I-CAR ANNOUNCES THREE NEW BOARD APPOINTMENTS

I-CAR Australia CEO Mark Czvitkovits has announced the appointment of three new Board members who will add further strength and direction to the organisation.

“I-CAR welcomes Mr Peter McMahon, General Manager, Car Craft; Mr Murray Howell, Global Services Manager, Valspar and Mrs Andrea McCarthy, Director, McCarthy Panelworks. These appointments will further enhance and strengthen the I-CAR core values across the inter-industry and bring a fresh and innovative approach to ultimately benefit the entire industry.”

Andrea McCarthy
Peter McMahon
Murray Howell

Terry Feehan, Chairman of the I-CAR Board of Directors said, “I-CAR Australia is very proud to have a Board of Directors of industry leaders who cover all sectors of our industry from insurers to independent repairers, MSO’s as well as paint & equipment suppliers.”

“I am very proud and pleased, on behalf of the Board of Directors and Management of I-CAR Australia to welcome the newly elected Board members. Murray Howell of Valspar has been a real identity in our repair industry through both his passion and drive to provide service and advice to all. Andrea McCarthy is the proud owner of the award winning McCarthy Panel Works in Mackay Qld, which is not only an I-CAR Gold Class repairer but an industry leader full of innovation and desire to do things right. Andrea is also our first lady voted to the Board. Peter McMahon is a man with a strong and honest approach to our industry through firstly the MTA in South Australia, where he led and guided its many members successfully, and now as General Manager of Car Craft” added  Feehan.

“Conducted in accordance with the By Laws, the team at I-CAR was excited to receive nominations from quality individuals, representing all the segments that form part of this dynamic industry. It was a difficult task selecting the final appointees, but the selection was made in the best interest of I-CAR’s future direction” said Czvitkovits.

Editor: I have known all three new board members for many years and they are a great addition to the team. 

Valspar Pa., Texas expansions to grow auto refinish production 200 percent

Calling it Valspar Automotive’s largest project ever, Valspar on Thursday announced that its $10 million worth of expansions in Texas and Pittsburgh will grow its automotive refinish output 200 percent.

“The stage is set for our commercial organization to deliver products on time and at the required level of quality to grow our business over the next five years,” Valspar Automotive North America business director Dave Brunori said in a statement.

To read the complete article on Repairer Driven News click here: http://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2017/05/26/valspar-expansion-to-grow-auto-refinish-production-200/

This article is courtesy of John Huetter and Repairer Driven News . Check out their website at http://www.repairerdrivennews.com where you will find so much more information.

 

Stay ahead of the game with Capricorn and invest before the end of the financial year

Australasia’s largest cooperative in the automotive parts buying industry, Capricorn, is always encouraging its members to stay ahead of the game when it comes to the running of their businesses.

With automotive repair and servicing technology constantly advancing, it is important for businesses to be sure that they are continually updating their plant, equipment and tools.

To assist Capricorn members to make the necessary investments in their businesses, Capricorn offers its members finance options to assist in updating their servicing and repair capabilities throughout the year.

There is no better time than now to invest, before the end of the financial year, in your business, with the Federal Government’s $20,000 equipment and business asset investment tax offset incentive.

The importance of investing in your business’ future cannot be understated, particularly with the constantly evolving technology and expertise required to service the vast number of vehicle makes and models on Australia’s roads.

Investing in your business through replacement of worn or dated equipment also enhances workplace safety and productivity, two factors that form the fundamental pillars of small business success.

Whether a Capricorn member’s workshop needs a new hoist, wheel balancer, state of the art diagnostic scan tools or other important equipment items, Capricorn is ready to support its members with various business equipment finance options.

For further information about business equipment finance options or other benefits of being a Capricorn member, contact the Capricorn Customer Service team on Tel: 1800 327 437.

Editor: Well worth considering for any business.

INGLEBURN KICKS IN TO GEAR for Capital S.M.A.R.T

Capital S.M.A.R.T have continued their great growth story with their newest site in New South Wales – Ingleburn – which commenced production operations in the month of May.

The Ingleburn site becomes their 11th site in New South Wales alone, as their presence across Australia and New Zealand extends beyond 40 sites.

Boasting state of the art equipment and process workflows, the site will quickly become a benchmark facility within the ever-growing S.M.A.R.T network.

Group Operations Director of S.M.A.R.T, Jim Vais, stated that he was excited about the customer benefits that the new Ingleburn site will bring to the overall NSW operations and wider S.M.A.R.T group, and looked forward to the output that the team will generate under the leadership of the newly appointed Ingleburn Repair Centre Manager, Alan Hickey.

The new site is located at 1 Austool Place, Ingleburn.

Prestige Paints & Equipment to host a Trade Event/Product Launch

Prestige Paints & Equipment will be hosting a trade event and product launch at their office/warehouse facility on Thursday 22nd June, 2017.

Companies exhibiting their products and services on the afternoon and evening include BASF Australia, 3M, U-POL, Sika, Anest Iwata and there will be the launch of the CTS brand of industrial coatings plus lots more including food trucks, refreshments and on-site demonstrations of workshop equipment from Brett Fisher.

The trade event will run from 3.00pm to 8.00pm and everyone from the industry is invited to attend.

The address for the trade event is Unit 1, 11 Woomera Place, Archerfield in Queensland.

Editor: It sounds like an ideal relaxed way to see some great products, demonstrations and to network with your peers!

Compass Claims official fleet providers for New South Wales Rugby League

Compass Claims is delighted to announce its sponsorship agreement with New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) as official fleet provider. As of May 1, 2017, a fleet of co-branded vehicles can be seen across the state as part of the three-year partnership.

Founded in 1907, NSWRL is the governing body for rugby league in New South Wales, contributing to the development of male and female rugby league talent. NSWRL also manages the NSW VB Blues competing in the State of Origin, one of the biggest annual events on the Australian sporting calendar.

“We are thrilled to launch this partnership with NSWRL and act as their official fleet provider. The State of Origin is clearly Australia’s greatest sporting rivalry and we stand proud to support the Blues,” said James Frape, Compass’ Managing Director.

As Australia’s leading accident replacement vehicle providers, Compass Claims is proud to be supporting NSWRL, an integral organisation in the growth and development of athletes across NSW for one of Australia’s premier sports. Compass is already looking to the rest of the country to continue national support for local Australian organisations.

Car Craft continues to grow

Car Craft recently welcomed three new members to the group: Country Smash Repairs in Busselton, Western Australia, Warwick Panel and Paint in Warwick, Queensland and Eagle Smash Repairs in Eagle Farm, Queensland.

Country Smash Repairs is a fairly new business that opened in mid-2016 and has grown its customer base ever since. Located two-and-a-half hours south of Perth, Elliot and Neralie, who both have had previous experience working within the Car Craft Group, said: “The opportunity to network with other likeminded repairers will only benefit the business and, in turn, our customers.”

And in Queensland, Car Craft welcomes Warwick Panel and Paint and Eagle Smash Repairs. Ben Chesterfield from Car Craft Queensland said: “The number of enquiries has blown us away not only here in Queensland, but we are seeing further interest from southern NSW, which has been really exciting.”

Car Craft General Manager Peter McMahon said: “Interest in the Car Craft model continues to grow in what is fast becoming a very interesting landscape for the industry. Our Victorian expansion has also seen more expressions of interest than we expected.”

Editor: Since their major launch last year the group is going from strength to strength.

 

 

Super Road Show from Capricorn Society

Capricorn recently hosted a supplier road show in NSW, where around 35 metro and regional suppliers were invited to networking events starting in Tamworth, moving to Coffs Harbour and ending in Port Macquarie over three nights. Each venue had approximately 120 attendees and networking was the order of the day!

The purpose of this road show is to bring Capricorn’s regional members into contact with the suppliers they deal with around the state but who, in many cases, they have not met face-to-face, and also may not be aware of them being a Capricorn supplier.

The suppliers represented a broad spectrum of business types, products and services, with a strong focus on equipment given the need for members to continually improve their technology in the current environment. Most suppliers confirmed that they had made new contacts at each event and the most frequently asked question was: “where to next?”

New faces to these events included Brett Fisher from SAPE and the Holden Trade Club team.

Capricorn’s area managers responsible for the three areas – Scott Simpson in Tamworth, David Hill in Coffs and Jason Gruber in Port Macquarie – did a sterling job spreading the word amongst their members and, given the feedback from both suppliers and members, more of these supplier road shows will be planned over the next 12 months.

This report was supplied by Rob Mildenhall, Business Development Manager – NSW & National Panel Manager 

 

I-CAR announces Gold Class for Ray Morcom’s Auto Body Repairs

I-CAR Australia CEO Mark Czvitkovits has announced that Ray Morcom’s Auto Body Repairs in Bathurst has been awarded the prestigious I-CAR Gold Class Collision status.

“Andrew and Laura Morcom have in the past 18 months committed themselves to the Road2Gold program and have achieved this result through a combination of Live, Virtual and Industry Training Alliance classes offered by I-CAR and PPG,” said Czvitkovits.

“Ray Morcom’s Auto Body Repairs was started in 1978 by the late Ray & Anthea Morcom. Ray’s two main principals were to fix the car the right way and to always do the right thing by their customers. We have grown substantially as a business since 1978 but our core values remain the same,” explained Andrew Morcom.

Laura Morcom added “We believe achieving I-CAR Gold Class has been a product of our great team and the constant support of I-CAR along the way. We are very proud of our staff and what we can offer the customer as far as a repair experience. It’s great to have a partnership with such an innovative passionate team, as I-CAR is, to see us into the future.”

“The Gold Class status is the highest level of accreditation within the I-CAR Professional Development Program and will complement Ray Morcom’s Auto Body Repairs value of quality and safety by ensuring they have the technology and capabilities to deliver on every repair” added Czvitkovits.

S&S Celebrating 50 Years in Business!

S&S Industries, a leading supplier to Western Australia’s paint and panel industry, celebrates 50 years of servicing the industry. While the industry has changed during this time, their commitment to providing the highest quality automotive paint, consumables and capital equipment remains as strong as ever!

Operated as a family run business since 1967, S&S’s directors, Tony and Jeff Siroen, attribute their success to building strong relationships with those around them. Whether it be employees, shops or others within the industry.

“We have many long-term customers, suppliers and staff. Eleven of our twenty-seven staff members have been with us for between twenty and thirty years. I think this has played a major part in our success, as good old fashioned service is something that is instilled in the business and seems to come naturally to us,” says Tony Siroen.

One relationship that has stood the test of time has been with ChemSpec USA. For over 15 years the two companies have worked together to provide high-quality, cost effective alternatives to the higher priced paint brands. More recently, since the acquisition of ChemSpec USA by Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, S&S have a renewed enthusiasm that the brand can meet customer needs; delivering high performance finishes that offer direct cost savings.

“Like most industries, our customers are looking to keep their costs down. But they are also looking for dependable suppliers. At S&S we’re focused on delivering a range of high quality value products as and when our customers need them,” says Tony.

As a full-service supplier, S&S Industries offers the Metalux® Automotive Refinish System, and Montana® Big Sky® Specialty Refinish products featuring a full complement of clear coats, primers, solvents, hardeners and accessories, backed by ChemSpec USA’s 4LIFE™ lifetime warranty.

Both Tony and Jeff at S&S Industries, are positive about the future of the smash repair industry and look forward to serving their customers for many more years.