|
|
Current Events/News: E-newsletter: 2001 Archives |
||||||||
|
The 2002 I-CAR regional conferences have now been scheduled. This year’s conferences will provide the opportunity for volunteers and instructors to share their ideas on how I-CAR committees can help I-CAR achieve its vision of complete and safe repairs through technical training. For individuals interested in joining the I-CAR team, the conferences are a great chance to meet with volunteers and instructors and learn more about I-CAR. An annual awards banquet to honor I-CAR volunteers and instructors, along with a variety of interesting activities, will be held at each conference. I-CAR’s goal for 2002 is to make these the most rewarding, valuable, well-attended conferences to date. The conferences planned for 2002 are:
Online registration for these conferences will be available after November 1, 2001. The registration fee for each conference is $75 for full meeting attendees, and $25 for spouses. Watch for more details on the regional conferences in the I-CAR e-newsletter! |
|||||||||
|
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA GOLF TOURNAMENT A SUCCESS!
The Jacksonville, Florida I-CAR Committee hosted its third annual I-CAR Education Foundation Golf Tournament on September 6, 2001. The tournament was held at the Baymeadows Golf & Country Club in Jacksonville, and 144 players participated (the maximum allowed). The golfers came from all segments of the collision industry, including insurance companies, repair shops, auto dealerships, and equipment manufacturers.
The net proceeds of the tournament were donated to the I-CAR Education Foundation to fund the purchase of the Enhanced Delivery curriculum for both the Frank H. Peterson School of Technologies and the Florida Community College at Jacksonville. Executive Director Ron Ray of the I-CAR Education Foundation stated, "with the new curriculum and the schools’ involvement in the Industry Training Alliance, graduates of these collision repair programs will now have the ability to earn Gold Class points for their training. This will make them even more valuable to potential employers." In addition, because of the involvement of the Jacksonville I-CAR Committee and the Education Foundation, a total of eight instructors from the two schools have started the process of becoming I-CAR qualified, not only to teach the Enhanced Delivery curriculum in their schools, but to serve as I-CAR instructors as well. This is especially important, as there was a shortage of instructors in the area before the tournament.
|
|||||||||
|
GOLD CLASS SHOP OF THE MONTH: B-J BODY WORKS, DEL CITY, OKLAHOMA
B-J Body Works became Gold Class in March 1995. Since then, they have continued to support I-CAR and the Gold Class Professionals program. Their shop is decorated with I-CAR and Gold Class promotional materials to show their customers their commitment to quality. Since they have been Gold Class for many years, B-J Body Works has plenty of Gold Class, Platinum and Instructor certificates and awards hanging all around their office. These certificates and awards show their customers that they are qualified to properly repair their collision-damaged vehicles.
Owner Tony Harrison, a man of a million faces, has put in a great deal of extra time to get as many people involved with I-CAR as he can. He teaches Instructor Qualification Workshops and many I-CAR classes during NACE and the I-CAR annual meeting. He is also a member of the "Extreme Team," which stages shows for over 100 students at a time. During these "Extreme Events," they teach free I-CAR classes for the participants and give away coupons to future classes to promote I-CAR. Tony’s dedication to I-CAR has not gone unnoticed. He won the Founder’s Award at this year’s annual meeting, won the Leadership Award for the Southwest Conference last year, and has been recognized as the Instructor of the Year twice. His daughter Lisa is also on the Gold Class Steering Committee to offer her input on the future direction of the Gold Class Professionals program. Thank you, Tony and Lisa, for all the time and commitment you’ve given to the Gold Class program! According to Tony, maintaining his business’ Gold Class status is made easier with the help of his dedicated employees. In particular, Tony said that Collision Repair Technician Brian Seather is the perfect example of what I-CAR is all about. "Brian understands procedures better than anyone in the industry and is constantly reminding others of proper collision repair techniques," stated Tony. He stressed that "Brian is a very valuable employee" to B-J Body Works and him, often times even reminding him of the proper procedures that need to be taken. Great job, Brian! Every month, one Gold Class business is chosen as the Shop of the Month. If you have any recommendations or requests, please contact Marketing Specialist Jennifer Wilkens at jennifer.wilkens@i-car.com. |
|||||||||
|
AWARD WINNER PROFILES: NORTH CENTRAL REGION Congratulations to the North Central Region’s Instructor of the Year Dennis Rivett, of Kimball, Michigan, and Founder’s Award Winner Leo Maki of Kentwood, Michigan! Instructor of the Year Dennis Rivett began his involvement with the collision industry as an electrician in 1977. Since then, he has performed body work, managed a body shop, taught software classes in the insurance industry and served as a Pro Damage Evaluator for Allstate Insurance for the last six years. Dennis first heard of I-CAR in 1992, while he was managing a collision repair business in Port Huron, Michigan. He decided that his business should achieve the Gold Class Professionals designation, to improve the work quality of his technicians and display a qualification his customers could recognize and have confidence in. As he became more familiar with I-CAR training, he also became interested in promoting I-CAR within Michigan. After talking about his goal with his local field manager, he became the state chairman for Michigan in 1995. After serving as state chair for over three years, Dennis decided to assist I-CAR in another capacity and became an I-CAR instructor. Dennis said he "loves teaching and bringing students new information they haven’t heard before." He recently taught a series of classes on damage analysis and the fundamentals of collision repair, and remembers one young man who had not even begun working in a repair shop yet. Dennis said, "It’s so inspiring to see fresh new faces in the classroom and have the opportunity to get them excited about the industry. After the classes, his grandmother called me to see what I would be teaching next, because he wanted to learn more. That’s when I know I’m doing a good thing." When asked if he had a favorite class to teach, Dennis chose Adhesive Bonding Program 1. He explained that many students come into that program "thinking they know all there is to know about adhesive bonding. Then, at the end of the class, they walk away saying, ‘Wow… I never knew that.’ It inspires them to return for more training." Today, Dennis is the State Lead Instructor for Michigan and also returned to the position of State Chairman at this year’s annual meeting. Dennis was particularly thrilled when Field Manager Lon Baudoux honored him with the Instructor of the Year Award because of his respect for Lon’s teaching. He stated, "Before Lon was hired as an I-CAR field manager, he was the best instructor I’ve ever seen. Lon inspires me to be better, and I hope to become as good as he is." Thank you for all your hard work, Dennis! Founder’s Award Winner Leo Maki is owner of the Michigan Appraisal Company. The company, which he founded in 1988, does physical damage appraisal for insurance companies. Training has played a key role in Leo’s company, as they focus on staying current on auto collision repair techniques and information. Leo’s company also has a network of people throughout the state of Michigan who share the latest information with other body shops. Leo has been an I-CAR volunteer for many years and has served as State Co-Chairman for Michigan for the last three years. He says that he "enjoys being part of the I-CAR organization and meeting all of the people involved." Leo is also very involved with the I-CAR Education Foundation, whose goal is to help train and recruit entry-level candidates into the collision industry by providing an advanced curriculum, instructor training, and research to vocational-technical schools. The Education Foundation’s Executive Director Ron Ray said, "Leo not only serves the needs of the committees and I-CAR customers in his state, but has a heartfelt commitment to the education of entry-level technicians in the industry." Leo is an active supporter of the secondary and post-secondary education programs in Western Michigan, and has coordinated the purchase of the Education Foundation’s curriculum for many schools in his area. Most recently, Leo worked with the West Michigan I-CAR Committee to organize the sixth annual Education Foundation Golf Outing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The August event was a success, with the proceeds funding the purchase of a complete Enhanced Delivery curriculum for Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Congratulations, Leo! |
|||||||||
|
Page Last Revised: |
|||||||||
In addition, 40 volunteers and vendors were on site to offer support and incentives to the golfers. Representatives from local car dealerships, body shops, suppliers, and more set up tents and booths to display their products at each hole. A total of $75,000 in giveaways and cash prizes was available. Popular prizes included a $50 cash prize on every hole, and a new car offered at each of the course’s Par 4 holes for any golfer who could make a hole-in-one.
Congratulations to the Jacksonville I-CAR Committee! Thanks to their hard work in securing sponsorships and planning the tournament activities, the Education Foundation, two local colleges, and I-CAR will all benefit. Field Manager Jerry Sopkowiak stated, "This is a very special group of volunteers who are committed to improving our industry and the community in which they live."
B-J Body Works of Del City, Oklahoma is October’s Gold Class Shop of the Month. Shop Owner Tony Harrison and his daughter Lisa Pearson have supported I-CAR and the Gold Class Professionals program for many years. Their hard work and commitment to ongoing training in the collision industry shows their dedication to providing their customers with complete and safe repairs.
