ISSUE Safety 2021 ISSUE 17 THE ON A MISSION…FOR A COMPLETE, SAFE & QUALITY REPAIRSTAY CONNECTED IN THIS ISSUE 4 GUEST EDITORIAL: A Culture of Safety 6 BUSINESS TOOLS & TIPS: Safe Repairs? Focus on the Basics 8 Expanding Technical Expertise, Capacity & Capabilities 10 Redefining the Consumer Safety Experience 17 ASK RTS: A Complete, SAFE and Quality Weld 20 Fueling I-CAR’s Vision and Mission 22 WHAT’S NEW AT I-CAR 12 The I-CAR ® Collision Reporter™ magazine is dedicated to helping navigate the rapid changes happening within the collision repair industry by providing exclusive insights, resources and solutions. EDITOR Nick Notte CONTRIBUTORS Darryl Amberson Mike Anderson Lori Barrington Santiago Chamorro John Magowan Jacki Nardiello Jeff Poole Marcia Sebachan SeyferthPR Jaime Shewbridge John Van Alstyne Scott VanHulle SUBMISSIONS Collision Reporter welcomes story ideas helpful to advancing topics and learnings within the collision repair industry. If you would like to share a story idea, please e-mail Editor@I-CAR.com. Collision Reporter is published four times a year by the I-CAR Marketing Department, 5125 Trillium Blvd., Hoffman Estates, IL 60192. EDITORIAL POLICY Collision Reporter accepts no outside or third-party advertising, sponsorships or endorsements. Opinions expressed in Collision Reporter are not necessarily those of I-CAR. ABOUT I-CAR Founded in 1979, I-CAR is a not- for-profit education, knowledge and solutions organization designed to support the evolving needs of the Collision Repair Inter-Industry. I-CAR is focused on improving the quality, safety and efficiency of auto collision repair for the ultimate benefit of the consumer. 2021 ISSUE 17 2 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTERThis issue of Collision Reporter - THE SAFETY ISSUE couldn’t focus on more timely and relevant topic, yet one that has, and will continue to serve as the foundation of I-CAR’s mission and vision. While we couldn’t possibly include every safety-related story or development into this issue, I think you’ll agree we’ve curated some extraordinary perspectives and insights to inspire and guide the important work ahead of all of us. I-CAR’s CEO & President John Van Alstyne sets the stage with “A Culture of Safety” (page 4), followed by one of the most dynamic Driving the Conversation roundtables we’ve ever assembled, featuring Marcia Seebachan (page 12). Most of you likely learned of Marcia (and husband) Seebachan’s difficult journey through years of headline-making stories. Our roundtable offers a first-hand view and the crucial lessons we can all learn from their repair experience. Moderated by I-CAR’s Jeff Peevy, Vice President of Technical Products, Programs & Services, with perspectives from Mike Anderson, president of Collision Advice, and Darrell Amberson, president of LaMettry’s Collision and CIC chair, we hope you’ll find some important take-aways in this robust and emotional dialogue. In our “Ask RTS” feature (page 17), I-CAR’s technical team weighs in on welding safety, and our “Business Tools & Tips” feature takes us to Wisconsin where we meet the longtime owner of Ernie’s Auto Body to better understand how safety permeates every aspect of his business. The consumer lens of safety is examined on page 10, as we look at General Motor’s OnStar and its 25-year legacy in redefining the consumer safety experience. Last but certainly not least, we invite you to ride along with us on I-CAR’s recent news to expand its technical capabilities (page 8), driving home the importance of a “complete, safe and quality repair” even further. Many define knowledge as the accumulation of facts, and describe wisdom as the discernment/application of their use. We hope this issue serves up a strong blend of both. Thanks for riding along with us! NICK NOTTE Vice President, Sales & Marketing I-CAR 3 THE SAFETY ISSUEGUEST EDITORIAL JOHN VAN ALSTYNE President & CEO I-CAR and skills required to perform complete, SAFE and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer…”; and guides our exciting, significant and challenging work ahead, while anchored within a deep culture of safety in all that we do. BEDROCK VALUES Certainly, this culture of safety is the bedrock for the knowledge, skills and solutions guiding today’s complex, advanced repairs. When you entrust I-CAR with your education, you can be assured that whether it’s one training course or multiple, each meets our highest levels of quality to perform a safe repair for the ultimate benefit of the consumer. The breadth and depth of our robust educational curriculum and credentialing programs support the industry in pursuit Approximately 42 years ago, the founding fathers of I-CAR aligned on a simple, yet profound mission: to deliver increasingly accessible, on-demand and relevant education, knowledge, services and solutions for the Collision Repair Inter-Industry. While some of the most head-turning, prolific automotive advances have shaped the progress of these past four-plus decades, I-CAR’s mission – its `true north’ – remains unchanged. It’s a mission that complements I-CAR’s vision: “…that every person in the collision repair industry has the information, knowledge 4 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTERof our vision and mission. Case in point: I-CAR’s long-standing Gold Class ® recognition program, comprised of nearly 9,000 shops and organizations, and new Get to Gold Class program, further reinforce a shared path to the highest levels of training excellence. I-CAR “STAKEHOLDERS” At the end of the day, as a not-for-profit, I-CAR stakeholders are YOU – the tens of thousands of men and women who comprise the six segments of the collision repair Inter-Industry: repairers, insurers, OEMs, Services, Suppliers and Technical Schools. As such, I-CAR exists to only advance the industry on your behalf, with your collaboration. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and reinforce through our incredible volunteer and instructor network, and hold with great honor. This approach is vital to all we do and develop, from our industry baseline Knowledge and Skills Protocol and credentialing programs, our extensive and comprehensive training courses, the real- time technical support we offer through Ask I-CAR, our membership program, Technical Summits and more. SYMBIOTIC SAFETY Our recently announced technical expansion is symbiotic of I-CAR’s safety culture. The new Chicago Technical Center (CTC) will significantly expand I-CAR’s technical expertise, capacity and capabilities, providing new infrastructures that will allow us to address new repair realities and to `reimagine’ the creation and delivery of world-class education for the industry amid an era of extraordinary change. The new CTC will serve as a catalyst for advanced technical research and development, uniquely focused on the ongoing and emerging technical complexities associated with Electric Vehicles (EVs), Advanced Driver Assisted Systems (ADAS) and beyond – with safe repairs at the core of these efforts. Learn more on page 8. SAFETY NET As we embark forward, intentionally advancing I-CAR’s longstanding vision, we remain steadfast in our principals of safety at every turn in the road. And that’s a safety net you can depend on, now, and far, far into the future. 5 THE SAFETY ISSUEBUSINESS TOOLS & TIPS When John Magowan relocated in 1995 from Ohio to Hayward, Wisconsin to purchase Ernie’s Auto Body, a longstanding local collision shop, he saw more than an opportunity to be closer to his newly retired parents. He also spotted a business opportunity; take something small, yet steady and successful, and make it even better. JOHN MAGOWAN Owner 6 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTERHe then began implementing a business plan focused against an ongoing commitment to three basics: provide quality service, invest in qualified technicians and inject safety into every aspect of collision repair. SUCCESS DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT In a community with about 2,200 year-round residents, Magowan has built Ernie’s annual revenue to what will be nearly $3 million this year, he said. Behind the revenues and success, however, reflect the “blood, sweat and tears” of some “very drastic changes” Magowan made upon purchasing the shop more than 26 years ago. One of the changes includes a promise to ensure every employee – from front desk to technician – demonstrates empathy with customers. “We make an inconvenient accident a bit more bearable through superior customer service and experience,” he said. Magowan also has an interesting perspective on the state of constantly- evolving industry technology. “It isn’t necessarily getting more complicated, but it is more time-consuming,” he said, which is one reason he reflects positively on Ernie’s designation as an I-CAR Gold Class ® shop for the last five years. “I wish I would have become Gold Class a long time ago; my techs have really embraced training, and that ties directly to a greater level of ‘safety’ for our customers.” “So much of our business is based on repeat customers and word-of-mouth referrals, so we can’t afford to make people mad. We have to continually provide education surrounding why we do what we do. Customers don’t realize the safety connections behind blind spot monitors and how they tie to sensors, or the importance of calibrations. Providing education with every customer conversation is so important. Like I-CAR, as a Gold Class shop our goal is always to perform complete, safe and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer, our customer.” VISIT ERNIE’S AUTO BODY • Assignment of a specific team to each incoming job. While techs may have daily team assignments, it’s not uncommon to lend-a-hand to other jobs. The old adage “There is no I in TEAM” holds true at Ernie’s. • Every aspect of Ernie’s “safe repair” culture is process-based. There are procedures and clear safety protocols, whether during the disassembly phase or in the pre/post-scanning every single vehicle. • Every single Ernie’s Auto Body employee is accountable for the vehicles that drives out of the shop. “This is absolutely key,” according to Magowan. • Complete honesty and transparency are at the heart of everything at Ernie’s. “Recently an insurer overestimated a claim reimbursement by $400,” Magowan said. “I couldn’t keep the money – I wrote a check for $400 and sent it back to the insurer. It was the right thing to do.” 7 THE SAFETY ISSUEresearch and development, uniquely reflecting the ongoing and emerging technology complexities associated with Electric Vehicles (EVs), Hybrid Vehicles (HV), Advanced Driver Assisted Systems (ADAS) and beyond. The new site will expand upon and complement I-CAR’s existing technical center in Appleton, Wisconsin. COMMITMENT TO TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP “I-CAR is continuously evolving and pro-actively seeking to provide relevant technical leadership for the industry, reflective of the current and future technical demands the industry has begun to see over recent years. This expansion is a direct byproduct of I-CAR’s mission statement which we truly live: to deliver increasingly accessible, on-demand and relevant education, knowledge, services and solutions for the Collision Repair Inter- Industry,” explained John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO & President. Added Jeff Peevy, I-CAR Vice President, Technical Products, Programs & Services: “Technology continues to redefine the future of collision repair and this expansion allows us to achieve our vision and mission-driven work in tangible, intentional ways to prepare our industry for the future.” I-CAR recently announced plans to significantly expand its technical expertise, capacity and capabilities, providing new infrastructures to support the ongoing creation and delivery of relevant and best- in-class education for the Collision Repair Inter-Industry amid an era of extraordinary vehicle technology change. A hallmark of the expansion plan, which is underway now, includes the addition of a second technical center in the Chicagoland area to serve as a catalyst for advanced Expanding Technical Expertise, Capacity & Capabilities 8 I - CAR COLLISION REPORTERMIRRORING FUTURE NEEDS OF INTER-INDUSTRY In particular, Peevy noted that approximately 115 new EV models are expected to hit the road over the next 30 months, requiring new knowledge and skills, plus more demands on shop space requirements for required tools, equipment, and safety. Ongoing collision repair research and training development to repair these complex vehicles will be paramount, he added. “The complexity of new vehicles continues to influence the scale, scope and approach of our training curriculum, requiring new technical knowledge, skill sets and additional resources to properly manage our growing and more sophisticated product and service portfolio,” Peevy said. The Chicagoland location will provide enhanced levels of accessibility for industry partners and learners, with dedicated areas for ADAS, Telematics, Electric/Hybrid Vehicles, including commercial delivery vans, also research into emerging educational technologies such as AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality), Peevy said, adding that the facility will deepen OEM technical collaboration in these technical areas, with more focus on Vehicle Technology Specific Training, real-time videos and custom training solutions. The new location will also host industry workshops and live classes for not only technicians but vocational students as well, serving as a Chicagoland north fixed training site for I-CAR. “The industry is at an exciting crossroads of dynamic change driven by nonstop innovation, repair complexity and technology advancements,” said Kyle Thompson, I-CAR Chair, Board of Directors and Assistant Vice President, USAA. “I-CAR remains passionate in leading the industry forward, in responsible, relevant and robust ways, and we couldn’t be more excited to take this bold step forward, together, with the inter-industry. We are truly making I-CAR more relevant and valuable for the industry as we look to our collective future.” The Chicagoland technical center is being developed to provide enhanced levels of accessibility for industry partners and learners, with dedicated areas for ADAS, Telematics, Electric/Hybrid Vehicles. I-CAR will provide regular updates to the industry as progress toward this expansion on technical research, capacity and capabilities continues. Stay connected on progress by following I-CAR. 9 THE SAFETY ISSUENext >