The International Bodyshop Industry Symposium’s launch onto the Australian industry scene was greeted with great enthusiasm by all attendees and has been declared a success by its Australian organisers, its British initiators and all delegates. Attendees came from all over the globe, including Britain, Holland, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as all states of Australia except Tasmania. read more

Television programme accuses insurance companies of jeopardising road safety in the name of enhancing profits. read more

The imminent staging of the AutoEquip Expo has resulted in a storm of accusation and threats of possible legal action following the publication of an article under the title “Why We Wont Be There . . .” in the trade publication National Collision Repairer. The article, published only weeks before the staging of the show, has infuriated many of the exhibitors who have booked stands there, resulting in a flood of protests to the show’s organisers, Expertise Events, and the magazine. “I am spending a lot of money to be at this show, and it is an important part of my marketing for this year,” one AutoEquip exhibitor, who asked not to be named, told ABN. “I do not need to have this sort of wild and unprincipled discouragement of the trade to attend the show. That devalues my stand, the show and the industry. I am doing everything I can to round up opposition to this.” Similar sentiments have been expressed by others. read more

PPG Industries Inc has sold a controlling stake in its automotive glass business to a new company formed by investment firm Kohlberg & Co. LLC for A$345 million. read more

The recent meeting of the I-CAR Australia Trust and the Board of Management held in Sydney endorsed the election of John Zulian as its new Chairman. Zulian is a leading collision repairer in the Adelaide market who has had a significant influence on the industry through the Motor Trade Association. He is also a member of the Master Collision Repair Specialists and the Australian Accident Repair Network. read more

3M announced yesterday it has acquired K&H Surface Technologies Pty Ltd, a Melbourne based manufacturing company specialising in a range of repair products for the professional and doit- yourself automotive refinish markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. read more

There was a formal changing of the guard at FlexiQuote Quoting & Business Systems on Saturday, June 28, when company founder Charles Lo handed over the reins of the business’ day to day operations to Jacqui Neilsen at a function in a Chatswood, Sydney restaurant. read more

317 people attended the eighth International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS), held at the Montreux Palace Hotel in Switzerland in early June. The IBIS debate centred on vehicle safety systems and their impact on reparability, skills resourcing, write-offs, and how ‘lean thinking’ can improve the repair industry. read more

Dallas, Texas — The Automotive Service Association (ASA), sponsor of the recently created Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW), as well as the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS), is pleased to announce that Archie Manning, All-American Quarterback and NFL MVP, will be the 2008 keynote speaker at the Opening General Session taking place Thursday morning, November 6. read more

The concept of an uncrashable motor vehicle seems far fetched, but it’s being worked on, and some aspects of the technology involved will be on Australian roads late in 2008, with the planned release of the Volvo XC60. read more