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In
order of most recent
BASIC
ESTIMATING COURSE OFFERED
Six night course teaches fundamental principles
February
2004
The
Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association (HARA) announces that
the popular basic estimating training course is back to help those
shop or office employees who need assistance in estimating collision
damage on cars and light trucks in Ontario.
Taught
by experienced apprenticeship instructor, Jim Miles, this six night
course includes, introduction to estimating, understanding vehicle
construction, fundamentals of estimate writing, understanding collision
manuals, additional charges and collision damage analysis.
Starting
April for three weeks in the evening, the course is being offered
in response to shop inquiries. Location is the Motive Power training
facility at Mohawk College in Stoney Creek and a new Peel region
course offered in Mississauga.
A
course outline and student information sheet is available on request.
Students on the waiting list will get priority. Classes are from
6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Class size is limited so please call early to
avoid disappointment. Class notes are included.
Course
fee is $350.00 plus GST for trade association members and $450.00
plus GST for non-members.
Students
can register by calling the Association office at (905) 664-7888
or
1-866-309-HARA (4272) . Students can also register by e-mailing
hara@ciia.com
Mon
and Wed 6:30-9:30 pm Mohawk College, Stoney Creek
April
12, 14
April
19, 21
April
26, 28
Mon
and Wed 6:30-9:30 pm Mander’s Appraisal, 1105 Queensway E (at
Dixie Rd), Mississauga
May
3, 5
Mayl
10, 12
May
17, 19
Tues
and Thurs 6:30-9:30 pm Mohawk College, Stoney Creek
May
11, 13
May
18, 20
May
25, 27
|
|
Michigan
Shop Owner Gets 37 Months on Hazardous Waste Charges
George
C. Singleton of Clinton, Mich., was sentenced to serve 37 months
in prison and pay $84,000 in restitution for illegal disposal of
paint wastes containing flammable materials. He was previously convicted
of conspiring to violate the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA) and on three counts of violating RCRA.
Singleton is the owner of RT Automotive in Ypsilanti, Mich. In 1998,
the defendant entered into an agreement with Automax, Inc., of Ypsilanti,
an auto salvage yard, to dispose of approximately 70 drums of paint
wastes containing ignitable materials.
In Aug. 1998, Singleton directed the illegal disposal of the wastes
which were illegally placed in an abandoned trailer in an open field
in Van Buren Township, Mich. Two police officers and four firefighters
required medical evaluation after approaching the trailer because
of exposure to fumes.
The case was investigated by the Cleveland Area Office of EPA's
Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI with the assistance
of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center. It was prosecuted
by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.
(courtesy of Collisionweek)
(see
headlines)
|
Auto
Dealers Launch Nationwide Technician Recruitment Effort
An
all-out effort to attract returning military veterans and tech-savvy
students to automotive-related jobs was announced by Automotive
Retailing Today, a group representing auto manufacturers and franchise
dealers.
Addressing the nationwide shortage of auto service technicians
by borrowing a Marine Corps recruiting slogan, James Willingham,
chairman of Automotive Retailing Today (ART), said that auto dealers
"are not just looking for a few good men ... and women. There
are tens of thousands of unfilled career positions available right
now." He also announced a new website with extensive career
and training information.
A study conducted for Universal Technical Institute shows that
the average number of new technicians needed is 2.1 per dealer
nationwide. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has set the shortage
at 35,000 annually through 2010.
ART is using two recruitment strategies. The first, Hire the Heroes,
attracts military veterans by linking automobile dealers with
separating members of the armed forces in order to tap into a
rich talent pool of skilled workers. Dealers are being encouraged
to contact military job placement websites to list job openings.
Second, ART has established a new online resource for military
personnel, students and others interested in understanding the
auto technician training requirements and career path. At www.autojobstoday.org,
job seekers can search for automotive training programs in their
own state. The web site also links to job sources, including state
and local dealer associations, auto manufacturers, and military
and Department of Labor job banks.
(courtesy of Collisionweek)
(see
headlines)
|
CARS
COUNCIL LOOKING FOR PROJECT MANAGER
On-line
human resources tool, skills gap identification program
February 8, 2004
The
Canadian Automotive Repair and Service Council (CARS) is a not-for-profit
organization that addresses on a national basis the human resources
and training needs of the automotive repair and service industry.
The
CARS Council is seeking a Project Manager to oversee a new project
to develop an on-line human resource tool that will assess skill
levels of industry employees, identify skill gaps, and the appropriate
training available. This is a 3-year project term. The project manager
will report to the Executive Director and oversee all elements of
the project. This will include:
-
Working with an advisory committee
- Identifying a consistent process to review, upgrade and validate
occupational standards
- Overseeing standards review and assessment question bank development
- Overseeing the translation of standards and assessment question
bank
- Coordinating focus testing
- Integrating assessment questions to the web site tool
- Preparing project cash flows and reporting requirements
- Completing all project deliverables successfully, on- time and
within budget
Excellent project management, verbal and written communication skills
and the ability to coordinate several project components is essential.
Applicants should have experience with the development of occupational
standards and development of skills assessment-type questions.
Experience working in the automotive industry would be beneficial.
Ability to communicate in both French and English is preferred.
This is a 3-year contract position.
Interested
applicants are invited to submit cover letter and resume along with
salary expectations in confidence to CARS Council, 500 - 29 Camelot
Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5W6 no later than February 13, 2004.
Fax (613) 798-9963 or e-mail Jennifer@carscouncil.ca
Interviews will be held in both Toronto and Ottawa.
|
Stop
discriminating against old cars, N.B. insurers warned
By Canadian Press Jan 24, 2003
By Chris Morris
FREDERICTON
(CP) -- The New Brunswick government says it has warned insurance
companies to stop discriminating against drivers of old cars.
Premier
Bernard Lord's Conservative government is under fire from opposition
politicians and angry drivers about skyrocketing insurance rates
and coverage refusals, especially on cars 10 years of age and older.
A
growing number of people in New Brunswick, where old cars are common,
are being told insurance companies want nothing to do with aged
vehicles no matter what kind of shape the cars are in and despite
clean driving records.
Justice
Minister Brad Green told the legislature Jan. 24, 2003 the government
is trying to convince insurance companies to end the practice.
"There
are insurance companies doing business in New Brunswick who are
not following good, sound business practices and who are not, in
fact, performing as good corporate citizens," Green said.
"We
have been delivering the message, very firmly, to the largest companies
doing business in New Brunswick that practices such as that are
unacceptable. We have delivered that same message to the Insurance
Bureau of Canada."
Green
said the government will introduce comprehensive legislation by
the end of March designed to bring rate stability and ensure fair
access to coverage for New Brunswick drivers.
Green
said he has been assured by the insurance industry that not all
companies are refusing coverage on beaters, although many have tightened
up their underwriting practices on older cars.
Insurance
officials say old cars are considered a bigger risk because it's
believed they are not driven as carefully as newer, more valuable
cars.
As
well, owners of old cars generally want only liability coverage.
The
industry maintains it is taking huge losses on liability insurance
because of the increase in payouts for soft-tissue injuries such
as whiplash, strains and sprains.
The
Insurance Bureau of Canada also says the theft of older vehicles
is on the rise, largely because they have none of the sophisticated
anti-theft devices found on newer models.
Older
cars can be sold for parts to black-market chop shops for huge profits.
Opposition
Liberal Leader Shawn Graham said there is a growing chorus of consumer
complaints about unfairness in the insurance industry -- complaints
that are landing on the desks of politicians.
In
addition to the problem of insuring old cars, he said he has heard
from people who have been sent to the high-cost Facility Association,
the insurers of last resort, because they have missed a payment.
The
Facility Association was just granted a 46 per cent increase in
the province.
"We
need action by the government," he said. "This is having
a serious impact on people."
(see
headlines)
|
Collision Course
The
death of Bertha Bertrand's young daughter temporarily derailed
her.
Charlene Bertrand was just nine when she succumbed to cancer on
Sept 11, 1988, leaving behind a shattered single mother with her
seven-year-old son Marc.
The Welland resident felt her world had been blown apart but she
turned to her young son and knew she had to realign thier lives.
"My son needed me and I needed him even more, probably,"
said Bertrand, who is now the co-manager of Brian Cullen Collision
Centre in St. Catharines.
"If it hadn't of been for him, I wouldnt have made it,"
she said. "He was my tower of strength -- believe it or not
-- a little child could do that." Marc is now 23 and working
in Burlington.
Exactly one year after her daughter's death, Bertrand was hired
as assistant manager at the Ontario Street bodyshop. She has since
prospered and the collision repair industry is taking notice.
Last September, she was among five women chosen among hundreds
of North American nominees as the 2003 "Most Influential
Women in the Collision Repair Industry"
The award was presented by the Dutch multinational coatings and
the manufacturing company Akzo Nobel at a December ceremony in
Orlando, Florida.
Bertrand - the only Canadian winner - implemented management systems
that were rated the highest in Canada among a group of body shops
that use Sikkens paints.
She was also praised by Akzo Nobel for helping develop the Brian
Cullen Customer Care Clinic to fully educate new car owners about
their vehicle and vehicle care.
Bertrand is also an active participant in organizations like I-CAR
(the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair), the
Collision Industry Action Group, Hamilton District Autobody Repair
Association (which includes Niagara) and the Niagara College Motive
Power Advisory Board.
Bertrand's links to business can be traced back to her father
who sold vacuum cleaners. The Sudbury family moved to Franco-Ontarian
friendly Welland in the mid 1960's.
"I always said I would never have anything to do with vacuums,"
said Bertrand, who now also co-owns The Vac Shoppe on Nihan Drive
with her husband John Nitsche. It sells and services vacuum cleaners.
After Bertrand graduated from Niagara College with a business
certificate in 1975, she got a drivers licence and drove her 1957
Chevy to her first job as an assistant at Holiday Rent-A-Car in
Welland.
She had only been at Holiday - now a Thrifty Car Rental outlet
- for eight months, when the manager left and she was promoted
to his position. Bertrand worked there for a decade and then moved
into a new job at a Tilden Rent-A-Car in Welland. She left Tilden
in the late 1980's for a managerial position for a managerial
position at Farr Ford in Welland, which armed her with a lot of
experience working with body shops.
Soon after she was hired there, Farr body shop manager Jerry Coutu
suggested Bertrand learn how to write up car estimates. "I
followed him around like a puppy dog," she said.
"Back then, we didn't have computers to do everything for
us."
"It was all manual -you had to decide how many hours to paint
a fender..now computers can tell you all that."
Learning estimates that way gave her detailed, hands-on knowledge
about the time and effort demanded for repair work, she said.
She became a newly-single mom and lost her daughter soon after.
It was a devastating turn, but there was no time to self-destruct.
"I obviously needed more money, because I was on my own,
bills were just piling up," she said.
"Tragedy does make you stronger as much as you don't want
it to. You want to give up and let go."
She said Farr couldn't afford to pay her more, but soon a management
position arose at Brian Cullen. She accepted it and her salary
doubled.
It was a big shop and the volume of jobs was "unbelievable."
Bertrand had gone from dealing with 10 customers a week to at
least 50. "After two weeks I was ready to quit," she
recalled.
The working lives of Bertrand and fellow body shop co-manager
Jackie Gordon remains frenetic. On the morning of a recent interview,
she and Gordon were part time receptionists. Then they'd duck
into their offices and call out for parts, tow trucks and insurance
companies.
"People also call us from the side of the highway and they've
had an accident," said Bertrand.
"You have to calm them down - sometimes they come in and
they're crying," she said.
"And then you're a mother hen; you say everything is going
to be alright."
About 90 percent of their business is dealing with insurance companies
and auto-repair claims. "We're partners with them,"
said Gordon.
"The industry is changing and now body shops and insurance
companies are working together to make things go a lot more smoothly,"
he said.
Bertrand and Gordon emphasize body shops in general are better
places for both customers and employees. Much of the work is computerized
and standardized. Intense competition keeps prices reasonable
for insurers and others.
For workers, salaries are good, and employment, sanitary and environmental
practices are highly regulated and first-rate at most outfits.
Gordon is also effusive in praising his award-winning colleague
and the modest role she has played in helping make the industry
this way.
"She really knows the body shop business back to front,"
he said. "I think she's done as well as she has because of
her work ethic. - she has real dedication and drive."
It isn't always easy for women in the business, said Bertrand.
Sexism prevails, but it's being overcome.
"In the rental car business a women was more accepted, because
(I was) more like a secretary," she said.
"In the body shop business you just don't see women in the
industry."
"Many customers feel women shouldn't know anything about
cars -how would a woman know about damage to a fender or how much
to paint it?"
"I've had to prove that I knew what I was doing."
(from
The St Catharines Standard)
(see
headlines)
|
2004
National Industry Issues Forum on the Horizon
Richland,
WA, February 5, 2004 — The Society of Collision Repair Specialists
(SCRS) is pleased to announce the 2004 National Industry Issues
Forum (NIIF), scheduled to take place at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday,
April 8, 2004, at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.
This meeting is being held in conjunction with Collision Industry
Conference (CIC), the SCRS Annual Meeting/Awards Luncheon and
an exciting new experience called “Accepting the Challenge”.
The National Industry Issues Forum, founded in 1992 and hosted
by SCRS, is unique because it focuses exclusively on the concerns
of collision repair professionals, offering them the opportunity
to exchange ideas and examine ways to resolve issues that affect
many. The meeting is open to SCRS members and affiliates, as well
as all collision repairers.
“It’s a place where repairers can sit in a room across
from other repairers and speak their mind without fear of repercussions,”
explains SCRS Industry Issues Chairman Chad Sulkala, who is co-moderating
the event. “You can make a lot of progress toward achieving
industry goals in that kind of open atmosphere. For example, the
NIIF has increased awareness demonstrating the importance of sharing
data across estimating platforms and helped build momentum against
arbitrary paint capping.”
Resolutions discussed at this year’s forum will be forwarded
for further discussion and exposure to entities that can help
initiate action, such as CIC and the SCRS Executive Committee.
With a healthy representation of independent shops from across
the greater United States, the National Industry Issues Forum
continues to function as an important conduit for collision repair
improvement.
“As a shop owner I am excited to facilitate an event that
gives a voice to those that might not otherwise speak up,”
says SCRS Treasurer Gary Wano, who will co-moderate with Sulkala.
“I’ve been a participant for years and now I get to
encourage the participation of others. It’s important for
repair professionals to come together and understand they aren’t
alone in their concerns.”
The SCRS Awards Luncheon will take place immediately after the
NIIF, which in turn will be followed by the opening of CIC. An
evening with SCRS is scheduled for the preceding evening, April
7, at 7:00 p.m., at which time “Accepting the Challenge”
will be unveiled. Taking its cue from the spirit of television
game shows, this contest will pit three person teams against each
other as they try to answer questions about the collision repair
industry and other categories of interest. The fun-filled event
includes libations, hors d’oeuvres and music.
Those interested in registering for the NIIF or Accepting the
Challenge (as a spectator or participant) are advised to make
reservations as soon as possible. Space for both events is limited.
Jeff Hendler, the coordinator for the National Industry Issues
Forum, can be reached by phone at (509) 946-3626. His e-mail address
is jeff@jdhendler.com.
For information on Accepting the Challenge, contact the SCRS Office
at 1-877-841-0660 or e-mail them at scrs1@aol.com.
Through
its direct members and 31 affiliate associations, SCRS is comprised
of 5,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 specialized professionals
who work with consumers and insurance companies to repair collision-damaged
vehicles. Additional information about SCRS including news releases
is available at the SCRS web site: www.scrs.com. You can e-mail
SCRS at the following address: scrs1@aol.com
(see
headlines)
|
|
NEW
ONLINE ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING DATES
The
Canadian Paint and Coatings Association (CPCA), representing all
major auto refinish coatings manufacturers in Canada, and the Hamilton
District Autobody Repair Association (HARA), has recently announced
a series of new training opportunities for body-shop owners. These
new training programs will help shop owners meet environmental compliance
requirements, reduce emissions from paint use in shops, and provide
profitability tips to help shop owners improve their bottom line.
Courses
will begin on the start date (Monday morning) and students will
have access to the web-based course for one-week ending on the following
Sunday evening.
Students must register a week prior to the desired start date. Late
registrations will be processed for the next session.
Schedule
of Upcoming Dates for the Profit For Good Environmental Management
Online Delivery.
February
16-22, 2004
March
15-21, 2004
April
12-18, 2004
May
17-23, 2004
June
14-20, 2004
Click
here to register
|
I-CAR,
CARSTAR CANADA, AND CARS NETWORK TO PROVIDE INTERACTIVE DISTANCE
COLLISION REPAIR TRAINING ON COLLISION TV
January
29, 2004
ROLLING
MEADOWS, IL - January 29, 2004 – I-CAR has formed a relationship
with CARSTAR Canada and Canadian Automotive Repair & Service
(CARS) Network to produce an interactive distance-learning platform
called Collision TV. This unique training opportunity is intended
to supplement current I-CAR classroom training and is available
to the entire Canadian collision industry. Through this easily
accessed and convenient training method, professionals can gain
the necessary technical knowledge and skills relevant to their
position to help achieve a complete and safe repair.
For
over 5 years, CARS has deployed a similar technology platform
that has been utilized by other multi-location automotive retailers
and service providers, and is excited to provide this same technology
to the collision industry. Collision TV broadcasts will include
I-CAR instructors delivering 13 I-CAR Enhanced Delivery training
programs. I-CAR Enhanced Delivery programs will be broadcast on
Tuesdays at 6 pm EST. The first program will air on February 24,
2004. A complete schedule of upcoming Collision TV broadcasts
is available through I-CAR online at www.i-car.com. For additional
information and registration please call 800.422.7456. Currently,
there are in excess of 30 collision repair facilities in Canada
that are equipped to host I-CAR training with new facilities being
added regularly. A complete list is available on the I-CAR web
site. Additionally, collision industry professionals have the
option and are encouraged to purchase the equipment to host their
own training.
Students
will receive accelerated collision repair training opportunities
while also minimizing the common concerns of the high cost of
travel, accommodations, inconveniences, and lost productivity.
By utilizing a studio hotline, students are engaged in the learning
process and are able to call in and ask instructors questions
during the broadcasts.
I-CAR
Canada Manager Tracey Blouin said, "We are thrilled to be
included in this fabulous opportunity. It addresses two very important
issues for I-CAR in Canada. It allows us to reach potential students
in smaller markets, while at the same time helps to meet the challenge
of delivering training across Canada with a limited number of
instructors."
For
additional information or to order your own satellite viewing
equipment please contact collision.tv@carstar.ca.
View
all Scheduled Collision TV Classes
View
all Collision TV Locations
(see
headlines)
|
|
Collision
Repair Association Points out need to involve Parents in Good Career
Choice
By
TARA PERKINS
The Hamilton Spectator
Attendees at a ceremony honouring apprenticeship in Halton blamed
schools for the shortage of skilled trades workers, saying they
don't direct youth into those kinds of vocations.
"We
need really smart kids. We have a lot of computers in our industry
now," said Hendrik Kooy, owner of Hendrik Tool and Die, one
of the five companies awarded for its apprentice programs. The Halton
Apprenticeship Advisory Council (HAAC) distributed the awards at
its annual honour roll at the Burlington Convention Centre on Thursday.
Ron
Postma, who works at a General Brock High School which teaches skilled
trades, said the school is "tossed behaviour kids. We don't
have the cream of the crop."
"Schools
tend to send us people who are good with their hands ... but we
need the maths and sciences," said John Norris, executive director
of Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association.
The
fault lies with parents and educators, he added.
"Skilled
trades don't get the same enthusiasm ... Parents don't understand
that a skilled trade worker has a job for life."
The
award winners -- four smaller firms, two each in Burlington and
Milton along with Ford in Oakville -- have taken the problem of
finding the right people into their own hands by providing on-the-job
training for youth.
Award
winners were:
*
Hendrik Took and Die Inc. of Milton. The die builder employs 20,
a third of them apprentices.
*
Sentinel Automotive of Milton. The auto repair works in partnership
with Mohawk College to train young people.
*
TechElectric Automation of Burlington. The service provider of electric
controls for machinery has two apprentices.
*
Bericap North America of Burlington. A manufacturer with 15 skilled
tradesmen.
*
Ford Motor Co. of Canada, for developing the Ford Academy of Manufacturing
Services.
Keynote
speaker Gene Luczkiw, founding director of the Institute for Enterprise
Education, said apprenticeships hold the greatest promise for productivity
in Canada.
There
is no skills shortage, he said. His studies show employers want
staff with positive work ethic, willingness to learn, openness to
change, adaptability and self-motivation.
(see
headlines)
|
“CHOP
SHOP” GETS TARGETTED
Police raid Stoney Creek, Ontario house
January 24, 2004
Police
have charged one person in connection with a “chop shop”
in Stoney Creek that was allegedly selling vehivles cobbled together
from stolen parts, according to an article in the Hamilton Spectator.
“It
was a very organized auto theft ring and the vehicles were being
resold to unsuspecting buyers in the Hamilton area” said Sergeant
Ian Mathews of the Break, Enter Auto theft and Robbery (BEAR) unit
yesterday.
He
said police arrested a man on a large residential property on Highway
8 near Winona Road, which has two houses and several outbuildings
on it. He added the accused, whom police have not identified, is
in custody but he wasn’t sure what charges he is facing.
Police
towed away a number of intact vehicles as well loads of vehicle
parts after searching the compound for several hours yesterday.
The vehicles were taken to a compound at the new police station
on Rymal Road where their vehicle identification numbers (VIN) were
being compared to determine where and when they were stolen.
Detective
Constable Will Matson said police found four or five large trucks
that were intact or nearly intact and all kinds of vehicle components,
including engines, truck frames and wheels.
“There
was everything you could imagine that comes from a truck” he
said.
He
estimated the value of the vehicles were at least $50,000 and probably
as much as $100,000 or more. He said the investigation is in its
early stages and police are still trying to assess the scope of
the operation.
He
said the organization involved at least two individuals, including
another person they expect to arrest next week. He added the person
arrested yesterday had lived in one of the two houses on the property.
According to neighbours, the houses are owned by members of the
same family.
Police
said the chop shop was operated out of a large garage-style building
in the back yard where they found vehicles and parts.
(see
headlines)
|
|
MAYOR
PRAISES HARA’s WORK ON ENVIRONMENT AND FIGHTING TOW CHASING
Largest CCIF meeting ever held hears Mayor’s comments
January 12, 2004
Hamilton
Mayor Larry DiIanni, kicked off the most successful meeting in Canadian
history for the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) in Hamilton,
Ontario with congratulations to the Hamilton District Autobody Repair
Association (HARA) and its Executive Director, John Norris for their
environmental awards and their positive work with City Council in
convincing the City to successfully implement a police-enforceable
towing by-law.
The
trade association had made a number of positive presentations to
City Council and convinced Council that serious action needed to
be taken on the issue of two truck “chasing”, involving
tow operators rushing to motor vehicle accident locations in order
to try and convince dazed and injured consumers to let them tow
and then repair their damaged vehicles.
The
Mayor identified that a number of “chaser” tow firms also
appeared before City Council and were opposed to the City’s
actions, but that HARA’s presentations “won the day”.
Mayor
DiIanni also praised the association as the winner of the Gold Environmental
Commitment Award for the Regional government for the extra work
that was being done by HARA to reduce smog-causing emissions into
the atmosphere and contribute to cleaner air in southern Ontario.
(see
headlines)
|
Liberty
Mutual Buy Adds Clout to TD Insurance Subsidiary
A
TD Bank Financial Group subsidiary has struck a deal to buy Canadian
home and auto insurance operations of Boston-based Liberty Mutual
Group.
The
deal will make TD’s Meloche Monnex one of Canada’s largest
personal property and casualty insurers, with 1.4 billion in written
premiums and more than 1.3-million policy holders.
“It
puts us in the top four and we believe that’s a position that
allows us to have greater visibility and to attract more talent,”
Alain Tibault, president and CEO of Meloche, said yesterday.
Financial
terms of the deal were not released.
Thibault
said Liberty’s results had been disappointing for the last
couple of years as the firm lost money at its Canadian home and
auto insurance operations.
“We
believed when we took a closer look at the portfolio that a lot
of things that needed to be done to rectify the situation have already
done by the Canadian management of Liberty, it’s just that
it hasn’t had time to be reflected in the results,” he
said.
The
Liberty Mutual operations covered by the deal include written premiums
of more than $390 million 2003, 350,000 policies and 775 employees
at 24 personal insurance sales offices in four provinces –
Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
Thibault
said it was too early to know if there would be any job losses.
Liberty
Mutual said it sold the business recently to focus on its more profitable
personal insurance operations in the United States, where it has
the scale to operate more efficiently and better serve its customers.
Liberty
Mutual will continue to provide commercial insurance products and
services through Liberty International Underwriters Canada, which
provides insurance across a variety of industry sectors including
energy, manufacturing, retail and financial services.
Meloche
Monnex provides home and auto insurance services to individuals,
under two principal brands – Meloche Monnex, and TD Insurance
Home and Auto.
The
deal is expected to close in April and is expected to be slightly
accretive to TD’s earnings this year.
Thanks
to The Hamilton Spectator
(see
headlines)
|
|
BODYSHOP
ALERT - HIT & RUN
I
would like to alert all Body shops in the Oakville , Mississauga
and the western side of the GTA of a hit and run incident that took
place Wednesday January 14th on the QEW near the Erin Mills/Southdown
road exit.
A
man driving a dark green domestic car – similar looking to
a Pontiac Grand Am lost control in the left lane and came across
2 lanes of traffic hitting my wife's car in the left front wheel
area. The impact took both cars into the right side guardrail. The
man got out of his car, saw that my wife was moving around , then
hopped back into his car and drove away. My wife's car is a write
off, and she suffered minor whiplash but is back to work today.
She was too shaken up to identify the vehicle or the license plate
of the car that hit her.
A
tow truck driver from Showcase auto body who was traveling on the
south service road saw the cars after the collision but he was not
able to identify the year, make or model of the hit and run vehicle.
By the time he got to the scene the other car had already drove
away.
Many thanks to Bill from Showcase, he really went above and beyond
the call to help my wife in this situation.
There
is damage to the right front headlight, right side doors, and the
right rear tail light is also broken on the hit and run vehicle.
If
any body shop sees a dark green domestic vehicle similar to a Pontiac
Grand Am with damage to the passenger side and broken front and
rear lights please call Tony McGrath @ 416 948 4554 . I will forward
the info to the OPP.
Thank
you
Tony
McGrath
(see
headlines)
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NEW
HARA CONTACT INFORMATION
The
HARA office has new phone numbers. We apologize for any recent inconvenience.
We are eager to hear from you and help you with any problems or
needs.
Our new contact information is below:
Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association (HARA)
mailing: P.O. Box 47594, Centre Mall,
Hamilton, Ontario
L8H 7S7
Office: 350 Dosco Drive, 2nd Floor
Stoney Creek, Ontario
L8E 2N5
Phone (905) 664-7888
Fax (905) 664-3340
Toll free 1-866-309-4272 (HARA)
E-mail hara@ciia.com
Best wishes,
John Norris
(see
headlines)
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