ASA Partners with EPA Collision Repair Campaign
from AutoInc. Magazine
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Collision Repair Campaign is in full swing. Although the Collision Repair Campaign includes more issues than the auto refinishing regulation, the new regulation is certainly an essential piece to the campaign. The EPA defines the Collision Repair Campaign as an effort to address health threats through a two-year campaign to drastically reduce auto body emissions at the national level. More

Life After Shop Ownership

Retirement is often a subject that workers - including shop owners - tend to relegate to the "back burner" when thinking about the future. However, the 76 million Americans considered to be part of the baby boomer generation are approaching retirement, and along with the rest of the automotive repair shop owners, must be preparing for retirement. More

Unions Oppose GM-Chrysler Merger

The possibility of a General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC merger encountered stiff opposition this week from organized labor around the world, concerned about the possibility of job losses from a combined auto company. One leader even called the potential merger "an absolute catastrophe." More

13th Annual Webby Awards Seeking World’s Best Automotive Sites

What do Toyota- FJ Cruiser, Volvo C30- A Product of Free Will, and Mercedes-AMG have in common? They’ve all won the Best Automotive Website award at the Webbys Awards, the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. From Sept. 23 to Dec. 19, 2008, the 13th Annual Webby Awards will accept entries for the Best Automotive Site of the Year. More

German FinMin Rejects Aid for Auto Industry

German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck sees no need for the government to support automakers affected by the global financial crisis. In an interview with German weekly Die Zeit, Steinbrueck said he was 'not ready' to back aid or tax breaks for the car sector just because the industry was pressing for government support. More

Promising New Material Could Improve Gas Mileage

A Northwestern University-led research team has identified a promising new material that could transform a technology that currently cools and heats car seats – thermoelectrics – into one that also efficiently converts waste heat into electricity to help power the car and improve gas mileage. More

CCC Report Looks at Economy's Impact on Collision Repair

Economic growth in the U.S. is expected to remain slow through 2008 and 2009. As consumers pull back on spending, property-casualty premium growth will slow as consumers are driven to look for better insurance pricing, perhaps changing insurers or opting for higher deductibles or more limited coverage. That's according to the newly released Fall Update to CCC Information Services' Crash Course report on industry trends. More

Groups Weigh In On Intellectual Property Protection Act

Advocacy groups wasted no time weighing in on a new intellectual property protection act that President Bush signed into law this week. The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (PRO-IP Act) of 2008 gained support from Democrats and Republicans, both branches of Congress, and a wide variety of industry groups, though not all of them. The act increases enforcement abilities and raises penalties for copyright infringement. More

Auto Repair Businesses Given Lift in Tough Times

Car sales are down. It's more challenging for customers to get financing for new or used vehicles. Lease deals have all but dried up. But there appears to be a silver lining for the struggling automobile industry during these hard economic times. People are investing in their old cars, and that's good news for local repair shops as well as service departments at area dealerships. More