inside - Automotive Body Parts Association

V O L U M E X X X I - N U M B E R 11 0 3 • M AY- J U N E , 2 0 11
O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E A U T O M O T I V E B O D Y PA R T S A S S O C I AT I O N
ABPA rewards
excellence 4
This & That
from Tampa 8
Rounding out the leadership picture are Eric Taylor of
Richmond/Tidewater Bumper, Richmond, Va., who is now
the national secretary, and Jim Smith of JSC Consulting,
Johnstown, Oh., who remains as national treasurer.
The five officers form the Executive Committee of the
Association and, in essence, Smith is the only returning
member of that committee who retains the same position.
Last year, Morrissey
was on that Committee as national secretary and Scheid was
on the committee as ABPA vice
president.
Scheid, a Michigan native born in St. Clair Shores,
studied at Eastern Michigan
University, and was first introduced to the crash parts replacement industry in the 80s when
he and his brother-in-law Ron
Schuman operated first Innovative Designs and then Auto Tech
Plastics.
Nick Scheid
When the opportunity
arose for Scheid to become even
more immersed in the business as the North American representative of Auto Parts Industrial, he grabbed the chance.
He has been AP’s North American presence since August, 2002. In this position he has traveled extensively
throughout North America calling on as many as 100 different distributor operations and/or locations on any given year.
He has also traveled back and forth to Taiwan at least
two to three times a year meeting with his employer directly.
Cornerstone Auto Parts is their marketing and customer service operation located in Irving, Tx., and Nick also works
with Laurie Chen on customer relations.
Scheid has actively served on the Collision Industry
Conference (CIC) parts committee and also the estimating
committee. He is also currently finishing his second three
year term on the CAPA Technology Committee.
Nick spends several weeks a year working closely with
Intertek in Grand Rapids, Mi., as the eyes-on official for AP
when it comes to the CAPA vehicle test fit witness program
for AP sheet metal and its Procom plastics division.
Dan Morrissey last September joined the staff of
PartsChannel as the new vice president of operations for the
Continued on Page 2
1510 Eldridge
Eldridge Parkway
Parkway
1510
Suite 110-168
110-168
Suite
Hous TX 77077
Houston,
Scary stage
moment 2
TAMPA, FL--Nicholas Scheid of AP/Cornerstone and
Dan Morrissey of PartsChannel have been elected by their
fellow board members to the two top spots in ABPA.
Scheid will serve as president for the next year, replacing Dolores Richardson of AtPac Auto Parts, Montreal,
who left the Board after three successive terms of office.
During that time, she was also president of the Association for five successive years.
Morrissey will move in as the Chairman of the Board
replacing the long-tenured Charlie Hogarty who continues
to remain a member until his current term of office expires
in 2013.
Each of the two top officers will be eligible, again in
2012, to serve for a second term if the Board then concurs
but unlike the past, they will not
be in office as nearly permanent
fixtures.
ABPA has had a history
of keeping their chairman and
president in those respective positions for multiple years but in
2009, the Board voted to limit
a top term to two successive
years.
As chairman, Morrissey
will set the schedule--time and
place--for the semi-annual meetings and will oversee the setting
and implementation of all policy
Dan Morrissey
making decisions.
As president, Scheid presides over the annual meeting of the Association, is the primary officer conduit in business between a member company and the Association and also serves as a member of
the Convention Committee.
Both are members of the Publications Committee,
along with the vice president. That position will now be
held by Kim Hicks of Micro Rim/Micro Platers in Highland Park, Mi..
CC HH AA NN GG EE SA EDRDVRIECSE S RRE EQQUUE ES ST TE EDD
INSIDE
Board votes Dan Morrissey, Nick Scheid into top two positions
A SPEECH
NOT
COMPLETED
Insurance exec hits rough physical patch delivering pitch
TAMPA. FL--Shawn Renzo of
Farmers Insurance was only into his
initial stages of his speech to ABPA
when he stopped and literally dropped.
For the first time at an ABPA meeting in 31 years, a presenter was literally
felled in his tracks, overtaken by a yet
still undiagnosed malady.
Renzo on Friday morning, April
29, was covering some of the history
which characterized the relationship
of the insurance industry and independently produced aftermarket parts
when he halted in mid-sentence.
To some, it appeared as if he were
searching for just the right words.
But after a few seconds--which
seemed to some an eternity--and to
Top two spots
(Continued from Page 1)
Eastern Division.
Based out of Baltimore, Md., he
oversee operations at all PartsChannel’s East Coast facilities including
Baltimore, MD; Buffalo, NY; Bronx,
NY; Pittsburgh, PA; and Columbus,
OH.
Morrissey, a native Chicagoan, has
a background which spans 34 years at
Keystone Automotive. He worked his
way up through the company as a delivery driver and then route salesman
when he accepted an assignment to
Lithicum, Md.
His career track led him to the
position of general manager, regional
manager and most recently as eastern
division vice president.
He left the company in 2008 to
pursue his master’s degree in finance
from Johns Hopkins University which
he earned in 2009. He also holds a
bachelor’s degree in business management from Johns Hopkins.
Morrissey also serves as a board
member of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA)
and also serves on the Quality Parts
Coalition (QPC) board where he has
represents ABPA at various D.C.-based
meetings.
He can now be reached best via
e-mail at: danm@partschannel.com.
Scheid can be contacted via e-mail at:
nick@autostone.com ❑
others closest to the stage, they saw he
was literally in trouble. In fact, Charlie
Hogarty said exactly that and another
individual, David Gneiser of Fond duLac Bumper, moved towards the stage.
A couple of other members including Danny Morrissey and Gary Suchan
also bolted on to the stage to catch Renzo before he could fall and hurt himself.
They gently
had
him
lay
down and
assessed
the situation. Jim
Sonaglia,
trained
in
CPR,
ventured
up to the
front and
told Stan
Rodman,
Shawn Renzo
who was
initially in
the back of the meeting room, that as
Shawn reported not feeling any pain in
his chest or tingle in his right arm, that
this was not a heart attack.
Sonaglia said that Renzo should
best be left lying down until the medics arrived. But, the Hyatt which called
911 was chagrined that it took EMS
nearly a half hour to arrive at the hotel.
And even before then Renzo was
coherent, feeling better and with assistance, back on his feet and moving out
the door.
Kudos to Jim Smith of the ABPA
board, responsible for Renzo’s appearance, who remained with the insurance
exec when he was taken to a local hospital, St. Joseph, for a thorough checkup and evaluation.
Reporting to the audience on Saturday morning because he was fielding
so many questions individually, Smith
said that after a battery of tests, the
doctors could find nothing wrong with
Renzo and he had already flown home
to northern Ohio.
Renzo thanked ABPA for its kindness.
Later, after getting back to his office, Smith sent out the following e-
mail to the Board and staff:
“All, Shawn wanted me to pass
along to the board of ABPA his many
thanks for all of the concern and help
he received with his untimely blackout
at the convention.
“Shawn made it home safely, took
it easy all weekend and then went to his
regular doctor for a complete checkup.
The doctor reviewed all the tests completed by St. Joseph’s and did some additional testing as well.
“While there are a few more tests
to be completed, the doctor has ruled
out almost all serious causes to the
blackout. At this point he feels the
blackout likely was caused by a severe
migraine headache. Shawn was surprised to find out that both his sister
and brother have had migraines that
have resulted in similar blackouts.
“Additional possibilities could be
Shawn’s system was fighting off an infection of some type or dehydration.
“For the time being Shawn is allowed to resume all normal activities.
“Shawn also wanted to pass along
that he feels badly that he was unable to
complete his speech and, in particular,
he was anxious to provide information
and support for the various NSF certification programs as a great addition
to the industry and the existing CAPA
certification programs.
“He offered that if anyone wanted additional information on this or
any other questions they may have, to
please feel free to contact him. I would
suggest that we give Shawn a few days
to both recover and catch up before
contacting him.
“I am sending this e-mail to folks
on the ABPA board and those associ(Continued on Page 14)
Body Language
The Body Language, ISSN 15268918, is an official publication of the
Automotive Body Parts Ass’n, 1510
Eldridge Pkwy, Suite 110-168, Houston, Tx., 77077. Phone (800) 323-5832;
(281) 531-0809; or Fax ABPA at (281)
531-9411. E-mail address is: srodman1@sbcglobal.net Website: www.
autobpa.com
Stanley A. Rodman, Executive Director of ABPA; Editor/Publisher of
association publications.
Body Language 2
r8.oem.01.pdf
8/10/09
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HONORING INDUSTRY LEADERS
Mike Dolabi walks away with Al Cicioni Fellowship Award
TAMPA, FL--ABPA honored six
individuals and/or companies at its
Award Lunch on Saturday, April 30,
chief among them Mike Dolabi of National Autobody Parts Warehouse in
Grand Prairie, Tx.
Dolabi carried away the Association’s highest annual honor--the Al Mike Dolabi with
Cicioni Fellowship the Cicioni Award
Award.
The
wording
reads,
“Bestowed
upon that one member of ABPA who
has best exemplified
the spirit of Association and Camaraderie among his
peers during the past
year.”
Now, a twice
elected member of
the Board, Dolabi
has worked tirelessly in getting his
supplier companies to join ABPA but in
also expanding the message of the Association to his key personnel.
Also individually honored were
Mark Shin of Telemark Software in
LaJolla, Ca., who presented with the
Chairman’s Award by Charlie Hogarty.
That wording reads, “Selected as
the Outstanding Individual on or with
the ABPA Board of Directors who in
the past year,
by word and deed, personified the
meaning of leadership.”
Shin maintains the Partslink program for ABPA and has during the past
three years expanded not only the database but also the ease with which subscribers can access and work with the
program.
Password protected, the program
has 24/7 availability to all subscribers
via a special website, www.partslink.
org and also through a link on the association’s main website, www.autobpa.
com, both of which he re-designed in
the past year.
Two separate industry awards were
bestowed upon Bob Frayer of NSF International, Ann Arbor, Mi., and Rob
Wagman of the LKQ Corporation, Chicago.
The wording on these awards reads,
“In Recognition of Outstanding Effort
and Contribution towards the growth
development and/or protection of the
collision parts replacement industry in
the past year on behalf of ABPA and its
membership.”
Frayer, director of NSF’s Automotive Aftermarket
Parts Certification
Program
and Engineering
Laboratories, has
been the driving force behind
the new industry
certification program.
NSF
International,
a
15-year leader
within the automotive industry,
launched
the
NSF Automo-
tion due to other business engagements,
ABPA Exec Stan Rodman choose to
present this award to Kirk Hansen, a
member of the NSF staff.
Rob Wagman, who only recently
was promoted to the position of co-CEO
of the industry’s largest entity, has been
a staunch supporter of not only ABPA
and its objectives but also the Quality
Parts Coalition.
He and his company have taken a
pro-active support of an agenda which
encompasses legal, legislative and public relations issues and entails the expenditure of millions of dollars each
year to help protect the industry.
The LKQ Corporation, which includes its Keystone aftermarket parts
division, consistently contests much of
that which has been designed by opponents of independently produced collision parts to inhibit the industry’s ability to compete in the marketplace.
With his blessing, the LKQ Corporate Government
Affairs
tive Aftermarket
Division, headParts Certificaquartered in Ft.
tion
Program
Lauderdale, Fl.,
in 2010 to help
and under the
ensure that auto
direction of Eiaftermarket parts
leen Sottile, co(e.g. steel bumordinates much
pers, step bumof its approach
pers,
brackets,
on issues imreinforcement
pacting the afbars and absorbtermarket with
ers) meet rigid
ABPA. Sottile
quality,
safety
serves as the coand performance
chair of ABPA’s
standards.
Government AfFrayer and
fairs Commitother NSF engi- NSF International President and CEO Kevan tee and in past
neers indepen- P. Lawlor (left) congratulates NSF Director Bob years, she too
dently evaluate Frayer on receiving the Industry Award from has been honand compare af- the Automotive Body Parts Association.
ored by ABPA.
termarket auto
An Award of
parts to original equipment (OE) ser- Appreciation was bestowed upon Jim
vice parts to ensure the highest level of Smith of JSC Group, LLC, an Ohioperformance in terms of form, fit and based independent consultant to the infunction.
dustry for the work he has been doing
NSF also requires an on-site in- as head of the Distributor Certification
spection of the manufacturer’s quality program.
system to verify that the company has a
The wording on the award reads,
traceability program, complaint process “In recognition of dedicated service to
and an in-plant quality assurance sys- the Automotive Body Parts Association
tem in place.
and its members during the past year.”
(Continued on Page 6)
Because Frayer left the conven-
Body Language 4
Automotive Aftermarket
In Automotive Aftermarket Parts
NSF Certified is the Mark of...
Performance
Quality
Fit
Safety
Buy with confidence from a dedicated market partner.
Insist on NSF Certified Parts
NSF International
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Tel: (USA) 800-NSF-MARK (800-673-6275)
www.nsfautomotive.com
HONORING INDUSTRY LEADERS
Richardson names Richmond/Tidewater Bumper as Presidential Award recipient
Jim Smith has worked tirelessly among his
committee members to cobble together they key 10
points which form the basis for the new distributor
certification program and
which was introduced for
the first time in Tampa.
Finally, the Presidential
Award, bestowed upon that
one company, “Selected as
the Outstanding Member
Company of ABPA which
in the past year has, by
word and action, enriched
the industry by contributing
to the Cause of the Membership,” was given to Norm Seay
and Eric Taylor of Richmond/Tidewater Bumper Service
in Richmond, VA.
The company for
years has labored quietly and effectively on
behalf of the industry
and has seen its two
key leaders assume positions on the ABPA
Board of Directors.
Additionally Taylor
in the past year worked
on the Distributor Cer-
tification Committee and he was only recently elected to serve as the Association’s
national secretary.
ABPA Executive Director Stan
Rodman, in bestowing the award, said,
“There are dozens of companies in the
industry and in the association which can
have their voices heard if they just take
the time and make the effort to step up and
vie for a leadership role. Over the years,
Richmond/Tidewater personifies that type
of company which, while considered a regional entity, cared to make a difference.
Today, we recognize their cumulative effort.”
About this particular honor, Rodman also announced
that in the future it will be known as the Don Gorman Presidential Award.
At which point Chairman Hogarty, standing close to the microphone, intoned, “Hey,
don’t go naming any awards after me.” Rodman responded, “See us when you’re no longer around.” ❑
At far left, Eric Taylor was not only the longest
driver on Thursday, but Richmond/Tidewater
Bumper was named tops in ABPA on Saturday; Top center, Jim Smith picks up his award
while at left Charlie Hogarty presents Mark
Shin the Chairman’s Award.
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THIS & THAT
IN
TAMPA
Convention opens on emotional note with video tribute to Don Gorman
For the first time in convention
history--and that extends to more than 30 years--ABPA opened up its first
general session with a moving tribute to the late Don
Gorman. Gorman, a
founder of the Association, and a longtime
Board member who
consistently held both
key leadership positions--president
and
chairman of the board-died on March 24th.
From that time until
two weeks before the
late April convention,
the staff as well as his
family collected several dozen pictures of
Don over the years.
The tribute--which is
now on the website
( w w. a u t o b p a . c o m )
was produced by David Meyers, husband
of Arlene who is a part
of the professional accounting staff in Schaumburg, IL.
. .The five minute tribute brought forth more than its fair
share of handkerchiefs, not the least of which belonged
to Vicki Gorman. She was in the audience, accompanied by her daughter Jan and Jan’s significant other, Al
Zucker, formerly a longtime sales associate of the LKQ
staff. Reports President Dolores Richardson, “Watching that tribute made me think just how many solid
friendships have been formed over the years through
ABPA.”. . .Rob Wagman made his first public appearance since being named as the co-CEO of LKQ Corpo-
ration several months ago. He initially told ABPA Exec
Stan Rodman at the opening welcoming reception, “I
am not here to buy any one; you can make that announcement. And I sure don’t want to come to the stage
for any reason.” For Rodman, that presented
a quandary as he had an award for Wagman
and knowing he was scheduled to leave the
convention early, he had to call out his name,
pointing him out in the audience. The Award
was delivered to his seat (see story, page 2).
. . .Five guys were running for three positions
and so it is always a tough call when two worthy individuals do not meet with success during the election process. Vice President Nick
Scheid oversaw the voting and he has become a master at asking for nominations from
the floor--a procedure which by Roberts Rules
has to be called three times, after each he
has to thump the gavel to designate that nominations are thereby closed. After dispensing
with the formalities, nominated for a three
year term were incumbents Jackson Kwok
and Danny Morrissey as well
as newcomers Bob Petty,
Chris Northup and Mike Koren. Kwok, Morrissey and
Petty gained the most votes.
Petty is sort of an old new guy.
He served on the board for
three successive terms from
the late 90s until the mid2000s. Then he sat out more
than his required year and
when asked again to consider
running, he accepted the
nomination. The former national treasurer came away
from the new Board meeting
unscathed. He was free of
any official position after the
Board nominated and elected
its officers at a special Saturday morning, April 30, session. . .Taking over for Charlie
Hogarty as the chairman of
the association is Danny Morrissey. He is now a member
of the PartsChannel staff. In
(Continued on Page 10)
Top, Vicki Gorman gets supportive kiss from daughter Jan
Gorman after video was shown;
Above, Bob Petty asks for votes
during Friday morning’s session;
At left, LKQ’s Rob Wagman enjoys a moment with Insignia’s
Leo Schigiel (right) during opening reception.
Body Language 8
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THIS & THAT
(Continued from Page 8)
the top spot as president is AP/Cornerstone’s Nick
Scheid who after more than four years as vice president, was rewarded by being moved up. Note, ABPA
does not have a leadership ladder so members gaining
the top spots do it all on merit. Winning the vice presidency was Kim Hicks of Detroit-area based Micro Rim
and Micro Plating. Moving in to fill Morrissey’s old spot
as national secretary is Eric Taylor of Richmond/Tidewater Bumper Service. Rounding out
the top five officers
is Jim Smith of JSC
Consulting who remains as the national treasurer. .
.Steve
Wiggins
came to Tampa to
play--both golf and
the piano. At the
first he is a pretender; at the second, he is a master.
His piano
playing has for
several years now
been sponsored by
Gordon Auto Body
Parts
Company.
Unfortunately, Wiggins carried off the
Westchase
Golf
Course more than
the frustrations of a
long day but also a
bit of a bug, nearly laid low by what he claims was one
too many hot dogs and that third beer. The on course
food was provided courtesy of Gene Barinholtz, partner
in the accounting firm of Kutchins, Robbins, Diamond,
CPAs. The Gene’s Green continues a tradition which
Barinholtz inherited more than 8 years ago when Bob
Crane left the industry taking with him the Bob’s Bucks.
Anyway, unbeknownst to playing partner Stan Rodman, Wiggins left the
course feeling really lousy Thursday
afternoon. That evening, he was only
able to play one set before retiring to
his room. Finally, by Friday evening
he was good enough to go and teaming up, quite unexpectedly with an old
band mate, Rick Robinson who
proved a master guitarist. These
guys have not seen one another for
more than two decades, at least. But,
they did not lose a beat and their music wowed the beach party crowd at the Tong Yang
sponsored main event. Said Wiggins, “It was great that
Rick was able to step up on such short notice. He’s an
over the road truck driver who happened to be in the
area this weekend. Wiggins then added, “I don’t think
IN
TAMPA
I’m going to overeat on the golf course anytime soon”. .
.No one will have that chance next year because the
Convention Committee has decided to skip the tournament altogether. Although the Westchase tourney drew
the most number of players in years--31--the committee
members want everyone to have the opportunity to see
as much of Vancouver, B.C., as possible (see story,
page 4). . .Thanks to the work of
Mark Shin who developed a name
tag making program and refined it
in time for Tampa, the gals at registration desk were no longer struggling with making badges for last
minutes registrants. Arlene Meyers of the KRD accounting staff fell
in love with the program and wanted to make more badges. This is
the umpteenth year that Arlene celebrated her birthday--April 30--at
the convention. At the Friday night
Beach Party, the staff delivered her
a chocolate cake and everyone
who could hold a tune sang Happy
Birthday to her. As for the name
badges, she’ll have to wait until next year. . .But she
counted herself lucky to be even at the hotel. Seems a
group of seven early-birds, led by VP Nick Scheid, ventured out on
Tuesday
night to the
Hard Rock
Cafe. Easy
to find. What
was not easy
to find, at
least for driver Mike Dolabi, was the
hotel coming
back.
The
passengers
kept saying,
“We can see the hotel.” They just couldn’t reach it.
Seems the highway system in and around the Grand
Hyatt Tampa Bay has been totally changed and GPS
units have yet to catch up. A trip which should have
taken 15 minutes was extended to a half an hour. . .A
Mike Dolabi-led fishing party never got launched. Seven foot waves caused the Coast Guard to issue small
craft warnings on Thursday, April 28. So the erstwhile
seamen joined the golf tourney at the last minutes. Fortunately, the pros at Westchase were able to accommodate the additional two flights--eight players. . .Not
(Continued on Page 12)
Top left, Piano player Steve Wiggins recovered from stomach
distress to play at the beach party; Far left, Gene Barinholtz is
a popular guy on the course, providing the lunches; Top right,
Arlene Meyers celebrates her birthday on Friday night with a
partial chocolate cake; Above right, Nick Scheid (left) catches
a few winks after a hard day on the course while Jeff Schroder
bemusedly looks on.
Body Language 10
THIS & THAT
(Continued from Page 10)
once, not twice but three times during the course of the
ABPA event, the main chefs came out to say hello and
to ask how the food was. It was terrific. And this was
the first time ever that the staff had been visited by the
hotel chefs and asked if the food were all right. . .On
both Friday night and all day Saturday, the Hyatt was
filled with Indians--not from the American continent--as
there was a large and ornate wedding being held over
the two days. Some who guesstimate these type things
said the affair--given the number of people and the extensive array of food and music--had to cost more than
$200,000. Saturday late morning, the groom rode up on
a horse and some of the audience at the Saturday
Awards lunch, were able to look out the picture window
which extends the length of the 2nd floor meeting to the
hall below, gawking at the sights and sounds of the
wedding. Emcee Stan Rodman announced that this
was the entertainment for the luncheon. . .Actually, in
lieu of a comedian which is normal fare, the lunch featured the keyboard artistry of Steve Wiggins, heretofore
sick but now healthy. But, to add some humor, Rodman
invited Abby Taylor to come up to the podium to tell a
fifth grade joke. Fifth grade jokes are always fun if only
understandable by other fifth graders. Abby hauls her
company with her all the time; she is one half the twin
duo made up of brother Cameron. . .Dave Oser, Kim
Hick’s husband, has been for the last two years plus a
businessman in the Tampa-Clearwater area. He and
his partners operate Pet Supplies Plus on Park Blvd.
and their 10,000 square foot store contains all of the
necessities to make any animal lover a very happy
camper. At the back of the store is a special grooming
section, a portion of which includes the equivalent of a
car wash drive-through. Only this is for pets and the
two stalls can accommodate pooches of any size. Even
given that first class treatment, the dogs we saw didn’t
seem to like the treatment. . .A group from ABPA including Gary Suchan plus Stan and Myrna Rodman visited
the store on Sunday afternoon, met the staff--more than
a dozen people--and enjoyed seeing the inter-play between a couple of free-wheeling birds and their handlers. The birds are not caged because their wings are
IN
TAMPA
clipped so they cannot-in theory--fly away. Reports Oser, who has
worked in the automotive field in Detroit for
many years, “This is a
real kick. The partners
are about to open their
second location in the
Clearwater area. . .Back
to the golf tournament.
At an ABPA event, there
are always unexpected
winners.
That’s because while the good
golfers may hog the skill
competition
events-closest to the pin, lon-
gest drive, longest
putt--it is simply a
luck of the draw which
brings forth the winning team in the
scramble.
ABPA
uses what is termed
the Cranology Method for scoring. The
system was introduced by Bob Crane
of the former Pittsburgh-based Universal Radiator Company before it went kaput. Golfers can
play with whomever they want because there is no requirement that each flight (four players ) have an A, B,
C and D handicap golfer. That’s because when the
teams come in, and at the end of the scramble, individual players take the score of the team. Then, the tournament chairman, Gary Suchan, and his key scorekeeper, Gene Barinholtz, take the cards from the top
scoring flights--as many as necessary to make up totally new flights--and those cards are turned face down.
To those new captain’s cards, another three cards are
also randomly placed resulting in eight entirely new
flights. Then the four new cards are totaled against par.
Thus, a minus 8, minus 5, a zero (par) and a plus 2
would equal -11. All the teams are totaled until a winning score is evident. This system has brought forth a
number of winners who have never won anything on a
golf course and probably never will except through
(Continued on Page 14)
At left, Myrna Rodman found new bud at the beach party in 11
year old Abby Taylor; Top, some ABPA members visited Dave
Oser’s pet supply store and met Rainy, a 9 month old Orange
Wing Amazon who is very selective in choosing friends; Top
right, that’s Dolores Richardson and Oser at Westchase Golf
Club, chasing different kind of birdies.
Body Language 12
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• Fit and performance tested prior to market release.
LAMPS
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THIS & THAT
(Continued from Page 12)
ABPA. But, hey, it’s worth a $50.00 pro shop gift certificate and the real fun comes out on the course where
buddies can play with buddies. Throw in the practically
unlimited drinks, the putting competition--worth another
$50.00--unlimited range balls and the free lunch, and an
ABPA tournament represents a terrific value. This was
the 28th Invitational Tournament and the scramble winners were Silla’s John Lee, Key Parts Tom Foster,
AtPac’s Gary Suchan and Kool Vue’s Shannon Chester.
The biggest winner of the day, however, was industry
consultant Jim Smith who touched the Committee for
$100.00 in gift certificates. Smith won the closest to the
pin competition on the coursed as well as the putting
competition. Actually, there were six golfers who scored
an 8 on the four hole putting course but as most didn’t
want to bother going back out on the green for the putt
off. So, the Committee took a deck of cards and let the
low scorers draw for the certificate. Smith won. Others
walking away with gift certificates included Doug ’Moose’
Fekete for the shortest drive, Scott Edward, longest
putt, and Eric Taylor for the longest drive. Listen to Taylor explain that hole: Scott Edwards hit first and crushed
the ball, it went way past the sign-board and I actually
said to him walking up to the tee that I really would have
loved to take a shot at this, but I think that is a mute point
after that monster! So when my ball took off, it landed
slightly to the right of his by 18” 2-feet max and within 8
to 10 feet in front of his. When we walked up to the balls
I said what are you hitting? and he said Pinnacle Gold
#3 and I said, “Oh no, me too!” But, Jim Sonaglia and
Scott said they were pretty sure mine was on the right.
So I said it’s up to you guys? and they said it’s yours.
The more important thing was the birdie we got out of
the hole which for this foursome was somewhat elusive
that day. But more importantly we had a great day with
good people!”. . .And that, ladies and gentlemen, in
Scott Edwards, talking with golfing mate Jim Sonaglia (right),
proved a good sport in the long
drive competition and wound up
a $50 winner anyway in the blind
scramble.
IN
TAMPA
short, has been what an ABPA tournament has always
been about. . .It is also what the annual convention, regardless of the location, has been all about. ❑
Regular attendees at an ABPA convention are Stephane
Murray of BMC in Montreal and company employee Chantal
Blanchette seen here at the beach party.
Renzo returns home to clean bill of health
(Continued from Page 2)
ated with it. Please feel free to disseminate this information
to others who attended the convention.”
In the meantime, ABPA exec Stan Rodman has spoken to
both Paul Joseph of the Hyatt as well as Shawn.
Joseph, the general manager, called to say how angry the
hotel was at the response time of the EMS unit. They have
complained to the office of the Mayor of Tampa as well as to
the fire chief, stating that the response time was totally unacceptable.
Renzo in the meantime, said he
was sorry that he did not complete his presentation. He told Rodman that his was
an uplifting message--a sort of pep talk--in
which he felt the parts industry was on the
right track in upping the ante for a more
professional approach to not only product
but distributor qualification through the
avenue of certification.
He was going to say that these
type efforts in the field would make the
products and the purveyors that much better accepted and that the elements of competition would be greatly enhanced for not
only the insurance industry, but also body
shops as well as the motoring public.
Rodman joked, “Hey, maybe this
is a message you will want to complete in
Vancouver next year; would you be interested?”
Said Renzo, “You bet.” ❑
Body Language 14
WORDS
FROM A SHOP OWNER
Sulkala says there’s greater benefit in working together
TAMPA--Placed in the unenviable
position of being the second speaker on
Friday morning’s program, Chuck Sulkala intoned, “I better be able to finish
this speech.”
He added, “Because if I fall,
there’s no way Stan Rodman can lift
me.”
While Sulkala was jokingly making fun of his heft,
the Boston body
shop owner who
comes from a long
line of entrepreneurs, is a heavyweight in his segment of the auto
repair industry.
Sulkala wears
several hats, not
the least of which
is as Executive Director of the National Auto Body Chuck Sulkala
Council (NABC),
an
organization
dedicated to improving the image
of the body shops throughout North
America.
But on this particular day, he was
appearing at an ABPA convention after
more than a 10 year hiatus as one who
could speak on the trends of tomorrow
as they will impact the independent
parts replacement industry.
From that standpoint, Sulkala was
a font of knowledge, stating that the
body shop scene is changing at a far
greater rate than anyone wants to acknowledge.
Said Sulkala, “I am second generation in a 60 plus year old family
business. I have been in the industry
42 years. Guess what? My son is not
continuing the string.”
In fact, the younger Sulkala works
not in his family’s shop but for an insurance company back in Chicago.
Said Sulkala, “That is where he
felt the greatest opportunity existed
and he went for it. With my blessing, I
might add.”
He then told the ABPA audience,
“I am your customer and I also see
some of the issues that you are faced
with in dealing with some of my colleagues.
“Times are very tough for all of us
and with my business having dropped
over 50 percent during the past five
years, I clearly understand that my
squeeze is also back at you. Sorry, but
that is the way things go.
“But one thing that is troubling
for both you and me is that I understand there are a lot of parts being returned, and while in some cases there
may be valid reasons, I also understand that there is a practice
of a shop ordering the parts just
to get the invoice so they can
show they tried the parts, only to
return them unopened.
“Now while there are occasions where a vehicle may be
totaled and the parts are in fact
returned , I understand the desire
to simply get an invoice does exist.
“You can do all of us a favor,
and I know this is a lot to ask, but
stop selling to them. They are
not your friend and they are not
my friend nor are they friends to
the insurer or the consumer.
“They will lie and cheat you, the
insurer, the consumer and basically
bring down the rest of my segment of
the industry. None of us need them and
life would be better without them.”
Sulkala, who has been one of the
shop owners who has traveled to Taiwan to visit with the manufacturers on
their home turf, a trip in part paid by
ABPA in the mid-90s, said that as the
economy continues to chug along at
practically non-existent growth, shops
and parts supply will take on added
meaning for the public.
He was of the opinion that an aging vehicle population will present its
own challenges because many people
are not buying newer vehicles but
keeping the older ones.
On the one hand, there will be a
decrease in repairable vehicle parts because of the average age of the vehicle
on the road is getting older.
Said Sulkala, “Try finding parts
for these cars. Sometimes just locating
parts for these older vehicles becomes
a lesson in persistence. And this type
scavenger hunt adds immeasurably to
the bottom line cost of the job. Here is
one area where we really do need your
services.”
Add to that scenario the new one
which is evolving from concerns that
with the problems in Japan--the result
of the tsunami--that some supplies for
repair parts here may well be affected.
This would include cutbacks on
some new vehicle production and that
will also impact body shops, “Because
the fact is, we fix new vehicles not old
ones.”
He observed that people who get
into accidents with older vehicle will
not usually put the money back in to
fixing the vehicle if it is still drivable.
He added, “If it is not drivable then
it is more than likely totaled anyway, so
for us it is a catch 22 situation.”
The body shop leader chose this
opportunity to thank some within the
parts industry for their support of the
recycled rides program. This is where
a team from different segments of the
industries represented by NABC cooperates to rebuild vehicles and donate
them to deserving families.
He counseled that more distributors should look into this program as a
means of helping the community and
enhancing their public image.
Stating that he was like fine wine
which mellows with age, Sulkily felt
that the once great divide which characterized the relationship between the
independent parts suppliers and their
body shop customers has been softened
with time.
“We recognize that you are producing a better quality part and we applaud your efforts in this arena. And
we know that we have our own problems within our own house.
“But no problem is so great or
so high that we cannot solve it in the
marketplace with a good faith effort to
understand one another’s viewpoint,
to have respect for that position and to
honestly discuss our differences.
Added Sulkala, “Like it or not,
we are your customers and you are
our suppliers. Within the context of
that on-going relationship, there really
should be no room for abusive behavior and denigrating language.
“That accomplishes little and adds
nothing to the mission which we jointly share and that is to give the greatest
value in collision repair to the American public.” ❑
Body Language 16
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PICTORIAL REVIEW
OF
TAMPA
Top, left to right, Jack Grundfast, Tom Foster and Bob Vickers at opening reception;
At right, Lesa Taylor; Below, Marie Hogarty and Myrna Rodman at registration desk;
Below right, Dr. Janet Kerrigan, (left) spouse of Greg Mokler, with Dave Oser and his
wife Kim Hicks at Tong Yang sponsored beach party.
Trading Texas for Florida for a few days, Mike Dolabi (2nd left) and his National Autobody Parts Warehouse boys were all smiles
at the beach party. Left is Mike Chiu and 2nd right Joel Gardner. At right is Reid Whitesel.
Body Language 18
PICTORIAL REVIEW
OF
TAMPA
Above, Collins Collision Products Greg Mokler (left) and Bob Petty at general session; Top
right, Tong Yang’s Jeff Chen with Transtar’s Bill Ruffini; at beach party; Below, Canadians
Lou Grenci (left) and Sal Polletta hook up with Miami and Reach’s David Duprat, right.
At right, for
the second
consecutive
year, Richard
Marencin of
Georgia-based
Bumpers
Plus led the
special bumper
seminar, along
with Urethane
Supply’s Keith
Lammon,
which attracted
more than 50
participants at
a Friday afternoon session.
At left, enjoying the ambiance of the outdoors and
all the resort had to offer
during the opening cocktail
party were PartsChannel
CEO John Palumbo (left)
with members of the Houston-based KTJ Group. With
John are January Tsai, Chris
Wu and Jennifer Wu (right).
NOTE: PICTURES
FOR THIS ISSUE
GARY
SUCHAN, MIKE DOLABI AND
WAYNE JUCHNO. THE BODY LANGUAGE THANKS THEM.
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Body Language 20
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WEBSITE QUESTIONNAIRE
On the Tampa convention, committee wants answers for Vancouver, 2012
HOUSTON--ABPA is soliciting the opinion of people
who attended the 2011 Convention this past April in Tampa,
Fl.
To that end, the staff designed a six question feedback
form which was formatted for the website by Mark Shin.
It will take respondents less than three to five minutes to
fill out this form and the answers will help the Convention
Committee as it begins its plans for Vancouver, BC, in either
April or May, 2012.
The uncertainty as to the date is because the committee
has not selected a host hotel but there are several in the running. They have different sets of dates available as a first option for ABPA.
In early June, Executive Director Stan Rodman, accompanied by office manager Myrna Rodman, will hook up in
Vancouver with Dolores Richardson who remains the general
convention chairperson.
Meanwhile, those who were in Tampa can add immeasurably to the process of determining the type of programs and
activities which will take place at a location which has to be-somewhat as was Hawaii--considered a once in a lifetime spot.
Vancouver remains among the world’s most fascinating
and interesting cities and framed by the surrounding waters as
well as the stunning coast mountains, one of the more beautiful
in all of the North American continent, if not the world.
Please help us as we begin our plans to make the Vancouver, 2012, convention, a most outstanding one.
These are multiple choice questions with space to add
your own thoughts:
1) What are the reasons you go to an ABPA convention:
Program/Seminar
Business contacts
Trade show
Meet new people in the industry See old friends
Play golf
Socialize
See the host city
2) From a standpoint of scheduling and time at 2.5 days is the
convention:
Just right
Too long
Too short
3) From the standpoint of package pricing and considering that a registrant rarely has to touch their wallet while
the convention is in session, do you find the prices:
Fair and reasonable
Too high
Too low
Too restrictive
4) For years, an ABPA convention consists of open bars
at the major social events. Their cost is a part of the package pricing. Should this practice be:
Continued
Discontinued
5) When it comes to the program, ABPA generally looks
for its presenters and material from within the industry as
opposed to bringing in outside speakers. Do you favor
continuing this practice?
YES
NO
6) Depending upon the contractual obligation of ABPA
to the host hotel, food and beverage minimums must be
met. Sometimes, this precludes the Association from
conducting a Friday night outside activity. Past activities have included visits to a ranch (San Antonio), a ship
cruise and dinner (Montreal), a visit to the Country Music
Hall of Fame (Nashville) and a visit to famous race tracks
(Charlotte and Indy). At other venues, we stayed on the
hotel grounds (a luau in Waikiki, Hi, and a beach party in
Tampa on the bay). Which activity do you most prefer?
Friday night outside the hotel
Friday night at
the hotel
7) Optional: What suggestions do you have to make an
ABPA convention even more vital and important to you?
Individual can add their own thoughts on what they
would like to see.
For instance, the Convention Committee has already
determined it will not conduct the nearly annual invitational golf tournament in deference to family events and
sight-seeing in 2012 because of the locale. ❑
LEGISLATIVE FLASH
APRIL-MAY, 2011
Deficit), Washington (Budgets)
IN SESSION:
There are 27 states, and U.S. Congress
in Regular Session. There are three
states in Special Session.
CALL TO ACTION
The ABPA supports and continues to
help educate others about the Right to
Repair legislation in Massachusetts.
Here are some ways ABPA members,
their employees and customers can
help:
● Contact your legislator by letter, email or phone and ask for their
support
● Display the Right to Repair sign at
your locations
● Hand out Right to Repair pamphlets to your customers, ask them to
support and contact their legislator
● Invite your legislator to visit your
facility
In Regular Session: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa,
Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada,
New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
In Special Session: Alaska (Unfinished
Business/Budget), California (Budget
● Visit this website for more information: www.massrighttorepair.com
As always, it’s important to maintain existing relationships, cultivate
new ones, and help familiarize members of the legislature in your districts
with our industry issues--It helps to
have an established relationship for
more effective results.
FEDERAL
Repair Clause – Following its Coalition Meeting in late March, the Quality
Parts Coalition (QPC) has held multiple Hill meetings with positive feedback from legislative members, and is
making good progress on the re-intro(Continued on Page 24)
Body Language 22
LEGISLATIVE FLASH
(Continued from Page 22)
duction of a new bill. Eileen A. Sottile,
Executive Director of the QPC and CoChair of the ABPA Regulation and Legislation Committee, has also conducted
press interviews with Washington, DC
publications The Hill and the National
Journal.
ABPA members are encouraged to
review the coalition’s updated website,
Twitter and Facebook pages, visit and
sign the petition on the QPC Legislative
Action Center: www.keepautopartsaffordable.org
Right to Repair — The Motor Vehicle
Owners’ Right to Repair Act, HR 1449
–-sponsored by Rep. Edolphus Towns
(D-NY-Brooklyn), has been introduced
into the 112th Congress and referred
to the Subcommittee on Commerce,
Manufacturing and Trade. The bill also
has seven co-sponsors: Rep. Marcia L.
Fudge (D-OH), Rep. Jim Gerlach (RPA), Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Rep.
James P. Moran (D-VA), Rep. Todd
Russell Platts (R-PA), Rep. F. James
Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI), and Rep.
Glenn Thompson (R-PA).
The ABPA continues to support
this federal legislation along with state
legislation in Connecticut, New York,
Massachusetts, and Oregon.
The Right to Repair Coalition encourages aftermarket supporters to visit
its website www.righttorepair.org to
learn more about the issue and continue
their outreach to their elected officials
to help increase awareness in support of
this legislation.
STATES:
Connecticut (SB 160) – Although the
Right to Repair legislation was considered during public hearing before the
Joint Committee on General Law, the
bill was not reported and died in Committee as it did not meet the deadline to
be raised as a proposed bill.
Florida (HB 5005) – The Florida automotive repair industry activated grassroots in opposition to House Bill 5005,
which would have deregulated motor
vehicle repair facilities and eliminated
statutory requirements such as registration, estimates, and invoices. Although
the provision was successfully removed
from the bill, House Bill 5005 eventually died upon adjournment.
Massachusetts (HB 102 / SB 104) – On
April 27-28, 2011, the CEO’s of several
Right to Repair Coalition members
DeVry University to get ready for Zach attack
SCHAUMBURG,
IL--Zach
Meyers, whose mom Arlene works
for the ABPA accounting office here,
is about to save his parents a bundle
of college tuition money.
In late April, the Meyers family was notified that Zach
had been awarded a
Presidential Scholarship
for DeVry University.
The soon to be graduate of the Academy of
Math, Science & Technology in Bartlett High School,
Bartlett, IL., was initially one
of 10 finalists for the stipend
which carries a monetary value
of $32,500.
According to proud dad David Meyers, they were supposed to
award only two such scholarships,
but awarded three as there were three
equally deserving students.
Zach, who is a member of the
National Honor Society, graduated
high school on Saturday, May 28, and
begins his first term at DeVry in July.
He is on the “fast track” and will
graduate in less than three
years with a full Bachelor’s
Degree in Game & Simulation Programming.
Arlene is the chief
assistant to CPA Eugene
Barinholtz, a partner in
the firm of Kutchins,
Robbins & Diamond,
Ltd.
David Meyers is
the individual responsibility for creating the memorial tribute
to Don Gorman which was initially
played at the convention in Tampa
and was emotionally well received.
That video can now be seen on
the Association’s website: www.autobpa.com
participated in meetings with the Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of
the House in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Right to Repair Coalition is
organizing repairers, wholesalers, and
consumers in an active grassroots campaign to pass the Right to Repair legislation in Massachusetts.
The bills are expected to be scheduled for a public hearing before the
Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure on June
28, 2011.
ABPA is actively supporting this
bill; members are encouraged to contact
Massachusetts legislators to urge them
to support the Right to Repair legislation: www.massrighttorepair.com
Massachusetts (HB 1016) – House Bill
1016 appears to be intended to prevent
or delay the passage of the Right to Repair legislation. The bill would establish a commission to determine whether
repairers have the ability and means to
obtain necessary tools and information
to repair vehicles after the expiration of
any warranty.
The majority of the appointees to
the commission would represent the
car companies and dealers as opposed
to only two appointees who would
represent the aftermarket. The bill is
expected to be scheduled for a public
hearing before the Joint Committee on
Consumer Protection and Professional
Licensure on June 28, 2011.
North Carolina (SB 490) – On April 27,
2011, the Senate Insurance Committee
considered Senate Bill 490 and referred
the bill to a Subcommittee for further
study.
The bill defines “Crash Repair
Parts” and requires written disclosure
that non-OEM parts are required to be
at least equivalent in terms of fit, quality, performance and warranty to the
OEM parts they are replacing.
New York (AB 5467) – The Assembly
version of the Right to Repair legislation in New York has been withdrawn
as the language was stricken on April
20, 2011.
The Senate version, Senate Bill
129, remains active. The bill is sponsored by Senator Jose Peralta and has
been referred to the Senate Consumer
Protection. ❑
Body Language 24
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THE BEST
OF
INSUREDS ARE SHOPPING: Consumers shopped
and switched auto insurers more aggressively in 2010
than they have for 14 years, according to preliminary
survey findings from McKinsey & Co. The survey analysis authors told Auto Insurance Report that the percentage of consumers who got a quote from another insurer
was up 23 percent last year, and the percentage of
those who actually changed to another insurer was up
56 percent. Only 48 percent of consumers have been
with the same insurer for six or more years, down from
53 percent in 2008.
●
● DRIVERS PUTTING ON BRAKES: There’s more evidence that higher gas prices (now averaging $3.98 per
gallon) are halting the post-recession rebound in driving
(CRASH 4/25/11): MasterCard SpendingPulse, which
tracks gas purchases at hundreds of U.S. locations, reported last week that the 4-week average of retail gas
demand dropped for the sixth consecutive time. “So
we’re potentially in for a pretty significant impact as we
get to early summer in the reduction of accidents and
repairable cars,” Greg Horn, vice president of industry
relations for Mitchell International, said at an industry
event last week.
● PARTS PRICES EXPECTED TO RISE: Horn also
told about 160 attendees at the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Conference in San Diego last week that
the disruption for Japanese automakers caused by the
earthquake and tsunami in March could result in more
than just scattered and short-term parts shortages. The
most popular Japanese sedans are assembled in U.S.
plants using locally sourced parts, Horn said, but parts
shortages are more likely for the higher-end brands such as Lexus - and for smaller vehicles such as the
Honda Fit and Toyota Prius, which are still built and imported from Japan. But Japan also is the third-largest
producer of automotive-grade steel, and exports 43 million tons of it a year. Decreases in output from those
factories - all Japanese companies have been asked
to reduce their electrical use by 25 percent - are raising steel prices globally, Horn said. That will likely affect
pricing for all sheet metal parts, OEM and non-OEM,
and as those prices rise, prices for used parts likely will
rise as well. “So you’re going to see this event’s impact
stretch well into next year,” Horn said. “We’ll have to
wait and see what the final tally is, but we’re going to
see inflation overall in average repair severity because
of rising parts prices.”
● INDUSTRY GEARS UP FOR FALL TRADE SHOWS:
As housing or training registration opens for both the
NACE and SEMA events, a CollisionWeek survey found
a nearly even split among respondents over their plans
to participate in the two shows. Among shops who indicated their plans for NACE, 51.2 said they planned to attend; of those who indicated their plans for SEMA, 50.6
percent said they planned to attend that show. About 40
percent of vendors responding to the survey said they
planned to exhibit at NACE, while about 30 percent said
CRASH NETWORK
they would exhibit at SEMA. About 63 percent of insurers responding said they would attend NACE, compared to 47 percent planning to attend SEMA. Overall,
21.3 percent of attendee respondents said they would
attend both shows. SEMA takes place November 1-4
in Las Vegas, and will include a “Collision Repair and
Refinish” section and training organized by the Society
of Collision Repair Specialists. NACE, sponsored by
the Automotive Service Association (ASA), takes place
October 5-8 in Orlando, Fla. The CollisionWeek survey
also found that about half of all respondents said they
would prefer there be only one national show. Another
one-fourth of exhibitors and more than one-third of attendees said they would prefer both shows held in Las
Vegas in the same week. Only 21 percent of exhibitors,
and less than 14 percent of attendees, prefer having
two shows held at different times and in different cities.
● LKQ TO SELL AKZO PAINT: LKQ Corporation will
soon be selling AkzoNobel’s Sikkens, Lesonal and UTech paint lines as the paint manufacturer closes the
sale later this month of its 40 company-owned distribution locations to LKQ. Akzo said the move to independent distribution will allow it to “bring even greater focus
to those areas that make us unique.” LKQ’s co-CEO
Rob Wagman said the move “reflects LKQ’s commitment to being a 1 stop solution to the collision repair industry.” Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
● ALLSTATE MAKES A MOVE: Allstate last week announced plans to acquire Esurance (and Answer Financial, an insurance quote service) from White Mountains
Insurance Group. Allstate, the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., reports the deal will cost about $1
billion. The deal should help Allstate, which has seen its
marketshare drop the past two years, better compete
with No. 3 GEICO and No. 4 Progressive which, like Esurance, sell directly online and which have been gaining
marketshare ground as Allstate has faltered. Esurance,
founded in 2005, sells policies in 30 states and has
seen its total premiums grow on average by 20 percent
a year for the past five years. The deal is expected to
close this fall pending regulatory review.
● DRIVERS CONFUSED BY INSURANCE POLICIES:
More than one-third of U.S. drivers who have read at
least part of their auto insurance policies have had trouble making sense of them, according to an online Harris Interactive poll commissioned by InsuranceQuotes.
com. About 87 percent of the 2,079 insured drivers surveyed said they had read at least some portion of their
policies, but 36 percent of those drivers said those policies were somewhat or very difficult to understand.
CRASH Network© is published by Image Output edited by John Yoswick, 2325 N.E. 62nd Avenue, Portland,
OR 97213 (503) 335-0393; Fax (503) 335-3999. E-mail:
info@crashnetwork com. For special ABPA subscription
rate or other information, visit the website: www.CrashNetwork.com.
Body Language 26
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