The official online publication of the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE), the NACE Online Daily News will be reporting from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nov. 2-5, 2005. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05 At the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) closing press conference Saturday, show officials released preliminary attendance figures, shared feedback obtained from exhibitors and attendees, and set the stage for next year's event. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/closing.htm Steven Feltovich, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp., shared with a full-house his advice on enhancing efficiency in the collision repair facility. Presenting his course, "Improving Workshop Efficiency," he stressed the importance of making things right on the front end rather than trying to fix things on the back end. "Lean management" was the message throughout the hour-and-a-half Congress session. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/efficiency.htm "We, as an industry, repair a lot of cars for practice," said Steven Feltovich, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp., in a Saturday morning Congress session at NACE. If your volume is up and your profits are not, you're giving away a lot of work, he explained to attendees. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/estimating.htm With the growing popularity and demand for hybrid cars, collision repair professionals must know the basics of handling these types of vehicles safely. That was the message of presenter Craig Van Batenburg's class entitled "Hybrids - Part 2 - For Technicians Working On or Around Hybrids held Saturday, Nov. 6, at the International Autobody Congress and Exposition in Las Vegas. The first part was held the previous day. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/hybrids.htm The Automotive Service Association (ASA) held its second annual "Celebration of Excellence" event Friday night at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The special awards dinner, which is held annually during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week, honors the achievements of ASA members and other industry leaders. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/celebration.htm Lynn Donohue's "Call to Action" as the NACE Luncheon speaker on Friday, Nov. 4, focused on the importance of giving back to one's community. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/luncheon.htm During Friday's NACE luncheon, Darrell Andrews, chairman of the National Collision Repair Technology Committee of SkillsUSA, and Geralynn Kottschade, NACE chairman, recognized the winners of this year's Collision Repair Technology National Contest. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/skillsusa.htm During Friday's NACE luncheon, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), presented this year's ASA-ASE Top Score Award. The award was presented to Jim Witt, owner of Jim's Collision in Roscommon, Mich. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/ase.htm Mike Willins, publisher of ABRN, presented the Emil Stanley Merit Award to Vicki Ford, office manager of J & M Collision Inc. in Troy, Mich., during Friday's luncheon. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/emil.htm Bill Haas, vice president of education and training for the Automotive Service Association (ASA), presented Part 1 of his course, "Electronic Service Information in a Collision Repair Facility" Wednesday morning. Part 2 was presented Friday morning. The class focused on how to navigate through the collision repair sections of the service information Web sites of the automobile manufacturers, and focusing on the business management side of implementing these resources into a collision repair business. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/electronic.htm Opening up an additional shop location seems pretty straightforward-you pick the site or find the building and fill it with tools, equipment and employees. In reality, it is a path that is lined with traps, pitfalls and sudden reverses. Unless you are prepared, that is. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/newlocation.htm "The trend toward using aftermarket parts in on the increase. What's causing that to occur," asks Keith Manich at the beginning of Friday's seminar "The Use of Non-OEM Parts." The answer, he says is the increase in totals. Insurers want to cut the number of totals and one of the ways to do that is to cut the cost of repairs. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/parts.htm Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani delivered the keynote address at the International Autobody Congress and Exposition's (NACE) general session today, inspiring attendees with his key principles of leadership. During his one-hour address, Giuliani shared six principles of leadership that every leader must exhibit to be successful. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/keynote.htm NACE Chairman Geralynn Kottschade, AAM, opened the 2005 General Session by reflecting on several challenges and issues facing the collision repair industry, including estimating and rekeying, business operations, aftermarket parts and airbag fraud. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/kottschade.htm Jon Owens, publisher of BodyShop Business Magazine, presented the Babcox Education Scholarship and BodyShop Business Magazine Executive of the Year during Friday morning's NACE General Session. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/awards.htm The Automotive Service Association (ASA) made several announcements regarding association initiatives and its Collision Division activities at a Thursday morning press conference held at The Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. The official launch of ASA's Buyers Guide for Service Professionals was also conducted at the conference. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/asapress.htm One of the National Autobody Congress and Exposition's (NACE) profit clinics during its Live Action Theater dealt with the topic that hits close to home for many collision shops - the issue of rekeying estimates. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/rekey.htm Every body talks about improving cycle time, but no one does anything about it. That won't be the case for many of the people who attended Kent Carlson's seminar on "Accelerated Cycle Time" which took them, step-by-step, through the ways that they can improve cycle time in their shops. http://www.autoinc.org/daily05/cycle.htm