Beyond Parts

Beyond Parts & Equipment and Mark Rizzi Honored at IGA Convention

At the IGA Independents' Days awards banquet Friday, April 5, 2002,
Carolyn and Phil Rack, managing editor and publisher, respectively, of
Beyond Parts & Equipment were honored with the Carl W. Jolliff
Leadership Award "For outstanding leadership in the glass industry." In
introducing the winners of this annual award, which recognizes
leadership from people outside the glass industry, our 12 years of
service to the collision repair industry were also noted. The 2001
winner of this award was Ray Asbury of Equalizer.

We began serving the glass industry more than five years ago when we
realized that the two industries had common problems, such as arbitrary
price controls (glass networks) and audit or review firms (collision)
that reduced or eliminated line items to suit insurers' wishes. Neither
network nor audit firm personnel ever saw a vehicle, so their cuts
couldn't take into account the true cost of repairing a damaged vehicle.

Glass professionals have had to deal with networks for several years.
Collision repair readers have the advantage of learning from glass
professionals' experience in dealing with PPG's ProStars program (the
collision counterpart is CertifiedFirst) and networks' steering and
control of pricing (the collision counterpart: LYNX's new auto claims
handling plan, including first notice of loss).

In addition, Mark Rizzi, owner of ACR Glass (Alliance, Nebraska) and a
columnist for BP&E, was awarded the IGA's first Special Achievement
Award in recognition of his exceptional research skills and his sharing
of findings with the IGA. For nearly 10 years, Rizzi has been
researching and developing procedures to treat rust in pinchwelds, which
is present in far too many vehicles that have previously had a
windshield replaced. Rizzi presented a seminar on this topic at the 2001
Independents' Days. In 2002 he presented a similar seminar, updated and
accompanied by selections from the more than 850 detailed photographs he
has taken of vehicles that have come into his shop with various degrees
of rust in the pinchweld. His photos of most vehicles include several
"before," during repairs, and "after" repair.

According to Rizzi, 7 of every 10 vehicles with previous windshield
replacements, have elements of an improper installation. Many of these
have corrosion. This is despite Alliance's very dry climate. He recalls
only one vehicle that had the original windshield in it, and that was
minute.

Rizzi accepts no payment for his services to IGA. "What I do is just
part of being a responsible association member. Helping to raise the bar
of quality is something that benefits consumers everywhere."

We are honored, we thank the IGA, and we look forward to many more years
of service to our readers.

Beyond Parts & Equipment
http://www.beyondparts.com