came in at under 3.0 hours in everycomparison set. This provides stark contrast tothe 5.0 and 6.0 hours per day used by manycarriers to calculate initial rental, and is anarea where the industry may be able to betterset consumer expectations by utilizing moreaccurate data. SCRS assured more reports onthis subject were to follow.

Schulenburg noted that the association isalso actively addressing concerns over thecollection and use of data in the PartsTraderprocess, based on frequent inquiries coming infrom members as the rollout widens.

“For certain users, there is not just datafrom State Farm claims in the PartsTraderdashboard; they’re seeing data from otherinsurers as well,” he explained. “Depending on

which estimating system the end user is using,it is apparently common that five pieces ofdata on non-State Farm claims will be able tobe extracted by PartsTrader: Year, make,model, the last four digits of the claim numberand the insurance company’s name. We hadsome dialogue back and forth with PartsTraderover why that’s necessary. According to them,it’s to be able to pinpoint the file on the serverif the shop were to decide to upload it at a laterdate.”

Schulenburg added that although Parts-Trader claims they hold on to this informationfor only two weeks, there exist concerns overthe type of information and recording function-ality that could be produced from that data, aswell as concerns over whether that informationmay violate any confidentiality agreementswith other carrier programs. Additionally, hereported that when asked if shops couldelect to not have that data transferred andextracted, PartsTrader responded that it wasup to the individual estimating system.

In response to a variety of data-relatedconcerns, he advised that CCC’s response in-dicated they have put together a mechanismwhere shops can now identify specific pathsfor EMS data, including which insurer-specificEMS files will be received by which datacollection programs on the user’s server.

“That is something we and other organi-zations have been asking for years,”Schulenburg said. “The fact that it is nowreality for shops to have better control overdata management is a huge win for the

industry.” SCRS intends to release moredetails following the meeting.

Schulenburg went on to note that Auda-Explore has stated that their system does notautomate the EMS exchange outside of whereit is a requirement (ex: State Farm) without aspecific request from a user to turn it on;Mitchell representatives have told SCRS thatthe company is looking into a possible productenhancement, although they could not identifya timeframe in which it would be addressed.

“The concern from our end is really justmaking sure that our members and the indus-try as a whole understands their capabilities asfar as managing their data, and understandshow these systems work so they can properlyset them up to have the data flow the way theywant it to,” Schulenburg said.

In addition to Schulenburg’s report andupdates by a number of SCRS committees,the SCRS Open Meeting also included aspecial educational presentation by SCRSBoard member Gary Wano, Jr. on therepairability of the 2015 BMW i3 electricvehicle, as well as an update by Janet Chaneyof the Oregon Collision Repair Specialists(OCRS).

The April 8 gathering included the annualSCRS Board elections, which saw associationmembers in attendance vote in the samedirectors as last year (see photo below).On April 9, the association hosted its annualSCRS Industry Awards & Corporate MemberRecognition Luncheon (see photos on page30). H&D

The 2014-2015 SCRS Board of Directors (L-R): CJ Vermaak, Domenic Brusco, Jim Sowle, DustinWomble, Aaron Clark, Bruce Halcro, Luis Alonso, Ron Reichen, Brett Bailey, Kye Yeung, RodesBrown, Andy Dingman and Paul Val.

28 May 2014

SCRS RESPONDS TO ISSUES IMPACTING MEMBERSHIP


29May 2014



NEWSNATIONAL

SCRS 2014 INDUSTRY AWARDS & CORPORATEMEMBER RECOGNITION LUNCHEON APRIL 9, 2014,

PORTLAND, OR

30 May 2014

Congrats to Michael Anderson (CollisionAdvice.com), who received theCollision Industry Individual Service Award, but was unable to attend the event.

SCRS would like to thank its Corporate Members and the following sponsors for making the 2014 Portlandevents possible: Premier Sponsors – Axalta Coating Systems, BASF Corporation, Ford Customer Service,PPG Automotive Refinish, the Sherwin-Williams Company, Toyota Motor Sales, USA. Gold Sponsors –1-800 Radiator & A/C, AkzoNobel Coatings, Celette, LKQ/Keystone, OE Roundtable, United Recyclers Group.General Sponsors – 3M Automotive Aftermarket, ABRA Collision & Glass,Caliber Collision Centers, CAPA,Diamond Standard, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, General Motors Customer Care & Aftersales, Kent Automotive,Matrix Electronic Measuring, NAPA, Paint Body Equipment Specialists, the Hertz Corporation.

Clockwise from top left: Event emcee Jeff Hendler; Joe Mattos of Pro Finishes PLUS accepted aposthumous Regional Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his late cousin and longtime WMABAsupporter, John A. Mattos (The award was presented to Mattos by Barry Dorn of WMABA); DomenicBrusco of PPG (right) accepted the Collision Industry Non-Individual Service Award on behalf of theCollision Repair Education Foundation; SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg; an emotionalmoment as Past SCRS Chair Gary Wano, Jr. receives the SCRS National Lifetime Achievement Award -and a surprise visit from his sisters Kristi Wano (left) and Tammy Tomberlin.


31May 2014



NEWSNATIONAL

At a Collision Industry Conference (CIC)last year, I-CAR Senior Director of Field Opera-tions Jeff Peevy warned that the industry wouldsoon face a “technical tsunami” that wouldrequire heightened skill sets and equipmentrequirements. Now, with the 2015 Ford F-150and other highly advanced vehicles soon to hitthe market, his premonition has become a hard-hitting reality for many industry stakeholders.

Responding to the obvious need forgreater inter-industry discussion on changingtechnologies, CIC Chair George Avery openedthe floor of the April 9 CIC in Portland, OR tothe body to express opinions on the matter andsee how the Conference might fit into the indus-try’s work to stay up to date with new designsand repair demands.

“If you’re going to be in a situation wherethe process needs to change, you need to getthe stakeholders together,” he shared. “How dowe get everybody out there who’s influencing aprocess to understand what the issues are?...I’m committed in the belief that everybodyneeds to see it so everybody can make anintelligent decision.”

I-CAR President & CEO John Van Alstynesuggested that CIC participants focus oneducating stakeholders beyond the event’sfour walls.

“Quite frankly, the problem’s not at CIC;we’re really preaching to the choir here,” heopined. “I’m guessing that the collision repairersin the audience here today totally get it. It’s notthe 30 [repairers] who are with us today; it’s the30,000 who are not with us today who need tounderstand what’s going on. From a technologystandpoint, we’re just seeing the tip of theiceberg.”

Offering a repairer perspective, Kye Yeungof European Motor Car Works (Santa Ana, CA)expressed concerns that shops could find itdifficult to see a return on investment in theproper training and equipment necessary to fixthe next generation of automobiles.

“One of the things we hear a lot of fromrepairers who are interested about thealuminum that’s coming down the pike is, ‘Isthere a tool we can reference that can do a

majority of the repairs?’” he said. “I think thebig problem we have in this industry is that ifyou want to do different types of vehicles, theupfront cost can be astronomical.”

The discussion prompted an emotionalresponse from Peevy, who offered some of theafternoon’s strongest words – especially when itcame to stressing the tremendous influence thatCIC has on the collision repair industry at-large.

“We have a moral obligation to do the rightthing,” he said. “I question if we as an industryhave done the right thing even in older technol-ogy, and I’ll point to steel…Do you believe thatpoor or improper welds on structural repairslead to compromised structural integrity? If youjust said yes to that, then I have to ask thisquestion: Do you believe that compromised

structural integrity leads to decreased[occupant] safety?

“Today, 69 percent of those who webelieve weld on a daily basis on vehicles lackeven the most basic in welding training andcertification,” he added. “For steel structuralrepairs, our data says that 98 percent of thosewho do [those] repairs in our industry don’t haveany formal welding training and certification…The influence that’s in this room is staggering.How can we continue to turn a blind eye onproper equipment, [the] proper electrical infra-structure that drives that equipment and thehands and minds behind it who lack the trainingto do a proper weld?...Let's make sure thatwe’re at least getting the old, less sexy steelrepaired correctly before we move on.” H&D

TECHNICAL TSUNAMIBLOWS THROUGH CIC

I-CAR's John Van Alstyne stressedthe importance of educatingmore than just the CIC body.

32 May 2014


©2014 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING.

We get it.

You want the best part for a Toyota, but you’ve got to knowwhen and how much.

Well, now you can. In addition to tools that can help you findand order the right VIN-based parts, now you can see if it’s instock, schedule the delivery, even see your shop’s net price from your participating Toyota Dealer.*

Now you’re thinking: “Cool!”

YOU WANT TO KNOWIF THE PART’S IN STOCK,HOW MUCH IT COSTS,AND WHEN IT’S GONNA GET THERE.

ToyotaPartsAndService.com

T

Jerry’s Toyota8001 Belair RoadBaltimore, MD 21236Toll Free: 877-838-5114Direct: 410-661-4610FAX: 410-661-0259www.jerrystoyota.com

Lakeforest Toyota18707 North Frederick AvenueGaithersburg, MD 20879Phone: 301-670-4881Fax: 301-670-1595

Alexandria Toyota3750 Jefferson Davis HighwayAlexandria, VA 22305Toll Free: 800-766-9767Phone: 703-836-8476Fax: 703-684-3468www.alexandriatoyota.com

Russel Toyota6324 Baltimore Nat’l PikeCatonsville, MD 21228Phone:410-788-1700443-341-8665Fax: 410-455-9909www.rcars.com

Koons Tysons Toyota8610 Leesburg PikeVienna, VA 22182Phone: 703-790-8310Fax: 703-356-9081www.koons.com

Antwerpen Toyota12420 Auto DriveClarksville, MD 21029Phone: 410-988-9272Fax: [email protected]

R&H Toyota15 Music Fair RoadOwings Mills, MD 21117Direct: 410-363-4502Toll Free: 1-866-692-2787Fax: [email protected]

Checkered Flag Toyota5301 Virginia Beach BoulevardVirginia Beach, VA 23462PH: 757-687-3443FAX: 757-687-3437www.checkeredflag.com

Ourisman Fairfax Toyota10441 Lee HighwayFairfax, VA 22030Toll Free: 800-626-2236Direct: 703-273-2236Fax: [email protected]

Toyota of Waldorf2600 Crain Highway Waldorf, MD 20601Direct: 301-843-6075Fax: 301-645-9124partsdepartment@toyotaofwaldorf.comwww.toyotaofwaldorf.com

Younger Toyota1935 Dual HighwayHagerstown, MD 21740Phone: 800-296-1190Fax: [email protected]

For Toyota Genuine Parts please call one of these authorized local Toyota Dealers:

33May 2014


Nuts and bolts, tips and tricksfrom our resident industry experts.

FEATURETECHNICAL

BY LARRY MONTANEZ III, CDA & JEFF LANGE, PE

STEERING AND SUSPENSIONDAMAGE EXPLAINED

Steering and suspension componentshave changed drastically over the last 10years. With the advancement in so-calledsmart suspension systems and steeringassist systems, damage assessors and tech-nicians have had a difficult time in diagnosingthe damage sustained. In many cases,damage goes undiscovered until the vehiclegoes in for a wheel alignment, or technicianschange parts until the vehicle will take awheel alignment. Another issue is that manyOEMs are now requiring that if there isdamage to a suspension component, manyof the components in that area be changed.Likewise, damage to the tie rod end requiresthe rack and pinion assembly to be changedper the OEMs. The above issues not onlyshow the importance of pre-measuring anddiagnosing steering and suspension compo-nents, but also address the importance ofchecking with the OEM repair manuals forwhat is required after a collision event.

Diagnosing Suspension andSteering Damage

It is important to understand what typeof collision event the vehicle was involved inand what occurred in the event. For example,a vehicle traveling at 15mph on snow and icethat slides into a curb and causes scraping ofthe rim and bending of the outer tie rod iscompletely different than a vehicle travelingat 30mph and impacting a deep pothole thatbends the rim and the outer tie rod. Many ofthe OEMs are utilizing aluminum to make thesuspension components. During collisionevents, the applied impact forces can causethe aluminum components to bend anddeform - not only at the point of impact, butmany times damage can occur to thesuspension components in the opposite areaof the impact as well. Damage is frequentlynot visible to the naked eye, and requires

mechanical or electronic measurements toensure there is no sustained damage. It isimperative that damage assessors andtechnicians never assume that damage is oris not present; they must measure and proveit. They must also check with the OEM infor-mation on procedures after a collision eventand position statements on suspension andsteering component damage and repair.

Measuring suspension components canbe done comparatively and mechanicallywith tram gauges and tape measures. Ifcomponents are found to be misaligned, thenwe recommend electronic measurements betaken with three-dimensional structural repairmeasurement equipment from manufacturers

such as Car-O-Liner, Spanesi or similar. Ifwheel alignment equipment is available, thenwe recommend a four-wheel alignmentcheck be performed. Either of the electronicsystems will determine the extent of damage,if any. This will ensure that the technicianand/or damage assessor knows what needsto be replaced - or not replaced.

Many vehicles have multiple electronicassist components and electronic controlsthat must be initialized and reset aftercomponent replacement. Many vehicles alsocome with an automatic cruise controlsystem that works with the steering system,and most vehicles also have a backupcamera that works with the steering angle

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34 May 2014


and/or yaw-rate sensors. These systems mustalso be checked during the analysis process.

Many OEMs have serviceable tie rodends, but these replacement parts are only fornormal wear and tear and not for collisiondamage replacement. In this case, if the tie rodis damaged in a collision event, the OEMwould require the replacement of the rack andpinion steering assembly. Additionally, if the rimand tie rod are damaged, many times all thesuspension components on that side mayrequire replacement. Generally, when a tie rodsustains damage, the rim also sustains somedamage. Rim assemblies need to be evaluatedfor the extent of damage sustained. MostOEMs only allow sanding and buffing of therim, while others allow refinishing of the rim.Most of the OEMs have positions statementsthat state “no bending, reshaping, addingmaterial, removing material, welding or heatingof the rim.” This is why refurbishing a wheelassembly is really not a good idea. The extentof damage sustained is often unknown due tothe fact that the main issue is micro crackingthat may be present and undetectable withoutMagnafluxing or X-Raying the rim — proce-dures that are not typically cost-effective.

As we have said before, today’s damageassessors need to become para-engineers dueto the changing complexity of today’s vehicledesigns and components. This industry needsto raise the bar on education and training. Thegeneral driving public is relying on us to ensuretheir vehicles are repaired safely and willperform in the manner in which they weredesigned to. Too often, we inspect vehicles forpost-repair inspections or during accidentreconstruction and discover incorrect repairprocedures attempted where those procedureswere a contributing factor in the subsequentcollision event. Many times, we find thatsuspension components failed in thoseinvestigations. Failure of steering andsuspension components that were damagedand left undetected during the repairs can havedisastrous results, and all the liability restssolely on the repair facility. Always follow theOEM repair procedures and protocols. Makinga business decision to appease a third partycan expose you to a huge financial loss, if youwere negligent.

We hope this article has helped theindustry to better understand today’s complexsteering and suspension components and whyyou must follow the OEM procedures. Feel freeto contact us if you have questions. H&D

Larry Montanez, CDA is co-owner of P&L Consult-ants with Peter Pratti Jr. P&L Consultants works withcollision repair shops on estimating, production andproper repair procedures. P&L conducts repair work-shops on MIG & resistance welding, measuring forestimating and advanced estimating skills. P&L alsoconducts investigations for insurers and repairshops for improper repairs, collision repairability andestimating issues. P&L can be reached by contact-ing Larry at (718) 891-4018 (office), (917) 860–3588(cell), (718) 646–2733 (fax) or via email at [email protected]. The P&L website iswww.PnLEstimology.com.

Jeff Lange, PE is president of Lange TechnicalServices, Ltd. of Deer Park, NY. Jeff is a LicensedNew York State Professional Engineer who special-izes in investigating vehicle and component failures.

Lange Technical Services, Ltd. is an investigativeengineering firm performing forensic vehicle exami-nations and analysis for accident reconstruction,products liability and insurance issues. Jeff can bereached at (631) 667-6128 or by email [email protected]. The Lange TechnicalServices, Ltd. website is www.LangeTech.net.

Larry and Jeff continually bring up issuesand topics that have a common theme:Researching today’s vehicle prior to arepair is a must. Knowing how to do therepair right – in advance – is the only wayto have confidence in the finished productfor the customer. We cannot ever forgetthat customers trust technicians with theirfamilies’ safety. - Jordan Hendler

Executive Director’s Thoughts

35May 2014


36 May 2014


For those of you that do notknow me, my name is Scottie Davisand I own All Foreign Used AutoParts in Fredericksburg, VA. I havebeen in the automotive recyclingbusiness for over 20 years. I havestarted writing this column with theintention of helping to establishbetter understanding betweenshops and their vendors, and Iwould love to hear from the Ham-mer & Dolly readership to help thiscome to pass.

We are all in business for the same rea-sons: To make sure our customers are fullysatisfied and to make a profit while doing so.This column will appear in Hammer & Dollyon a quarterly basis to share tips, offer adviceand answer questions for readers in a “Q andA” format. My goal is to help everyone reachthe goals of reducing cycle times, satisfyingcustomers and building great vendor relation-ships.

As an example of the types of questionsyou can expect to see covered in future arti-cles, an industry colleague recently askedme, “Why do I need to fill out a cut sheet?”Well, there are a few reasons why. Most im-portantly, a cut sheet gives the vendor a vi-sual tool to make sure the cut is done in theproper way. It also gives them confirmationon items like the vehicle year by supplyingthe VIN and the correct side by marking thesheet.

As a vendor, we at All Foreign UsedAuto Parts are able to hand these sheets toour techs; as a result, they have no questionon what needs to be done. This ensures afast and correct delivery process. Simpleprocesses like these reduce the stress in-volved for everyone who is doing his or herbest to get the job done right.

I look forward to hearing from theWMABA community, and hopefully encourag-ing greater communication between us all. I

urge anyone with suggestions for this columnto email me at [email protected]&D

A view from the supplierside of the industry. VENDOR

37May 2014

CORNER BY SCOTTIE DAVIS

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38 May 2014

The Committee’s decision to not move for-ward with this WMABA-supported consumerprotection bill ended one of the association’smost active legislative campaigns in its history.The first quarter of 2014 saw WMABA represen-tatives (bolstered by invaluable assistancefrom lobbyists Alexander & Cleaver) promotepassage of the bill during often-impassionedSenate and House hearings and two special

workgroups held to further explore the bill (seepage 42). While it appeared at times that the billwould be a smooth and well-deserved win forthe Maryland collision repair industry, legislatorsultimately decided not to make the bill a realityat this time. Many of those involved from theassociation suspect that the use of strong-arming and the issues’ overall contentiousnessled them to shy away at the last minute.

WMABA members reflect on themost recent legislative session.

STORYCOVER

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“We thought that we had the votesto get the bill out of the subcommittee,”explains WMABA Board member MarkSchaech, Jr., who also testified on behalfof the legislation at its Senate andHouse hearings. “It was kind of shockingthat so many minds had changed soquickly, but I don’t think we are going tobe deterred from taking another run atthis bill [in the future].

“In the end, obviously it’s the con-sumers in Maryland who really lost – foranother year, at least,” he adds. “[Thoseare] the consumers who are paying outof their pockets for OEM parts versus af-termarket parts when they want to up-hold a lease agreement or confirm thattheir manufacturer’s warranty will be up-held.”

The collision repairers were repre-sented well by all those who participatedin the hearing and workgroup processesfor both the House and Senate commit-tees. WMABA Executive Director JordanHendler and Hannah Garagiola, WMABAlobbyist and Alexander & Cleaver gov-ernment relations consultant, combinedefforts with Maryland collision repairbusiness owners to create an effectiveteam in Annapolis both prior to and dur-ing the legislative session. Collision re-pair business owners participated inthese same meetings, and even morethroughout the state communicated withtheir representatives just how importantthis law could have been in protectingMaryland policyholders.

“While this consumer legislation isstraight-forward in our opinion, it turnedout to be more controversial than themedical marijuana and minimum wagebills,” opined Garagiola. “Legislators

On March 13, the Maryland House Economic Matters Committeeissued an unfavorable decision on House Bill 574, but know thatthe legislators in Annapolis are now acutely aware of the collisionindustry, the customers they serve and the issues they’re facing.

By Joel Gausten


39May 2014

typically do a good job of putting themselvesin the place of the consumer, but oppositiontactics to promulgate lies and kick up dirt canbe hard to overcome. Given how close thisyear’s efforts came to being successful, I thinkthe groundwork has been laid, and there aregood opportunities to succeed with the samelanguage - and some added ammunition - infuture sessions.”

Although the bill did not move forward inthis session, this conclusion appears to havedone very little to slow down WMABA’s re-solve to address the many consumer issuesbrought to the public eye during the cam-paign. WMABA leaders are currently workingwith other government entities to promote thegroup’s pro-consumer initiatives, while mem-bers like Schaech are educating customerslike never before. In fact, he is in the processof filming a video where his customers whohave been forced to pay the difference for anOEM part – or settle for an aftermarket partwhen they can’t afford it – can share their ex-periences of insurers only paying for non-OEparts. He believes such a project will help ex-plain the situation to lawmakers – especiallywhen many other shops are unable or unwill-ing to do so in fear of it negatively impactingtheir referral contracts.

“[The aftermarket parts issue] may not beas big of a talking point in other shops be-cause they can’t tell the truth,” he explains.“How often can [a DRP shop] sit there and tell[the insurer’s] customers who were sent to theshop, ‘Hey, we don’t recommend these partsthat we have to write for’? It’s just not going tohappen; their hands are tied.”

Looking ahead to the possibility of futureState House campaigns, Schaech stressesthat it is possible for DRP shops to supportWMABA initiatives while also protecting theiragreements with insurers.

“Shops that can’t show up and have avoice because of their fears of insurance [in-dustry] retaliation are still constituents insomeone’s area,” he insists. “They still cancontact their delegate or senator and tell them

the truth and what’s important to them andtheir customer base. Those shops need to beheard. If every single DRP shop who likedwhat we were doing and wanted this billpassed had picked up the phone and sent anemail, I think it could have made a difference.”

Like Schaech, WMABA shop owner JoeTucker (JT Restorations, Deale, MD) devotedtime away from his business to testify on be-half of the bill. In his mind, there is an impossi-ble-to-ignore need to truly address the issuessurrounding the use of aftermarket parts onnewer vehicles.

“Most people who come in don’t wantsubstandard parts on their car,” he says. “Ifyou’re a claimant and somebody runs intoyou, you didn’t have any fault in that accidentand should be put back whole – how you werebefore the accident. You're not being put backto pre-accident condition because you haveparts that were not made by the manufacturerbeing put on the car…I never have to get ridof an OEM part and put an aftermarket part onbecause that aftermarket part fit better.”

Most of all, Tucker is concerned aboutthe potential safety risks posed by certainsome aftermarket parts – especially thosewithout any certification.

“If you have a reinforcing bar that’s upthere in the front of your vehicle that doesn’tcrumble the way it’s designed to, what’s thatgoing to do to your airbags?” he asks. “Who isgoing to share in the liability when somebodygets hurt?

“The manufactures and the Insurance In-stitute for Highway Safety [IIHS] work togetheron consumer safety by crash testing vehicleswith OEM parts,” he adds. “My question is, areaftermarket parts manufacturers working withthe IIHS to ensure consumer safety by makingsure their parts perform as well as OEM partsin a crash situation? If they don't, why not?People's lives are at stake. Some people buycars for their safety rating; with untested partsgoing back on cars, where is the safety?”

WMABA’s efforts in the past few monthsgained considerable attention in and out of

Annapolis. Following WMABA’s lead, the Al-liance of Automobile Manufacturers joined theanti-parts procurement mandate cause to-wards the end of the legislative session, withDirector of State Affairs Laura Dooley offeringthe following position on behalf of her groupin a February 21 letter to House EconomicMatters Committee Chairman Dereck E. Davis:

With respect to the first provision, the Al-liance does not believe that repair facilitiesshould be required to use specific vendors orprocesses for parts procurement. Competitionin the procurement of parts not only keeps thecost of repair parts down for consumers andinsurers, but it also allows repair facilities tonegotiate with different vendors. A commonpractice today is for genuine parts manufac-turers or dealers to match the price that a re-pair facility may get on an aftermarket part –thus allowing the consumer the benefit of thegenuine part at the aftermarket price. Variousprocurement systems may eliminate this prac-tice, unnecessarily penalizing the consumer.

“We argue that the only way consumerscan be confident that the replacement partsused in their vehicle repair are equal in fit andperformance of any like, kind and quality ofthe original is to utilize OEM parts,” offers DanGage, the Alliance’s director of public affairsand communications. “We think it’s imperativethat consumers not only have the right tochoose OEM replacement parts, but that they

WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendlerpromoted the association's bill at special eventsincluding Lobby Day in Annapolis last February.


40 May 2014

be notified and have consent if their insurancecompany requires the use of aftermarket parts.That’s important for us.”

Of course, this kind of traction earnedfierce push back from the opposition. In addi-tion to strong - and, at times, questionable -statements delivered by CAPA, LKQ and StateFarm at the House and Senate hearings (cov-ered extensively in our April 2014 issue), theProperty Casualty Insurers Association ofAmerica (PCI) did all it could to turn the motor-ing public against the bill, going as far as run-ning an email ad through the Baltimore Sun tourge consumers to stand up against what itcalled the “Auto Body Repair Tax.” However,such tactics appear to have had limited impacton the increasingly educated motoring public.

“I have not heard one thing about that ad; Iquestion its reach,” notes Schaech. “The cus-tomers I do talk to who know what we weredoing were disappointed. We had high hopesthat the bill would pass.”

With insurer-mandated parts procurementhere to stay for at least the time being, shopsand vendors alike are struggling to make thebest out of an unwanted scenario. With Part-sTrader now fully in place in his market, veteranrecycled parts supplier and WMABA memberScottie Davis (All Foreign Used Auto Parts) isfeeling the strain that many parts suppliersacross the nation have experienced since StateFarm first began rolling it out in earnest in late2012. For example, he’s already had to hire anadditional employee to handle the overflow ofwork caused by PartsTrader, although it re-mains to be seen if the parts procurement pro-gram will generate any actual profit for thebusiness. This comes on top of soon having topay to use PartsTrader in the first place.

“I’m buying the parts at auction, which arebeing put up by insurance companies, and pay-ing my auction fees and things on top of that,”he says. “Then I’m going to have to eventuallypay this PartsTrader program to be able to pro-vide my product.”

Additionally, the integration of the programinto Davis’ operation has been uncomfortable atbest.

In the first workgroup for the parts bill held on March 6, Senator Thomas “Mac”Middleton (chair for the Senate Finance Committee) and Senator John Astle (vice chairof the Senate Finance Committee) opened by asking all attendees to consider that theCommittee had leaned favorably toward the legislation. Present for WMABA wereExecutive Director Jordan Hendler, lobbyist Hannah Garagiola (Alexander & Cleaver)and Mark Schaech, Jr. (Mark’s Body Shop). Other proponents included the Alliance ofAutomobile Manufacturers and the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association. Theopposition consisted of representatives from LKQ Corporation, CAPA, State Farm,Nationwide, PCIA, USAA and Liberty Mutual.

Middleton first called into question a letter submitted to him by PartsTrader thataccused him of pushing forth the legislation because of a family connection to thesalvage parts industry. He stated that it was untrue and that he verified with the ethicscounsel that he was outside of a conflict of interest. Garagiola verified this to be true,as WMABA had approached Senator Astle first to be our sponsor and author, and thatSenator Middleton was unaware of the legislation prior to it going to his committee.

The second workgroup was organized personally by Delegate John Olszewski, Jr.(informally) for the House Economic Matters side of the legislation to try and reach aconsensus prior to committee vote. This meeting included many, if not all, of the sameindividuals from the earlier Senate workgroup. Delegate Rick Impallaria, who wasinvited by Delegate Olszewski, Jr. to participate in the workgroup discussion, offeredhis personal accounts of issues he faced while operating his own repair shop.Impallaria also was able immediately debunk some of the opponents’ arguments byvirtue of his experiences.

Discussion during the workgroup(s) centered more on the three-year mandate fororiginal parts rather than the parts procurement mandate. LKQ was the most vocal ofthe opposition present, trying to disparage the credibility of the association as theprofessionals for the repair process and pushing that their parts are of similar qualityand warranty as genuine parts. It was obvious that those in the room had little to noinsight into how the repair process actually works in the facility, nor how their localrepresentatives work with those same repairers inside and outside of the Direct Repairagreements.

When discussing parts procurement issues, State Farm lobbying representativeswere not very familiar with their own Direct Repair Program operations at the shoplevel. This left the discussion “flat” and more about making generalized statements. Itwas clear that this had hindered the forward progress for finding common groundwithin the group. Moreover, it was stated that State Farm has not gotten involved withPartsTrader to make shops more efficient, but rather with a goal of affecting partsprices in mind.

As with the hearing(s), many of the opponents discussed particulars of theirproducts or services but offered no documentation to back them up. LKQ accused theautomobile manufacturers of being less safe than their products, citing that the OEMshave a large number of recalls and their products do not. Interestingly, CAPA articu-lated that their parts processes include a recall process and verified manufacturingspecifications, and that all other non-CAPA parts cannot be verified for safety, fit,function or other measurement, nor recalled without proper part identifications. It flewin the face of the arguments LKQ put out.

The insurance industry representatives focused on the supposed belief that thiswould inevitably raise premiums, stating that if the costs for repair rise at all, then theywould pass that cost directly to the consumer. When asked about how much the repaircost affects premiums versus their rating system for location, demographic, vehiclemodel/year, driver history or credit rating, they replied that it depends on the companyor how they operate individually, but added that it typically approximated somewherearound 50 percent of the premium determination. There was no documentation for that,either.

The workgroups did not yield any consensus, nor offer up any major opportunityfor compromise. Opponents offered no areas in which they would negotiate, and in theend it would not have made much difference. Had there been any compromise, it wouldlikely have resulted in a favorable committee vote and the ultimate passage of thelegislation.

WORKGROUPS IN REVIEW


“It takes so much longer for my guys to doan estimate because there are so many ques-tions with the cars,” he says. “They’re still hav-ing to make phone calls to confirm certainthings. It hasn’t cut out the phone call processthat much.”

The problems experienced on the floorare compounded by what Davis considers tobe a significant lack of available hands-ontraining for the PartsTrader product. In hismind, instructional videos are just not the sameas having a legitimate educational session.

“We’ve talked to some body shops wehave good relationships with, and some ofthem are struggling just as we’re struggling,”he says. “I think other vendors are struggling tounderstand exactly how it works. We’re doingthe best we can, but the problem was that Ithink there was no training given for anybody.We got a notification of seminars they weregiving...I sent two of my guys, and they cameback and said it was a sales seminar.”

Considering how tumultuous insurer-man-dated parts procurement has been for partssuppliers in various markets, why in the worldwould they agree to it in the first place? Just asDRP shops endeavor to keep their insurer part-ners satisfied for the sake of incoming work,parts vendors like Davis are feeling pressure torespond to their customers’ needs. In his case,it was difficult to say no to PartsTrader when102 customers – including some with multiplelocations – recommended he use the system.

“I’m going to do it because I want to serv-ice my customers,” he shares. “The shops arehaving to do it to keep their DRP status. I havesome very good customers; as a businessowner, I have no choice but [to] do this. I needto service customers and keep them happy.”

Although the outcome of this most recentlegislative session was not what anyone in theWMABA community wanted, there is still plentyto look forward to. For one thing, the next ses-sion will see considerable turnover in electedofficials, and with it, a variety of new faces.With a clean slate in place, the association willbe better positioned to expand on the statusthey’ve already built. And in a world where it

sometimes takes multiple runs at the StateHouse to get a bill passed, Schaech is oneWMABA member unwilling to throw in the towelthis soon.

“We forged a lot of relationships in An-napolis,” he says. “We’ve educated delegates

and senators on some of our issues, and theygot to see some real hard facts about what’sgoing on in our industry and what the insur-ance industry is doing to consumers. Whetheror not they were able to vote for a bill for theirown political reasons still doesn’t change the

41May 2014

continued on page 42


42 May 2014

continued from page 41COVER STORY

fact that they were educated. If we continue tobring this legislation forward, maybe some ofthese delegates and senators will be able tosay yes in the future.”

In Tucker’s mind, the WMABA Parts Bill -or any repairer-driven endeavor - will onlysucceed if enough members of the industryget involved to make a difference.

“Everybody knows that there’s a problem,but few people do anything about it,” he says.“That’s what happens in the auto bodybusiness; they’re so busy trying to make aliving that they can’t stand up and say, ‘This iswrong!’ Eventually, they’ll figure it out and say,‘You know what? We have to start fighting forwhat’s right.’ Until then, it’ll be a tough industry.There’s a lot of change going on out there, andpeople just have to fight for what they think isright. I think people’s safety in vehicles isworth fighting for.” H&D


”

PRESIDENT: Don [email protected]

443-539-4200 ext. 17061

VICE PRESIDENT: Torchy [email protected]

410-309-2242

SECRETARY: John [email protected]

703-534-1818

OFFICERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rodney [email protected]

410-969-3100 ext. 250

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Jordan Hendler

[email protected]

PAST PRESIDENT: Barry [email protected]

804-746-3928

Mark [email protected]

703-671-2402

Kevin [email protected]

301-336-1140

Bobby [email protected]

434-767-4128

Just like equipment and training, WMABA membership is notonly a commitment to excellence, but also a valuable investment.

WMABA is recognized both regionally and nationally as the keyforum for the exchange of ideas concerning the D.C., MD, and VAcollision repair industry. It is the venue to discuss, learn about andimpact evolving standards and policies in the technical, administra-tive and legislative fronts of our industry. Shops and industrysupporters can best develop themselves and their employees byactively engaging in the association and its activities.

Automotive collision repair facilities in Maryland, Virginia andWashington, D.C. who are willing to adopt WMABA’s Standards ofMembership and offer a guarantee to their consumers areencouraged to engage their business as an active member of theassociation. For over 40 years, the WMABA membership of profes-sional collision repair businesses and affiliates have committed tooperating at a higher standard on behalf of their industry and theirconsumers. Over the years, WMABA has proudly represented the col-lision repair industry at hearings on Capitol Hill, in Annapolis, MD,and Richmond, VA as well as almost every national collision repairevent. While WMABA has a rich history of dedicated men and womenserving the local collision repair community, WMABA also boasts nu-merous past and current accomplished Board members who repre-sent our membership at the national level.

WMABA offers current and dynamic discussion forums on top-ics facing collision repairers, technical information and educationalseminars, opportunities to network and discuss pressing topics withleaders of the collision repair industry, an arbitration program thatworks with consumers to help resolve issues they might have, ap-prenticeship programs, legislative representation and the ability toreceive and contribute to one of the nation’s leading collision repairmagazines, Hammer and Dolly.

Contact Executive Director Jordan Hendlerto find out how WMABA can amplify YOUR

voice in the collision repair industry. “

Position YourBusiness as a Leader!

An association fostering the exchange of ideas, and providing a voice and support for the collision repair professional.

TREASURER: Mark Schaech [email protected]

410-358-5155

43May 2014


44 May 2014


MESSAGEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S Jordan Hendler

(804) [email protected]

given out publicly — or even to other members. The WMABA Board feels strongly that noone repairer or group of repairers should be seen as the “vocal minority.” This gives ourmembers the option of anonymity to be involved with the association while not feeling asthough there is a potential for a target on their back. If there are particular avenues withinthe association that someone wants to publicly address, such as repair practices or (morepointedly) insurer mandates, then they certainly have the ability to do so.

4) Membership is for those “big” shops.WMABA members come in all shapes andsizes. We have members ranging from a staff of four or five people to as large as 50 ormore. We represent the very small independent in a rural community the same way we do alarge dealership group body shop. All are important to us, and all help sustain a variety ofperspectives in our scope of activities.

5) I’d have to be involved or go to meetings. Membership in WMABA does not comewith requirements for attendance to anything. Supporting the association with dues is themost important gesture a shop can make. Those funds go towards all of the activities thatwe’re involved in. Whether or not you want to attend the membership meetings, legislativefunctions, a Golf Outing or anything else that WMABA holds is 100 percent your preroga-tive. Of course, we would love to have more participation to promote connectivity andconsensus building in the repairer community. However, if you’d rather be fishing, thenso be it!

See, you feel better about joining now, don’t you? Visit the website to download amembership application, or feel free to contact me at the office to find out more. H&D

“WE NEED YOU!”– WMABA (and Uncle Sam)

Dispelling the Top 5 Rumors or Untruths You Might Have Heard About WMABA

This issue is full of what WMABA does foryou, so now is the time for us to ask for yoursupport by becoming a member. Associationmembership is something the professionals inour industry think of as optional, but with yourhelp, our accomplishments could becomemind-blowing and industry-altering.

Staring down the advancements in vehicletechnology, increased government and risinginsurer issues, it’s hard to think of membershipin WMABA as anything but mandatory.Everyone from the independent repairer tothe dealership body shop needs a vocalrepresentative now more than ever.

So, let me explain away the “excuses”we’ve heard, and you can join today!

1) WMABA Hates DRPs. So, if you have any,they hate YOU. The association representsALL repairers. That means that the majority ofour membership has a DRP relationship with atleast one insurer. Our goal is to find ways toimprove relationships with insurers wheneverpossible. If there isn’t a “happy medium” foran issue that arises, then we will try to get itresolved through our national contacts. If thatdoesn’t work, then we use the legislative orgovernmental alternative as a last resort.

2) It’s so expensive; I can’t afford it. Membership is $1.92 per day. When youcalculate it out, that’s $700 per year, but whenyou see it as a daily number, we know thatyou can understand it’s very affordable to havesomeone working for you on a more globalscale each and every day. What WMABA doeshelps your shop, but also helps your shopcommunity.

3) The insurance companies have a listof WMABA members and beat them upconstantly. Our membership rosters are not

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45May 2014


ADVERTISERS’INDEX

Alexander & Cleaver............................19

Alexandria Toyota ................................42

All Foreign Used Auto..........................37

Audi Group ..........................................15

Axalta Coating Systems ......................4

BMW Group ........................................24-25

BMW of Bel Air ....................................IBC

BMW of Fairfax....................................3

BMW of Rockville ................................IBC

BMW of Towson ..................................IBC

Car-Part.com ......................................19

CAPA ..................................................8

Chesapeake Automotive Equipment ..46

Empire Auto Parts................................14

Future Cure ........................................41

Honda Group ......................................44

Hyundai Group ....................................21

Koons Ford ..........................................42

Mazda Group ......................................27

MINI Group ..........................................11

MINI of Baltimore County ....................IBC

Mitsubishi Group..................................27

Mopar Group ........................................9

Nissan Group ......................................36

O’Donnell Honda ................................32

Packer Norris Parts ............................7

Porsche Group ....................................31

PPG ....................................................IFC

P&L Consultants..................................35

Russel Toyota ......................................23

Safety Regulations ..............................46

Subaru Group......................................29

Tire Distributors Inc. ............................23

Toyota Group ......................................33

Valspar Automotive..............................OBC

VW Group............................................13

46 May 2014


47May 2014


hammer & dolly may 2014

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