It is starting to look like spring and I’m thankful for a mild winter especially compared to last year!

Our Spring Conference is coming up fast!

I know that some of you might be wondering if you have the time or the money to attend events like this - I know how you feel, I’ve felt the same way! What I found though is that every time I went to an event like this, I picked up another piece of the puzzle to make my business a success.

I cannot recall all the events that I attended over the last 35 years but each one delivered at least one key actionable idea that I took back to my shop and pushed the business forward.
 

Spring Conference Agenda 

We are less than 2 weeks away from an information packed weekend starting on Friday March 13th with Mike Anderson from Collision Advice doing a one-day seminar till 4 pm.

Shortly after that - around 4:30 pm I have Jean-Luc Sauriol and the folks from ALLDATA doing a short 45-minute presentation on some of the latest additions to their software.

After a short break we will meet for cocktails followed by a nice sit-down dinner and a keynote speech from Frank Terlep as he speaks about his latest book Auto Industry Disruption (and what to do about it)
 
Saturday finds us at our AGM with SGI kicking things off where they will outline where our industry is at in relation to the March 2021 deadline for shops to fulfill the Safe Quality Auto Repair Program requirements. Come and see where your shop stacks up on the journey to become certified to do repairs on SGI claims.
 
The rest of the day brings us presentations from suppliers, educators, government and wraps up with a SAAR General Meeting. At this meeting we are looking to renew our leadership by having elections to our board of directors. If you or someone you know would be interested in stepping into a leadership role with SAAR, simply send me an email and put your or their name forward. In addition, we would like to get your feedback and ideas on how SAAR is and can meet your expectations.

This is your chance to be heard. At the end of the meeting we will be drawing for some nice door prizes so please, plan to stick around and we will have you on your way by 4 pm at the latest.
 

Get Your Tickets Here

Two weeks ago, Sask Polytechnic hosted our first ever Betag Advanced Metal Repair training event. The feedback I got from the students was off the charts great and everyone was excited to get back to their shops and share what they learned.
 
Paul Carter, Dean of Transportation and his two auto body program heads Dale Hawkins and Scott Kucharyshen have raised the bar when it comes to providing training opportunities for the collision industry.

Putting this program together and arranging for two thirds of cost to be picked up by a Canada Saskatchewan Government Grant is totally due to the efforts of these men. I’m not sure if everyone in our industry realizes how these guys just do whatever it takes to make events like this happen and that is why I believe we will see Sask Polytechnic become the premier collision repair training facility in Western Canada.

Our next Betag training is scheduled for the week of May 11th through the 15th and it will be held at the Saskatoon Polytechnic body shop location.

Currently this class is full, but I have started a waiting list in case anyone has to drop out for some reason. This waiting list will also help us plan for future Betag training in either Regina or Saskatoon depending on where most of the students are. All our friends in Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia are welcome to sign up for this training as well.

Don’t forget that this training qualifies for the training grant that will cover up to 66% of your tuition and provide some money to pay employee wages - if you are not from Saskatchewan you will need to apply for the grant in your home province.

On Thursday March 12th our Technical Committee will be meeting with SGI and Mitchell to discuss the possibility of incorporating compliance software into the Ultramate CEG product that will automatically tell shops if they’ve put something on an estimate that shouldn’t be there or conversely if there is something they may have overlooked putting on the estimate that should be there.

The goal is to streamline the appraisal process so that shops have less rejections, less hassles on final review and get paid for as many line items as possible. In order to prepare for this meeting, I am preparing a Survey that I hope to have out to body shops this week to get your feedback and input on what items should be included. What I’m looking for is a great list of commonly overlooked items that should be on all our estimates.

Please watch for my survey and respond as quickly as possible as we will probably be 10 days or less away from this meeting.

Here is a great video from our friend Brett McNeil from 3M on "How to Replicate Sound Deadening Sealers".

Our industry has a great working relationship with the Motor Safety Association here in Saskatchewan. It is mainly due to their work that we have one of the lowest rates for Workers Compensation in Canada for our trade.
 
Please review the attached bulletin on vehicle alignment hoist safety and using spotters. Be sure to pass this information on to your staff and Occupational Health & Safety Committee. Many automotive and auto body shops use alignment hoists and this information is a great reminder to keep your staff safe and reduce the risk of property damage.

If you have an idea of an item/story/scenario  you would like included in a MSA Safety Share please email info@motorsafety.ca

Contact us at K.M. Campbell Financial Services Corp. to discuss a Group RRSP for your business.

306-649-4000 x.111

leslie.deboice@sunlife.com