By Mike Davey
Hamilton, Ontario — June 24, 2015 — The search for new and better products drew members of the CARSTAR network to CARSTAR Vision Park at 1460 Stone Church Rd. in Hamilton, Ontario. The event provided an opportunity for owners, managers and technicians to learn about the latest products, directly from the manufacturers and vendors.
Highlights included live demos and special pricing, as well as door prizes and other giveaways. CARSTAR’s National Technical Manager Bill Davidge was the driving force behind the vendor information night.
“Technology advances very rapidly, but not everyone can make it to NACE or the other big shows. We want to make sure our stores have the most current information possible on new equipment and products,” he says.
Store management was encouraged to bring technicians to the event. The busy life of a working tech often doesn’t allow them time to talk with vendors and manufacturers. Davidge says events like this help to fill the gap.
“We really wanted techs there, so they could get some one-on-one time with the vendors,” says Davidge. “They’re often under a lot of pressure to get their production done when they’re in the shop, so this is an opportunity for them to really get a handle on the new equipment and ask questions without having to worry about the work piling up.”
There was a lot of interest in the live demos from companies such as H & S Auto Shot, exhibiting the firm’s aluminum dent station, and J.E.S, showcasing the Spanesi TOUCH System and Tecna resistance welder.
AkzoNobel’s exhibit included the company’s new Manual Proportioning Unit, which promises to reduce time and material wastage when mixing clears. Simply select fast, slow or medium, and the clear is perfectly mixed and ready within seconds. The company also showed off the new MetaAlloy CI Primer Repair System for aluminum.
Representatives of Caruk & Associates were on hand, showing off Steck’s tools for rivet extraction and insertion, as well as the company’s Skin Zipper for aluminum.
Jamie and Don Treschak of Treschak Enterprises provided demos of the new Treschak Mobile Depot, a system the company has developed which greatly simplifies inventory, ordering, invoicing and much more.
Other exhibitors included Uni-ram Corporation, Carcone’s Auto Recycling & Wheel Refinishing, Norton Abrasives, 3M and Goliath Carts.
For more information on CARSTAR, please visit carstar.ca.
