Shop Owner Staff

A 10-year-old boy killed himself with a gun that he found in the office of a Houston, TX, repair shop. The owner of Innovations Automotive had the gun in the office because of recent crimes in the area. The boy had gone exploring with his little sister as they waited for their mother to talk to the shop’s owner about her car that she had brought in for service.

ThermoQuiet brake pads also incorporate the company’s award-winning, proprietary Integrally Molded Insulator (IMI) one-piece pad design and unique Wagner EDGE Laser-Shaped Friction technology for quieter performance, superior stopping power and longer pad life, the company says.

Of the more than 759,000 automotive technicians working in the United States, 20 outstanding individuals have qualified for the 2011 World Class Technician Award. The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) work together to recognize these professional technicians who have tested and obtained ASE certification in 22 specialty areas during the 2010 test administrated by ASE.

The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) has turned to social media as another means to communicate with show attendees throughout the world.

Spring is a great time to clean out that growing mountain of tax and financial papers that clutters your home and office. Here’s what you need to keep and what you can throw out without fearing the wrath of the IRS.

Is your shop clean and inviting? Is speed of service a priority? Are your service and salespeople attentive and personable? If you answered no to any of those questions, you might be alienating at least half of your customer base.

An electrical short in a power strip cord and three electrical panels resulted in fire losses at four businesses totaling over $3.6 million. Discarded cigarettes were reported to be the cause of fires in two other instances resulting in losses of almost $1.3 million.

Some male patrons tend to want to “talk to the mechanic” verses talking to the front-desk person. Especially if that person is female. In my case, the front desk person is my daughter. She has seen it all and is very knowledgeable, I might add. Ask her a car question, any question, and she’ll have an answer for you.

As a business owner and manager, and particularly because we do not offer road service or have a towing service, I have often spoke the praises of and recommended to customers that they join AAA to take advantage of this valuable peace of mind. Recently, I have seen many customers show up with AAA batteries installed in their vehicles. At least a handful of them have been sold batteries from our shop in recent years.

LeMay – America’s Car Museum (ACM) will have 15 galleries housing up to 500 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations and the LeMay collection.

There are times when the hardworking starter in your customers’ vehicle grinds and grinds, and then quits. Vehicles left outside in severe cold or high heat place a real burden on every starter component, from the castings right down to the nuts and bolts. Starters from Bosch are designed to be up to the rigors of your customers’ driving requirements and are built to withstand the harshest environment for the best performance and longest life.

Determining which replacement wiper blades are the best choice for any passenger vehicle has never been easier thanks to Federal-Mogul’s consumer-friendly new website. The site also educates drivers about the importance of wiper blade replacement.