December 3, 2008 AIA General MeetingOld Mill Inn, Etobicoke, ON aiacanada.com January 24, 2009 CCIF Toronto Marriot Airport, Toronto, ON ccif.net
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Is This For Real?
Human Speed Bump: Tom Owen was hospitalized in October with pelvic injuries after
he attempted to break a record by being run over by
eight vehicles, putting him in both the Guiness Records book and the hospital.
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Did you Know...?
By Danielle Dinally
Horse Power:
The Apollo rockets reached the Moon in less time than it took a stagecoach to cross England in the 1800s.
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Greetings!
Collision repair is sometimes called a recession-proof business. The reasoning is simple. Since people can't drive a broken car, they must have it fixed. This remains true no matter how the economy is doing overall. We can reason a bit further, and say shops will experience some decrease in business during a economic downturn, as consumers opt not to fix cosmetic damage. However, there's another possibility. We might see more people deciding to fix things that they had let slide until now. Perhaps their reasoning runs like this, "I have some money now, so I will get my car in tip-top shape while I can. Later I might not be able to afford to fix it or buy a new car." What has your experience been? Feel free to visit the forum and discuss this with other professionals. Mike Davey,Editor
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CARSTAR Annual Gala Raises Funds to Find a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis
By Mike Davey
In what has become an annual tradition, the staff
of CARSTAR Automotive Canada once again gathered to celebrate the
year's fund raising efforts on behalf of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation (CCFF). Attendees gathered at Carmen's Banquet Hall in
Hamilton, Ont. for a gala evening with a "Copacabana" theme.
The bulk of the money raised by CARSTAR Automotive Canada comes from the
highly successful "FrightLites" campaign. The six-inch, non-toxic glow
sticks are sold in every CARSTAR location in Canada, with the money
raised going to help in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis.
Read more... LEFT: Karen Rush, corporate services manager of CARSTAR Automotive Canada; Karen Gliddon president of the Hamilton Chapter for CCFF; and Sam Mercanti, president and CEO of CARSTAR Automotive Canada.BELOW: The casino tables at the annual event are always a big draw. |
CCIF Provides Look at Quebec Market:
A large contingent of Quebecois collision repairers helped grow
attendance to nearly 300 participants at a recent meeting of the CCIF
in Montreal.
Key topics discussed included I-CAR's new role in
Canada, A Look At Europe by Guy Bessette of FIX Auto, and an overview
of Quebec's collision repair market.
Remy Rousseau stated about 65% of Quebec's total collision repair
sales volume is generated by only 600 network-affiliated, or banner
shops. They represent about 40% of the province's total number of 1500.
Network affiliations include Autopro Collision, CarrXpert, CARSTAR,
Color Plus, FIX Auto and ProColor Prestige. He said the challenges
faced by Quebec collision repairers were similar to those in other
provinces.
Lessons from Europe Guy
Bessette of FIX Auto provided a glimpse of several collision repair
markets in Europe, sharing some statistics and commenting on each
market's dynamics. Despite dramatic reductions in the number of
collision repairers in countries such as the UK, where just 4000 shops
serve a population of nearly 60 million, the industry there still
struggles to be profitable.
The cost of increasingly sophisticated
materials and equipment, insurance company practices and the difficulty
in attracting quality young people, are all issues that have to be
faced to remain in business. One particular trend that is beginning to
take hold in North America is insurer parts and service procurement, a
practice already well developed in parts of Europe..
Read more... | |
Sincerely,
Media Matters Incorporated
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