Here Are the Top Takeaways from Auto Glass Week™ 2023
By Ellen Rogers
Calibration was a big topic during AGW. Jacques Navant, chair of the Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC) ADAS Committee and technical director of Don’s Mobile Glass, moderated the session titled “Evaluating Calibration Business Strategy and Equipment.” The panel included several subject-matter experts: Josh McFarlin, president and chief operations officer at AirPro Diagnostics; Chris Chesney, vice president of training and organizational development for Repairify/asTech; Chris Sobieski, North American special projects manager at Snap-on Equipment; and Peter Brown, president of Tiny and Sons and vice president of the AGSC.
One of the hot-topic questions was whether calibrations should be done in a controlled environment vs. outside.
McFarlin said full-size targets should be in a controlled environment. “You can control the otherwise uncontrollable environmental elements,” he said.
Sobieski added, “They should absolutely be done in a controlled environment and follow OEM procedures. Direct sunlight will wash out what the camera sees. Proper lighting in the shop is critical.”
Chesney agreed. “We take a picture of everything … and put all the documents in a package for the customer …”
“It’s all about documentation,” echoed Sobieski. “It comes down to documenting that the work was performed. You need to have everything documented, all the way down to the VIN of the vehicles.”
He continued, “It’s great to show someone that you did it, but it’s the message from the manufacturer’s position statement that you must do it. It’s no longer open for interpretation. It’s mandatory that it be done.”
Market Report
In his market update, Nick St. Denis, research director for Key Media & Research (the parent company of AGRR magazine), offered a look at some calibration trends. He cited data from AAA and the Highway Loss Institute.
“97% of new vehicles in the U.S. have at least one ADAS feature,” said St. Denis, adding that one in five vehicles currently on the road have an ADAS feature.
“In 20 years, 95% of all registered vehicles in the U.S. will include most ADAS features,” he added.
For example, he looked at the number of repair/replacement vs. calibration jobs at Safelite’s parent company Belron. Drawing from the company’s financial reports, in 2019, 7 in 100 jobs were calibration. By 2022, that number grew to 20 in 100.
St. Denis also looked at the estimated percentage of registered vehicles by feature in 2020 vs. 2026. Rear cameras, for example, are expected to increase from 44% to 71%; lane-departure warning from 14% to 44%; and autonomous breaking from 11% to 43%.
“The presence of calibration among those in the industry is expanding exponentially,” he said.
C-Suite Perspective
A panel discussion with several industry executives offered insight into industry trends and changes impacting the auto-glass sector. Debra Levy, publisher of AGRR magazine, moderated the session and began by asking panelists to discuss some of the business or operational changes they’ve made over the past year.
Josh Schwermer, chief technology officer for Omega, said they have made external changes in response to consolidation in the industry. “We had to change our approach to market to accommodate larger enterprise growth,” he said.
CEO Ramzi Hermiz says Carlex is thinking about more than just the function of the windshield. “Systems HVAC in the car is smaller because the windshield is being designed to keep the inside comfortable.”
Panelists also discussed the future of ADAS technology.
“I don’t see it going away, but growing and becoming a bigger part of the industry,” said Paul Anaya, president of Nielsen & Moller Autoglass USA. “It’s an added-value service.”
Clint Mort, CEO with Don’s Mobile Glass, said he anticipates growth. “How do we position ourselves to handle that?” he questioned. “We want to make sure customers are 100% safe [and the vehicle is] back to factory settings when they leave.”
Another question addressed how much influence insurers will have in the future.
“The influence of insurers is a driving force in the industry,” said Michael Parisi, president of Sunroof Express. “It greatly influences where the job is done and by whom.”
Mort suggested companies should find ways to differentiate their operations to show customers why they should choose them to do the installation. He said that when customers advocate for what they want, that will help drive their decisions.
How OEMs can help technicians with training and certification was another discussion topic.
“Provide the understanding of what’s going on in the glass, in that system,” said Hermiz. “And provide the tools to understand the technology behind it. You need to understand the questions to ask.”
Smiley also weighed in on ways aftermarket glass companies can best handle some of the geopolitical issues happening globally.
“Use your resources and check in with your distributors,” she said. “Your distributors want to be the good guy for you. Get a network of people you can deal with, and don’t be afraid to go outside your normal scope.”
Anaya said at his company, they learned a lot about supply-chain issues after Covid hit.
“As a distributor, we learned the importance of having multiple sources,” he said.
Meet the Competition Winners
The winners of the Auto Glass Technician Competition, Windshield Repair Competition, Customer Service Competition and Calibration Competition were announced Friday night during Auto Glass Week™ 2023 in Virginia Beach, Va. Congrats to all the winners!
Ingenuity Award: Irving Mayo, Hall Auto Glass
2023 Customer Service Grand Champion
Joni Nicely, Mel’s Auto Glass
2023 XYG Auto Glass Technician Competition Winners
1st Place: James Chapman, Richardson Glass Service
2nd Place: Raul Plascencia, Direct Quality Auto Glass
3rd Place: Aaron Bradford, Driftwood Auto Glass
2023 GlasWeld Windshield Repair Competition Winners
1st Place: Mauricio Hernandez, Auto Glass Tec
2nd Place: Bradley Aydelott, Glass Monkey Chip Repair
3rd Place: TJ Tirado, Windshield Fitters
2023 Autel Calibration Grand Champion: Jace Geffken, Transparency Auto Glass
2023 Customer Service Grand Champion: Joni Nicely, Mel’s Auto Glass
Get to Know the Winners
Scan the QR code to watch a newscast featuring the winners of this year’s event. If you’re reading the digital edition, simply click the image to watch.
Show Stoppers: Auto Glass Week™ on the Show Floor
More than a hundred companies took part in Auto Glass Week™ (AGW) as event sponsors. The show provided an opportunity for attendees to meet and connect with companies offering a wide range of products for the entire industry.
Keynote and Platinum sponsor XYG North America celebrated its 35th anniversary. The company featured a range of new windshields as well as some of its most popular products. Attendees stopping by the booth were also treated to a magic show and the chance to win prizes.
Stewart Peregrine, senior executive of sales for ADAS with Platinum sponsor Autel North America, said AGW is an important event for his company and one where they share new products that can help businesses in the industry. This year, Autel launched new Subaru targets.
“All OEMs come out with new makes and models … and we have to validate each vehicle, and that takes a lot of effort and engineering time and validation to make sure it all works,” said Peregrine.
Glass Options
Silver sponsor PGW Auto Glass focused on the technologies and innovations driving the industry forward, such as ADAS systems. The company has made significant investments to ensure its replacement windshields match OEM windshield technology.
“Auto Glass Week is always a highlight of our year, and we’re excited to connect with industry leaders and partners that support our philosophy of offering the right tools to get the right part for the right fit,” said Tim Glover, senior vice president of sales. “We have had a great year so far and anticipate nothing less in the future.”
Vitro Automotive, also a Silver sponsor, offers OEM and replacement glass products and has seen growing interest in calibration. U.S. sales executive Teresa Pyle added that Vitro recently opened a new warehouse in Houston.
Turkish glass company Sisecam was a Silver sponsor as well. This year was its first time being at AGW. The company has been increasing its U.S. presence and featured a number
of its glass products for the automotive industry. Its eco-friendly products support and contribute to zero carbon targets and also allow for decreased fuel consumption by controlling heat and contributing to a reduced carbon foot print.
Calibration Tools & Equipment
Calibration continues to be a focus for much of the auto glass industry. A number of companies demonstrated new products and technologies in this realm.
AirPro Diagnostics showcased several products including its Auggie forward-facing camera calibration solution. Josh McFarlin, president and chief operating officer, said the Auggie recently passed third-party testing according to National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration standards. The testing involved calibrating a vehicle then testing its ADAS features on a test track.
“It’s producing a digital version of the target but at a scaled-down version so it can be on plane with the vehicle,” said McFarlin.
Diagnostics and calibrations were also a focus for AsTech. Denise Caspersen, director of remote calibrations, explained the company offers both local and remote calibration services. They also offer a service called ADASThink, which is an advanced ADAS identification system designed to make identifying required calibrations quick and easy.
Launch Tech USA also featured its calibration and diagnostics equipment. ADAS technical trainer Christopher Arteaga said his company is constantly improving its products given the ongoing developments in ADAS.
“There is no way around it. The world has changed,” he said. “It’s not just simple auto glass. The systems have to be calibrated anytime they are removed from a vehicle.”
Another Look
For more insights and products from the AGW show floor, scan these QR codes to watch our newscasts from the event.
Keynote Spotlight: One-on-One with Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White
Five-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist Shaun White was this year’s AGW keynote presenter sponsored by XYG North America. White sat down with avid snowboarder Daniel Snow, vice president of Glass.com®, to talk about his career, starting up and operating a business and more.
White shared his story with an attentive audience at AGW. His story began at a California YMCA skate park frequented by skateboard legend Tony Hawk. The meeting propelled White into a career in skateboarding and snowboarding.
“Success without fulfillment is the greatest failure,” he says. He also shared some advice for this year’s AGW competitors. “Visualize [the win],” he shared. He said he has been a goal-setter throughout his career and worked to visualize his achievements.
And the Award Goes to …
Jacques Navant, technical director for the Calibration Station, Don’s Mobile Glass and frogitout tools, received the Carl F. Tompkins Award, the industry’s highest honor. The award is named for longtime industry veteran Carl Tompkins, the first recipient of the honor, then known as the Auto Glass Safety Award.
In presenting the award, David Leach, chief operating officer of Don’s Mobile Glass, said of Navant, “Jacques wants to change the world through auto glass. This is his life’s work. It’s fulfilling that the AGSC sees in him what we see in him.”
Navant, who has been in the industry for nearly 30 years, also serves as a board member for the Auto Glass Safety Council and chairs its Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) committee.
“It started as a summer job,” Navant told AGRR of his career. “I had just finished high school and was contemplating going into engineering or commercial art. I got a summer job at an auto glass company. It escalated into a career. It’s a summer job that never ended.”
Back to School
Auto Glass Week 2023 hosted its second-annual Career Day. The event featured presenters from companies in the automotive glass industry who spoke to nearly 50 vocational students. Speakers included Korey Gobin with Delta Kits, who spoke about windshield repair; Shauna Davis from Equalizer, who spoke about windshield replacement; and Peter Brown from Tiny and Sons, who spoke about calibration.
After the sessions, the students had the chance to hit the show floor to try some tools and techniques themselves.
Ellen Rogers is editorial director of AGRR magazine. Email her at erogers@glass.com and connect on LinkedIn.
To view the laid-in version of this issue in the digital edition, CLICK HERE.
