New ALI Interactive Online Lift Safety Training Course Is Now Live

The convenient new online version of the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) Lifting It Right vehicle lift safety training course is now live. In Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition, a narrator guides trainees through curriculum covering lift types, the lifting and lowering process, and lift maintenance. Throughout the presentation, real-world scenarios with corresponding questions are presented to engage participants, who interact with the content and receive immediate feedback when answering the questions.

The convenient new online version of the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) Lifting It Right vehicle lift safety training course is now live. Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition can be accessed at www.autolift.org/store.php#liftingitright.

The course is produced by ALI and hosted by racing legends Richard and Kyle Petty. ALI partnered with dealer services provider KPA, which has trained more than 1 million automotive industry professionals, to adapt material from the popular Lifting It Right DVD into an interactive, Web-based format. The information presented applies to lift operators at dealerships, independent shops, government agencies, vocational schools and other facilities.

“With health and safety officials increasing their focus on vehicle service providers throughout North America, it is crucial that members of the service and repair industry take ownership of safety issues and embrace a proactive approach to accident prevention,” says R.W. “Bob” O’Gorman, ALI president. “Safety materials developed by ALI, such as this this training program, allow employers to take a leadership role in service bay safety instead of simply reacting to penalty-based enforcement programs.”

In Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition, a narrator guides trainees through curriculum covering lift types, the lifting and lowering process, and lift maintenance. Throughout the presentation, real-world scenarios with corresponding questions are presented to engage participants, who interact with the content and receive immediate feedback when answering the questions. The interactive elements provide a positive learning environment and reinforce the trainee’s understanding of each topic presented before moving forward.

At the conclusion of the program, a certificate of completion is generated and stored online. It can also be printed and displayed or filed if desired.

“The ability to manage training records online is probably the biggest benefit to shop operators, beyond minimizing the slowdown of productivity associated with traditional workforce-styled classroom training,” says O’Gorman. “With online records, there is no need to print and score a written test and then store a certificate. When training compliance needs to be demonstrated, the manager can just pull up each employee’s record on the computer.”

To access Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition, visit www.autolift.org/store.php#liftingitright. The training program costs $29 per trainee. Once registered, the user can take up to 90 days to successfully complete the course. If the participant fails the question-and-answer portion on the first try, he or she may study and review the course as needed before re-taking the online test a second time within the allotted 90 days.

Upon completion of the program, each participant will receive a copy of ALI’s Automotive Lift Safety Tips card and the Lifting It Right safety manual via mail.

Those seeking to continue to document training without the use of online tools or a certificate from ALI will continue to be able to purchase ALI’s Lifting It Right DVDs through the ALI store at www.autolift.org/store.php or via phone at (607) 756-7775.

To learn more about ALI, visit www.autolift.org or call (607) 756-7775. You can also connect with ALI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LiftInstitute, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LiftInstitute, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/LiftInstitute.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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