THE WRECKLESS WORLD

Your job is still safe in the crash-free future BY ALLISON ROGERS What does a collision-free future look like for the autobody repair industry? At the idea of such a reality, many would imagine the collapse of the sector; no collisions mean no cars to repair. But that’s where you’d be wrong. Honda recently made […]

PAPER THIN STRATEGY

ALBERTA DRIVER CAUGHT WITH PRINT-OUT PLATES Fashion, technology, fathers—these are all things that come and go in life. But what never leaves? Human will and ingenuity. An Edmonton, Alberta driver is proving that registering your car is, in fact, required by law. The driver was pulled over by police early in March, initially for having […]

MAKE YOUR BOTTOM LINE TOP OF MIND

DO YOU REALLY NEED MORE WORK—OR IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE? BY STEFANO LIESSI In my regular columns, I typically touch on training in the technical and hands-on area of the collision repair industry; today, I digress a wee bit. I realize that there is approximately $36 billion spent per year on marketing by Canada’s small-and […]

WHAT’S YOUR BEAT?

THE SOUNDTRACK OF COLLISION REPAIR BY MAX REID The bodyshop can be a noisy place; someone could be welding in one area, a heavy-duty fan could be blowing in another, reception is bustling with customers and phones are ringing all day long—maybe there’s a shouting match with an insurer, or two. It can be easy […]

TOMORROW’S TECHS

THE STATE OF THE MODERN AUTOSHOP CLASS BY DAVID DICENZO Matthew Lyle clearly remembers helping lead the inaugural Electric Car Team at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute as somewhat of a “catastrophe.” In 2016, Lyle, the Head of Technical Education at the Guelph-based high school, partnered with his Transportation Technology teacher colleague Dennis Ashley to form […]

A NEW WAY TO SPRAY

3M’S PERFORMANCE SPRAY GUN BY ALLISON ROGERS 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket division unleashed its latest product innovation last month, shaking up the spraying standard for the collision repair industry. In development for more than ten years, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Application Development Specialist Bill Suzuki says the new 3M Performance Spray Gun holds the power to improve […]

MORE THAN A PAYCHEQUE

Many newly qualified skilled trades workers entering the industry today are searching for something other than just big paycheques. Recent reports from college educators and industry consultants are seeing youth becoming more attracted to job opportunities that encourage professional growth instead of just high-paying salaries—and Canada’s collision repair industry provides a wealth of opportunities. Skills/Compétences […]

IN TODAY’S AGE

SKILLSONTARIO TAKES TRADES PROMOTION ONLINE BY MAX REID Last year saw the collision industry endure a period of uncharacteristic helplessness for a trade so foundationally dedicated to ingenuity and independence. The pandemic kept shops apart from their customers, and by extension, the communities in which they operate. Many felt, understandably, as though they were losing […]

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

SPRING BROKE Some people believe that miracles happen all over the world, every day; a mother lifts a car to save their child; a lost dog returns home after 20 years—a driver in Gatineau tows a pontoon boat with a Toyota Echo. But alas, there was no miracle in Gatineau when police pulled over a […]

DOUBLE DUTY

Brianne’s experience helps Boyd navigate the current environment Brianne Walker has been part of the Boyd team in Brandon, Manitoba, since 2015. She’s held the role of estimator for a few years but, given the current pandemicinduced environment, Brianne was asked to cross-over into a dual role function–and she is handling it with the utmost […]