ETI Exclusives
 The Things You Hear
Sometimes you Just have to be there...
By Bob Chabot
ToolTech and Summer Tech Week have come and gone - two of three annual events that the Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI) hosts each year (Winter Tech Week is the other). Those who missed the events can review some of the content by in presentations uploaded to the ETI website. But it is the nuances you gain by actually being present at these events - the things said, heard and shared face-to-face during or between sessions - that is often the real genesis of change and opportunity. That’s where light bulb moments arise, insights linger and business opportunities are discovered.
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GM Collision Tames Globalization
ETI - GM meetings target improving vehicle repairability in the aftermarket
By Bob Chabot
“Even though you may physically be able to do something, that doesn’t mean you should,” says Randy Boyd, team leader for General Motors Aftersales Service Engineering Body Structures, Closures & Exteriors group. He made the statement during a presentation to Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI) Collision Repair Group at the recent Summer Tech Week. For those ETI members present who are dedicated to supplying, equipping and training body shops, Boyd then explained why.
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 I-CAR Reaches Out To ETI
Improved OEM–Aftermarket relationships deliver better education and training
By Bob Chabot
While new automobiles will need periodic mechanical maintenance, most of it is done at dealership facilities, especially during warranty periods. In contrast, new vehicles are also in accidents from the day they are introduced, which require proper collision repair sooner than later. In the case of collisions, most repairs are made by independent body shops, not dealers. Consequently, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the aftermarket have in many ways cooperated more readily and fully to facilitate full and complete collision repair.
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The Equipment and Tool Institute Announces New Directors
ETI congratulates two new Board Members on their appointment to office. The Equipment and Tool Institute has appointed Robert Vogt, CEO and Chief Engineer of IOSiX, LLC and Zachary Parker, CEO and Owner of Redline Detection to fill Open Board Seats expiring in 2014.
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Messages from ETI Leadership
 Wearing Two Hats
By Charlie Gorman
ETI is an organization that creates a means for companies involved in the automotive tool and equipment industry to interact to the mutual benefit of all concerned. Funded by dues and event fees paid by member companies, ETI often functions as a means of enhancing the image of our industry by providing a unified voice on matters that may have an impact on our industry. ETI Makes it possible for companies involved in our industry to work together on issues of common concern.
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 The More You Know...
By Jessie Korosec
For the past 3 years, ETI has been conducting a series Marketing Research projects in an effort to assist our members in bringing new and improved equipment and tools to the marketplace. It is difficult to be a successful company without having the right data about end users, products, and the market in general. Market research is an essential management tool to assist in enabling any company to survive and thrive in today's fiercely competitive aftermarket tool and equipment segment.
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Industry Insights
The Right to Repair Act and ETI
By Charlie Gorman
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Right to Repair bill (HB 4362) into law August 7, 2012. You will also hear this bill referred to as the Compromise Bill. The law takes effect in 45 days, including the provisions that are the most important to ETI members. Other provisions become effective in 2018. So, what does all this mean to ETI members? Read the article here
There's New Technology Coming
Automotive News
Long before we have figured out current technology, along comes newer, more sophisticated technology that tends to put everything else into the obsolete folder. When it comes to technology, car companies do it backward. Younger customers understand and want the latest and greatest in telecom devices, video games and computers - whether in a car, a smartphone, or a laptop. Those younger customers are the first adopters because they love the technology and understand it.
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U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee Holds Hearing on PARTS Act
Boby Shop Business
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet recently held a hearing on the Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade and Sales (PARTS) Act, H.R. 3889.
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Business Buzz
3 Keys for Killer Meetings
American Express
People don’t hate meetings. They just hate your meetings.
The reality is that most people don’t know how to run effective meetings, and they need help, which is probably why you’re reading this.
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5 Faux Pas That Will Kill Your Client Relationships
Fast Company
Overfilling their inboxes, operating in a vacuum, or pushing potential clients "off a diving board" all make the list. What else should?
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Wise Words
Be smart enough to hold on or be brave enough to let go...
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