Nothing really does. That's the message.
As we revisit the Los Angeles area in this supplement that message rings true again.
Considering all the challenges and pitfalls repairers face on an almost daily basis, it's become too easy to make doom and gloom predictions and look for issues that can topple collision repair businesses. Last year, when we published our premiere waterborne supplement issue, we all wondered how shops in two California air quality districts would adapt to mandates that would compel them to move from solvent-based to waterborne basecoats.
What we found wasn't encouraging. Some shops hadn't even heard of the mandate. Others had heard but had yet to form a plan to adapt. Still others were awash in fear that the costs of making the transition to waterborne coatings would run them out of business. As disheartening as all that seemed, I couldn't help but remember the comments of Steve Burroughs, collision shop manager for Norwalk Toyota in Norwalk, Calif. He said of the transition to waterborne, "Body shops have a great record adapting quickly to change. We're in this business to stay in business."
Judging from what we've discovered in out coverage for this year's supplement, that's very much the case, though a number of shops appear willing to wait till the last possible moment (see our story "Smooth Sailing with Waterborne"). Those shops that have made the transition are seeing the benefits of these coatings, and they're getting lots of help from the industry.
For our part, we're covering the factors you need to consider when moving to waterborne (see "Piece Together a System"). We also have some tips and insights from industry members on what you can expect from them (see "Gearing Up for Waterborne").
We're also working with industry groups to distribute extra copies of our supplement to keep spreading the word in California and elsewhere.
It's amazing what we can accomplish when we work together. If you think there's a message in that, you're onto me.
Tim Sramcik
