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

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Recently Driven Nissan enters commercial market by Jerold B. Smith Nissan has charged into the commercial vehicle market with several models of very usable light- and medium-duty vans that will meet a variety of business needs in that segment. Offerings include a NV 1500 van that starts at $24,950, followed by a NV 2500 HD available in both standard height and high-roof models, and the NV 3500 HD, also available in two heights. Our tested unit was the 2012 NV 3500 High Roof model that had an MSRP of $30,700 (the standard height unit starts at The Nissan NV 3500 is stylish, offers immense cargo space, and handles better than some cars we’ve tested this year. $28,550). To say we were impressed with this unit is an understatement of our overall satisfaction with the truck. Sharply designed, the NV 3500 High Roof drives like a high-end car, with superb handling, cornering, and turning radius. On the high-roof model, cargo space is a whopping 323.1 cubic feet (234.1 cubic feet for the standard roof) and adults can stand fully upright throughout the cargo area. Dual rear doors open at 243 degrees for easy access to the cargo area, and there is full access to the seating area from the cargo compartment. A large passenger-side slider door provides entry to the cargo area, which also features body-side trim panels and three high-voltage cargo lights. In addition, there are cargo floor D-rings plus two 12-volt and 120-volt power outlets. We loaded our test unit up and hauled a bountiful amount of household goods, with the extended height allowing for cumbersome cargo to be easily stored. This full-length, fully boxed ladderframe truck is powered by a beefy 317-HP, 516-L, DOHC, 32-valve V-8 engine that produces 385 lb-ft. of torque and vibrant acceleration. It’s mated with a five-speed automatic transmission that was both quiet and highly responsive when loaded or unloaded. No diesel-equipped NV 3500 is currently available. The chassis on the 146.1-inch wheelbase NV 3500 offers an independent strut in the front and a solid rear axle with rigid leaf springs and rear stabilizer bar. It’s tight and reacted well in both city and highway driving. In the safety arena, the NV lineup offers dual-stage supplemental airbags, threepoint seat belts, two-way adjustable front seat active head restraints, pipe-style steel side-door guard beams, and front/rear crumple zones. Adding to the safety elements on the NV, there are four-wheel heavy-duty disc brakes, ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, a Vehicle Dynamic Control system, traction control system, a tirepressure monitoring system (TPMS), and vehicle security system with keylessentry power locks. Two adjustable captain’s chairs in the front of the NV 3500 allow for exceptional seating and leg room, with a center console splitting the two seats. The driver’s chair has an eight-way power setting with manual lumbar control, and the passenger seat folds down if required. Both are covered in waterresistant premium cloth. Three overhead storage areas are included above the front window, plus storage adjacent to the driver and passenger seats, as well as a back-door storage bin. Large sun visors for both front seats have storage clips for receipts. A camera assists with back-up maneuvering. The exterior of the NV 3500 features rear combination lights, multi-reflector halogen headlamps that provided genuine front lighting capacity, large fold-in chrome mirrors with integrated convex spotter mirrors, chrome door handles, a nicely styled chrome radiator grille, chrome front bumper, UV-reducing solar front door glass and windshield, and 17-inch steel wheels with all-season tires. While the NV 3500 has a 28-gallon tank, it does not have EPA fuel economy estimates. In more than 300 miles of city and highway driving, we averaged about 13.5 MPG. Optional equipment included a $190 rear door glass package (with rear defroster); all-season floor mates ($98); a side and curtain airbag package, including frontseat-mounted side-impact airbags and head protection ($390); a tow package, including front tow hooks, towing mirrors, Class IV trailer hitch, and heavy-duty battery ($460); and a $950 technology package with navigation system, CD/MP3 playback capability, XM Satellite radio, Bluetooth hands-free phone, and USB outlets. Even with the options, this rugged beast is priced under $35,000. n Page 12 November 2011 Parts & People www.partsandpeople.com
Returning to rotation, ASRW ’11 is deemed a success with increased attendance Keynote speaker Chris Brogan, a business marketing consultant, speaker, and writer, tells ASRW attendees that using social media takes time, but so does any effective way to attract customers and referrals. hundred people who follow him on Twitter, asking what they’d like him to tell those who repair cars for a living. Brogan said several recommended that shops build trust by educating customers and doing simple things like calling customers when promised. “But the No. 1 word I saw over and over and over again in people’s tweets was ‘honesty,’” Brogan said. “Be honest.” Brogan drew lots of laughter from ASRW attendees as he shared a number of his own suggestions: • Go digital in your shop waiting area, offering wireless Internet service and maybe even an iPod for customers to use. “People aren’t going to walk away with them; you have their car,” Brogan joked. • Think of social media in a similar way — as an extension of the customer’s experience with your shop. Twitter and Facebook offer a way for a customer to maintain a relationship with you when their vehicle isn’t in your shop, Brogan said. “You want people to think of you before they’ve had their accident or they need your service,” he said. “You want to be top of mind and back of the head. It’s a really weird spot. It’s right about where people start going bald first.” • Keep it light and personable. Social media are about conversations, not just advertising, Brogan said. Comment and respond, don’t just post your own content. Send your emails from a person’s name at your shop, not just “info@” or “sales@”. Use a photo rather than your logo as the icon on your Facebook or Twitter accounts, Continued on page 14 by John Yoswick Orlando, Fla.—A new location and new features such as a symposium for multishop operators (MSOs) helped organizers of the 2011 International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) and Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS) attract about 2,000 more people than last year’s event did. “Coming into this year, we said if even one more person showed up this year than last year, it would be a success,” said Ron Pyle, executive director of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), which holds the two events together under the Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) label. “But we went beyond that significantly.” After seven years in Las Vegas, ASRW organizers have returned to a rotation of cities hosting the event, including Orlando this year and New Orleans next October. Pyle said attendance was up about 15 percent this year over last, putting it well above 18,000 people. The four-day event included almost 90 training sessions as well as a trade show that continued to demonstrate the ongoing impact of the economy and growth of other sales avenues; about 240 companies (30 fewer than last year) filled a combined 50,000 square feet of booth space (compared to 90,000 square feet in 2009). But Pyle said the return to moving the show to locations other than Vegas clearly paid off, with a significantly larger percentage of the attendees from the Southeast region of the country, and with 40 percent of those who pre-registered indicating they had not attended the event in the past. Making social media work Social media was a common topic at this year’s ASRW, including a keynote address by Chris Brogan, a business marketing consultant, speaker, and writer. Brogan said that just prior to his ASRW address, he sent out a tweet to the several Mitchell 1 SocialCRM creates the magnetic pull your shop needs to keep your current customers and attract new ones. Through a finely calibrated combination of verified ed consumer reviews, social media management, and proven follow-up communication programs, SocialCRM is the comprehensive and high-performance rmance toolkit your shop needs to energize your business for success. 800.410.0529 www.m1socialcrm.comom ©2011 Mitchell Repair Information Company.The Mitchell 1 name is used herein by permission from Mitchell International, which h has no ownership interest in Mitchell 1. Parts & People November 2011 Page 13
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LKQ of Washington invests $2.5 million in recycling ... - Parts & People

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