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LKQ of Washington invests $2.5 million in recycling ... - Parts & People

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NORTHWEST EDITION<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> Northwest Regional Office<br />

P.O. Box 46937, Seattle, WA 98146-0937<br />

Onl<strong>in</strong>e Edition at<br />

www.partsandpeople.com<br />

NW/C<br />

Serv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska Volume 103 Number 11 November 2011<br />

<strong>LKQ</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> <strong><strong>in</strong>vests</strong> <strong>$2.5</strong> <strong>million</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

recycl<strong>in</strong>g facility, boosts Northwest presence<br />

by Michael Anderson<br />

Renton, Wash.—In a bid to<br />

provide better service and<br />

higher-quality recycled parts<br />

to customers, <strong>LKQ</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> is <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>$2.5</strong><br />

<strong>million</strong> <strong>in</strong> a new production<br />

build<strong>in</strong>g at its Buckley<br />

automotive recycl<strong>in</strong>g facility.<br />

“The <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> the<br />

operation is to improve<br />

product quality by reduc<strong>in</strong>g<br />

potential damage <strong>in</strong>curred <strong>in</strong><br />

transferr<strong>in</strong>g parts from other<br />

operations,” said Cory<br />

Anderson, general manager<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>LKQ</strong> & Keystone Seattle,<br />

the company’s aftermarket<br />

division, and <strong>LKQ</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>, the<br />

recycl<strong>in</strong>g arm. “We want to buy cars <strong>in</strong><br />

this market, keep them <strong>in</strong> this market, and<br />

sell the parts <strong>in</strong> this market.”<br />

This practice has reduced the amount <strong>of</strong><br />

vehicles and parts shipped between the<br />

Seattle market and <strong>LKQ</strong> Foster Auto <strong>Parts</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong> Portland.<br />

The Buckley recycl<strong>in</strong>g facility, formerly<br />

known as Walt & Vern’s Truck <strong>Parts</strong>, was a<br />

strategic acquisition last summer, Anderson<br />

said, which elim<strong>in</strong>ated the need to shuttle<br />

PRSRT STD<br />

U.S. Postage<br />

PAID<br />

Columbia, MO<br />

Permit No. 353<br />

Cory Anderson, general manager <strong>of</strong> <strong>LKQ</strong> & Keystone<br />

Seattle and <strong>LKQ</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>, says that with the<br />

addition <strong>of</strong> Akzo Nobel pa<strong>in</strong>t, they are now a one-stop<br />

shop for collision repair facilities.<br />

vehicles purchased <strong>in</strong> Seattle to Portland<br />

for process<strong>in</strong>g, then shipp<strong>in</strong>g the parts back<br />

for distribution.<br />

“Used parts create a bit <strong>of</strong> a logistical<br />

challenge, mak<strong>in</strong>g it hard to ensure that<br />

top-quality parts are delivered,” Anderson<br />

said. “They require a lot <strong>of</strong> attention to<br />

protect them from shipp<strong>in</strong>g damage. We<br />

put a tremendous amount <strong>of</strong> attention to<br />

deliver<strong>in</strong>g our parts from specialized<br />

trucks, transfer pallets, and foam.” The<br />

delivery team is also tra<strong>in</strong>ed to ship<br />

Electronic Service Requested<br />

PARTS & PEOPLE (Northwest Region)<br />

P.O. Box 46937<br />

Seattle, WA 98146-0937<br />

recycled parts, he added.<br />

In addition to erect<strong>in</strong>g the new vehicle<br />

process<strong>in</strong>g build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Buckley, complete<br />

with truck docks, Anderson said they’re<br />

also mak<strong>in</strong>g sure the dra<strong>in</strong>age system for<br />

the 10-acre yard is up to date and current<br />

with state regulations.<br />

Along with recycled automotive parts,<br />

<strong>LKQ</strong> & Keystone Seattle <strong>of</strong>fers new<br />

aftermarket and remanufactured collision<br />

parts, sold under the Keystone brand, as<br />

well as Sikkens, Lesonal, and Wanda<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>t, which arrived shortly after <strong>LKQ</strong><br />

Corp.’s acquisition <strong>in</strong> May <strong>of</strong> Akzo<br />

Nobel’s distribution bus<strong>in</strong>ess, Anderson<br />

said.<br />

S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>LKQ</strong> & Keystone Seattle were<br />

already sell<strong>in</strong>g associated pa<strong>in</strong>t products<br />

and parts, and consider<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

relationships with body shops were<br />

already <strong>in</strong> place, mak<strong>in</strong>g the transition to<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 20<br />

INSIDE <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong><br />

More than 11,800 circulated<br />

H&H Diesel specializes <strong>in</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>e work<br />

and fuel <strong>in</strong>jection service . . . . . . . . . . 3<br />

The Milton, Wash.,<br />

diesel specialists<br />

provide eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />

rebuilds, fuel <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

products and service,<br />

and extensive repair<br />

and mach<strong>in</strong>e shop services, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

expanded gas-eng<strong>in</strong>e work.<br />

HDAW 2012 to emphasize company<br />

culture; registrations on the upsw<strong>in</strong>g . 3<br />

Automotive Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Expo 2012 changes<br />

date from March to February . . . . . . . . 5<br />

Latest tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and equipment keeps<br />

Medford repair shop up to date . . . . . . 7<br />

Dave Facciuto didn’t<br />

<strong>in</strong>tend to open an auto<br />

repair shop but a stream<br />

<strong>of</strong> loyal customers<br />

persuaded him<br />

otherwise.<br />

COLLISION REPAIR<br />

Pages 15-18 C1-C4<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision benefits from<br />

two Puget Sound locations . . . . . . . 15<br />

Dick and Eva Bennison,<br />

owners <strong>of</strong> Ra<strong>in</strong>ier<br />

Collision & Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Auto<br />

Repair <strong>in</strong> Gig Harbor and<br />

Port Orchard, say two<br />

locations allow for<br />

reduced cycle times.<br />

Nissan launches collision program for<br />

<strong>in</strong>dependents and dealers . . . . . . . C-2<br />

New certification<br />

program is open to<br />

dealer-owned and<br />

<strong>in</strong>dependent collision<br />

shops.<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>uous improvement means us<strong>in</strong>g<br />

problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g teamwork . . . . . . C-2<br />

Th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g outside the box and chang<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

culture to one <strong>of</strong> teamwork and problem<br />

solv<strong>in</strong>g will lead to success for collision<br />

shops.<br />

New MSO event at NACE proves<br />

to be a popular draw . . . . . . . . . . . C-4<br />

Collision Repair Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Notes . . . 17<br />

ONLINE<br />

More photos and<br />

articles at<br />

partsandpeople.com<br />

Auto Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9<br />

Recently Driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12<br />

The Nissan NV 3500 is stylish, <strong>of</strong>fers immense<br />

cargo space, and handles well.<br />

ASRW attendance is up <strong>in</strong> Florida . . . 13<br />

Mechanical Repair Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Notes . . 19<br />

Everett truck dealership provides<br />

added services at new facility . . . . . 21<br />

Motor Trucks Inc. <strong>in</strong> Everett<br />

provides sales, parts, and<br />

service for new<br />

International trucks, and<br />

service for nearly every type<br />

<strong>of</strong> diesel powered truck.<br />

Run to the Sun event tests 25 sports<br />

and performance vehicles . . . . . . . . . 24<br />

Calendar <strong>of</strong> Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25<br />

Cooper’s Keys to Auto Repair . . . . . . 27<br />

<strong>People</strong> & Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28<br />

Eng<strong>in</strong>es & Eng<strong>in</strong>e Rebuild<strong>in</strong>g / Heavy-Duty Trucks Focus Issue


Page 2 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Eng<strong>in</strong>es & Eng<strong>in</strong>e Rebuild<strong>in</strong>g / Heavy-Duty Trucks Focus Issue<br />

Diesel specialist services varied clientele with eng<strong>in</strong>e work and fuel <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

by Jerold B. Smith<br />

Milton, Wash.—H&H Diesel Service<br />

Inc. has been provid<strong>in</strong>g diesel service for<br />

47 years, said Gary Wolfe, general<br />

manager <strong>of</strong> the firm. Founded by brothers<br />

Slade and Gary Holmes <strong>in</strong> 1964, the firm<br />

purchased property and built a facility<br />

near I-5 <strong>in</strong> Milton <strong>in</strong> 1969, said Owner<br />

Jackie Holmes, who said her husband,<br />

Slade, was killed <strong>in</strong> an airplane crash 15<br />

years ago.<br />

Sitt<strong>in</strong>g on a 4.5-acre site with plentiful<br />

space for the trucks the firm services,<br />

H&H operates three departments at the<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess: fuel <strong>in</strong>jection sales and service,<br />

mach<strong>in</strong>e shop services, and<br />

truck/equipment repair, said Wolfe, who<br />

was with the company for 11 years, left<br />

for other endeavors, and returned to help<br />

run the firm after the death <strong>of</strong> Holmes.<br />

“Fuel <strong>in</strong>jection is the biggest part <strong>of</strong> our<br />

Owner Jackie Holmes is pictured with her bird, Toby, and<br />

General Manager Gary Wolfe at the front parts counter at<br />

H&H Diesel <strong>in</strong> Milton.<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess,” he said. “We sell fuel <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

parts to a variety <strong>of</strong> loyal customers and<br />

provide outside sales from Centralia to<br />

Aberdeen and all <strong>of</strong> the Tacoma area.”<br />

The parts department<br />

has an <strong>in</strong>ventory <strong>of</strong><br />

$725,000, mostly stocked<br />

with fuel <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

products, Wolfe said.<br />

“Our technicians are<br />

factory-tra<strong>in</strong>ed and can<br />

provide exceptional<br />

service on fuel <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

systems,” he said. The<br />

firm <strong>of</strong>fers<br />

remanufactured,<br />

exchange, or new units<br />

and is an Alliant Power<br />

fuel <strong>in</strong>jection dealer, as<br />

well as a Bosch Service<br />

Center, and dealer for l<strong>in</strong>es<br />

such as Clevite, Cumm<strong>in</strong>s, Denso, Delphi,<br />

Stanadyne, and other products, he added.<br />

“Our fuel <strong>in</strong>jection bus<strong>in</strong>ess is steady<br />

and grow<strong>in</strong>g, and we have five <strong>in</strong>jectionshop<br />

employees,” Wolfe said, add<strong>in</strong>g that<br />

the company has <strong>in</strong>vested heavily <strong>in</strong><br />

tool<strong>in</strong>g and test equipment to service the<br />

needs <strong>of</strong> customers that range from fleets<br />

to dealers to repair specialists.<br />

“We get a lot <strong>of</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess due to the use<br />

<strong>of</strong> bio fuels, which can ru<strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

system if not used properly.”<br />

With 17 employees, H&H is housed <strong>in</strong><br />

an 8,000-square-foot build<strong>in</strong>g that has a<br />

parts department, <strong>of</strong>fices, three-bay<br />

service center, fuel-<strong>in</strong>jection center, and<br />

mach<strong>in</strong>e shop, Wolfe said. The service<br />

shop, with three technicians, handles 75-<br />

100 vehicles a month, many <strong>of</strong> those<br />

pickups, but they work on a variety <strong>of</strong><br />

vehicles and equipment, he said.<br />

While the firm used to repair a large<br />

number <strong>of</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>es, Wolfe said that<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess has dropped <strong>of</strong>f over the years,<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 6<br />

HDAW 2012 to emphasize company culture; registrations are on upsw<strong>in</strong>g<br />

by Rob Merw<strong>in</strong><br />

Bethesda, Md.—More than 1,700<br />

managers and executives from 17 countries<br />

attended last year’s Heavy Duty<br />

Aftermarket Week (HDAW) <strong>in</strong> Las Vegas,<br />

and event organizers said they expect<br />

numbers to <strong>in</strong>crease<br />

for HDAW 2012,<br />

which will have the<br />

theme, “Corporate<br />

Culture: The<br />

Foundation for<br />

Success.”<br />

“Currently, we are<br />

see<strong>in</strong>g a 30-percent<br />

<strong>in</strong>crease for same-time<br />

registration,” said Cochair<br />

Mike Betts,<br />

president <strong>of</strong> Betts<br />

Spr<strong>in</strong>g Co., <strong>of</strong> HDAW<br />

2012, which will be at<br />

the Mirage <strong>in</strong> Las<br />

Vegas on Jan. 23-26.<br />

“The outpour<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />

comments regard<strong>in</strong>g<br />

this year’s theme and<br />

“The network<strong>in</strong>g<br />

opportunities are<br />

numerous and not<br />

to be missed.<br />

Nowhere are the<br />

real leaders <strong>of</strong> our<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

assembled<br />

together <strong>in</strong> one<br />

place like they are<br />

at HDAW,” says<br />

HDAW 2012 Cochair<br />

Mike Betts.<br />

the reformatt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> our educational program<br />

is overwhelm<strong>in</strong>gly positive,” Betts said.<br />

Co-chair Ken Duval, president <strong>of</strong><br />

Canadian Wheel Industries, said HDAW<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>ues to grow <strong>in</strong> importance and is the<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry’s premier meet<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

“When HDAW was first developed, we<br />

understood that it would take a few years to<br />

create <strong>in</strong>dustry-wide momentum for the<br />

event and to establish credibility,” Duval<br />

said.<br />

“I believe that 2010 was a watershed year<br />

for HDAW,” he said. “S<strong>in</strong>ce that meet<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

HDAW has achieved the status that was<br />

envisioned <strong>in</strong> the early days <strong>of</strong> its <strong>in</strong>ception;<br />

hence, the <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the registrations.”<br />

The co-chairs were challenged to develop<br />

a theme that connects what is important and<br />

relevant to the distributor and supplier<br />

community, they said. Last year’s theme<br />

revolved around leadership, and they said it<br />

was important to have HDAW 2012 build<br />

on that foundation.<br />

Betts said that aside from connect<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry distributors and suppliers, “it is<br />

<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g when one looks <strong>in</strong>side their own<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess each year. You identify what is and<br />

isn’t work<strong>in</strong>g, and you build on your<br />

strengths and what you learn from your<br />

analysis.”<br />

“We had just f<strong>in</strong>ished read<strong>in</strong>g Tony<br />

Hseih’s book, ‘Deliver<strong>in</strong>g Happ<strong>in</strong>ess,’<br />

about the importance <strong>of</strong> corporate culture,”<br />

Duval said. “Mr. Hseih is the CEO <strong>of</strong><br />

Zappos and places great emphasis on<br />

company culture and core values.<br />

“The more we thought about the book,<br />

the more it became evident that this theme<br />

would be a natural progression from the<br />

leadership theme <strong>of</strong> 2011,” he said.<br />

Duval said that all <strong>of</strong> HDAW 2012 will<br />

concentrate on the impact <strong>of</strong> company<br />

culture, from keynote speaker Robert<br />

Richman <strong>of</strong> Zappos to its education<br />

sessions.<br />

Richman, product manager <strong>of</strong> Zappos<br />

Insights, ranked by Fortune Magaz<strong>in</strong>e as<br />

one <strong>of</strong> the “Top 100 Companies Best to<br />

Work For,” will share how Zappos learned<br />

to serve its two most valuable assets:<br />

employees and customers, Duval said.<br />

Betts said Richman will devote much <strong>of</strong><br />

his keynote to describ<strong>in</strong>g the unique culture<br />

at Zappos. “His presentation will hit home<br />

with many owners and managers <strong>of</strong> the<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>esses,” he said. “The ‘Y’ generation,<br />

which is the future <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustry, looks at their<br />

jobs <strong>in</strong> a way that is uniquely different than<br />

past generations.<br />

Times are chang<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

and we as an <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

must change to be<br />

relevant <strong>in</strong> the<br />

future.”<br />

Betts said three <strong>of</strong><br />

the four 60- and 90-<br />

HDAW Co-chair<br />

Ken Duval says that<br />

all <strong>of</strong> HDAW 2012<br />

will concentrate on<br />

the impact <strong>of</strong><br />

company culture,<br />

from the keynote<br />

speaker to its<br />

education sessions.<br />

m<strong>in</strong>ute educational<br />

sessions are also<br />

centered on corporate<br />

cultural issues.<br />

He said one<br />

session, “The Culture<br />

Key: Innovation,<br />

Accountability, and<br />

the Human Art <strong>of</strong><br />

Bus<strong>in</strong>ess,” led by Edgar Papke, will be a<br />

“game changer.”<br />

“The takeaways are real and will hit<br />

home with all the leaders and managers <strong>in</strong><br />

attendance,” he said. But, more<br />

importantly, he cont<strong>in</strong>ued, the audience<br />

will realize how the right culture <strong>in</strong> their<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess is the difference between success<br />

and a less than desirable atmosphere.<br />

“In almost all cases, the proper culture<br />

delivers the best results and the most<br />

satisfy<strong>in</strong>g work environment,” Betts added.<br />

“Without the right culture, it is nearly<br />

impossible to have the k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> teamwork<br />

that leaders work and wish for.<br />

“We are confident each session will<br />

deliver the audience with significant<br />

takeaways.”<br />

With HDAW hold<strong>in</strong>g four educational<br />

sessions, organizers have opened up<br />

additional time for more one-on-one<br />

meet<strong>in</strong>gs between suppliers and<br />

distributors, which are also expected<br />

exceed the more than 1,600 held dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

HDAW 2011, the co-chairs said.<br />

“One-on-one meet<strong>in</strong>gs are a critical<br />

component <strong>of</strong> HDAW,” Duval said. “Both<br />

manufacturers and distributors value the<br />

opportunity to meet privately to discuss<br />

<strong>in</strong>dividual issues. The one-on-one meet<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

are the best vehicles to achieve that end.”<br />

The value ga<strong>in</strong>ed by attend<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

product expo, the scheduled one-on-one<br />

meet<strong>in</strong>gs, and the educational sessions are<br />

<strong>in</strong>valuable, Betts said.<br />

“The network<strong>in</strong>g opportunities are<br />

numerous and not to be missed. Nowhere<br />

are the real leaders <strong>of</strong> our <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

assembled together <strong>in</strong> one place like they<br />

are at HDAW,” he said.<br />

“This year is the seventh year for<br />

HDAW, and each new year has been<br />

stronger than the last,” Betts said, “and that<br />

has to do with the collaborative nature <strong>of</strong><br />

event organizers, Heavy Duty Distribution<br />

Association (HDDA), Automotive<br />

Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA),<br />

and Commercial Vehicle Solutions<br />

Network (CVSN), as well as 10 other<br />

sponsor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustry organizations that<br />

work on the overall agenda and plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />

for the conference.<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation, go to<br />

www.hdaw.org. n<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 3


<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong><br />

The Monthly Regional Publication<br />

For Northwest<br />

Automotive Specialists<br />

Volume 103 / Number 11, November 2011<br />

Publisher: Lance Buchner<br />

Associate Publishers:<br />

Jerold B. Smith and Michael Anderson<br />

Manag<strong>in</strong>g Editor: Rob Merw<strong>in</strong><br />

Contributors: John Yoswick,<br />

Daniel Sachs<br />

Graphic Arts Director: Mario Waller<br />

Pr<strong>in</strong>ter: Tribune Publish<strong>in</strong>g Co. Inc.<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> is published monthly by<br />

Automotive Counsel<strong>in</strong>g & Publish<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Company, Inc., a Colorado corporation.<br />

ISSN 1083-771Z<br />

Northwest Edition<br />

P.O Box 46937<br />

Seattle, WA 98146-0937<br />

Phone: 206-935-3336 Fax: 206-937-9732<br />

Toll Free: 800-850-9232<br />

e-mail: jerry@partsandpeople.com<br />

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President/Publisher: Lance Buchner<br />

National Sales Director & Associate Publisher:<br />

Michael Anderson<br />

Director <strong>of</strong> Sales Development and Market<strong>in</strong>g: Art Wolfe<br />

art.wolfe@partsandpeoplecom<br />

Founded by Lance Buchner and Dave Lucia.<br />

www.partsandpeople.com<br />

Office Manager: Amanda Buchner<br />

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Circulation: Tracy Buchner, tracy@partsandpeople.com<br />

Subscriptions are free to all automotive-related Northwest<br />

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For mail renewals or change <strong>of</strong> address, please <strong>in</strong>clude<br />

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Reproduction <strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong> the contents <strong>of</strong> this publication by<br />

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permission <strong>of</strong> the publisher. Copyright 2011,<br />

Automotive Counsel<strong>in</strong>g & Publish<strong>in</strong>g Company, Inc.<br />

All rights reserved.<br />

Publisher’s Statement<br />

Trade shows reveal emerg<strong>in</strong>g trends<br />

and bus<strong>in</strong>ess cycles<br />

One <strong>of</strong> many def<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g benefits derived from attend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

trade shows is the identification and articulation <strong>of</strong> emerg<strong>in</strong>g<br />

trends, changes, and bus<strong>in</strong>ess cycles <strong>in</strong> the participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

segments.<br />

Whether it be the large, national shows and conventions <strong>of</strong> the<br />

fourth quarter or the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g-rich regional shows, at each event<br />

the take-away from the whole is usually greater than the sum <strong>of</strong><br />

its parts.<br />

Exposure to the full spectrum <strong>of</strong> the shows — the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, the<br />

products, peers, speakers, and suppliers — is a key component <strong>in</strong><br />

fram<strong>in</strong>g a vision <strong>of</strong> the future for experienced show attendees.<br />

Some trends and directions are cutt<strong>in</strong>g-edge while others are<br />

time-tested but still current.<br />

Renew<strong>in</strong>g vertical <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />

One outcome, sometimes overlooked or unrecognized, is the<br />

renewal and recognition <strong>of</strong> the vertical <strong>in</strong>tegration <strong>of</strong> the parts<br />

and service <strong>in</strong>dustry. The vertical channel <strong>of</strong> the supply cha<strong>in</strong><br />

and parts distribution, from manufacturers through distributors to<br />

the shops, conta<strong>in</strong>s added value and efficiencies not always used<br />

to full advantage by shop owners.<br />

The mature, competitive structure <strong>of</strong> the supply channel<br />

rema<strong>in</strong>s a systemic strength <strong>of</strong> this <strong>in</strong>dustry and, arguably, a<br />

primary reason why the <strong>in</strong>dustry has weathered the economic<br />

downturn to the extent it has dur<strong>in</strong>g the last three years. It’s<br />

been, after all, world-class for many decades.<br />

Shop owners who recognize and participate with<br />

manufacturers and distributors <strong>in</strong> the channel not only benefit <strong>in</strong><br />

the short term but are also rewarded with a sense <strong>of</strong> trend and<br />

direction <strong>of</strong> the market or emerg<strong>in</strong>g technological challenges and<br />

the correspond<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustry response to such directions.<br />

It’s no surprise, really, to discover that at many booths there are<br />

programs tailored to fit the current needs <strong>of</strong> shops and <strong>in</strong>itiatives<br />

<strong>in</strong>tended to address current market and <strong>in</strong>dustry conditions. The<br />

disappo<strong>in</strong>tment is that more shop owners and managers do not<br />

recognize and benefit from the value and benefit created and<br />

packaged for them.<br />

Appreciate value to sell value<br />

For those who dismiss or dim<strong>in</strong>ish the importance <strong>of</strong> the trade<br />

shows, judg<strong>in</strong>g shows purely by attendance, it should be po<strong>in</strong>ted<br />

out that there is a value <strong>in</strong>herent <strong>in</strong> the gather<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

— peer attendees and those who tra<strong>in</strong> or exhibit — that goes<br />

beyond simple short-term results. There is value <strong>in</strong> renewal,<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry identification, and participation as a learn<strong>in</strong>g experience<br />

unto itself for all <strong>in</strong>volved.<br />

There is no specific tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g or sem<strong>in</strong>ar available to appreciate<br />

trade shows and conferences. It is to be experienced by each<br />

attendee <strong>in</strong> their own way and relative to their own needs, but, as<br />

we have witnessed over the years, it contributes to the formation<br />

<strong>of</strong> a personal, <strong>in</strong>dustry perspective <strong>in</strong>to which new <strong>in</strong>formation<br />

and response to chang<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess conditions can be adapted and<br />

def<strong>in</strong>ed.<br />

The whole is greater than the sum <strong>of</strong> its parts, and the value<br />

<strong>in</strong>herent is apparent to all who can appreciate value beyond<br />

purely short-term return.<br />

At a time when bus<strong>in</strong>esses are challenged to sell the value <strong>of</strong><br />

their services <strong>in</strong> order to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> or <strong>in</strong>crease prices necessary to<br />

<strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> technology, provide customer services, and meet<br />

<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g costs <strong>of</strong> do<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess, <strong>in</strong>dustry trade show attendees<br />

benefit from the opportunity to appreciate the value <strong>in</strong>herent <strong>in</strong><br />

the <strong>in</strong>dustry itself and develop their own perspectives regard<strong>in</strong>g<br />

value.<br />

Perhaps a prerequisite to sell<strong>in</strong>g added value is to appreciate<br />

the value <strong>of</strong>fered by others.<br />

Attend one or more <strong>of</strong> the many trade shows and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

events <strong>of</strong>fered this season and judge for yourself. n<br />

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Page 4 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Automotive Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Expo 2012 changes date from March to February<br />

by Jerold B. Smith<br />

SeaTac, Wash.—Generally held <strong>in</strong><br />

March, the Automotive Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Expo<br />

(ATE) will be on Feb. 24-26 next year at<br />

the Doubletree Hotel near Sea-Tac Airport.<br />

As <strong>of</strong> press time, the education<br />

committee for ATE was f<strong>in</strong>aliz<strong>in</strong>g the more<br />

than 50 classes<br />

that will be<br />

featured at the<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g event.<br />

Sem<strong>in</strong>ars will<br />

<strong>in</strong>clude<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>gs for<br />

owners,<br />

managers,<br />

service<br />

advisors,<br />

technicians,<br />

automotive<br />

Bus<strong>in</strong>ess/Career<br />

Consultant, Wellness<br />

Coach, Author, and<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Speaker<br />

Fred Schafer will<br />

address ATE attendees<br />

at the Saturday<br />

luncheon.<br />

educators, parts<br />

specialists, and<br />

others <strong>in</strong>volved<br />

<strong>in</strong> the<br />

automotive<br />

service and<br />

repair <strong>in</strong>dustry.<br />

Instructors<br />

for ATE will aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>clude the top tra<strong>in</strong>ers<br />

<strong>in</strong> North America to provide extensive<br />

management and technical classes rang<strong>in</strong>g<br />

from f<strong>in</strong>ancial issues to vehicle diagnostics,<br />

and weld<strong>in</strong>g to hybrid powertra<strong>in</strong>s.<br />

I-CAR will once aga<strong>in</strong> provide tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

for the collision repair trade <strong>in</strong> conjunction<br />

with the Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development<br />

Programs (PDPs). A number <strong>of</strong> courses<br />

will be <strong>in</strong>structed by lead<strong>in</strong>g I-CAR<br />

tra<strong>in</strong>ers under the role-based PDP.<br />

ATE draws hundreds <strong>of</strong> service and<br />

repair pr<strong>of</strong>essionals from throughout the<br />

western U.S. and western Canada.<br />

The all-<strong>in</strong>clusive registration fee allows<br />

participants to attend as many classes as<br />

desired over the three days <strong>of</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Registration <strong>in</strong>cludes class materials,<br />

meals, and entrance to the Friday and<br />

Saturday even<strong>in</strong>g trade expo that features<br />

food and beverages.<br />

Registration also <strong>in</strong>cludes keynote<br />

speakers at the Saturday breakfast and<br />

luncheon. Noted coach and personal<br />

development tra<strong>in</strong>er Richard Fl<strong>in</strong>t will<br />

present “The Power to Be” <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

while Fred Schafer, considered one <strong>of</strong> the<br />

nation’s most dynamic speakers, will <strong>of</strong>fer<br />

“The Underdog Method to Success” dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Saturday’s lunch. Both will also present<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g classes.<br />

Exhibitors at the trade expo <strong>in</strong>clude parts<br />

and product suppliers, remanufacturers,<br />

equipment and tool providers, tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

firms, and other <strong>in</strong>dustry-support<br />

companies. Thousands <strong>of</strong> dollars <strong>in</strong> give-aways<br />

and prize draw<strong>in</strong>gs are provided for<br />

those who attend the expo.<br />

For <strong>in</strong>dustry pr<strong>of</strong>essionals who want to<br />

attend just the trade show, a $15 fee allows<br />

entrance on Friday or Saturday nights.<br />

The largest automotive service and repair<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g event on the West Coast, ATE<br />

provides the most dynamic class <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

to meet the needs <strong>of</strong> today’s service and<br />

repair facilities.<br />

The education committee, consist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />

shop owners, technicians, and <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, strives to select the classes<br />

and sem<strong>in</strong>ars that provide the most<br />

comprehensive management and technical<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g available <strong>in</strong> North America.<br />

“ATE 2012 will add new classes never<br />

before <strong>of</strong>fered, as well as several new<br />

tra<strong>in</strong>ers that are highly regarded <strong>in</strong> the<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry,” said Jeff Lovell, AAM, president<br />

and executive director <strong>of</strong> ASA <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>,<br />

the show producer.<br />

“We work very hard to keep ATE fresh<br />

and <strong>of</strong>fer the classes that our <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

needs to be both pr<strong>of</strong>essional and<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>itable,” Lovell said.<br />

Sponsored by ASA <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>, the<br />

Northwest Tire Dealers Association, and<br />

the <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> Automotive Wholesalers<br />

Association, the <strong>of</strong>ficial media sponsor <strong>of</strong><br />

ATE is <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong>’s Northwest<br />

edition.<br />

The ATE web site is fully functional for<br />

registration to the event. A complete list<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>of</strong> classes, <strong>in</strong>structor bios, hotel<br />

<strong>in</strong>formation, exhibitors, and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

sponsors will be detailed on the site<br />

(www.atetra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gexpo.com). n<br />

See NAPA<br />

Products at<br />

ATE <strong>in</strong> February<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 5


Diesel specialist services varied clientele with eng<strong>in</strong>e work and fuel <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 3<br />

but the company still repairs and rebuilds<br />

some eng<strong>in</strong>es for trucks and specialty<br />

equipment.<br />

“We do keep<br />

busy with our<br />

cyl<strong>in</strong>der head<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess and<br />

have a good<br />

<strong>in</strong>ventory <strong>of</strong><br />

products on the<br />

shelf,” he said.<br />

On a recent visit<br />

to H&H, there<br />

were two Class 8<br />

diesel eng<strong>in</strong>es<br />

wait<strong>in</strong>g for bid<br />

approval from the<br />

customer for<br />

Keith Ste<strong>in</strong>born, an 18-year employee<br />

and manager <strong>of</strong> the fuel <strong>in</strong>jection<br />

department at H&H Diesel Service, works<br />

at one <strong>of</strong> the mach<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong> the fuel<br />

<strong>in</strong>jection clean<strong>in</strong>g room.<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>e rebuild at a cost <strong>of</strong> about $20,000<br />

each, he said.<br />

In the three-person mach<strong>in</strong>e shop, most<br />

<strong>of</strong> the work is for diesel eng<strong>in</strong>es, but Wolfe<br />

said they service gas eng<strong>in</strong>es as well. “We<br />

work on cars, trucks,<br />

motorhomes, mediumduty<br />

trucks up to Class<br />

8, cranes, and other<br />

equipment,” he said.<br />

“We do a fair amount<br />

<strong>of</strong> work on oddball<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>es like tractors or<br />

specialty equipment.”<br />

Changes <strong>in</strong> the past<br />

10 years have altered<br />

how H&H provides<br />

service and how<br />

technicians are tra<strong>in</strong>ed,<br />

Wolfe said.<br />

“Trucks were slower to get<br />

electronic systems, and it has<br />

been a slow learn<strong>in</strong>g curve for<br />

us,” he said, “but we <strong>in</strong>vested<br />

<strong>in</strong> tool<strong>in</strong>g and have factory<br />

tools for Caterpillar,<br />

Cumm<strong>in</strong>s, Ford, General<br />

Motors, and Chrysler, plus we<br />

have a variety <strong>of</strong> lab scopes.<br />

“We have three scan tools<br />

just for Ford, as it represents a<br />

lot <strong>of</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess for us, and they<br />

are good about gett<strong>in</strong>g us<br />

repair data.”<br />

With advanced electronics<br />

and changes to diesel eng<strong>in</strong>es,<br />

Wolfe said all the staff has been <strong>in</strong>volved<br />

<strong>in</strong> extensive tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> recent years. “We<br />

take Bosch classes from Power<br />

Distribut<strong>in</strong>g, attend classes <strong>of</strong>fered by Jet<br />

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Jerry Eck, a technician at H&H Diesel Service for 24<br />

years, performs fuel-<strong>in</strong>jection service on a truck at the<br />

facility.<br />

Chevrolet, and attend other courses to stay<br />

current on chang<strong>in</strong>g technology,” he said,<br />

add<strong>in</strong>g that all tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g is paid for by the<br />

company.<br />

“Fuel <strong>in</strong>jection is the delicate part <strong>of</strong> the<br />

fuel system, and know<strong>in</strong>g how to repair or<br />

replace these electronically controlled<br />

systems is important so we can provide top<br />

quality service,” Wolfe said.<br />

Each system is different, with its own<br />

characteristics, he said, such as the GM<br />

four-micron filter that traps more particles<br />

and common rail systems that create their<br />

own technology issues. Chang<strong>in</strong>g fuel<br />

<strong>in</strong>jection filter <strong>of</strong>ten, every 3,000 to 5,000<br />

miles, is very important, he added.<br />

With a new lift <strong>in</strong> place, the first one <strong>in</strong><br />

the shop, Wolfe said, the shop will <strong>of</strong>fer<br />

extended services such as transmission<br />

work and service on more gas eng<strong>in</strong>es.<br />

With a major <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> factory and<br />

aftermarket tool<strong>in</strong>g and scan tools, the<br />

shop is able to perform additional work on<br />

vehicles and systems that were not<br />

considered <strong>in</strong> the past, he said.<br />

“We will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to keep up with fuel<br />

<strong>in</strong>jection systems and technology, buy<br />

needed tools and equipment, and cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />

to tra<strong>in</strong> our people, most <strong>of</strong> whom have<br />

been here more than 10 years and many<br />

for over 25,” Wolfe said.<br />

“We have a great staff, and they seem to<br />

stay for a long time, so we must be do<strong>in</strong>g<br />

someth<strong>in</strong>g right,” Holmes said. n<br />

Technician Jerry Benner, 14 years at H&H<br />

Diesel Service, is a mach<strong>in</strong>ist <strong>in</strong> the firm’s<br />

mach<strong>in</strong>e shop division.<br />

Page 6 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Latest tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and equipment keeps Medford repair shop up to date<br />

Around the mid-<br />

1990s however, he<br />

said he began<br />

see<strong>in</strong>g automobiles<br />

becom<strong>in</strong>g more<br />

alike, mak<strong>in</strong>g it<br />

easier to widen his<br />

repair service.<br />

“You would<br />

f<strong>in</strong>d, let’s say, a<br />

Ford with a lot <strong>of</strong><br />

Bosch fuel<br />

<strong>in</strong>jection<br />

components on it,” he said. “We were<br />

already well versed <strong>in</strong> fuel <strong>in</strong>jection, which<br />

the imports did way early on. So when the<br />

American cars started to do fuel <strong>in</strong>jection,<br />

we already had good tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g at it, we<br />

already understood it.”<br />

Today, Facciuto said, he owns and<br />

operates a five-bay, 4,000-square-foot shop<br />

with seven employees. Among them are<br />

four ASE-certified technicians, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

himself, he said.<br />

“Each one <strong>of</strong> us tends to have a specialty<br />

that we’re good at. My specialty for a long<br />

time was Porsche. Mike Lesh does<br />

Volkswagen and Audi. Dave Lesh does<br />

GM, Chrysler, and Ford. So we cover a lot<br />

<strong>of</strong> ground that way,” Facciuto said. “My<br />

wife works as the <strong>of</strong>fice manager as well.”<br />

One <strong>of</strong> the most challeng<strong>in</strong>g tasks,<br />

Facciuto said, has been keep<strong>in</strong>g up with<br />

technology. But tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g programs <strong>of</strong>fered<br />

by local and national distributors help<br />

make it possible to stay up to date, he said.<br />

“We do a lot <strong>of</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g through<br />

companies like WORLDPAC,” he said.<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 8<br />

Owner Dave Facciuto (l.) says Jim<br />

Johnson is his primary customer service<br />

tech, and is usually the first person<br />

customers greet when they come <strong>in</strong>.<br />

by Daniel Sachs<br />

Medford, Ore.—Dave Facciuto said he<br />

never thought <strong>of</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g auto repair a<br />

career until he needed to earn some extra<br />

cash while work<strong>in</strong>g on his bus<strong>in</strong>ess degree<br />

at Butler University.<br />

“To supplement my <strong>in</strong>come, I worked at<br />

a local garage do<strong>in</strong>g just basic, simple<br />

stuff,” Facciuto said. But when his job<br />

duties grew more complex, he said he<br />

decided to become ASE certified.<br />

Eng<strong>in</strong>e Performance and Brakes were<br />

two certification courses he completed, and<br />

he said he realized then that he really loved<br />

work<strong>in</strong>g on cars. “From there I just kept on<br />

work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> shops,” Facciuto said.<br />

He said he started the bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> 1989,<br />

but prior to open<strong>in</strong>g his own shop he<br />

received lots <strong>of</strong> formal tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. “I’ve been<br />

to several factory tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g schools and I<br />

was actually the shop foreman for a large<br />

import specialty repair shop before open<strong>in</strong>g<br />

my own bus<strong>in</strong>ess,” he said.<br />

“As far as the bus<strong>in</strong>ess start<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> this<br />

valley, I was formally employed by a shop<br />

<strong>in</strong> town, and left that employment, not<br />

really <strong>in</strong>tend<strong>in</strong>g to start my own bus<strong>in</strong>ess,”<br />

Facciuto said. “But I had quite a clientele<br />

<strong>of</strong> people that liked me as a mechanic, so<br />

they kept call<strong>in</strong>g me and I felt like, ‘This is<br />

what I know how to do and I do it well,’<br />

and just grew <strong>in</strong>to it with so loyal<br />

customers.”<br />

Facciuto said he opened the doors at his<br />

current location <strong>in</strong> 2005.<br />

“For me, it was to start small and grow<br />

as the bus<strong>in</strong>ess grew, versus try<strong>in</strong>g to open<br />

this massive shop,” Facciuto said.<br />

“There’s that say<strong>in</strong>g, ‘If you build it,<br />

they will come.’ Well, you have to be<br />

careful <strong>of</strong> the economy when you say that.<br />

You don’t want to over-build, but you want<br />

to be big enough to take care <strong>of</strong> your<br />

customers.”<br />

At first, Facciuto said he worked only on<br />

imports. Thus, Dave’s Import Service.<br />

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repeated vertical motion (scrubb<strong>in</strong>g).<br />

To request a free Fel-Pro Performance catalog,<br />

email publications@federalmogul.com.<br />

©2007 Federal-Mogul Corporation. All rights reserved.<br />

Full-hard sta<strong>in</strong>less<br />

steel layers<br />

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performance eng<strong>in</strong>e can place on its gaskets<br />

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Today’s performance eng<strong>in</strong>es are designed to<br />

extract every last bit <strong>of</strong> power per cubic <strong>in</strong>ch.<br />

This puts newfound levels <strong>of</strong> stress, heat and<br />

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they require the latest <strong>in</strong> seal<strong>in</strong>g technologies.<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 7


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Latest tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and equipment keeps Medford shop up to date<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 7<br />

“They seem to encompass anyth<strong>in</strong>g that<br />

helps the auto repair <strong>in</strong>dustry, and they put<br />

on tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses once or twice a year.”<br />

Keep<strong>in</strong>g his employees <strong>in</strong>formed is one<br />

th<strong>in</strong>g, but they also need to have access to<br />

state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art diagnostic equipment,<br />

Facciuto said, add<strong>in</strong>g that his technicians<br />

buy a lot <strong>of</strong> their own Snap-on hand tools.<br />

“As far as our diagnostic equipment, we<br />

have a Snap-on Modis,” he said. “That’s<br />

their top-level diagnostic platform for<br />

electronics, and we have the Launch-Tech<br />

X431.”<br />

Facciuto was also enthusiastic about<br />

specialty <strong>in</strong>struments. “We have a BMW<br />

GT1 DIS pr<strong>of</strong>essional diagnostic tool,<br />

which is a BMW-specific factory scan tool.<br />

Then we have all the various transmission<br />

flush mach<strong>in</strong>es, fuel <strong>in</strong>jection flush<strong>in</strong>g<br />

mach<strong>in</strong>es, and coolant flush<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es.”<br />

The newest addition to the shop is a<br />

Hunter alignment mach<strong>in</strong>e. “Hunter has a<br />

good reputation, and one <strong>of</strong> my techs<br />

actually teaches at Rogue Community<br />

College,” he said. “He teaches a front-end<br />

class, and they use a Hunter alignment<br />

mach<strong>in</strong>e. And the biggest th<strong>in</strong>g was that I<br />

got a good buy on it.”<br />

His ma<strong>in</strong> parts<br />

suppliers <strong>in</strong>clude<br />

WORLDPAC, NAPA,<br />

and one <strong>of</strong> the biggest<br />

local jobbers,<br />

Performance<br />

Warehouse. But what’s<br />

most important to<br />

Facciuto is the quality<br />

<strong>of</strong> the part. “That is No.<br />

1. It has to be as good<br />

as or better than the<br />

orig<strong>in</strong>al or it’s just not<br />

worth it,” he said.<br />

“Sometimes we’ll<br />

get a box that says<br />

made <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a, and<br />

we’ll send it back. But there are certa<strong>in</strong><br />

parts you just can’t get anywhere else. For<br />

BMWs, Audi, and most <strong>of</strong> my European’s,<br />

I can buy the orig<strong>in</strong>al, made <strong>in</strong> that country.<br />

For the Japanese cars we can f<strong>in</strong>d good<br />

suppliers where the [water] pumps are<br />

made <strong>in</strong> Japan. And Japanese-made pumps<br />

are very good.”<br />

In recent years, Facciuto said, he has<br />

seen several changes <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dustry, the<br />

biggest be<strong>in</strong>g advancement <strong>in</strong> technology.<br />

He said one <strong>of</strong> his customers recently took<br />

his Ferrari to a Portland dealer and quickly<br />

learned that the dealer couldn’t work on it<br />

because it had a carburetor. “So that’s how<br />

far technology has gotten.<br />

There’s not many <strong>of</strong> us old<br />

guys left that can still do the<br />

whole eng<strong>in</strong>e.”<br />

Northwest Automotive<br />

Trade Association (NATA) and<br />

Automotive Service<br />

Association (ASA) are two<br />

groups that he belongs to,<br />

Facciuto said. They make it<br />

possible for bus<strong>in</strong>esses such as<br />

his to pull resources together<br />

and communicate effectively,<br />

he said. “It’s really important<br />

for shops to communicate with<br />

one another, and that’s what<br />

Dave’s Import Service Shop Foreman David Lesh (r.) and<br />

Owner Dave Facciuto work on a 2005 Porsche Cayenne.<br />

these associations do. We can identify<br />

hurdles that we’re all fac<strong>in</strong>g, and deal with<br />

them as a group so we can become<br />

stronger.”<br />

There are no plans to expand, Facciuto<br />

said, but he did add how vital it is to have<br />

good employees and how fortunate he feels<br />

to be work<strong>in</strong>g with such a great crew.<br />

“These are can-do k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> guys,” he said.<br />

“I’ve got guys that’ll just do anyth<strong>in</strong>g for<br />

you. I mean they’re just <strong>in</strong>credible. I<br />

couldn’t do it without them. I wouldn’t<br />

want do it without them. Every one <strong>of</strong> them<br />

will stay late and never compla<strong>in</strong>. That’s<br />

the most important th<strong>in</strong>g.” n<br />

Dave’s Import Service Bookkeeper Louise Brandes<br />

makes sure bus<strong>in</strong>ess runs smoothly by manag<strong>in</strong>g<br />

cash flow.<br />

When you’re look<strong>in</strong>g for quality parts<br />

and real-world market<strong>in</strong>g programs,<br />

call your Federated parts pr<strong>of</strong>essionals:<br />

Reliability, durability and safety are benefits you can’t see, but your<br />

customers will notice the difference. Use Kia Genu<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Parts</strong>.<br />

Your service customers may never see a cam shaft or tim<strong>in</strong>g belt, but when it<br />

comes to Kia Genu<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Parts</strong>, they will notice the difference the way their vehicles<br />

handle and perform. Kia Genu<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Parts</strong> are eng<strong>in</strong>eered to meet factory<br />

specifications and backed by the Kia brand. You know your bus<strong>in</strong>ess. We know<br />

our parts. Choose Kia.<br />

Contact your local Kia dealer for assistance and delivery <strong>of</strong> your parts.<br />

Puyallup, WA<br />

Kia <strong>of</strong> Puyallup<br />

253-286-8030<br />

866-447-2787<br />

Eugene, OR<br />

Kiefer Kia<br />

541-868-2590<br />

800-853-6947<br />

Gresham, OR<br />

Weston Kia<br />

503-665-2653<br />

800-231-5186<br />

Spokane, WA<br />

George Gee Kia<br />

509-343-3000<br />

866-937-2542<br />

Western <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong><br />

Seattle Automotive<br />

Distribut<strong>in</strong>g<br />

(800) 932-3500<br />

Inland Northwest<br />

Automotive Jobbers Supply<br />

Spokane, <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong><br />

(509) 624-2291<br />

S.W. <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>/Oregon<br />

AED Inc.<br />

Portland, Oregon<br />

(800) 666-2660<br />

Eastern <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong><br />

P & F Automotive Warehouse<br />

Yakima, <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong><br />

(800) 572-0491<br />

Page 8 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Auto Notes<br />

compiled by Jerold B. Smith<br />

This Kenworth T660 Class 8 truck has<br />

class-lead<strong>in</strong>g aerodynamics and is fuel<br />

efficient, but along with other heavy-duty<br />

trucks, the Kenworth fleet will have to<br />

reduce fuel consumption by 2018.<br />

better use <strong>of</strong> side airbags and<br />

stronger structures <strong>in</strong> cars<br />

and m<strong>in</strong>ivans; and newer<br />

designs <strong>of</strong> SUVs and<br />

pickups that align their<br />

front-end energy-absorb<strong>in</strong>g<br />

structures with those <strong>of</strong> cars.<br />

The National Highway<br />

Traffic Safety<br />

Adm<strong>in</strong>istration (NHTSA)<br />

had asked automakers to<br />

address the compatible<br />

design issues and the results<br />

were positive, IIHS <strong>of</strong>ficials said.<br />

Participat<strong>in</strong>g automakers <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />

BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors,<br />

Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-<br />

Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki,<br />

Toyota, and Volkswagen.<br />

“By work<strong>in</strong>g together, the automakers<br />

got life-sav<strong>in</strong>g changes done quickly,”<br />

said Joe Nolan, IIHS chief adm<strong>in</strong>istrative<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficer. “These new designs have made a<br />

difference on the road.”<br />

The study compared SUVs and pickups<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 10<br />

This 2011 Jeep Patriot is one <strong>of</strong> five small<br />

SUVs that were given a 2011 Top Safety<br />

Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway<br />

Safety. Most SUVs have been redesigned<br />

for improved crash issues with cars and<br />

m<strong>in</strong>ivans.<br />

New heavy-duty fuel requirements.<br />

In our August column, we cited the new<br />

CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel<br />

Economy) regulations for cars and light<br />

trucks announced by the Obama<br />

adm<strong>in</strong>istration. Recently, the first fuel<br />

efficiency and greenhouse gas standards<br />

for medium- and heavy-duty trucks were<br />

revealed, as well.<br />

The proposed regulations, to beg<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

the 2014 model year, are broken <strong>in</strong>to three<br />

categories: Comb<strong>in</strong>ation Tractors<br />

(tractor-trailers), which will be required to<br />

achieve a 20-percent reduction <strong>in</strong> fuel<br />

consumption and lower emissions by<br />

2018, compared to a 2010 basel<strong>in</strong>e;<br />

Heavy-Duty Pickups and Vans,<br />

which must achieve 15-percent reductions<br />

by 2018 (separate standards for gasol<strong>in</strong>eand<br />

diesel-powered vehicles); and<br />

Vocational Vehicles (delivery trucks,<br />

dump trucks, and school buses), which<br />

must achieve 10-percent reductions from<br />

2010 levels.<br />

Incentives will be <strong>of</strong>fered for early<br />

<strong>in</strong>troduction <strong>of</strong> advanced technology<br />

packages such as electric-drive vehicles<br />

on some truck models. The proposed EPA<br />

and DOT requirements are expected to<br />

save U.S. bus<strong>in</strong>esses $50 billion <strong>in</strong> fuel<br />

costs, reduce oil consumption by 530<br />

<strong>million</strong> barrels <strong>of</strong> oil, and reduce<br />

emissions by 270 metric tons over the<br />

lifetime <strong>of</strong> vehicles sold between 2014<br />

and 2018.<br />

SUVs and pickups safer. The<br />

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety<br />

(IIHS) announced Sept. 28 its f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong><br />

crash tests for SUVs and pickups. The<br />

results <strong>of</strong> extensive research and test<strong>in</strong>g<br />

show that both are vastly improved when<br />

<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> accidents with cars and<br />

m<strong>in</strong>ivans.<br />

Researchers attribute much <strong>of</strong> the<br />

improved crash protection to two issues:<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 9


YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY<br />

WITH<br />

ANY ACDelco<br />

PRODUCT PURCHASE.<br />

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earnPOWER POINTS TODAY!<br />

Auto Notes<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 9<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>st cars and m<strong>in</strong>ivans <strong>in</strong> models<br />

rang<strong>in</strong>g from 2000-2001 to late model<br />

vehicles and determ<strong>in</strong>ed that redesigned<br />

SUVs and trucks <strong>in</strong> newer model years<br />

were dramatically lower <strong>in</strong> crash deaths.<br />

The numbers were substantially better<br />

for SUVs than pickups which <strong>of</strong>ten carry<br />

larger and heavier loads than SUVs.<br />

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport cont<strong>in</strong>ues to be a hot seller<br />

for the automaker. The model will be manufactured <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois<br />

next year.<br />

Mitsubishis are hot. Mitsubishi<br />

Motors North America (MMNA) said its<br />

September sales marked a 13-month<br />

<strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> units sold. Year-to-date sales for<br />

the first n<strong>in</strong>e months <strong>of</strong> 2011 are up 59<br />

percent, outpac<strong>in</strong>g overall U.S. auto sales.<br />

For September, sales <strong>of</strong> 5,803 units<br />

represented a 17-percent <strong>in</strong>crease over<br />

September 2010.<br />

“Consumers cont<strong>in</strong>ue to be drawn to the<br />

styl<strong>in</strong>g, performance, and fuel efficiency <strong>of</strong><br />

our Outlander Sport,” President and CEO<br />

Yoichi Yokozawa said.<br />

“Our momentum should be further<br />

enhanced as we launch a major advertis<strong>in</strong>g<br />

campaign that focuses on next year’s<br />

Outlander Sport launch at our U.S.<br />

manufactur<strong>in</strong>g facility <strong>in</strong> Normal, Ill., and<br />

November’s sales launch <strong>of</strong> the Mitsubishi<br />

i,” Yokozawa said.<br />

The launch will take place <strong>in</strong> the Pacific<br />

Northwest and California.<br />

Beetle R debuts. Volkswagen<br />

<strong>in</strong>troduced its new Beetle R Concept at the<br />

recent Frankfurt Motor Show. While<br />

specifics have not yet<br />

been released, <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

analysts have said this<br />

model may be <strong>in</strong><br />

production next year.<br />

The Beetle has been<br />

described by VW as the<br />

“sportiest Beetle ever,”<br />

and with 20-<strong>in</strong>ch wheels,<br />

new front and rear<br />

fascias, two sets <strong>of</strong> dualchrome<br />

tailpipes, a rear<br />

spoiler, and other<br />

exterior detail<strong>in</strong>g, this is<br />

an excit<strong>in</strong>g model. It will<br />

most likely be equipped<br />

with a 2.0L turbo eng<strong>in</strong>e found <strong>in</strong> other<br />

VW models.<br />

The concept car shown <strong>in</strong> Frankfurt had<br />

rac<strong>in</strong>g-style seats wrapped <strong>in</strong> black leather<br />

and pedals with alum<strong>in</strong>um caps. Blue and<br />

black color accents were used as well.<br />

Volkswagen <strong>of</strong> America reported strong<br />

results for September, up 35.6 percent over<br />

2010 on sales <strong>of</strong> 27,036 units. For the year,<br />

U.S. sales are up more than 22 percent.<br />

The first <strong>of</strong> the Chattanooga, Tenn.-<br />

built Passats sold 3,176 units <strong>in</strong><br />

September. Clean-diesel TDI models<br />

accounted for 22.7 percent <strong>of</strong> U.S. sales<br />

for Volkswagen. n<br />

Use this QR<br />

code<br />

for more<br />

promotional details.<br />

The Beetle R Concept was displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show and most likely will<br />

be produced next year for the U.S. market.<br />

Page 10 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


IT PAYS TO<br />

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©2011 General Motors. All rights reserved.<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 11


Recently Driven<br />

Nissan enters commercial market<br />

by Jerold B. Smith<br />

Nissan has charged <strong>in</strong>to the commercial<br />

vehicle market with several models <strong>of</strong> very<br />

usable light- and medium-duty vans that<br />

will meet a variety <strong>of</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess needs <strong>in</strong> that<br />

segment.<br />

Offer<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>clude a NV 1500 van that<br />

starts at $24,950, followed by a NV 2500<br />

HD available <strong>in</strong><br />

both standard height<br />

and high-ro<strong>of</strong><br />

models, and the NV<br />

3500 HD, also<br />

available <strong>in</strong> two<br />

heights.<br />

Our tested unit<br />

was the 2012 NV<br />

3500 High Ro<strong>of</strong><br />

model that had an<br />

MSRP <strong>of</strong> $30,700<br />

(the standard height<br />

unit starts at<br />

The Nissan NV 3500 is stylish, <strong>of</strong>fers<br />

immense cargo space, and handles<br />

better than some cars we’ve tested this<br />

year.<br />

$28,550). To say we were impressed with<br />

this unit is an understatement <strong>of</strong> our overall<br />

satisfaction with the truck.<br />

Sharply designed, the NV 3500 High<br />

Ro<strong>of</strong> drives like a high-end car, with superb<br />

handl<strong>in</strong>g, corner<strong>in</strong>g, and turn<strong>in</strong>g radius.<br />

On the high-ro<strong>of</strong> model, cargo space is a<br />

whopp<strong>in</strong>g 323.1 cubic feet (234.1 cubic<br />

feet for the standard ro<strong>of</strong>) and adults can<br />

stand fully upright throughout the cargo<br />

area. Dual rear doors open at 243 degrees<br />

for easy access to the cargo area, and there<br />

is full access to the seat<strong>in</strong>g area from the<br />

cargo compartment.<br />

A large passenger-side slider door<br />

provides entry to the cargo area, which also<br />

features body-side trim panels and three<br />

high-voltage cargo lights. In addition, there<br />

are cargo floor D-r<strong>in</strong>gs plus two 12-volt<br />

and 120-volt power outlets.<br />

We loaded our test unit up and hauled a<br />

bountiful amount <strong>of</strong> household goods, with<br />

the extended height allow<strong>in</strong>g for<br />

cumbersome cargo to be easily stored.<br />

This full-length, fully boxed ladderframe<br />

truck is powered by a beefy 317-HP,<br />

516-L, DOHC, 32-valve V-8 eng<strong>in</strong>e that<br />

produces 385 lb-ft. <strong>of</strong> torque and vibrant<br />

acceleration. It’s mated with a five-speed<br />

automatic transmission that was both quiet<br />

and highly responsive when loaded or<br />

unloaded. No diesel-equipped NV 3500 is<br />

currently available.<br />

The chassis on the 146.1-<strong>in</strong>ch wheelbase<br />

NV 3500 <strong>of</strong>fers an <strong>in</strong>dependent strut <strong>in</strong> the<br />

front and a solid rear axle with rigid leaf<br />

spr<strong>in</strong>gs and rear stabilizer bar. It’s tight and<br />

reacted well <strong>in</strong> both city and highway<br />

driv<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

In the safety arena, the NV l<strong>in</strong>eup <strong>of</strong>fers<br />

dual-stage supplemental airbags, threepo<strong>in</strong>t<br />

seat belts, two-way adjustable front<br />

seat active head restra<strong>in</strong>ts, pipe-style steel<br />

side-door guard beams, and front/rear<br />

crumple zones.<br />

Add<strong>in</strong>g to the safety elements on the NV,<br />

there are four-wheel heavy-duty disc<br />

brakes, ABS, Electronic Brake Force<br />

Distribution, a Vehicle Dynamic Control<br />

system, traction<br />

control system, a tirepressure<br />

monitor<strong>in</strong>g<br />

system (TPMS), and<br />

vehicle security<br />

system with keylessentry<br />

power locks.<br />

Two adjustable<br />

capta<strong>in</strong>’s chairs <strong>in</strong> the<br />

front <strong>of</strong> the NV 3500<br />

allow for exceptional<br />

seat<strong>in</strong>g and leg room,<br />

with a center console<br />

splitt<strong>in</strong>g the two<br />

seats. The driver’s chair has an eight-way<br />

power sett<strong>in</strong>g with manual lumbar control,<br />

and the passenger seat folds down if<br />

required. Both are covered <strong>in</strong> waterresistant<br />

premium cloth.<br />

Three overhead storage areas are<br />

<strong>in</strong>cluded above the front w<strong>in</strong>dow, plus<br />

storage adjacent to the driver and passenger<br />

seats, as well as a back-door storage b<strong>in</strong>.<br />

Large sun visors for both front seats have<br />

storage clips for receipts. A camera assists<br />

with back-up maneuver<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

The exterior <strong>of</strong> the NV 3500 features rear<br />

comb<strong>in</strong>ation lights, multi-reflector halogen<br />

headlamps that provided genu<strong>in</strong>e front<br />

light<strong>in</strong>g capacity, large fold-<strong>in</strong> chrome<br />

mirrors with <strong>in</strong>tegrated convex spotter<br />

mirrors, chrome door handles, a nicely<br />

styled chrome radiator grille, chrome front<br />

bumper, UV-reduc<strong>in</strong>g solar front door glass<br />

and w<strong>in</strong>dshield, and 17-<strong>in</strong>ch steel wheels<br />

with all-season tires.<br />

While the NV 3500 has a 28-gallon tank,<br />

it does not have EPA fuel economy<br />

estimates. In more than 300 miles <strong>of</strong> city<br />

and highway driv<strong>in</strong>g, we averaged about<br />

13.5 MPG.<br />

Optional equipment <strong>in</strong>cluded a $190 rear<br />

door glass package (with rear defroster);<br />

all-season floor mates ($98); a side and<br />

curta<strong>in</strong> airbag package, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g frontseat-mounted<br />

side-impact airbags and head<br />

protection ($390); a tow package, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

front tow hooks, tow<strong>in</strong>g mirrors, Class IV<br />

trailer hitch, and heavy-duty battery ($460);<br />

and a $950 technology package with<br />

navigation system, CD/MP3 playback<br />

capability, XM Satellite radio, Bluetooth<br />

hands-free phone, and USB outlets.<br />

Even with the options, this rugged beast<br />

is priced under $35,000. n<br />

Page 12 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Return<strong>in</strong>g to rotation, ASRW ’11 is deemed a success with <strong>in</strong>creased attendance<br />

Keynote speaker Chris Brogan, a bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

market<strong>in</strong>g consultant, speaker, and writer,<br />

tells ASRW attendees that us<strong>in</strong>g social<br />

media takes time, but so does any<br />

effective way to attract customers and<br />

referrals.<br />

hundred people who follow him on Twitter,<br />

ask<strong>in</strong>g what they’d like him to tell those<br />

who repair cars for a liv<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Brogan said several recommended that<br />

shops build trust by educat<strong>in</strong>g customers<br />

and do<strong>in</strong>g simple th<strong>in</strong>gs like call<strong>in</strong>g<br />

customers when promised.<br />

“But the No. 1 word I saw over and over<br />

and over aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> people’s tweets was<br />

‘honesty,’” Brogan said. “Be honest.”<br />

Brogan drew lots <strong>of</strong> laughter from ASRW<br />

attendees as he shared a number <strong>of</strong> his own<br />

suggestions:<br />

• Go digital <strong>in</strong> your shop wait<strong>in</strong>g area,<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g wireless Internet service and maybe<br />

even an iPod for customers to use. “<strong>People</strong><br />

aren’t go<strong>in</strong>g to walk away with them; you<br />

have their car,” Brogan joked.<br />

• Th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>of</strong> social media <strong>in</strong> a similar way<br />

— as an extension <strong>of</strong> the customer’s<br />

experience with your shop. Twitter and<br />

Facebook <strong>of</strong>fer a way for a customer to<br />

ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a relationship with you when their<br />

vehicle isn’t <strong>in</strong> your shop, Brogan said.<br />

“You want people to th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>of</strong> you before<br />

they’ve had their accident or they need your<br />

service,” he said. “You want to be top <strong>of</strong><br />

m<strong>in</strong>d and back <strong>of</strong> the head. It’s a really<br />

weird spot. It’s right about where people<br />

start go<strong>in</strong>g bald first.”<br />

• Keep it light and personable. Social<br />

media are about conversations, not just<br />

advertis<strong>in</strong>g, Brogan said. Comment and<br />

respond, don’t just post your own content.<br />

Send your emails from a person’s name at<br />

your shop, not just “<strong>in</strong>fo@” or “sales@”.<br />

Use a photo rather than your logo as the<br />

icon on your Facebook or Twitter accounts,<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 14<br />

by John Yoswick<br />

Orlando, Fla.—A new location and new<br />

features such as a symposium for multishop<br />

operators (MSOs) helped organizers <strong>of</strong> the<br />

2011 International Autobody Congress &<br />

Exposition (NACE) and Congress <strong>of</strong><br />

Automotive Repair & Service (CARS)<br />

attract about 2,000 more people than last<br />

year’s event did.<br />

“Com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to this year, we said if even<br />

one more person showed up this year than<br />

last year, it would be a success,” said Ron<br />

Pyle, executive director <strong>of</strong> the Automotive<br />

Service Association (ASA), which holds the<br />

two events together under the Automotive<br />

Service & Repair Week (ASRW) label. “But<br />

we went beyond that significantly.”<br />

After seven years <strong>in</strong> Las Vegas, ASRW<br />

organizers have returned to a rotation <strong>of</strong><br />

cities host<strong>in</strong>g the event, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Orlando<br />

this year and New Orleans next October.<br />

Pyle said attendance was up about 15<br />

percent this year over last, putt<strong>in</strong>g it well<br />

above 18,000 people.<br />

The four-day event <strong>in</strong>cluded almost 90<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g sessions as well as a trade show that<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>ued to demonstrate the ongo<strong>in</strong>g<br />

impact <strong>of</strong> the economy and growth <strong>of</strong> other<br />

sales avenues; about 240 companies (30<br />

fewer than last year) filled a comb<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

50,000 square feet <strong>of</strong> booth space<br />

(compared to 90,000 square feet <strong>in</strong> 2009).<br />

But Pyle said the return to mov<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

show to locations other than Vegas clearly<br />

paid <strong>of</strong>f, with a significantly larger<br />

percentage <strong>of</strong> the attendees from the<br />

Southeast region <strong>of</strong> the country, and with 40<br />

percent <strong>of</strong> those who pre-registered<br />

<strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g they had not attended the event <strong>in</strong><br />

the past.<br />

Mak<strong>in</strong>g social media work<br />

Social media was a common topic at this<br />

year’s ASRW, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a keynote address<br />

by Chris Brogan, a bus<strong>in</strong>ess market<strong>in</strong>g<br />

consultant, speaker, and writer.<br />

Brogan said that just prior to his ASRW<br />

address, he sent out a tweet to the several<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 13


Return<strong>in</strong>g to rotation, ASRW ’11 is deemed a success with <strong>in</strong>creased attendance<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 13<br />

he said. Keep your e-mails short — 250<br />

words or less — and about only one or two<br />

topics. Try to categorize your customer e-<br />

mail list <strong>in</strong> ways that let you send more<br />

relevant e-mails to different groups.<br />

• Solicit feedback, positive or negative.<br />

Ask customers to review you on Yelp or<br />

other sites, he said. If you get negative<br />

reviews, consider them an opportunity to<br />

publicly show how you address such<br />

customer concerns.<br />

Brogan said social media is not unlike the<br />

phone was 100 years ago — essentially a<br />

great new way to attract and reta<strong>in</strong><br />

customers if used effectively.<br />

“This social media stuff does take time,<br />

but prospect<strong>in</strong>g for customers and seek<strong>in</strong>g<br />

referrals always takes time,” he said.<br />

Panel discusses DRP agreements<br />

ASRW <strong>in</strong>cluded two forums, one for<br />

collision and one for mechanical, the<br />

even<strong>in</strong>g before the trade show opened.<br />

ASA Executive Director Ron Pyle says the<br />

growth <strong>in</strong> ASRW attendance shows that the<br />

decision to rotate the event to other<br />

locations, such as Orlando, was a good<br />

one.<br />

Each <strong>of</strong> the four representatives on a<br />

collision repair panel, for example, shared<br />

advice for shop owners consider<strong>in</strong>g whether<br />

to accept the terms <strong>of</strong> a direct repair<br />

program (DRP) agreement.<br />

Stacy Bartnik, director <strong>of</strong> field services<br />

for the Carstar franchise network, said she is<br />

concerned that many shop owners sign the<br />

agreements without fully read<strong>in</strong>g them.<br />

“I th<strong>in</strong>k this is especially true as bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

is down and repairers are struggl<strong>in</strong>g to get<br />

more work to their door,” Bartnik said. “As<br />

we all know, there are different elements <strong>of</strong><br />

different DRP contracts that appeal to some<br />

repairers and not to others.<br />

“So I th<strong>in</strong>k they get on these programs,<br />

and when bus<strong>in</strong>ess is good and they’re busy,<br />

they then start gett<strong>in</strong>g frustrated with any<br />

program that might not meet the format <strong>of</strong><br />

how they run their bus<strong>in</strong>ess,” she said.<br />

“We tend to do th<strong>in</strong>gs out <strong>of</strong> the need to<br />

get more work and not realize the<br />

consequences until we don’t need that one<br />

extra car each week from that <strong>in</strong>surer with<br />

whom we don’t agree on how they want us<br />

to do the work,” Bartnik said.<br />

George Avery, a claims consultant with<br />

State Farm, acknowledged that DRP<br />

agreements can be confus<strong>in</strong>g. His<br />

company’s agreement, for example, gives<br />

the <strong>in</strong>surer the right to require use <strong>of</strong> salvage<br />

parts, just as the company’s contract with its<br />

Attorney Andrew Rodenhouse told the<br />

ASRW audience that shops should take<br />

their experience with an <strong>in</strong>surer <strong>in</strong>to<br />

consideration before sign<strong>in</strong>g a direct<br />

repair agreement.<br />

<strong>in</strong>sureds does — yet State Farm chooses, for<br />

example, not to use salvage airbag<br />

components.<br />

Similarly, State Farm’s agreement with its<br />

DRP shops states that they may be required<br />

to use a particular estimat<strong>in</strong>g system, yet<br />

State Farm cont<strong>in</strong>ues to accept use <strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong><br />

the Big Three estimat<strong>in</strong>g systems.<br />

“We put that <strong>in</strong> the agreement so it could<br />

perhaps carry us <strong>in</strong>to the future, and if we<br />

ever needed it, it would be there,” Avery<br />

said. “But I understand that can be a little<br />

confus<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />

That’s why Avery encouraged shops to<br />

discuss any questions they have about the<br />

agreement with local claims personnel.<br />

Bartnik po<strong>in</strong>ted out to Avery, however,<br />

that sometimes local staff may not fully<br />

understand the agreements. Avery said that<br />

<strong>in</strong> such cases, he encourages shops to br<strong>in</strong>g<br />

those questions to the regional level or<br />

higher <strong>in</strong> his company.<br />

“You’re not go<strong>in</strong>g over anyone’s head,”<br />

he said, po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g out that some such<br />

questions even reach his <strong>of</strong>fice at State<br />

Farm’s national headquarters. “Go up the<br />

ladder to get the answers. I really encourage<br />

that.”<br />

Bob Redd<strong>in</strong>g, ASA’s governmental affairs<br />

representative <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>, D.C., said he<br />

encourages shops to have all DRP<br />

agreements reviewed by a local attorney.<br />

And one such attorney, Andrew<br />

Rodenhouse, whose family operates a<br />

collision repair bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> Grand Rapids,<br />

Mich., agreed, po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g out that if anyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />

an <strong>in</strong>surance company representative tells<br />

you contradicts someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the agreement,<br />

the written terms will be what get upheld <strong>in</strong><br />

any disagreement.<br />

Rodenhouse said his other advice for<br />

shops consider<strong>in</strong>g a DRP agreement is to<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k about their experience work<strong>in</strong>g with<br />

that <strong>in</strong>surer.<br />

“If you’ve done some work for them <strong>in</strong><br />

the past, and the adjuster comes out and<br />

fights you on everyth<strong>in</strong>g, it’s not go<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

get better just because you sign a direct<br />

repair agreement,” he said. “Use your<br />

common sense and experience with what it’s<br />

like work<strong>in</strong>g with the local people for this<br />

<strong>in</strong>surance carrier.”<br />

ASA’s Pyle said hous<strong>in</strong>g reservations are<br />

already open onl<strong>in</strong>e for the 2012 event,<br />

scheduled for Oct. 10-13 <strong>in</strong> New Orleans.<br />

He said that unlike last year, several dozen<br />

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Page 14 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Collision Repair<br />

In-house mechanical shop reduces cycle times for Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision<br />

Dick and Eva Bennison, owners <strong>of</strong> Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision & Ra<strong>in</strong>ier<br />

Auto Repair <strong>in</strong> Gig Harbor and Port Orchard, say hav<strong>in</strong>g two<br />

locations and an <strong>in</strong>-house mechanical department help keep<br />

cycle times low.<br />

by Michael Anderson<br />

Gig Harbor, Wash.—For Dick<br />

Bennison, cycle times are as important as<br />

quality repairs and high CSI. By means <strong>of</strong><br />

an <strong>in</strong>-house mechanical shop and two<br />

locations, Bennison<br />

said he and his wife,<br />

Eva, are able to<br />

satisfy both his<br />

customers and his 10<br />

<strong>in</strong>surance partners.<br />

Bennison said he<br />

owns two collision<br />

repair facilities,<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision &<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Auto Repair <strong>in</strong> Gig Harbor and<br />

Port Orchard, both I-CAR Gold shops.<br />

He said he sends heavy hits that usually<br />

need suspension work to the Gig Harbor<br />

shop and smaller jobs to Port Orchard<br />

shop, located <strong>in</strong>side <strong>of</strong> Grey Chevrolet,<br />

which adds up to greater efficiencies. The<br />

Gig Harbor location works on about 100<br />

cars a month, while Port Orchard<br />

produces 75, he said.<br />

Instead <strong>of</strong> sublett<strong>in</strong>g collision-related<br />

mechanical work to another repair shop,<br />

Bennison said he does it <strong>in</strong>-house and also<br />

resets his own airbags, sav<strong>in</strong>g vehicles<br />

from hav<strong>in</strong>g to be towed to dealerships for<br />

a reset. Own<strong>in</strong>g a tow truck is also a bigtime<br />

saver, he added.<br />

“Through word <strong>of</strong> mouth, we went from<br />

one technician to four technicians,” he<br />

said, add<strong>in</strong>g that he has four two-post<br />

Forward lifts, a Hunter alignment<br />

mach<strong>in</strong>e, and a Snap-on Modis scan tool.<br />

“It’s nice to set up the car and measure<br />

alignment damage so we can write as<br />

complete an estimate as possible,”<br />

“It’s nice to set up the car<br />

and measure alignment<br />

damage so that we can<br />

write as complete an<br />

estimate as possible.”<br />

General Manager Dave<br />

Watson said.<br />

After customers use<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong>ier for collision<br />

repair, Watson said,<br />

they discover the<br />

mechanical service and<br />

come back for oil<br />

changes and<br />

ma<strong>in</strong>tenance.<br />

With little<br />

competition <strong>in</strong> Gig<br />

Harbor, Bennison said,<br />

“If somebody f<strong>in</strong>ds us,<br />

they’re gett<strong>in</strong>g their car<br />

fixed here. We have<br />

friendly, good ‘people’<br />

people.” That is<br />

proven by the shop’s<br />

95-percent clos<strong>in</strong>g rate,<br />

he added.<br />

The couple employs<br />

19 people <strong>in</strong> Gig Harbor and seven <strong>in</strong> Port<br />

Orchard, Bennison said. While Watson<br />

serves as general manager, oversee<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

operations <strong>of</strong> both shops, Nate Diehl runs<br />

the mechanical division, he said.<br />

“Hav<strong>in</strong>g the dealer<br />

there <strong>in</strong> Port Orchard<br />

is huge,” Watson said.<br />

“We get a ton <strong>of</strong><br />

referral bus<strong>in</strong>ess.”<br />

“The biggest th<strong>in</strong>g<br />

we stress is quality<br />

and customer<br />

service,” he said. “If<br />

you take care <strong>of</strong> those<br />

two th<strong>in</strong>gs, everyth<strong>in</strong>g will follow.”<br />

Bennison, who also owned Riverside<br />

Collision <strong>in</strong> Kent for 10 years, admitted<br />

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In 2008, the Bennisons purchased<br />

Precision Collision <strong>in</strong> Gig Harbor,<br />

renam<strong>in</strong>g it Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision Inc. &<br />

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S<strong>in</strong>ce open<strong>in</strong>g, they’ve experienced two<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 15


In-house mechanical shop reduces cycle times for Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 15<br />

26,000-square-foot-shop was poised for<br />

growth, he said.<br />

“We still have room for two techs here<br />

as bus<strong>in</strong>ess grows,” he said. “Hav<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

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“It’s easy to use and has<br />

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The Gig Harbor shop also<br />

houses three Black Hawk<br />

frame benches and two Shark<br />

computerized framemeasur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

systems, Bennison<br />

said. The shop’s three<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>ters spray PPG<br />

Envirobase waterborne <strong>in</strong> a<br />

Garmat side-draft pa<strong>in</strong>t booth<br />

and a double prep station, he said.<br />

S<strong>in</strong>ce mak<strong>in</strong>g the switch from solvent to<br />

waterborne basecoat with the help <strong>of</strong><br />

Gemeroy’s Auto Pa<strong>in</strong>t Specialty, a PPG<br />

Plat<strong>in</strong>um distributor, a year ago, Bennison<br />

said he now markets<br />

his shop as “green,”<br />

the only one <strong>in</strong> Gig<br />

Harbor. “They helped<br />

us right through it. It<br />

was a pa<strong>in</strong>less switch.”<br />

“The color match is<br />

better and simpler,”<br />

Watson said. “You<br />

have to stock fewer<br />

toners, so there’s a cost sav<strong>in</strong>gs there.”<br />

When it comes to parts, Bennison said<br />

he uses a variety <strong>of</strong> OEM new, used, and<br />

aftermarket units. Ma<strong>in</strong> suppliers <strong>in</strong>clude<br />

the Titus-Will group, the Larsen group,<br />

Lakewood Ford, Grey Chevrolet, Lexus<br />

<strong>of</strong> Fife, Mercedes-Benz <strong>of</strong> Tacoma, and<br />

BMW Northwest for OEM, he said. For<br />

Ron Harty, a pa<strong>in</strong>ter at Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision, pulls a PPG<br />

Envirobase toner from the pa<strong>in</strong>t bank. The shop<br />

converted to waterborne a year ago with the help <strong>of</strong><br />

Gemeroy’s Auto Pa<strong>in</strong>t Specialty.<br />

“The color match is<br />

better and simpler. You<br />

have to stock fewer<br />

toners, so there’s a cost<br />

sav<strong>in</strong>gs there.”<br />

aftermarket parts, GP Automotive <strong>Parts</strong> is<br />

the ma<strong>in</strong> supplier, as well as <strong>LKQ</strong> &<br />

Keystone Seattle, B&R Auto, and<br />

Gundie’s Auto Recyclers for used, he said.<br />

“We have enough room to store parts,”<br />

he said. “We don’t<br />

have to store parts <strong>in</strong><br />

cars.” Each<br />

workstation has<br />

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To limit the amount<br />

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Ra<strong>in</strong>ier Collision Body Technician Stu<br />

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Page 16 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page C-1


Nissan announces new collision repair program for dealers and <strong>in</strong>dependents<br />

by Rob Merw<strong>in</strong><br />

Orlando, Fla.—Nissan North America<br />

launched its nationwide Nissan Certified<br />

Collision Repair Network at the<br />

International Autobody Congress and<br />

Exposition (NACE), <strong>in</strong> Orlando, Fla., <strong>in</strong><br />

October.<br />

The new certification program is open to<br />

dealer-owned and <strong>in</strong>dependent collision<br />

shops, which have the option <strong>of</strong> becom<strong>in</strong>g<br />

either Nissan-certified, Inf<strong>in</strong>iti-certified, or<br />

both, said Mark Zoba, Nissan’s manager <strong>of</strong><br />

collision parts sales growth.<br />

“We really want our dealer-owner base<br />

to beg<strong>in</strong> focus<strong>in</strong>g on us<strong>in</strong>g certified shops,”<br />

Zoba said. “We want the customer to know<br />

they can go to the dealer for everyth<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />

Currently, about 20 percent <strong>of</strong> Nissan<br />

dealerships are associated with a collision<br />

shop, Zoba said, and the long-term goal <strong>of</strong><br />

the program is customer focus and to align<br />

one collision shop with each <strong>of</strong> its<br />

dealerships.<br />

“Customers know they can purchase a<br />

vehicle at a dealership and get it<br />

ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed there,” he said. “But whenever<br />

there’s a collision, 80 percent <strong>of</strong> our<br />

dealerships have no direct l<strong>in</strong>e to a vetted<br />

collision shop — that’s what we want to<br />

establish.”<br />

Participat<strong>in</strong>g collision shops will be<br />

provided <strong>in</strong>centives for parts discounts, and<br />

dealership owners will be provided with a<br />

shop locater through which they can enter<br />

their ZIP code and be directed to a certified<br />

collision shop <strong>in</strong> their area, Zoba said.<br />

As part <strong>of</strong> the program, selected collision<br />

shops will “live up” to the brands and make<br />

sure customers are “taken care <strong>of</strong>, first and<br />

foremost,” he said. The program began<br />

development more than two years ago by<br />

“We want to make sure we get coverage <strong>in</strong> the major markets across the country with<br />

one shop, at a m<strong>in</strong>imum, for every one <strong>of</strong> our dealers depend<strong>in</strong>g on demand,” says<br />

Mark Zoba, manager, collision parts sales growth for Nissan.<br />

bench-mark<strong>in</strong>g different programs and<br />

us<strong>in</strong>g best practices <strong>of</strong> other OEMs, he<br />

added.<br />

Certified facilities will have the benefit<br />

<strong>of</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and the ability to fix new<br />

technology, how to<br />

work with metals<br />

such as alum<strong>in</strong>um,<br />

access to all<br />

technical<br />

<strong>in</strong>formation, and<br />

repair procedures,<br />

he said.<br />

“Even some<br />

DRPs might not<br />

know some <strong>of</strong> the<br />

new technologies as they come out,” Zoba<br />

said. “With the electric Leaf there’s some<br />

“We really want our dealerowner<br />

base to beg<strong>in</strong> focus<strong>in</strong>g<br />

on us<strong>in</strong>g certified shops. We<br />

want the customer to know<br />

they can go to the dealer for<br />

everyth<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />

knowledge and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g that needs to take<br />

place to ensure the safety <strong>of</strong> technicians —<br />

not just anyone can repair them.”<br />

Nissan has teamed up with DuPont<br />

Performance Coat<strong>in</strong>gs (DPC) to assist <strong>in</strong><br />

the implementation<br />

<strong>of</strong> the program’s<br />

certification process<br />

and the Inter-<br />

Industry Conference<br />

on Auto Collision<br />

Repair (I-CAR) to<br />

conduct technician<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g.<br />

“We’re the first<br />

program to<br />

implement the new I-CAR Gold Class<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g development so the shops that get<br />

certified must identify their work groups<br />

with<strong>in</strong> their facility and its specific tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

to those <strong>in</strong>dividuals,” Zoba said.<br />

“That’s unlike the past when I-CAR<br />

certification was a po<strong>in</strong>t system where a<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>ter might go to frame classes just so<br />

shops could get enough po<strong>in</strong>ts to earn their<br />

certification,” he said.<br />

“Now that I-CAR certification is focused<br />

on the responsibilities <strong>of</strong> each <strong>in</strong>dividual, it<br />

ensures that tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g is go<strong>in</strong>g to the right<br />

people and that all our shops have strong<br />

foundations — we’re happy to be the first<br />

ones to implement it.”<br />

Collision shops <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> becom<strong>in</strong>g<br />

part <strong>of</strong> the network are required to obta<strong>in</strong> a<br />

dealer sponsorship, followed by an onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />

enrollment process that <strong>in</strong>volves provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />

a shop pr<strong>of</strong>ile, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g facility photos, <strong>in</strong><br />

order to establish that a shop can ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />

the Nissan/Inf<strong>in</strong>iti brand, Zoba said.<br />

A DPC representative will then visit a<br />

facility for a standards audit, after which a<br />

shop will have 12 months to fill any<br />

exist<strong>in</strong>g gaps, he said.<br />

After successfully pass<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>spection,<br />

a shop will be certified and a second<br />

review will be conducted <strong>in</strong> 12 months to<br />

ensure that those gaps have been satisfied,<br />

as well as be <strong>in</strong>formed <strong>of</strong> any new<br />

requirements for the follow<strong>in</strong>g year, Zoba<br />

said.<br />

“It’s a great opportunity for the shops<br />

and a way for them to differentiate<br />

themselves from other area facilities,” he<br />

said. “We want to make sure we get<br />

coverage <strong>in</strong> the major markets across the<br />

country with one shop, at a m<strong>in</strong>imum, for<br />

every one <strong>of</strong> our dealers depend<strong>in</strong>g on<br />

demand.” n<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>uous improvement means implement<strong>in</strong>g problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g teamwork<br />

by Steve Birm<strong>in</strong>gham<br />

St. Charles, Mo.—To get to the top <strong>of</strong><br />

the collision <strong>in</strong>dustry and stay there<br />

requires teamwork and know<strong>in</strong>g how to<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>uously improve a shop’s procedures,<br />

said Mike Anderson, founder <strong>of</strong><br />

CollisionAdvice, at the 30th annual<br />

Missouri-AASP EXCEL Trade Show &<br />

Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Conference.<br />

As an AMI-approved sem<strong>in</strong>ar presenter<br />

and past collision shop owner, Anderson<br />

knows <strong>of</strong> what he speaks. After 20 years<br />

own<strong>in</strong>g Wagonwork Collision Centers <strong>in</strong><br />

Alexandria, Va., he sold the bus<strong>in</strong>esses <strong>in</strong><br />

2010 and founded CollisionAdvice, a<br />

consult<strong>in</strong>g firm that <strong>of</strong>fers workshops and<br />

sem<strong>in</strong>ars .<br />

In his “Understand<strong>in</strong>g Cont<strong>in</strong>uous<br />

Improvement” sem<strong>in</strong>ar, Anderson showed<br />

collision shop managers and owners how<br />

they can improve their facilities’ cycle<br />

times and reduce a stressful environment<br />

by turn<strong>in</strong>g their organization <strong>in</strong>to a<br />

“problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g organization.”<br />

Anderson said the current state <strong>of</strong> the<br />

collision repair <strong>in</strong>dustry is such that shop<br />

owners must “th<strong>in</strong>k out <strong>of</strong> the box.”<br />

“In 2010 there were $48 billion worth <strong>of</strong><br />

automotive accidents and $20 billion <strong>of</strong><br />

those were declared total losses,” he said.<br />

“There were also $30 billion worth <strong>of</strong> cars<br />

to fix and <strong>of</strong> that amount, 25 percent were<br />

customer pay. That's more than it’s ever<br />

been <strong>in</strong> the U.S.”<br />

Anderson said that 25-percent figure was<br />

expected to grow to 40 percent by 2015,<br />

“and that means that right now, if 10 people<br />

come to your shop, 2.5 <strong>of</strong> them will not go<br />

through their <strong>in</strong>surance, either because they<br />

have a high deductible or they only have<br />

liability. That absolutely effects how we do<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />

“Here’s the deal: You can be a bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

that just survives, or you can be a bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

that thrives,” he said. “I don't know about<br />

you, but I choose to be <strong>in</strong> a bus<strong>in</strong>ess to<br />

thrive, not just survive. Shops that are<br />

thriv<strong>in</strong>g and not just surviv<strong>in</strong>g are do<strong>in</strong>g<br />

th<strong>in</strong>gs to really focus on that 25-percent<br />

customer pay.”<br />

Anderson said many <strong>of</strong> those shops <strong>of</strong>fer<br />

no-<strong>in</strong>terest f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g for up to year while<br />

others <strong>of</strong>fer 90 days same-as-cash.<br />

“<strong>People</strong> are th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g outside the box,” he<br />

said. “Last, but not least, some <strong>of</strong> them are<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g good, better, best options. They're<br />

not try<strong>in</strong>g to fix every car perfectly; they<br />

understand that some people who pay out<br />

<strong>of</strong> pocket might be look<strong>in</strong>g for a little less.”<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page C-4<br />

PHOTO BY ROB MERWIN<br />

Mike Anderson, founder <strong>of</strong> CollisonAdvice,<br />

advises collision repair shop owners and<br />

managers on how to change their shop<br />

culture <strong>in</strong> order to <strong>in</strong>crease their pr<strong>of</strong>its at<br />

the 30th annual AASP-Missouri EXCEL<br />

Trade Show & Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Conference.<br />

Page C-2 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page C-3


New multishop operator event at NACE proves to be a popular draw<br />

by John Yoswick<br />

Orlando, Fla.—In what appears to be a<br />

w<strong>in</strong> for organizers <strong>of</strong> the 2011<br />

International Autobody Congress &<br />

Exposition (NACE), this year’s event<br />

<strong>in</strong>cluded its first day-long symposium for<br />

multishop operators (MSOs) <strong>in</strong> the<br />

collision repair <strong>in</strong>dustry.<br />

About 130 such MSOs attended, and<br />

their presence at NACE was noted by a<br />

number <strong>of</strong> exhibitors <strong>in</strong>terviewed as the<br />

show ended.<br />

In kick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f the MSO symposium,<br />

consultant Marcy Tieger <strong>of</strong> Symphony<br />

Advisors noted that MSOs this past<br />

decade have developed the systems,<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, and talent to provide the<br />

consistent performance among locations<br />

that make them attractive partners for<br />

<strong>in</strong>surers.<br />

While much <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dustry reports that<br />

Matthew Ohrnste<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> Symphony Advisors moderates a<br />

panel <strong>of</strong> representatives <strong>of</strong> four top multishop operators,<br />

which comb<strong>in</strong>ed have more than 412 shops.<br />

sales have been flat or have grown<br />

modestly, Tieger said, MSOs are<br />

averag<strong>in</strong>g 10-percent growth for the four<br />

quarters end<strong>in</strong>g earlier this year. “So<br />

MSOs are mov<strong>in</strong>g<br />

rapidly ahead <strong>of</strong> the<br />

pack,” she said.<br />

Matthew Ohrnste<strong>in</strong>,<br />

the manag<strong>in</strong>g director <strong>of</strong><br />

Symphony Advisors,<br />

<strong>in</strong>troduced a panel that<br />

<strong>in</strong>cluded representatives<br />

<strong>of</strong> four <strong>of</strong> the largest<br />

MSOs: ABRA Body &<br />

Pa<strong>in</strong>t, Service K<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

Caliber Collision<br />

Centers, and The Boyd<br />

Group (which operates <strong>in</strong><br />

the U.S. under the<br />

Gerber Collision and<br />

True2Form trade names).<br />

Ohrnste<strong>in</strong> cited news stories about those<br />

companies from just the previous month,<br />

<strong>in</strong> which all had opened or acquired new<br />

locations. Comb<strong>in</strong>ed, he said, those four<br />

alone have more than 412 shops, 7,200<br />

employees, and $1.26 billion <strong>in</strong> sales (<strong>in</strong><br />

what is estimated to be about a $30 billion<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry).<br />

A lunchtime speaker focused on the<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestor view <strong>of</strong> MSOs, and a second<br />

panel exam<strong>in</strong>ed the chang<strong>in</strong>g relationship<br />

among MSOs, <strong>in</strong>surers, and vendors.<br />

Another panel discussed issues related to<br />

acquir<strong>in</strong>g and develop<strong>in</strong>g new locations.<br />

Ron Pyle, executive director <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Automotive Service Association (ASA),<br />

which hosts NACE, said participation <strong>in</strong><br />

the MSO symposium had exceeded<br />

expectations, that it will be a cont<strong>in</strong>ued<br />

part <strong>of</strong> NACE, and will rema<strong>in</strong> a session<br />

open only to MSO operators.<br />

Pyle said NACE will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to <strong>of</strong>fer<br />

sessions for s<strong>in</strong>gle-location owners<br />

look<strong>in</strong>g to expand <strong>in</strong>to multiple<br />

operations. n<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>uous improvement means implement<strong>in</strong>g problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g teamwork<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page C-2<br />

Anderson also noted that 785 collision<br />

repair shops closed <strong>in</strong> 2011, br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

total number <strong>of</strong> shops nationwide to<br />

31,000. Reasons for those clos<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>clude<br />

Our regional<br />

editions serve:<br />

NORTHERN<br />

CALIFORNIA<br />

SOUTHERN<br />

CALIFORNIA<br />

NORTHWEST<br />

• <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong><br />

• Oregon<br />

• Idaho<br />

• Montana<br />

• Alaska<br />

MOUNTAIN<br />

• Colorado<br />

• Wyom<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• W. Kansas<br />

• W. Nebraska<br />

• New Mexico<br />

MIDWEST<br />

• Missouri<br />

• Kansas<br />

• Nebraska<br />

• Iowa<br />

RIVER VALLEY<br />

• Missouri<br />

• Ill<strong>in</strong>ois<br />

• S. Indiana<br />

• W. Kentucky<br />

buy<strong>in</strong>g the equipment necessary to keep<br />

up with chang<strong>in</strong>g automotive technology,<br />

cash flow problems, comply<strong>in</strong>g with the<br />

EPA 6H Rule, and the need for new techs<br />

and the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g required to operate, he<br />

said.<br />

More than just<br />

pr<strong>in</strong>t…<br />

Digital<br />

Turnpage<br />

Onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />

eNewsletter<br />

Our six regional editions are viewable <strong>in</strong> three digital formats.<br />

Whatever your flavor is, weve got you covered.<br />

www.partsandpeople.com<br />

Anderson said th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g outside the box<br />

could <strong>in</strong>clude such simple ideas as keep<strong>in</strong>g<br />

a collision shop open on Saturdays and<br />

Sundays, add<strong>in</strong>g that the collision <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

is one <strong>of</strong> the last types <strong>of</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>esses not to<br />

be open on weekends.<br />

Becom<strong>in</strong>g a thriv<strong>in</strong>g shop and not just a<br />

surviv<strong>in</strong>g shop requires many factors,<br />

<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g chang<strong>in</strong>g or improv<strong>in</strong>g a shop's<br />

processes by <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g the shop’s techs,<br />

pa<strong>in</strong>ters, and body men as a team to<br />

become a “problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g organization”<br />

and putt<strong>in</strong>g a solid management system <strong>in</strong><br />

place, he said.<br />

“The really<br />

successful body shops<br />

are return<strong>in</strong>g back to<br />

double-digit net<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>its,” he said.<br />

“They’re problemsolv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

organizations.”<br />

Anderson suggested<br />

us<strong>in</strong>g a cycle time tracker system, which<br />

can show where the repair process is<br />

slow<strong>in</strong>g down, help spur ideas to reduce<br />

those times, and solve cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g<br />

problems.<br />

“If you don't measure it, you can't<br />

manage it,” he said. “The better chance for<br />

success is if you truly measure it. Measure<br />

where you’re at, implement an<br />

improvement strategy, and then see if it<br />

made a difference. Shops that really<br />

improve are constantly measur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

everyth<strong>in</strong>g all the time. That is the key to<br />

success.”<br />

Anderson said becom<strong>in</strong>g a problemsolv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

organization requires several tools,<br />

<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g “patience and dedication,” and a<br />

“The really successful<br />

body shops are return<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to double-digit pr<strong>of</strong>its.<br />

They’re problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

organizations.”<br />

will<strong>in</strong>gness to consider all shop employees<br />

a “team.”<br />

Shops should then adopt a five-phase<br />

system he called DMAIC (def<strong>in</strong>e,<br />

measure, analyze, improve, control),<br />

someth<strong>in</strong>g any shop can adopt, he added.<br />

DMAIC means the shop’s team must<br />

first def<strong>in</strong>e a problem <strong>in</strong> concrete,<br />

measurable terms, Anderson said.<br />

In the measure phase, critical measures<br />

necessary to evaluate the success <strong>of</strong> a<br />

project need to be identified and<br />

determ<strong>in</strong>ed, he said. In the analyze phase,<br />

the team can ensure that their<br />

measurements are<br />

accurate and the system<br />

or process is<br />

dependable and<br />

provides accurate and<br />

timely date, he said.<br />

Anderson said the<br />

improvement phase is<br />

entered once problem<br />

causes are identified and the team f<strong>in</strong>ds<br />

“creative new solutions.” In the control<br />

phase, the team can document the project<br />

so that new procedures are ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

throughout the organization, he said.<br />

“Attack the process, not the person,” he<br />

said. “Your job as a manager is to fix the<br />

process. If you decide to have standard<br />

operat<strong>in</strong>g procedures <strong>in</strong> your shop, there is<br />

four steps. Develop how you want th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

done, tra<strong>in</strong> your staff, test them to ensure<br />

they reta<strong>in</strong> it, and audit for full<br />

compliance.<br />

“You have to ensure that people reta<strong>in</strong><br />

what they are do<strong>in</strong>g, but you have to audit<br />

to ensure people are do<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs the way<br />

you want them done.” n<br />

Page C-4 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Collision Repair Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Notes<br />

BASF Automotive<br />

Ref<strong>in</strong>ish Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation, contact your local<br />

distributor or representative, call the<br />

national tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g center at 800-201-1605,<br />

or visit www.basfref<strong>in</strong>ish.com.<br />

Vancouver ICBC-Burnby, BC<br />

• Nov. 1-Troubleshoot<strong>in</strong>g for Productivity<br />

• Dec. 6-Troubleshoot<strong>in</strong>g for Productivity<br />

I-CAR Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Schedule<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation on registration<br />

and class times, call 800-422-7872 or<br />

visit www.i-car.com.<br />

Clackamas Community College-<br />

Oregon City, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 3-Collision Repair for Ford and<br />

L<strong>in</strong>coln Vehicles<br />

• Nov. 8-Steel Unitized Structures<br />

Technologies and Repair<br />

• Nov. 9-Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot<br />

Weld<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 10-Collision Repair for Toyota,<br />

Lexus, and Scion Vehicles<br />

• Nov. 14-Air Condition<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 15-Exterior Panels Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Nov. 17-Steel Structures Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Nov. 22-Vehicle Technology and<br />

Trends 2010<br />

• Nov. 28-Light<strong>in</strong>g, Start<strong>in</strong>g, and<br />

Charg<strong>in</strong>g Systems<br />

• Nov. 29-Damage Analysis <strong>of</strong> Advanced<br />

Automotive Systems<br />

• Dec. 1-Movable Glass<br />

• Dec. 5-Heat<strong>in</strong>g and Cool<strong>in</strong>g Systems<br />

• Dec. 8-Collision Repair for Honda<br />

and Acura Vehicles<br />

• Dec. 6-Inspect<strong>in</strong>g Repairs for<br />

Quality Control<br />

• Dec. 13-Restra<strong>in</strong>t Systems Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

Renton Technical College-<br />

Renton, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 3-Steel Unitized Structures<br />

Technologies and Repair<br />

• Nov. 7-Movable Glass<br />

• Nov. 8-Steel Unibody Front and Rear<br />

Rails, Floors, and Front Structure<br />

• Nov. 9-Hazardous Materials, Personal<br />

Safety, and Ref<strong>in</strong>ish Safety<br />

• Nov. 14-Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot<br />

Weld<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 16-Recycled <strong>Parts</strong> for Collision<br />

Repair<br />

• Nov. 17-Steel Unibody, A, B, C,<br />

D-Pillars, and Rocker Panels<br />

• Nov. 21-Automotive Foams<br />

• Nov. 28-Advanced Material Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Nov. 30-Inspect<strong>in</strong>g Repairs for<br />

Quality Control<br />

• Dec. 1-Hail, Theft, and Vandalism<br />

Damage Analysis<br />

• Dec. 5-Adhesive Bond<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Dec. 8-Vehicle Technology and<br />

Trends 2011<br />

• Dec. 12- Steel Unitized Structures<br />

Technologies and Repair<br />

Clover Park Technical College-<br />

Lakewood, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 3-Waterborne Products, Systems,<br />

and Application<br />

• Nov. 7-Exterior Panels Damage Analysis<br />

• Nov. 8-Measur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 9-Plastic and Composite Repair<br />

• Nov. 10-Hazardous Materials, Personal<br />

Safety, and Ref<strong>in</strong>ish Safety<br />

• Nov. 11-Vehicle Identification,<br />

Estimat<strong>in</strong>g Systems, and Term<strong>in</strong>ology<br />

• Nov. 14-Restra<strong>in</strong>t Systems Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Nov. 15-Recycled <strong>Parts</strong> for Collision<br />

Repair<br />

• Nov. 16-Collision Repair for Ford and<br />

L<strong>in</strong>coln Vehicles<br />

• Nov. 17-Advanced Material Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Nov. 18-Hail, Theft, and Vandalism<br />

Damage Analysis<br />

• Nov. 19-Electrical Circuits and DVOM<br />

Usage<br />

• Nov. 21-Steel Structures Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Nov. 22-Automotive Foams<br />

• Nov. 23-Replac<strong>in</strong>g Exterior Alum<strong>in</strong>um<br />

Panels<br />

• Nov. 28-Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot<br />

Weld<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 29-Steel Unitized Structures<br />

Technologies and Repair<br />

• Nov. 30-Overview <strong>of</strong> Cycle Time<br />

Improvements for the Collision Repair<br />

• Dec. 3-Diagnosis, Test<strong>in</strong>g, and Repair<br />

<strong>of</strong> Common Electrical Loads<br />

• Dec. 5-Collision Repair for Honda<br />

and Acura Vehicles<br />

• Dec. 6-Electric and Electric Hybrid<br />

Vehicles<br />

• Dec. 7-Collision Repair for Toyota,<br />

Lexus, and Scion Vehicles<br />

• Dec. 8-Ref<strong>in</strong>ish<strong>in</strong>g Equipment and VOC<br />

Regulations<br />

• Dec. 10-Surface Preparation and<br />

Mask<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Dec. 12-Steel Full-Frame Technologies<br />

and Repair<br />

• Dec. 13-Hybrid Electric and<br />

Alternative Fuel Vehicles<br />

• Dec. 14-Collision Repair for General<br />

Motors Vehicles<br />

Lake <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> Technical<br />

College-Kirkland, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 3-Vehicle Identification,<br />

Estimat<strong>in</strong>g Systems, and Term<strong>in</strong>ology<br />

• Nov. 8-Frontal Impact Analysis<br />

• Nov. 10-Mechanical Systems Analysis<br />

• Nov. 16-Restra<strong>in</strong>ts, Interior, Glass,<br />

Side and Rear Impact Analysis<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 18<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 17


Collision Repair Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Notes<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 17<br />

• Nov. 21-Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot<br />

Weld<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 22-Collision Repair for Select<br />

High Volume Vehicles<br />

• Dec. 13-Hazardous Materials, Personal<br />

Safety, and Ref<strong>in</strong>ish Safety<br />

Hannah Dealer Group-<br />

Vancouver, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 7-Electrical Circuits and DVOM<br />

Usage<br />

• Nov. 14-Collision Repair for Select<br />

High Volume Vehicles<br />

• Nov. 16-Restra<strong>in</strong>t Systems Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Nov. 21-Plastic and Composite Repair<br />

• Nov. 28-Detail<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 30-Ref<strong>in</strong>ish<strong>in</strong>g Equipment and VOC<br />

Regulations<br />

• Dec. 5-Electrical Circuits and DVOM<br />

Usage<br />

• Dec. 12-Exterior Panels Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

• Dec. 14-Steel Structures Damage<br />

Analysis<br />

Bell<strong>in</strong>gham Technical College-<br />

Bell<strong>in</strong>gham, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 15-Movable Glass<br />

Wenatchee Valley College Skills<br />

Center-Wenatchee, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 15-Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot<br />

Weld<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 16-Adhesive Bond<strong>in</strong>g<br />

PARTS<br />

THAT<br />

PERFORM<br />

QUALITY<br />

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TRUST<br />

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Your source for<br />

CAR-O-LINER sales,<br />

service and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g.<br />

800-922-5501 or 916-677-2885<br />

www.pfcequipment.com<br />

Striv<strong>in</strong>g to be #1 <strong>in</strong><br />

wholsale parts<br />

customer service!<br />

GENUINE PARTS<br />

We price match the aftermarket<br />

competition on select collision<br />

and mechancial parts.*<br />

*Some restrictions apply. Call for details.<br />

888-697-8049<br />

parts direct: 206-777-3708<br />

fax: 206-623-2156<br />

parts@stadiumnissanseattle.com<br />

8845 <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> Blvd. • Roseville, CA 95678<br />

Wesco Autobody Supply-<br />

Mounta<strong>in</strong> Lake Terrace, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 9-Measur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 15-Hazardous Materials, Personal<br />

Safety, and Ref<strong>in</strong>ish Safety<br />

• Nov. 29-Overview <strong>of</strong> Cycle Time<br />

Improvements for the Collision Repair<br />

• Nov. 29-Equivalency Test<br />

• Dec. 7-Steel Unitized Structures<br />

Technologies and Repair<br />

• Dec. 15-Inspect<strong>in</strong>g Repairs for<br />

Quality Control<br />

West Sound Technical Skills Center-Bremerton,<br />

Wash.<br />

• Nov. 9-Collision Repair for Ford and<br />

L<strong>in</strong>coln Vehicles<br />

• Nov. 15-Steel Unitized Structures<br />

Technologies and Repair<br />

• Nov. 22-Measur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Nov. 29-Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot<br />

Weld<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Denver—Summit Consult<strong>in</strong>g Int’l (SCI)<br />

has announced its FastTrack process<br />

control system is now available as part <strong>of</strong><br />

the Toyota Certified Collision Center<br />

(TCCC) and Lexus Certified Collision<br />

Center (LCCC) programs. FastTrack<br />

allows those shops to proactively manage<br />

every vehicle <strong>in</strong> production and easily<br />

access and report on key performance<br />

Idaho State University-<br />

Pocatello, Idaho<br />

• Nov. 5-Light<strong>in</strong>g, Start<strong>in</strong>g, and<br />

Charg<strong>in</strong>g Systems<br />

PPG Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Schedule<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation, contact your<br />

local PPG or Nexa Autocolor distributor<br />

or territory manager or visit<br />

www.ppgref<strong>in</strong>ish.com.<br />

Seattle Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Development<br />

Center-Kent, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 9-10-PPG Color<br />

• Nov. 15-16-Custom- Flames Design<br />

• Nov. 17-Custom- Airbrush<strong>in</strong>g Real Fire<br />

• Nov. 21-PPG Conversion-<br />

Envirobase HP<br />

• Nov. 29-30-PPG Color-Envirobase HP<br />

• Dec. 2-Nexa Conversion-Aquabase Plus<br />

• Dec. 6-7-PPG Certification-<br />

Envirobase HP n<br />

Toyota and Lexus adopt FastTrack<br />

<strong>in</strong>dicators <strong>in</strong> order to improve shop<br />

efficiencies, pr<strong>of</strong>itability, and customer<br />

service, company <strong>of</strong>ficials said.<br />

“We’re excited to roll out the FastTrack<br />

system to all <strong>of</strong> our certified dealers — it<br />

will play an important role <strong>in</strong> assess<strong>in</strong>g<br />

current operations and mak<strong>in</strong>g sure our<br />

collision centers are at the highest<br />

performance levels,” said Brad Brahe, body<br />

shop process improvement manager,<br />

Toyota Motor Sales USA. “The system is<br />

easy to use and can be customized to track<br />

metrics related to each shop’s operations so<br />

our shops can work more efficiently, which<br />

drives stronger bus<strong>in</strong>ess results and more<br />

satisfied customers.”<br />

FastTrack provides quick access to<br />

accurate <strong>in</strong>formation so collision centers<br />

can understand the impact their processes<br />

and personnel have on production levels<br />

and pr<strong>of</strong>itability. It is a flexible, web-based<br />

system that <strong>in</strong>tegrates with<strong>in</strong> a collision<br />

center’s exist<strong>in</strong>g production model.<br />

FastTrack allows shops to collect data and<br />

report on all repair records, and more<br />

effectively act on that <strong>in</strong>formation <strong>in</strong> order<br />

to improve processes across the entire<br />

operation. Shops can access a snapshot <strong>of</strong><br />

key <strong>in</strong>formation or complete reports so they<br />

can make decisions that will help drive<br />

better results. n<br />

Page 18 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Mechanical Repair Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Notes<br />

CARQUEST Technical<br />

Institute Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

To register, contact your local CARQUEST<br />

store or visit http://carquest.com/carquest/<br />

proCTIclassSchedule.html<br />

Location TBD-Salem, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 1-3-Supplemental Restra<strong>in</strong>t<br />

System Diagnosis & Repair<br />

Location TBD-Portland w/Tigard, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 1-3-Vehicle Data Network Diagnosis<br />

Location TBD-Medford, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 2-New Equipment Technologies<br />

Location TBD-Albany, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 3-Communicat<strong>in</strong>g with Confidence<br />

Location TBD-Eugene, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 8-10-DSL-500 Ford 6.0 & 6.4<br />

Power Stroke Diagnosis<br />

Location TBD-Gresham, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 15-17-Vehicle Data Network<br />

Diagnosis<br />

Location TBD-Vancouver/Portland/<br />

Interstate, Ore.<br />

• Dec. 6-8-Vehicle Valvetra<strong>in</strong>s:<br />

Operations and Diagnosis<br />

Location TBD-Yakima, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 2-3-Pressure Signature Analysis<br />

South Puget Sound Community<br />

College-Lacey/Olympia, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 8-9-Variable Valve Tim<strong>in</strong>g<br />

System Diagnosis<br />

Location TBD-Everett, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 14-16-Supplemental Restra<strong>in</strong>t<br />

System Diagnosis & Repair<br />

Renton Technical College-<br />

Kent/Freemont/Bellevue, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 15-17-Supplemental Restra<strong>in</strong>t<br />

System Diagnosis & Repair<br />

Location TBD-Spokane, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 21-22-Supplemental Restra<strong>in</strong>t<br />

System Diagnosis & Repair<br />

Bate College-Tacoma, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 29-Dec. 1-GM Duramax Diagnosis<br />

Location TBD-Pocatello, Idaho.<br />

• Nov. 28-29-Vehicle Valvetra<strong>in</strong>s:<br />

Operations and Diagnosis<br />

Location TBD-Boise, Idaho.<br />

• Nov. 30-Dec. 1-Vehicle Data Network<br />

Diagnosis<br />

Management Success<br />

Sem<strong>in</strong>ar<br />

These sem<strong>in</strong>ars focus on how to <strong>in</strong>crease<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>itability, advertis<strong>in</strong>g, and pric<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and how to f<strong>in</strong>d, hire, and tra<strong>in</strong> technicians<br />

and service writers. For more <strong>in</strong>formation,<br />

visit www.managementsuccess.com.<br />

Red Lion Hotel on the River-<br />

Portland, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 5-6-How to Increase your Pr<strong>of</strong>its<br />

WORLDPAC Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

Institute<br />

WTI provides advanced level diagnostic<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for <strong>in</strong>dependent repair<br />

technicians, and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />

management <strong>of</strong> the repair shop bus<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />

To register, call 800-888-9982 x5559 or<br />

visit www.worldpac.com/wti.html.<br />

Shilo Inn Suites-Portland, Ore.<br />

• Nov. 12-Premium Customer Service &<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>itable Sell<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Holiday Inn Express-SeaTac, Wash.<br />

• Nov. 15-16-SMART Groups<br />

Elite Worldwide Sem<strong>in</strong>ars<br />

and Web<strong>in</strong>ars<br />

Along with its sem<strong>in</strong>ars, Elite <strong>of</strong>fers<br />

web<strong>in</strong>ars on different topics every month.<br />

See below for title and l<strong>in</strong>k. For more<br />

<strong>in</strong>formation, visit<br />

www.eliteworldwidestore.com.<br />

Web<strong>in</strong>ar<br />

• Nov. 15-F<strong>in</strong>d and Hire the Superstar<br />

Techs and Service Advisors<br />

(10am-10:55am PST)<br />

Hunter Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation or to register, call 800-<br />

448-6848 ext. 1 or visit www.hunter.com.<br />

Seattle Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Center-Seattle<br />

• Nov. 28-30-Alignment Fundamentals<br />

Level I<br />

Gresham Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Center, Industrial<br />

Bldg.Room IT 33-Gresham, Ore.<br />

• Dec. 12-14-Alignment Fundamentals<br />

Level I<br />

ACDelco Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation, visit<br />

www.acdelcotechconnect.com.<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Alaska-<br />

Anchorage, Alaska<br />

• Nov. 30-ABS Operation and Diagnosis n<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 19


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<strong>LKQ</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> <strong><strong>in</strong>vests</strong> <strong>$2.5</strong><br />

<strong>million</strong> <strong>in</strong> Buckley recycl<strong>in</strong>g facility<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 1<br />

sell<strong>in</strong>g pa<strong>in</strong>t a natural one, he said.<br />

“We are aggressively grow<strong>in</strong>g our pa<strong>in</strong>t<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> market,”<br />

Anderson said, add<strong>in</strong>g that Patrick O’Brien<br />

manages pa<strong>in</strong>t distribution with two<br />

dedicated pa<strong>in</strong>t sales reps cover<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

region.<br />

“We want to be your one-stop shop for<br />

auto and collision repair,” he said, add<strong>in</strong>g<br />

that their target customer base varies from<br />

multiple body shop cha<strong>in</strong>s, <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />

body shops, rebuilders, to mechanical repair<br />

shops. Most <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>ventory <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Northwest is available for next-day delivery<br />

<strong>in</strong> the Seattle market, he added.<br />

Anderson works out <strong>of</strong> the Renton<br />

warehouse, which primarily distributes<br />

aftermarket parts and pa<strong>in</strong>t, one <strong>of</strong> four <strong>in</strong><br />

the Northwest market. The recycl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

division for the region is anchored by eight<br />

facilities, he added. Longtime Foster Auto<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> manager Terry Bohr serves as district<br />

manager, oversee<strong>in</strong>g all Northwest<br />

operations.<br />

Pacific Northwest acquisitions<br />

<strong>LKQ</strong> Corp. has also made several other<br />

key acquisitions this year <strong>in</strong> the Pacific<br />

Northwest market, Anderson said, po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to the August purchase <strong>of</strong> YamatoPW, a<br />

production eng<strong>in</strong>e remanufacturer <strong>in</strong><br />

Bell<strong>in</strong>gham.<br />

Access to quality remanufactured eng<strong>in</strong>es<br />

will deepen with their exist<strong>in</strong>g powertra<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>gs through ATK, a remanufacturer <strong>of</strong><br />

OEM replacement and performance crate<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>es, he said.<br />

Even though <strong>LKQ</strong> has always had reman<br />

powertra<strong>in</strong>, <strong>in</strong>ventory availability is much<br />

greater now, Anderson added.<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> Picker Jeff Walton scans a part <strong>in</strong><br />

the <strong>LKQ</strong> & Keystone warehouse <strong>in</strong> Renton.<br />

To better serve fleet customers and those<br />

work<strong>in</strong>g on heavy-duty trucks <strong>in</strong> the Pacific<br />

Northwest, Anderson said <strong>LKQ</strong> acquired<br />

Wholesale Truck <strong>Parts</strong> <strong>in</strong> Portland, and<br />

three Karl Wilson Heavy Truck yards <strong>in</strong><br />

Spokane, Chehalis, and Bill<strong>in</strong>gs, Mont.<br />

Earlier this year, <strong>LKQ</strong> Corp. also<br />

purchased three Barger-Mattson Auto Inc.<br />

yards <strong>in</strong> the greater Boise, Idaho, market, he<br />

said.<br />

“We keep add<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess units but<br />

rema<strong>in</strong> focused on efficiency,” he said.<br />

To get products delivered quickly,<br />

Anderson said <strong>LKQ</strong> runs 23 trucks out <strong>of</strong><br />

the 40,000-square-foot Renton warehouse,<br />

which is open 24 hours a day to keep<br />

service levels up <strong>in</strong> the region. A crossdock<br />

yard is situated <strong>in</strong> Burl<strong>in</strong>gton, Wash.,<br />

for logistical efficiency, he said.<br />

Although <strong>LKQ</strong> has sales people who<br />

specialize <strong>in</strong> particular segments, he said,<br />

“Every person <strong>in</strong> the Northwest has the<br />

ability to sell recycled and aftermarket<br />

parts.”<br />

“Our future plans are to cont<strong>in</strong>ue to<br />

expand bus<strong>in</strong>ess,” Anderson said. For<br />

2012, he said he’s work<strong>in</strong>g on approval to<br />

expand the Renton warehouse to 100,000<br />

square feet and receive city approval to<br />

house recycled parts. n<br />

Liqui Moly fuel additives pass the test<br />

Ulm-Lehr, Germany—The <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />

German test facility APL ran a series <strong>of</strong><br />

tests with Liqui Moly additives Injection<br />

Cleaner and Super Diesel Additive and<br />

certified that additives helped aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />

friction and fuel consumption.<br />

When Liqui Moly approached APL to<br />

exam<strong>in</strong>e their products, APL was<br />

surprised: Liqui Moly was the first and<br />

only company <strong>in</strong> the aftersales market to<br />

ask APL for voluntary tests <strong>of</strong> their<br />

products.<br />

Liqui Moly Injection Cleaner is a petrol<br />

additive to clean the <strong>in</strong>jection system and<br />

the valves. For the test, two eng<strong>in</strong>es ran for<br />

60 hours; one on standard fuel and the<br />

other with standard fuel plus Injection<br />

Cleaner. Dur<strong>in</strong>g those 60 hours the first<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>e collected 0.3 gram deposits <strong>in</strong> each<br />

valve. Those deposits cont<strong>in</strong>ued to grow<br />

and to impair the proper “breath<strong>in</strong>g” <strong>of</strong> the<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>e. The second eng<strong>in</strong>e with Injection<br />

Cleaner rema<strong>in</strong>ed practically clean with<br />

only 0.03 gram deposits. At the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>of</strong> the test, the APL eng<strong>in</strong>eers were rather<br />

skeptical about the product, now they use it<br />

to clean their test eng<strong>in</strong>es.<br />

Liqui Moly Super Diesel Additive is a<br />

similar fuel additive designed for diesel<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>es. For that test, APL ran an eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />

for 32 hours on high-z<strong>in</strong>c diesel to force the<br />

development <strong>of</strong> deposits at the fuel<br />

<strong>in</strong>jectors. The other eng<strong>in</strong>e ran for 32 hours<br />

on diesel with Super Diesel Additive.<br />

“This product made everyth<strong>in</strong>g, really<br />

everyth<strong>in</strong>g, better,” APL eng<strong>in</strong>eers said.<br />

They decided to use it to clean their test<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>es, as well. n<br />

Page 20 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Longtime truck dealership adds services at new facility <strong>in</strong> Everett<br />

by Jerold B. Smith<br />

Everett, Wash.—Motor Trucks<br />

Inc. has been an <strong>in</strong>stitution <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Everett area s<strong>in</strong>ce 1947, said Jam<strong>in</strong><br />

Woody, service manager at the<br />

dealership. The firm was<br />

purchased by Marshall Cymbaluk,<br />

a former service manager at an<br />

International truck dealer <strong>in</strong> Salem,<br />

Ore., <strong>in</strong> 1974 and last year moved<br />

from downtown <strong>in</strong>to a new<br />

40,000-square-foot facility <strong>in</strong> an<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustrial park, he said.<br />

While Everett serves as the<br />

company headquarters for Motor<br />

Trucks, Woody said Cymbaluk<br />

built a Mount Vernon store <strong>in</strong> 1984<br />

and expanded to Bell<strong>in</strong>gham with<br />

a store <strong>in</strong> 1990.<br />

In 1994, Cymbaluk added to the truck<br />

mix by purchas<strong>in</strong>g Kenworth Truck<br />

dealerships <strong>in</strong> Aberdeen, Marysville,<br />

SeaTac, and Yakima, Wash., as well as<br />

stores <strong>in</strong> Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska,<br />

Woody said.<br />

The Everett and Mount Vernon Motor<br />

Truck stores are authorized dealers for<br />

International Truck, while Bell<strong>in</strong>gham<br />

handles International and Kenworth brands,<br />

said Woody, who has served as service<br />

manager for 13 years and was a diesel<br />

Service Manager Jam<strong>in</strong> Woody (l.) stands with Technician<br />

Jacob L<strong>in</strong>dell, who is servic<strong>in</strong>g an eng<strong>in</strong>e on an<br />

International tow truck at Motor Trucks.<br />

technician <strong>in</strong> the Mar<strong>in</strong>e Corps prior to that.<br />

“We sell and service new International<br />

trucks, but we also sell used everyth<strong>in</strong>g —<br />

all makes <strong>of</strong> trucks,” he said. “We also<br />

service nearly every type <strong>of</strong> diesel-powered<br />

truck on the market <strong>in</strong> our service<br />

department,” he said, add<strong>in</strong>g that<br />

International is about half <strong>of</strong> their bus<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />

The move to the 5.5-acre site, developed<br />

by the Port <strong>of</strong> Everett, allowed Motor<br />

Trucks to expand its space dramatically,<br />

Woody said, from vehicle storage to added<br />

parts and service departments.<br />

The new facility, which opened<br />

Labor Day weekend <strong>of</strong> 2010, features<br />

two levels <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice and work areas,<br />

21 service bays, a large retail area at<br />

the front <strong>of</strong> the store, an expanded<br />

double-decked parts storage area<br />

beh<strong>in</strong>d the retail counter, and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

room, Woody said, add<strong>in</strong>g that the<br />

branch manager at the store is Jeff<br />

Cymbaluk, son <strong>of</strong> the owner.<br />

International Harvester started<br />

sell<strong>in</strong>g trucks and farm equipment <strong>in</strong><br />

1902, he said, later sell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f the<br />

Harvester name to Case.<br />

“International is one <strong>of</strong> the lead<strong>in</strong>g<br />

nameplates <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dustry, and <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Class 5 and Class 6 markets they<br />

consistently capture<br />

a high percentage <strong>of</strong><br />

sales,” he said. The Class<br />

7 market is also strong,<br />

with International sales<br />

captur<strong>in</strong>g between 39 and<br />

42 percent this year, he<br />

added.<br />

While Motor Trucks<br />

sells ma<strong>in</strong>ly medium-duty<br />

trucks, the mix <strong>of</strong> medium- and heavy-duty<br />

trucks is <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to the 50 new<br />

vehicles sold each year, Woody said. A<br />

large percentage <strong>of</strong> used trucks are also sold<br />

“We service nearly<br />

every type <strong>of</strong> dieselpowered<br />

truck on the<br />

market <strong>in</strong> our service<br />

department.”<br />

each year, represent<strong>in</strong>g all brands, he said.<br />

In the service department, Woody said,<br />

are 19 technicians, all certified, and the<br />

parts department has n<strong>in</strong>e employees. Most<br />

<strong>of</strong> the 500-600 units serviced each month<br />

are medium-duty vehicles rang<strong>in</strong>g from<br />

delivery to service trucks, he said. On a<br />

recent visit, the shop was servic<strong>in</strong>g a UPS<br />

delivery truck, dump truck, tow truck, box<br />

units, a flat bed, and a variety <strong>of</strong> other<br />

vehicles.<br />

The service department <strong>of</strong>fers two shifts<br />

five days a week from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.,<br />

as well as Saturday service from 8 a.m. to<br />

4:30 p.m.<br />

“We provide the shifts so vehicles that<br />

are used dur<strong>in</strong>g the day can be serviced<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g the even<strong>in</strong>g hours<br />

so operators are not<br />

without their trucks,”<br />

Woody said, add<strong>in</strong>g that<br />

the Everett store services<br />

customers from the Seattle<br />

to north Everett areas, and<br />

even a few <strong>in</strong> the Cle<br />

Elum area.<br />

“Like cars, the warranty<br />

work on trucks has become less <strong>of</strong> an issue,<br />

but we still perform between 12 and 15<br />

percent warranty repairs on International<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 21


Longtime truck dealership adds services at new facility<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 21<br />

trucks each year,” he said.<br />

“In the service arena, we do everyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />

from light<strong>in</strong>g to electrical, brakes to<br />

eng<strong>in</strong>es,” he said. “Our goal at Motor<br />

Trucks is to take care <strong>of</strong> all <strong>of</strong> our<br />

customer’s needs.”<br />

In that ve<strong>in</strong>, the stores <strong>of</strong>fer mobile truck<br />

service with units constructed for that<br />

purpose <strong>in</strong> the service department, Woody<br />

said, add<strong>in</strong>g that the mobile service<br />

represents about 10 percent <strong>of</strong> overall<br />

service sales.<br />

Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g is an important element <strong>of</strong> the<br />

service department, Woody said, as trucks<br />

have transitioned to cleaner diesels and<br />

become more electronically controlled s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

the mid-2000s.<br />

“No one has the same eng<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> their<br />

trucks today that they had <strong>in</strong> 2005,” he said.<br />

“Government regulations on diesel eng<strong>in</strong>es<br />

and fuel economy <strong>in</strong> 2007 and 2010 have<br />

changed what we work on today, so tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

for eng<strong>in</strong>es and the electronics on the trucks<br />

is very different than it was before.”<br />

Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for technicians and support staff<br />

is a mix <strong>of</strong> class <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>gs from<br />

International, Eaton, classes at Bates<br />

Technical College <strong>in</strong> Tacoma, and <strong>in</strong>-house<br />

web-based tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, Woody said. “We have<br />

Insist on genu<strong>in</strong>e Toyota parts!<br />

<strong>in</strong>vested <strong>in</strong> extra tool<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and computers, and each<br />

technician has had<br />

hundreds <strong>of</strong> hours <strong>of</strong><br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g over the past 10<br />

years,” he said.<br />

An <strong>in</strong>-house technical<br />

library provides tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

manuals, videos, and<br />

other materials for<br />

technician use, Woody<br />

said. In addition, an<br />

upstairs tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g room<br />

can accommodate 50<br />

people with tables and<br />

is used for Motor<br />

Trucks and other tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, he said.<br />

The parts department, headed by Garrett<br />

Horgen, who handles parts for all three<br />

Motor Trucks store, provides delivery<br />

service from Kent to the Canadian border to<br />

the Cascade Mounta<strong>in</strong>s, as well as the<br />

Olympic Pen<strong>in</strong>sula, Woody said.<br />

The parts department has an <strong>in</strong>ventory <strong>of</strong><br />

about $850,000, Horgen said.<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g the construction <strong>of</strong> the new<br />

facility, Woody said ownership and<br />

managers were able to provide <strong>in</strong>put on<br />

design elements and fixtures that were to be<br />

<strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to the new build<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

“The build<strong>in</strong>g was designed to be<br />

environmentally friendly, and energy use<br />

was a major consideration,” he said. “We<br />

had a waste-oil burner <strong>in</strong> our old build<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

but we put <strong>in</strong> two Columbia waste-oil units<br />

from Northwest Industrial Equipment here<br />

<strong>in</strong> an upstairs control room above the<br />

service department.<br />

“Last year, we burned 9,000 gallons <strong>of</strong><br />

used oil. We heat the entire build<strong>in</strong>g with<br />

the units, sav<strong>in</strong>g on utility costs, and we<br />

don’t have the liability <strong>of</strong> recycl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> oils<br />

with an outside firm,” Woody said.<br />

Clear-glass doors were <strong>in</strong>stalled <strong>in</strong> the<br />

service department to add additional light,<br />

and skylights <strong>in</strong> the 32-foot ceil<strong>in</strong>g provide<br />

more available light to the service area,<br />

Woody said.<br />

The parts crew at Motor Trucks <strong>in</strong> Everett at the retail parts<br />

counter are, from l., <strong>Parts</strong> Manager Garrett Horgen and <strong>Parts</strong><br />

Specialists Curtis Davis, Steve Lage, Darren Jopl<strong>in</strong>, and Jon<br />

Mattson.<br />

“We also t<strong>in</strong>ted the concrete gray to add<br />

to the light<strong>in</strong>g issue, and it all works very<br />

well. There are times we used very little<br />

energy <strong>in</strong> light<strong>in</strong>g the service area.”<br />

A fresh-air <strong>in</strong>take system was <strong>in</strong>stalled <strong>in</strong><br />

the control room so that fumes and air<br />

issues are handled well, and a dieselparticulate<br />

clean<strong>in</strong>g system was also<br />

<strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the service department, Woody<br />

said.<br />

An environmentally sound lube pit, the<br />

first <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>, dra<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong>to a separator<br />

and does not allow for fluids to enter the<br />

service or work areas, Woody said. In<br />

addition, there are two air compressors that<br />

work as energy savers, and a water<br />

treatment system is <strong>in</strong> place as well, he<br />

added. n<br />

Technician Steve Phillips performs repairs<br />

on a Kenworth truck at Motor Trucks <strong>in</strong><br />

Everett.<br />

In depth Mechanical Inventory<br />

Broadway Toyota<br />

Local: 800-270-0679<br />

Oregon: 1-800-452-7443<br />

Out <strong>of</strong> State: 1-800-547-9700<br />

Fax: 503-284-7822<br />

parts@broadwaytoyota.com<br />

www.broadwaytoyota.com<br />

Page 22 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 23


Run to the Sun event tests 25 sports and performance vehicles<br />

by Jerold B. Smith<br />

Marysville, Wash.—The Northwest<br />

Automotive Press Association (NWAPA)<br />

held its annual Run to the Sun event <strong>in</strong><br />

September to provide member journalists<br />

the opportunity to test-drive a variety <strong>of</strong><br />

sports and performance vehicles.<br />

Test<strong>in</strong>g over two days <strong>of</strong> the 2011 event<br />

<strong>in</strong>cluded 25 vehicles rang<strong>in</strong>g from true<br />

sports cars to performance-oriented<br />

SUVs.<br />

Included <strong>in</strong> the 2011 run were the 2012<br />

Acura TL SH-AWD, 2012 Audi A6 and<br />

A7, the 2012 BMW 650i Convertible,<br />

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, the 2012<br />

Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible, the<br />

2012 Chrysler 200C, 2012 Dodge<br />

Charger SRT-8, the 2012 Fiat 500<br />

Convertible, 2012 Ford Mustang Boss<br />

302, the Honda Civic Si Coupe, and the<br />

2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec.<br />

Also, the 2012 Jeep Wrangler<br />

Unlimited Rubicon, the 2011 Kia Optima<br />

Turbo, 2011 Lexus IS-F, the 2011 Lotus<br />

Evora S, the 2012 Mazda5, 2011 Mazda<br />

RX-8, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63,<br />

2012 M-B<br />

SLK350, 2011<br />

Mitsubishi<br />

Outlander Sport,<br />

2012 Suzuki<br />

Kizashi Sport, the<br />

2012 Volkswagen<br />

Beetle Turbo,<br />

2012 VW EOS<br />

Lux, and the 2012<br />

Volvo S60 R-<br />

Design.<br />

Over routes<br />

The 2012 BMW 650i Convertible was a<br />

top performer at the Run to the Sun event.<br />

This model prices out at just under<br />

$103,000.<br />

that began each day at the Tulalip Resort<br />

& Cas<strong>in</strong>o, the vehicles were driven by 25<br />

journalists <strong>in</strong> rotation over routes that<br />

<strong>in</strong>cluded freeways, country roads, and<br />

mounta<strong>in</strong> passes.<br />

While many <strong>of</strong> the sports cars <strong>of</strong>fered<br />

plenty <strong>of</strong> power and acceleration, the mix<br />

<strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g vehicles such as the Wrangler<br />

Rubicon and Outlander Sport provided<br />

both the sport and performance attributes<br />

<strong>of</strong> SUVs. The Wrangler is a particular<br />

favorite for its high-pr<strong>of</strong>ile, <strong>of</strong>f-road<br />

capabilities, and fun driv<strong>in</strong>g experience.<br />

The throat<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>of</strong> V-8 eng<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Cadillac CTS, Camaro SS, Charger SRT-<br />

8, Mustang Boss, and others provided the<br />

thrill <strong>of</strong> boastful power and massive<br />

acceleration. The Acura, Audi, BMW,<br />

Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and other models<br />

comb<strong>in</strong>ed dynamic powertra<strong>in</strong>s with<br />

luxury highway driv<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

The 2011 Lotus Evora S is a pure sports<br />

car that features amaz<strong>in</strong>g handl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

characteristics.<br />

Always a favorite to drive is the awardw<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Lotus Evora S, recreated with a<br />

345-HP supercharged 3.5-L V-6 eng<strong>in</strong>e.<br />

While it’s not the easiest sports car to get<br />

<strong>in</strong> and out <strong>of</strong> for larger drivers, once<br />

<strong>in</strong>side, the Evora exudes power and<br />

performance. A sport button allows the<br />

driver to control throttle response and<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 25<br />

Page 24 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Run to the Sun event tests 25 sports and performance vehicles<br />

The 2012 Camaro SS Convertible driven<br />

at Run to the Sun had a 6.2-L V-8 eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />

and six-speed manual transmission.<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 24<br />

activate the exhaust<br />

bypass valve.<br />

Handl<strong>in</strong>g is tight and<br />

very responsive.<br />

Sport and<br />

performance equates<br />

to lesser powertra<strong>in</strong>s<br />

<strong>in</strong> vehicles such as<br />

the Fiat 500C,<br />

Mazda5, and Suzuki<br />

Kizashi, all favorites<br />

for style, eng<strong>in</strong>e performance, and<br />

exceptional handl<strong>in</strong>g characteristics. The<br />

third-generation VW Beetle Turbo<br />

provides its own stable driv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

experience with its 2.0-L eng<strong>in</strong>e and sport<br />

suspension.<br />

Always a popular entry, the Volvo S-60<br />

R-Design features exquisite handl<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

class-lead<strong>in</strong>g safety features.<br />

The comb<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> vehicles, from the<br />

enjoyable Kia Optima Turbo and Hyundai<br />

Genesis sport model, to the reliable<br />

Honda Civic Si and the comfortable<br />

Mazda RX-8, proves that sport and<br />

performance can be comb<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> a variety<br />

<strong>of</strong> vehicles based on the needs and desires<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual motorists.<br />

While prices on the tested units <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Run to the Sun ranged from about<br />

$19,700 (Mazda5) to $112,000 (M-B<br />

CLS63), each vehicle tested provided its<br />

own unique qualities. They all get from<br />

po<strong>in</strong>t to po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> the same amount <strong>of</strong> time;<br />

some just do it with a bit more luxury and<br />

convenience. n<br />

Calendar compiled by Jerold B. Smith<br />

Oct. 31-Nov. 5 * Automotive Aftermarket<br />

Industry Week (AAIW), <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

AAPEX Show at Sands Expo (Nov. 1-3) and<br />

SEMA Show (Nov. 1-4) at Las Vegas<br />

Convention Center, Las Vegas. Visit<br />

www.aapexshow.com or<br />

www.semashow.com.<br />

Nov. 2-3 * General Meet<strong>in</strong>g, Collision<br />

Industry Conference (CIC), Las Vegas<br />

Hilton, Las Vegas. Visit www.cicl<strong>in</strong>k.com.<br />

Nov. 2-6 * 2011 Seattle International Auto<br />

Show, CenturyL<strong>in</strong>k Field Event Center,<br />

Seattle. Visit www.seattleautoshow.com.<br />

Dec.16-18 * Progressive International<br />

Motorcycle Show, <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> State<br />

Convention Center, Seattle. Visit<br />

www.motorcycleshows.com.<br />

Jan.18-20 * 32nd annual International<br />

Convention & Trade Show, Mobile Air<br />

Condition<strong>in</strong>g Society (MACS), Rio All Suite<br />

Hotel & Cas<strong>in</strong>o, Las Vegas. Visit<br />

www.macsw.org.<br />

Jan. 23-26 * Heavy-Duty Aftermarket<br />

Week 2012, The Mirage, Las Vegas. Visit<br />

www.hdaw.org.<br />

Jan. 26-29 * 2012 Portland International<br />

Auto Show, Oregon Convention Center,<br />

Portland. Visit www.portlandautoshow.com.<br />

Jan. 26-29 * Semi-annual Retreat and<br />

Management Conference, ASA <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>,<br />

Enzian Inn, Leavenworth, Wash. Call 253-<br />

473-6970 or visit www.asawa.com.<br />

Feb. 3-6 * 2012 Convention & Expo,<br />

National Automobile Dealers Association<br />

(NADA), Las Vegas Convention Center, Las<br />

Vegas. Visit www.nada.org.<br />

Feb. 9-10 * Tire Expo, sponsored by the<br />

Northwest Tire Dealers Association<br />

(NWTDA), Holiday Inn/Airport, Portland.<br />

For details, call 509-948-2433 or visit<br />

www.nwtiredealers.org.<br />

Feb. 24-26 * 2012 Automotive Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

Expo (ATE), Doubletree Hotel, SeaTac,<br />

Wash. Call 888-774-1253 or visit<br />

www.atetra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gexpo.com. n<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 25


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©2011 General Motors. All rights reserved.<br />

Page 26 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Cooper’s Keys to Auto Repair Pr<strong>of</strong>its<br />

Trends <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dustry: The future <strong>of</strong> your bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

There are a number <strong>of</strong> changes that are<br />

occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> our <strong>in</strong>dustry, and there is no<br />

question that some <strong>of</strong> them will have a<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>ound, long-term impact. To name just<br />

two, automobiles are be<strong>in</strong>g built better<br />

and, as we all know, service <strong>in</strong>tervals are<br />

constantly be<strong>in</strong>g extended by<br />

the manufacturers.<br />

Although this is all good for<br />

consumers, better-built vehicles<br />

means they’ll need fewer<br />

repairs, and extended service<br />

<strong>in</strong>tervals means you’ll be see<strong>in</strong>g<br />

your exist<strong>in</strong>g customers less<br />

frequently <strong>in</strong> the com<strong>in</strong>g years.<br />

The way most shop owners Bob Cooper<br />

are deal<strong>in</strong>g with this is by try<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to persuade all <strong>of</strong> their customers that they<br />

need to br<strong>in</strong>g their vehicles <strong>in</strong> more<br />

frequently than the manufacturer<br />

recommends. They tell them that their oil<br />

needs to be changed more frequently and<br />

that it’s a good policy to have their<br />

vehicles <strong>in</strong>spected every 3,000-5,000<br />

miles.<br />

Although I agree with that reason<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

those shop owners are fight<strong>in</strong>g an uphill<br />

battle s<strong>in</strong>ce one <strong>of</strong> the many reasons<br />

people buy new vehicles is because they<br />

like the idea <strong>of</strong> extended service <strong>in</strong>tervals.<br />

So rather than try<strong>in</strong>g to fight this trend,<br />

I’d encourage you to understand it, and<br />

rather than try<strong>in</strong>g to sell each and every<br />

customer on the value <strong>of</strong> com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> more<br />

frequently, I’d<br />

encourage you to<br />

take a different<br />

approach.<br />

First <strong>of</strong> all, as <strong>in</strong><br />

any bus<strong>in</strong>ess, you<br />

should explore<br />

every opportunity<br />

to provide additional services to your<br />

customers. They already trust you and<br />

your recommendations, so services such as<br />

door d<strong>in</strong>g removals, tire <strong>in</strong>stallations, glass<br />

repair services, cab<strong>in</strong> air-duct clean<strong>in</strong>g<br />

services, and detail<strong>in</strong>g services are good<br />

examples <strong>of</strong> other services you can <strong>of</strong>fer.<br />

Not only will services that enhance<br />

vehicle appearance or customer comfort<br />

put smiles on the faces <strong>of</strong> your customers,<br />

but at the same time those services will<br />

<strong>in</strong>crease your average dollar amount per<br />

RO, which will help <strong>of</strong>fset the fewer<br />

number <strong>of</strong> times you’ll see your customers<br />

throughout the year.<br />

When it comes to additional services, I<br />

would also encourage you to consider the<br />

trend <strong>in</strong> In-Vehicle Infota<strong>in</strong>ment (IVI)<br />

<strong>in</strong>tegration. This category <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />

accessories such as navigational systems,<br />

cell phone <strong>in</strong>tegration, MP3 <strong>in</strong>tegration,<br />

“You should explore<br />

every opportunity to<br />

provide additional services<br />

to your customers.”<br />

and communication systems.<br />

I f<strong>in</strong>d it <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g that technology<br />

seems to be well ahead <strong>of</strong> the auto <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />

at this time. However, you can rest<br />

assured that <strong>in</strong> the com<strong>in</strong>g years you will<br />

see more <strong>of</strong> this type <strong>of</strong> technology on<br />

vehicles, not less.<br />

That is because technology is<br />

an <strong>in</strong>tegral part <strong>of</strong> the lives <strong>of</strong> our<br />

emerg<strong>in</strong>g market: the Y Gens.<br />

Those are the people who were<br />

born between 1980 and 1990,<br />

and there is no doubt <strong>in</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d<br />

that they are go<strong>in</strong>g to have an<br />

expectation that new vehicles<br />

will be able to provide those<br />

types <strong>of</strong> technological features.<br />

I am very confident that the<br />

manufacturers are go<strong>in</strong>g to f<strong>in</strong>d themselves<br />

<strong>in</strong> a position that <strong>in</strong> order to be competitive<br />

<strong>in</strong> the com<strong>in</strong>g years, they will be forced to<br />

<strong>in</strong>corporate more IVI features <strong>in</strong>to their<br />

vehicles.<br />

In order to be fully prepared for those<br />

trends, you will need to make sure that<br />

your service advisors are very well tra<strong>in</strong>ed.<br />

Any services that are not authorized dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

a visit will more than likely be lost sales<br />

because it may be six months or longer<br />

before you see that particular customer<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />

By then, your service recommendations<br />

will either be forgotten, viewed as<br />

unimportant by your customers, or if they<br />

experience<br />

subsequent failures,<br />

they may very well<br />

have it repaired<br />

somewhere else.<br />

Worse yet, if it’s a<br />

safety item that you<br />

discover, and if it’s<br />

not repaired dur<strong>in</strong>g their <strong>in</strong>itial visit, your<br />

customers will be at an even greater risk.<br />

There is no question that the age-old<br />

expression, “We’ll take care <strong>of</strong> that the<br />

next time you’re <strong>in</strong>,” is go<strong>in</strong>g to vanish<br />

from our <strong>in</strong>dustry.<br />

Lastly, with the understand<strong>in</strong>g that you<br />

will be see<strong>in</strong>g the majority <strong>of</strong> your<br />

customers less frequently as time goes on,<br />

<strong>in</strong> order to keep your service bays filled,<br />

you will need to ensure that you have a<br />

well-constructed market<strong>in</strong>g plan <strong>in</strong> place<br />

that will br<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the right k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong><br />

customers.<br />

In order to stay ahead <strong>of</strong> your<br />

competitors, you need to <strong>in</strong>vest at least 60<br />

percent <strong>of</strong> your advertis<strong>in</strong>g budget <strong>in</strong>to<br />

nontraditional advertis<strong>in</strong>g programs<br />

(sponsor<strong>in</strong>g little league teams and charity<br />

events, host<strong>in</strong>g car care cl<strong>in</strong>ics, etc.), and<br />

you should <strong>in</strong>vest at least a fourth <strong>of</strong> that<br />

60 percent <strong>in</strong>to advertis<strong>in</strong>g programs that<br />

are directed toward the Y Gens.<br />

I’d also encourage you to avoid fight<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the evolution <strong>of</strong> automobiles and try<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

sell your customers on a service schedule<br />

that they have little or no <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong><br />

buy<strong>in</strong>g. Instead, look for other ways you<br />

can help them when you do see them by<br />

provid<strong>in</strong>g additional services.<br />

If the services you <strong>of</strong>fer are cosmetic <strong>in</strong><br />

nature, if they cater to the emerg<strong>in</strong>g<br />

market, or if they provide added comfort<br />

to the customer <strong>in</strong> any way, all the better.<br />

You will need to have talented, welltra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

advisors, and there is no doubt that<br />

you’ll need to have a market<strong>in</strong>g plan <strong>in</strong><br />

place that will br<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> even more <strong>of</strong> the<br />

right k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> customers.<br />

. . . . . . . . . . .<br />

For the last 20 years, Bob Cooper has been<br />

the president <strong>of</strong> Elite Worldwide Inc., an<br />

ethics-based company that <strong>of</strong>fers shop<br />

owners sales, market<strong>in</strong>g, and management<br />

solutions <strong>in</strong> the form <strong>of</strong> downloadable audio<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses, sem<strong>in</strong>ars, and web<strong>in</strong>ars,<br />

coach<strong>in</strong>g services, and service advisor<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. You can contact Cooper at<br />

contact@eliteworldwidestore.com, or at<br />

800-204-3548. n<br />

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Jam<strong>in</strong> Woody, service manager at Motor Trucks <strong>in</strong> Everett, stands<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 27


<strong>People</strong> & Places<br />

OREGON<br />

Oil Can Henry’s, based <strong>in</strong> Tualat<strong>in</strong>,<br />

has announced a jo<strong>in</strong>t campaign <strong>in</strong> western<br />

states with Universal Lubricants <strong>of</strong><br />

Wichita, Kan., to <strong>in</strong>crease motorists’<br />

awareness <strong>of</strong> proper vehicle ma<strong>in</strong>tenance<br />

and the economic benefits <strong>of</strong> us<strong>in</strong>g ECO<br />

ULTRA motor oil produced by Universal.<br />

The ECO ULTRA l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> motor oil is ec<strong>of</strong>riendly<br />

and reduces the dependence on<br />

foreign oil, said the two firms. Oil Can<br />

Henry’s operates 88 service centers <strong>in</strong><br />

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,<br />

Oregon, and <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>. The firm has a<br />

reputation as “The One You can Trust” by<br />

<strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g customers <strong>in</strong> vehicle service and<br />

educat<strong>in</strong>g them on proper vehicle<br />

ma<strong>in</strong>tenance, <strong>of</strong>ficials said, add<strong>in</strong>g that Oil<br />

Can Henry’s is committed to reduc<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

impact on the environment by recycl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

used oil, antifreeze, and other fluids.<br />

Merles Saunders has retired after 31<br />

years as the automotive <strong>in</strong>structor at Vale<br />

High School. He was a legendary<br />

<strong>in</strong>structor from the small eastern Oregon<br />

town for plac<strong>in</strong>g first <strong>in</strong> more state<br />

competitions <strong>in</strong> the Ford/AAA Student<br />

Auto Skills competitions than any high<br />

school <strong>in</strong> the state, w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g 24 state contests.<br />

Student teams from Vale also placed first <strong>in</strong><br />

the national Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills<br />

competition five times, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g 2011 <strong>in</strong><br />

Dearborn, Mich., and placed <strong>in</strong> the top 10 a<br />

record 18 times. The skills competition is a<br />

nationwide contest for high school juniors<br />

and seniors who are <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> pursu<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

career <strong>in</strong> automotive technology. In 2011, its<br />

62nd year, the competition <strong>in</strong>volved 10,000<br />

students who competed for a record $12<br />

<strong>million</strong> <strong>in</strong> scholarships.<br />

The first week <strong>of</strong> October marked the<br />

kick-<strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> a seven-week “Mitsubishi i<br />

100% Electric Experience” test drive<br />

tour <strong>of</strong> Oregon, <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong>, and California.<br />

The tour began <strong>in</strong> Portland as a market<strong>in</strong>g<br />

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ANDERSON<br />

John Leddy, owner <strong>of</strong> LDC Equipment, demonstrates<br />

how to use the Tecna Smart-Plus 3360 spot welder,<br />

designed for use on high-strength steels. The session<br />

was held Oct. 5 at Bates Technical College <strong>in</strong> Tacoma.<br />

campaign for the automaker’s <strong>in</strong>troduction<br />

<strong>of</strong> the all-electric i models this month at<br />

select dealerships.<br />

The Albany Indoor Swap Meet will<br />

take place Nov. 19 on Spr<strong>in</strong>ghill Drive <strong>in</strong><br />

Albany. The event draws hundreds <strong>of</strong><br />

vendors and thousands <strong>of</strong> buyers throughout<br />

the Northwest to the <strong>in</strong>door venue that<br />

features a full spectrum <strong>of</strong> automotiverelated<br />

products.<br />

WASHINGTON<br />

John Leddy, owner <strong>of</strong> LDC<br />

Equipment <strong>in</strong> Sumner, held a highstrength<br />

steel and welder<br />

demonstration at Bates<br />

Technical College on Oct. 5<br />

<strong>in</strong> Tacoma. The session,<br />

attended by the school’s Auto<br />

Body Rebuild<strong>in</strong>g & Ref<strong>in</strong>ish<br />

students, focused on proper<br />

repair tactics <strong>of</strong> vehicles with<br />

high-strength steels with a<br />

hands-on demonstration <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Tecna Smart-Plus 3360<br />

spot welder. “The enemy <strong>of</strong><br />

high-strength steel is heat and a<br />

hammer,” Leddy said. “You<br />

really have to know what type <strong>of</strong><br />

metal you’re weld<strong>in</strong>g on. You<br />

can’t assume its all mild steel.”<br />

compiled by Jerold B. Smith<br />

A “Hard Hat & High Heels” fundraiser<br />

and sneak peak at the progress <strong>of</strong> LeMay-<br />

America’s Car Museum (ACM) <strong>in</strong><br />

Tacoma was held Sept. 24, attract<strong>in</strong>g more<br />

than 650 ACM supporters. An auction <strong>of</strong><br />

more than 130 items raised $550,000 for the<br />

museum, which is set for a grand open<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />

June 2012. The 165,000-square-foot facility,<br />

which sits on 3.5 acres, will feature more<br />

than 500 cars from the Harold LeMay<br />

collection as well as host<strong>in</strong>g meet<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />

conventions, parties, and educational events.<br />

“This was an important milestone because it<br />

signifies we’re open for bus<strong>in</strong>ess now even<br />

though the grand open<strong>in</strong>g is next year,” said<br />

David Madeira, president and CEO <strong>of</strong><br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 29<br />

PHOTO BY DOUG LARSON<br />

Partygoers at the “Hard Hat & Heels” sneak<br />

peek event at LeMay-America’s Car<br />

Museum enjoyed an even<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> fun and<br />

fundrais<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

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Page 28 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 28<br />

ACM. Events at the museum, expected to<br />

draw some 425,000 visitors each year, are<br />

already scheduled <strong>in</strong>to 2014.<br />

Family, friends, and co-workers <strong>of</strong><br />

Stanley O. McNaughton, former CEO<br />

<strong>of</strong> PEMCO Insurance, gathered at the<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Automotive Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

Center (PATC) at Shorel<strong>in</strong>e<br />

Community College (SCC) to dedicate<br />

the facility’s corporate d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g room <strong>in</strong><br />

McNaughton’s name. The room <strong>in</strong>cludes a<br />

portrait <strong>of</strong> McNaughton, and panels on the<br />

wall reflect his favorite say<strong>in</strong>gs that guided<br />

his life. McNaughton was a supporter <strong>of</strong><br />

PATC and a force <strong>in</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g the center.<br />

Comments at the event, hosted by the Puget<br />

Sound Automobile Dealers Association<br />

Stan McNaughton (r.), <strong>of</strong> PEMCO Insurance,<br />

visits with Shorel<strong>in</strong>e Community College<br />

President Lee Lambert dur<strong>in</strong>g a dedication<br />

at the Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Automotive Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

Center <strong>in</strong> Shorel<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> honor <strong>of</strong> his father.<br />

(PSADA), <strong>in</strong>cluded those from<br />

McNaughton’s son, Stan, current PEMCO<br />

CEO, SCC President Lee Lambert, and<br />

Jason Courter <strong>of</strong> Honda <strong>of</strong> Bellevue, the<br />

PSADA president.<br />

As part <strong>of</strong> Toyota’s nationwide “100<br />

Cars for Good” campaign, Foothills<br />

Toyota <strong>in</strong> Burl<strong>in</strong>gton has donated a 2011<br />

Toyota Prius to Summit Assistance<br />

Dogs <strong>of</strong> nearby Anacortes. Along with<br />

the vehicle donation, Foothill’s dealer<br />

pr<strong>in</strong>cipal Pam Nelson has donated $5,000<br />

to the organization. Founded <strong>in</strong> 2000,<br />

Summit Assistance Dogs provides highly<br />

skilled mobility, hear<strong>in</strong>g, and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

therapy dogs for people with disabilities.<br />

The “100 Cars for Good” program is the<br />

first Toyota <strong>in</strong>itiative that engages the public<br />

to determ<strong>in</strong>e how corporate philanthropic<br />

donations will be awarded. Toyota is<br />

donat<strong>in</strong>g 100 vehicles to deserv<strong>in</strong>g nonpr<strong>of</strong>it<br />

organizations based on votes from the<br />

public.<br />

Ford Motor Co.’s Seattle Region<br />

(<strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> and Oregon) reported that total<br />

September dealer sales were up 24 percent<br />

over 2010 and were dom<strong>in</strong>ated by a 37-<br />

percent <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> truck sales led by the<br />

redesigned Ford Explorer (up 885 percent)<br />

and the Ranger (up 300 percent). Overall,<br />

national sales for September were up 9<br />

percent versus the same month <strong>in</strong> 2010.<br />

A-Z Auto Repair opened <strong>in</strong> late<br />

September <strong>in</strong> Kennewick under the<br />

ownership <strong>of</strong> Mike Harvey, also the<br />

owner <strong>of</strong> A-Z Tow<strong>in</strong>g and The Bug Shack,<br />

another repair shop <strong>in</strong> Kennewick. A-Z will<br />

provide full-service repairs, tow<strong>in</strong>g, and<br />

vehicle sales.<br />

West Seattle Auto Works celebrated<br />

its one-year anniversary with an open house<br />

Oct. 1. Owned by Todd A<strong>in</strong>sworth and<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 30<br />

On hand, on demand.<br />

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888-MBPARTS<br />

206-329-5959<br />

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www.philsmart.com<br />

Mercedes-Benz <strong>of</strong> Bellevue<br />

11850 Bellevue-Redmond Rd<br />

Bellevue, WA 98005<br />

425-455-2139<br />

Fax: 425-637-8803<br />

mbparts@barriermotors.com<br />

Mercedes-Benz <strong>of</strong> Tacoma<br />

4001 20th St E<br />

Fife, WA 98424<br />

800-769-8183<br />

Fax: 253-896-9619<br />

www.larsonmercedes.com<br />

Mercedes-Benz <strong>of</strong> Lynnwood<br />

17800 Highway 99<br />

Lynnwood, WA 98037<br />

425-673-0505<br />

Fax: 425-673-5959<br />

www.mblynnwood.com<br />

Mercedes-Benz <strong>of</strong> Portland<br />

1605 SW Naito Pkwy<br />

Portland, OR 97201<br />

800-275-7276<br />

Local: 503-525-6229<br />

Fax: 503-525-6273<br />

Mercedes-Benz <strong>of</strong> Wilsonville<br />

25035 SW Parkway Ave<br />

Wilsonville, OR 97070<br />

503-454-5002<br />

Fax: 503-454-5012<br />

jeremycarter@lithia.com<br />

Mercedes-Benz <strong>of</strong> Anchorage<br />

1000 E Sixth Ave<br />

Anchorage, AK 99501<br />

907-277-3383<br />

Fax: 907-646-8656<br />

www.mercedesbenz<strong>of</strong>anchorage.com<br />

Wilson Motors<br />

1100 Iowa St.<br />

Bell<strong>in</strong>gham, WA 98229<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> Direct: 360-676-0177<br />

Toll Free: 800-634-1395<br />

Fax: 360-676-4831<br />

parts@wilsonmotors.com<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 29


<strong>People</strong> & Places<br />

Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 29<br />

Chris Christensen, the full-service repair<br />

shop occupies for the former Swedish<br />

Automotive that moved three blocks south<br />

<strong>in</strong> 2010.<br />

The Seattle International Auto<br />

Show, one <strong>of</strong> the nation’s largest regional<br />

shows, will be staged Nov. 2-6 at the<br />

CenturyL<strong>in</strong>k Field Event Center <strong>in</strong> Seattle.<br />

The show will feature more than 400 new<br />

2012 model cars and trucks, and there will<br />

be test drive opportunities for Toyota, Kia,<br />

and Hyundai models. For details, visit<br />

www.seattleautoshow.com.<br />

Three ASA <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> (ASA-WA)<br />

units held four “Lights-on” events <strong>in</strong> the<br />

state Oct. 1, provid<strong>in</strong>g free <strong>in</strong>spection and<br />

replacement <strong>of</strong> vehicle exterior light<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

motorists. The Whatcom County Unit<br />

reported <strong>in</strong>spect<strong>in</strong>g a total <strong>of</strong> 400 vehicles,<br />

247 at the Bell<strong>in</strong>gham site and 153 at the<br />

Everson location. Litter bags, ma<strong>in</strong>tenance<br />

brochures, and a list <strong>of</strong> local ASA shops<br />

were given to each participat<strong>in</strong>g motorist.<br />

The Spokane Unit <strong>of</strong> ASA <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong><br />

provided <strong>in</strong>spections to 148 vehicles with<br />

assistance from ASA member shops and<br />

automotive students from the Spokane Skills<br />

Center and Spokane Community College.<br />

The lanes at the Spokane “Lights-on” event<br />

handled 148 vehicles that had exterior<br />

light<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>spected and replaced as needed<br />

free <strong>of</strong> charge.<br />

The Bell<strong>in</strong>gham location for “Lights-on”<br />

checked light<strong>in</strong>g on 257 cars and trucks on<br />

Oct. 1.<br />

The Pierce County Unit handled 100 cars<br />

and trucks at its Lakewood “Lights-on”<br />

location with 50 volunteers, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g auto<br />

students from Clover Park Technical<br />

College and the New Market Skills Center.<br />

Free bulbs and light<strong>in</strong>g<br />

products were supplied by<br />

local parts stores <strong>in</strong> each<br />

area.<br />

Kev<strong>in</strong> Krecklow <strong>of</strong><br />

Mastertech Automotive <strong>in</strong><br />

Vancouver was one <strong>of</strong><br />

four Federated Car Care<br />

Centers <strong>in</strong> the nation to race<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>st dirt-track legends<br />

Kenny Schrader and<br />

Kenny Wallace at<br />

Schrader’s I-55 Raceway <strong>in</strong><br />

Pevely, Mo., <strong>in</strong> September.<br />

The four “rookie” drivers<br />

were w<strong>in</strong>ners <strong>in</strong> the annual<br />

“Get Dirty with Kennys<br />

Sweepstakes,” a contest exclusively for<br />

Federated Car Care Center members across<br />

the country.<br />

In memoriam: Terrance A. “Terry”<br />

Holmstrom, 62, <strong>of</strong> Olympia, died Sept.<br />

21. An Olympia native, he graduated from<br />

Tumwater High School <strong>in</strong> 1966 and<br />

attended Clover Park Technical College <strong>in</strong><br />

Lakewood. He began his automotive career<br />

<strong>in</strong> 1968 at a Firestone tire store as credit<br />

manager, and <strong>in</strong> 1976 he fulfilled his dream<br />

<strong>of</strong> own<strong>in</strong>g his own shop by open<strong>in</strong>g Terry’s<br />

Automotive <strong>in</strong> Olympia. Currently <strong>in</strong> West<br />

W<strong>in</strong>ners <strong>of</strong> the Federated “Get Dirty with Kennys<br />

Sweepstakes” pose with Federated <strong>of</strong>ficials and<br />

sponsored drivers at Kenny Schrader’s I-55 Raceway <strong>in</strong><br />

Pevely, Mo.<br />

Olympia, the repair facility is now be<strong>in</strong>g run<br />

by two sons, Tod and Robert. Terry’s<br />

Automotive has been an active member <strong>of</strong><br />

ASA <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> (ASA-WA) s<strong>in</strong>ce 1994,<br />

and Holmstrom had served as treasurer <strong>of</strong><br />

the ASA-WA Southwest <strong>Wash<strong>in</strong>gton</strong> Unit<br />

for the past five years. He is survived by his<br />

wife, Stephanie, four children, and seven<br />

grandchildren. A Celebration <strong>of</strong> Life service<br />

was Oct. 1 <strong>in</strong> Olympia. Remembrances may<br />

be made <strong>in</strong> Holmstrom’s name to UWMC<br />

Transplant Services, c/o Suzy Duff, P.O.<br />

Box 356175, Seattle, Wash. 98195. n<br />

Page 30 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com


Potter Webster / McKay Truck and<br />

RV Center opens <strong>in</strong> Albany, Ore.<br />

Potter-Webster Company celebrated the grand open<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> their newest parts and<br />

service location <strong>in</strong> Albany on Sept. 16. Potter Webster / McKay’s Truck and RV Center<br />

is located at 6225 Old Salem Road.<br />

Three hundred attendees enjoyed food,<br />

visited with 25 vendors, and won prizes.<br />

Advertisers’ Index<br />

ACDelco............................................10, 11, 26<br />

Alum<strong>in</strong>um Head Rebuilders .........................27<br />

ASA-WA ........................................................14<br />

BMW <strong>of</strong> Bellevue ..........................................20<br />

BMW Seattle.................................................22<br />

Brake Systems Inc..........................................8<br />

Broadway Toyota..........................................22<br />

Chrysler Jeep Dodge <strong>of</strong> Bellevue ................17<br />

Chrysler LLC .................................................28<br />

Drivel<strong>in</strong>es NW, Inc...........................................6<br />

Elite Worldwide .............................................31<br />

Eng<strong>in</strong>e & Performance Warehouse, Inc. ........7<br />

Exedy Global <strong>Parts</strong> Corp................................9<br />

Federated Auto <strong>Parts</strong>......................................8<br />

Foster Auto <strong>Parts</strong>..........................................19<br />

HDAW............................................................24<br />

Heads Up, Inc. ..............................................22<br />

Honda <strong>of</strong> Seattle...........................................15<br />

Identifix..........................................................32<br />

Inf<strong>in</strong>iti <strong>of</strong> Kirkland ..........................................16<br />

Jasper Eng<strong>in</strong>es & Transmissions .................12<br />

The classic truck and car show brought <strong>in</strong><br />

50 vehicles.<br />

Jet Chevrolet.................................................31<br />

Kia Motors America ........................................8<br />

LDC Equipment ............................................15<br />

McCurley Chevrolet Cadillac........................31<br />

Mercedes-Benz USA LLC............................29<br />

Mitchell 1.................................................13, 25<br />

NAPA Auto <strong>Parts</strong>.............................................5<br />

NAPA ProL<strong>in</strong>k................................................21<br />

Northwest Industrial Equipment, Inc............27<br />

Possy.............................................................30<br />

Precision For Collision..................................18<br />

Scarff Ford-Isuzu ..........................................20<br />

Seattle M<strong>in</strong>i ...................................................16<br />

Stadium Nissan.............................................18<br />

Total Lubricants USA Inc. ...............................2<br />

Toyota <strong>of</strong> Seattle ...........................................15<br />

Transmission Exchange Co............................6<br />

Transmission Rebuild Center .........................4<br />

University Volkswagen Audi .........................23<br />

Warehouse West...........................................14<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> Phone: 800-257-6655<br />

McCurley<br />

Chevrolet Cadillac<br />

Pasco, WA<br />

<strong>Parts</strong> Phone: 800-456-6257<br />

*Whichever comes first — from date and mileage <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>stallation by an<br />

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See your Genu<strong>in</strong>e GM <strong>Parts</strong> dealer for peace-<strong>of</strong>-m<strong>in</strong>d and competitive prices<br />

To l<strong>in</strong>k to advertisers www.partsandpeople.com See Advertisers’ Directory<br />

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<strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> November 2011 Page 31


Page 32 November 2011 <strong>Parts</strong> & <strong>People</strong> www.partsandpeople.com

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