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CIC releases Detroit schedule; talks include paint suit safety, steering, parts procurement

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Announcements | Associations | Education
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The Collision Industry Conference’s schedule for the July meeting next week in Detroit includes some hot-button topics like parts procurement and steering, which should make for a lively couple of discussions.

On the more technical end of things, the July 21-22 event — held during NACE/CARS week at the Cobo Center — also features Brandon Thomas of GMG Envirosafe, who got the industry’s attention at the January CIC with a presentation on how some refinishing technician suits might not adequately protect against isocyanates, and a presentation from Toby Chess on welding advances, including details about pulsed synergic aluminum welding.

Also in conjunction with CIC: The Society of Collision Repair Specialists will hold an open board meeting July 23.

Tuesday, July 21’s CIC runs from 1-6 p.m., followed immediately by a reception. Wednesday, July 22’s CIC will be held from 8-10:45 a.m. Here are some of the highlights:

Tuesday, July 21

CIC Chairman Randy Stabler opens the event at 1 p.m. with a welcome and any housekeeping, which CIC’s agenda cryptically elaborates upon with the comment, “Let’s be real!”

Guy Bargnes of the marketing committee will give a brief presentation of Atlanta audience feedback from 1:15-1:45 p.m. A CIC news release Friday summarized some of these findings, indicating that the April attendees thought networking was the top reason (4.4 on a 1-5 scale) to attend CICs, with information, related meetings and business deals jockeying closely for second place with scores of 3.6-3.9.

Attendees also have weighed in on the Atlanta presentations, with the discussion of what should constitute a varsity, “Class A” shop viewed as most impactful by 34 percent followed by a quarter voting the April parts panel as most significant.

The Parts and Materials Committee presentation at 1:45 p.m. follows that April discussion, which was sidetracked by the revelation that PartsTrader had subsidized a repairer to attend the panel and generally failed to explore the advertised topic of parts procurement efficiency/inefficiency on more than a superficial level.

The new parts presentation, hosted by CIC Parts Committee Co-Chairman John Bosin of I-CAR, will address “Is electronic parts procurement helping or hurting?” which might make for more fireworks.

Collision repairers received a glimpse of the discussion’s potential scope in late June, when Bosin released the committee’s review of a parts procurement study involving one “call and fax” body shop and solicited industry input ahead of the July CIC.

Chess’  brief welding presentation follows that at 3:20 p.m. Randy Hansen of the Insurer Repairer Relations Committee’s Randy Hansen will succeed him at 3:50 p.m. with “a new look at cycle time—There must be a better way to measure it!”

Jack Rozint of the E-Commerce/Data Privacy Committee will close out the presentations with a 5:20-5:50 p.m. forum meant to help the industry “communicate, innovate and succeed,” according to CIC.

The parts forum at CIC on April 9 was made up of Triangle Collision owner Clint Rogers; CARSTAR Mundelein co-owner Jeanne Silver; Precision Body & Paint owner Ron Reichen, who just switched from SCRS chairman to chairman emeritus; Christy Jones, collision repair concierge of R Jones Collision 1; and David Luehr, owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions. (John Huetter/Repairer Driven News)

Wednesday, July 22

A flurry of talks will open the final day of CIC, including a look at the 2015 Engagement Campaign at 8:05 a.m. and Chris Evans of the Definitions Committee, which hosted the “Class A” discussion in April, at 8:15 a.m.

The Education and Training Committee will start the first of the longer presentations at 8:20 a.m., examining where the collision industry sits regarding education “and how to improve it.”

That’s an appropriate sequel to I-CAR CEO John Van Alstyne’s CIC talk April 8, in which he presented I-CAR research that found of the 35,000 shops in the country, only 12,000 required continuing education training — just 34 percent of the industry.

At 9:30 a.m., Steve Regan and Janet Chaney will host a Governmental Committee event CIC says will explore the provocative question: “Steering is illegal in all 50 states, why is it still an issue?”

Thomas will follow that at 10:30 a.m. with his look at protective garments.

“What suit is right for you?” CIC’s agenda elaborates. “Finally, we have tests to prove it.”

Thursday, July 23

SCRS’ open board meeting runs from 8-10 a.m.

More information:

July Collision Industry Conference agenda

Collision Industry Conference, July 2015

Images:

A suit is tested for isocyanate penetrability by GMG Envirosafe. GMG has intentionally blurred out the logo of the manufacturer in this image. (Provided by Brandon Thomas/GMG Envirosafe)

The parts forum at CIC on April 9 was made up of Triangle Collision owner Clint Rogers; CARSTAR Mundelein co-owner Jeanne Silver; Precision Body & Paint owner Ron Reichen, who just switched from SCRS chairman to chairman emeritus; Christy Jones, collision repair concierge of R Jones Collision 1; and David Luehr, owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions. (John Huetter/Repairer Driven News)

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