Repairers share insights at IBIS Global Summit in Rhodes, Greece
Michael Macaluso was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award for his extensive contributions to the industry.
Story by DARRYL SIMMONS
The International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) held its flagship event, the IBIS Global Summit, in mid-May. This year’s event had the stunning backdrop of Rhodes, Greece as key delegates from the global collision industry discussed top-ofmind challenges facing the collision repair industry around the world.
Discussions focussed on the expanding car parc and increasing age of vehicles on the road; electric vehicle accident rates and severity; the ongoing skills shortage and much more.
Almundena Benedito of GiPA Group revealed that accidents in the EV sector are rising when compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles due to two unexpected factors: the near-silent operation of EVs and their rapid acceleration capabilities. These characteristics contributed to a higher rate of collisions, as both pedestrians and drivers struggle to anticipate the movement of EVs.
Day two of the symposium also addressed the shifting dynamics within the global repair industry. There was a clear trend towards polarization between large and small repair shops. Notably, Mid-sized shops were reportedly increasingly exiting the market due to the high costs associated with training and equipment upgrades.
Frederick Karlsen, CEO of Intakt Bilskade in Norway, specifically pointed out that while smaller shops in remote locations might continue to operate, there would be a growing necessity to transport vehicles to larger hubs for certified repairs.
In the afternoon, a session titled “It’s a Question of Talent—How Are We Really Doing?” addressed the technician and labour shortage that remains the global repair industry’s biggest quality and capacity issue.
To discuss the initiatives and programs in place that are helping with talent attraction, there was a presentation by John Wood of Career Grandmaster, followed by a panel discussion featuring Trenton Dambrowitz from Halo ARC Ltd., Michael Massey FIMI from 3M, Dave Reece of School of Thought (Automotive) and Roar Solberg from BASF.
During the presentation, Wood noted that “hiring and retention matter because bad recruitment typically costs you three times that employee’s salary, as well as impacting team morale, management times and business loss. The four key pillars of effective recruitment are authentically telling your story, being consistent, staying proactive and showing mutual benefit.”
The day also saw a session focused on the rapid advances in 3D printing of automotive parts and the progress the 3D in Auto Task Force has made since its launch at IBIS USA last year.
Task force lead, Harold Sears, spoke about the group’s progress and announced the launch of a new 3D printing business, “Auto Additive.” According to Sears, this new venture is designed to supply OEMcompatible 3D-printed parts that can be used by collision repair shops.
REPAIRER RECOGNITION
Two incredible awards were presented at this year’s IBIS Global Summit. The first, an Outstanding Achievement Award was given to Jason Scharton, senior manager of global expertise delivery at 3M. Over his nearly 20-year career with the company, Scharton has excelled in multiple engineering roles—mechanical facilities engineer; division project engineer; automotive OEM application engineer and more—and has provided critical insight for industry members. He has served in global roles at 3M since 2006, focussing specifically on OEM repair solutions and the education of the up-and-coming workforce.
Canada’s own Michael Macaluso, group president and executive vice president of Paint, Collision and Glass for Driven Brands, was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award. Macaluso has served as president of CARSTAR Canada; president of the Driven Brands Collision Group and was most recently announced as the head of Auto Glass Now, Driven Brands’ glass division.
“IBIS has been a critical part of our success in CARSTAR and other brands,” said Macaluso at the event in Rhodes, Greece. “We have been attending IBIS for more than 15 years as an organization.
“For me, it’s a great chance to learn, grow and, most importantly, network with key leaders across our entire supply chain, globally. That matters in this business—we’re a global business where change is happening so, so quickly. Why not learn from what other countries across the globe are doing to tackle the challenges ahead, as well as capitalize on those challenges for the betterment of the business?”
Please join Collision Repair magazine in congratulating Scharton and Macaluso on these incredible achievements.
