Being the only certified repair facility means Manitoba vehicle owners can comfortably get serviced at Birchwood Collision Centres, said the company in a news release. The centres carry the proper training, tools and equipment to fit each different vehicle accordingly. Birchwood Collision Centres also carry certifications for Volvo, Honda, Ford, Acura, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, MINI, BMW and Scion.

“Our exclusive Mopar certification means that Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat owners can trust Birchwood Collision Centres to repair your vehicle to the highest safety standards,” said Arthur Crawford, Director of Birchwood Collision Centres, in a written release.

The post Birchwood Collision Centres receive Mopar certification appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

In response, the vehicle lift provider has come out with a new short video series — including step-by-step instructions — that answers some of the most frequently asked questions technicians have about their products.

The current 90 Second Know How videos cover topics including Spotline laser positioning and syncing, Match Series mobile column lift error messages, greasing SmartLift plungers, two and four-post lift cable adjustment and Y-Lift calibration.

In each video, you’ll also see a ticking stopwatch that counts down 90 seconds.

“Our customers are busy, and when they need help, time is money. But when a customer isn’t standing at the lift when calling, verbal explanations can be difficult to convey and hard to understand. This new video format is like being in the customer’s shop to demonstrate the answer — in just 90 seconds,” said Fischmer, in a written release.

“Our inspiration in developing the 90 Second Know How video format was to not waste people’s time,” said Brad McAlister, video and multimedia specialist at Rotary Lift, in a written release.

“The 90 Second Know How videos provide just what our customers tell us they want — the technical information they need — not a commercial.”

The first six videos in the series can be found at www.rotarylift.com/training-videos. Additional videos will be released monthly, said the company.

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Curbed wheels. They are a pain for customers and dealerships alike, especially when the dealership represents a high-end brand, and its courtesy vehicles end up with mangled wheels on a weekly basis.

For that reason, there are many protection plans out there, making wheel issues a great profit centre for dealerships. There are opportunities to generate revenue through the sale of F&I protection plans or through the repair and replacement of these wheels.

But these are all “after the facts” solutions. How about a solution that helps prevent curbing?

This is where AlloyGator Canada steps in. The company distributes the AlloyGator Wheel Protection system, a product which is installed on the rim of the precious mag wheel to stand in-between the harsh object and the precious wheel finish.

“Our product goes on rims and prevents gouging of the wheel,” says Pete Sargent, COO of AlloyGator Canada. “It is made of tough nylon composite and will fit on wheels between 13 and 21 inches in diameter. Our product has been designed and is made in the U.K. and has been tested under rigorous conditions, even earning the MIRA certification.”

The AlloyGator product is a round piece of flat nylon reinforced material that sits on the edge of the rim. Sargent says the material is flexible enough to withstand small hits without breaking and will be sacrificed for bigger hits and deform or break, instead of allowing damage to the rim.

“We have had great results,” says Sargent, “with some dealerships adding the AlloyGator to their fleet of courtesy vehicles and reducing the time down and the value of damages, but also with sales in the F&I office and in their service drive-through.”

Sargent adds one BMW store currently has a penetration rate of the product at over 30 per cent.

The company says the product can be installed easily by a service department, and adds it will not set a specific sale price. This allows each dealership to set their own per their respective market. While it is distributed for $159 plus shipping, Sargent has seen dealerships sell it back to the end user for between $299 and $399 per set.

“The beauty of this product is that it is not a one-time sell. Customers come back to have one replaced after it has been overly damaged,” says Sargent.

“Another aspect,” says Sargent, “one which we did not see coming is the bling factor.” He says the product comes in a choice of 10 colours. “The product is as much a hit for its protection properties as for its bling factor.”

AlloyGator Canada, which started distributing the product in the fall of 2014 and incorporated in January of this year, now has a warehouse in British Columbia and another one in Ontario. This helps the company cover the Canadian market.

The post Find profit in wheel protection appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

Rotary Lift has come out with a free Lift Application Guide that categorizes lift styles according to vehicle sizes and weight, and is available to Canadian dealers.

“In most vehicle maintenance facilities, the vehicle lift is used more often than any other piece of shop equipment,” said David Fischmer, Marketing Director for Rotary Lift, in a written release. “With so much riding on your lifts, it’s important that they’re chosen carefully to meet your facility’s specific needs.”

The guide lists eight various vehicle classes, from class one at under 6,000 lbs up to class eight at 33,000 lbs plus, and then shows the corresponding lifts that would work for that weight.

“Of course, proper lift selection goes beyond vehicle weight, length and wheelbase,” said Fischmer. “Customers should also consider facility layout, the types of services they perform, budget, technician ergonomics, safety, efficiency, and productivity enhancements.

The company also said it offers a free service to help customers determine the style and number of lifts needed in a new or remodelled facility.

The post One size does not fit all appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

NEXTGEAR CAPITAL is looking to find more dealers who want easier access to credit to help fund their used car inventory purchases.

“We provide flexible inventory finance programs, tailored to meet a dealer’s specific needs,” explains Roy Vandermeer, vice-president of Canadian Operations for NextGear Capital. Vandermeer oversees all of the company’s operations from marketing, operations and through the credit process as well.

NextGear Capital’s technology helps dealers floor plan vehicles from anywhere and at any time. Its versatile line of credit lets dealers buy or sell vehicles at live or online auctions.

Vandermeer says the company’s versatility, flexibility and easy-to-use technology help differentiate their offering from competitors. “We can work on an anytime, anywhere basis with our dealers,” says Vandermeer. “We will provide financing to our dealers at virtually any source where they buy their vehicles.”

The service is available at large auction chains or independent auctions. “It’s really a matter of convenience at the auctions,” says Vandermeer. “They can literally check out at the front counter and simply tell the auction they want to put that transaction on their NextGear line of credit. It’s as simple as using a credit card in a store. It’s that fast and it’s that easy,” says Vandermeer. “It avoids the potential credit checks that an auction house might perform on a dealer.”

The company already has business relations with more than 17,000 dealers in North America, including about 1,000 dealers in Canada. The company was formed in 2013 through the merger of Man­heim Auto­mo­tive Finan­cial Ser­vices (MAFS) and Dealer Ser­vices Cor­po­ra­tion (DSC), which Manheim acquired in 2012.

The company is now implementing a new operating system that will allow it to provide “unrivaled account access and management tools,” says Vandermeer. This includes tools that let them run reports, track inventories, schedule payments, check the aging of their inventory, use smartphone apps to help buy cars and set up floor plan loans, and more.

While the name NextGear Capital in Canada is relatively new, the company is a Cox Automotive Company, which includes companies such as Manheim, AutoTrader.com, Kelley Blue Book and vAuto.

The post Easing inventory financing appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

McClenahan is replacing Joanne Marzsin, who served as the general manager in Ottawa for 10 years but will remain within the company in a new role as director of financial compliance for ADESA’s North American operations.

In his new role, McClenahan will be responsible for continuing to grow the auction’s market share while promoting a positive and productive culture internally and with external customers, said the company.

“I’m honoured to lead this experienced team at ADESA Ottawa,” said McClenahan in a written release, who most recently served as assistant general manager at the Ottawa office. “There’s a lot of history here, having been in business 25 years this June. It’s an exciting time, and we plan to open our 10th auction block soon.”

McClenahan holds more than 15 years of experience in the industry, having spent 12 years with the company’s Vancouver office and three years with it’s Ottawa one.

His career at ADESA began as a part-time block clerk on auction day while he was still in high school, and has since held various roles such as vehicle check-in, fleet coordinator, operations manager and sales manager.

The post Management changes at ADESA Ottawa appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

“Adding William Ward Publishing to our group furthers our ability to deliver essential vehicle pricing data and innovative delivery systems to our customers throughout North America,” said Richard P. Malloch, president of Hearst Business Media, the group that includes Black Book.

Kathy Ward, daughter of William Ward Publishing founder Bill Ward, will continue to serve as executive chairman of the company. Brad Rome, vice-president of sales and marketing, has been named president.

“Black Book is the perfect home for us and a natural fit,” said Ward, in a press release. “Today marks an exciting new era for our company and our customers — we are delighted to join forces with a true leader in the auto industry.”

All data collection and publishing will continue to be based on Canadian market transactional information gathered from multiple sources from across Canada.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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That’s why DriveTime, a used car dealer and financing company, has made its Cancel Anytime lease program more accessible across the U.S., now available in 126 of its dealerships.

Introduced about a year and a half ago, DriveTime said it created a used car lease option that provides consumers access to a vehicle with a down payment under $1,000 and the ability to walk away from the car at any time and cancel their 30 month lease, without affecting credit scores or incurring financial penalties.

To help drive service retention, DriveTime said consumers who opt for the Cancel Anytime Lease program receive a complimentary maintenance package which includes oil changes, along with a limited warranty that lasts the lifespan of the lease and covers all critical vehicle components.

“By giving greater flexibility with our lease program, we are able to better serve our customers, giving them access to a vehicle on their own terms, so that they can experience many of the same benefits of vehicle ownership, without the drawbacks,” said Chris Braddock, VP, DriveTime, in a press release.

The post Cancel Anytime Lease program popularity surges appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

Offering a more functional mobile app with improved workflow, along with better usability for dealer groups to access multiple stores, the company said the new mobile app offers new capabilities for sourcing and trading vehicles.

Dealertrack said the next generation of mobile inventory management app delivers a 360-degree view of data insight and analytics.

“This new mobile app, coupled with the power of our Inventory + analytics and robust capabilities, will help dealers better manage their inventory, further streamline their operations and sell more cars,” said Robert Granados, senior vice-president and general manager, Inventory, Dealertrack.

“With the Inventory+ Mobile app, dealership teams have the power to make quicker and smarter inventory decisions directly from their mobile device.”

Dealertrack’s Inventory+ solution, introduced to the Canadian market in late 2014, covers the entire lifecycle of the inventory process, from appraisal to dealer results management.

The post Dealertrack’s next-gen mobile app faster, more improved appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

“If you look at any new two-post or inground vehicle lift, you’ll see a decal that recommends the use of supplementary stands when removing heavy components,” says Ron Lainhart, parts & service manager for Rotary Lift, in a press release.

“That’s because the removal of heavy parts, like a transmission and differentials, can cause a shift in the vehicle’s centre of gravity,” he says, adding a supplementary stand can help prevent instability when removing heavy components.

The company says these stands are easy to set up.

Technicians can use the RS4 jack stand by pulling the locking pin from the top of the stand, raising the column to a desired height and then reinserting the pin. A screw up adapter at the top of the column can be fine adjusted with a range of 5.5. inches and is fitted with a rubber contact pad for a secure connection with the vehicle.

The post New stand supports stability appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

CDK Global, formerly ADP Dealer Services, announced that its Contract Validation solution will be released later this year to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles dealerships in the U.S. and unveiled details at the recent NADA Convention & Expo in San Francisco. It has also worked with other OEMs including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW to launch similar versions.

During the vehicle buying process, the company’s Contract Validation solution quickly checks a vehicle purchase contract for accuracy and acceptability by Chrysler Capital.

It does all of this within the sales workflow, and while the customer is still engaged in the buying process, and prior to it being reviewed by a financial institution.

“Our technology is developed to make the car buying process more efficient for our dealership clients and their customers” said Steve Anenen, President and CEO of CDK Global, “We’re pleased to be the partner that brings this to FCA dealerships.”

“Finance and lease agreements can be complex. Nothing is more aggravating to a consumer or dealer than having to go back to the dealership to re-sign a contract,” says Tom Dundon, chairman and CEO of SCUSA/Chrysler Capital. “In working with CDK and their jointly-owned financial development organization, Open Dealer Exchange, we have designed a best-in-class approach to assisting our dealers with ensuring the accuracy of contracts prior to them being sent to our team for acceptance.”

Chrysler Capital will help roll the program out by providing benefits to dealers who subscribe to the new service, such as faster contract funding for deals that use the Contract Validation process.

The post CDK Global streamlines auto purchasing process appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

The Virginia-based company, which offers inventory management and automotive market intelligence in North America and in parts of Europe, said its inclusion of both types of review content on automotive dealership websites is a first for the industry.

Dealers who purchase responsive websites through the company can now display content-specific reviews via website pages or snippets in real time by integrating social media, which can include reviews pertaining to vehicle model, dealership staff or department reviews, based on the dealership’s preferences. These reviews can be filtered by star ratings, source, or relevant keywords.

“Consumers want to see ratings and reviews on dealership websites in the context most appropriate to them. Service reviews belong on service pages,” said Sean Stansell, product manager for Dominion Websites, in a press release.

“Model reviews belong on vehicle detail or model-specific pages. It’s what makes the most sense to a consumer, so that’s what Dominion Websites provides.”

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