Shop Owner Staff

Whether you are a business owner or an individual, continuous education and training improves your return on investment. The key is to have a plan that can be implemented and measured.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) introduced a new bill that would establish national standards for state-level vehicle safety inspections. House Bill 229 – the Michael Jon Newkirk Transportation Safety Enhancement Act of 2011 – would require states to establish minimum annual vehicle safety inspection programs or lose specific federal funds.

Mountain Mechanical repair shop in Durango, CO, recently held a workshop for women who were interested in learning more about their cars. The women learned everything from how to check and refill the oil, coolant and brake fluid to what a muffler does and how an alternator works. They were also given tips on how to find a good technician and told what rights they have as customers.

A customer of an auto repair shop in Colonie, NY, stole his own Jeep from the shop. The Jeep had been in for service after being in an accident. The owner of the Jeep cashed the $3,700 insurance check instead of paying the repair shop for their work. He then reported the Jeep stolen and filed a $22,000 insurance claim.

Federal-Mogul has introduced a line of ANCO Winter Blades for vehicles fitted with original equipment profile-type wipers. ANCO Winter Blades are now available for a full range of foreign-nameplate and domestic applications.

The weight of the snow on the roof of Greg Stanley Automotive, located in Rome, GA, caused the roof to collapse onto four vehicles that were inside the service bays. The owner of the business will have to find another building to continue to operate the repair shop.

Officials from the Hartford Police Department, Hartford Fire Department and the state Department of Motor Vehicles converged on Cecil’s Auto Electric in Hartford, CT, Monday morning and arrested the co-owner of the repair shop for operating a garage without a license.

Jim Doyle, owner of General Auto Repair and Tire in Hendersonville, NC, recently told a local newspaper reporter that the cold winter weather is taking a toll on his customers’ vehicles. “Cold weather causes a lot of rubber parts and plastic parts to break,” he said.

New York state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, D-16, has introduced New York Senate Bill 1218 relating to vehicle repair shop guarantees. The bill requires that motor vehicle repair shops provide certain information regarding invoices and work guarantees.

A Houston, TX, area repair shop filed a lien to foreclose on a customer’s vehicle after he failed to pay a $2,895.21 repair bill. The defendant claims that an agreement was made not to repair the vehicle if the repair bill was going to be more than $1,200.

The training of technicians in the proper service and repair of mobile air conditioning systems is at the heart of the Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s (MACS) Worldwide mission. MACS offers two new training clinic curriculums for 2011; Mobile A/C System Temperature Testing and the 2011 Mobile A/C Update Clinic.

Gasoline Alley recently opened its brand new facility in Green Valley, AZ. The new shop, which is next to its previous location, features seven service bays as well as a sophisticated exhaust system, evaporative coolers to keep the shop cool during the summer and a waste oil heating system for the winter.