NARSA’s Canadian Members Gather for Excellent Networking and Learning Experience

Many thanks go to the following industry companies for their support of the Canadian Fall Conference:

NARSA Fall Conference held in Burlington , Ontario , Sept. 24-25, 2004 , may have been the last fall event of its kind. With the recent shift in NARSA National Convention from spring to fall, the Association anticipates that it will be shifting the traditional Fall Conferences to the spring in 2005. In fact, there are tentative Spring Conferences on the schedule for Buffalo and Dallas coming up in March or April 2005. With this in mind, the Canadian Regional Committee spearheaded the first conference in Canada since Edmonton in September 2002 at the Burlington Holiday Inn just west of Toronto .

Friday began with two extremely informative tours, one of a facility directly related to the heat transfer industry and one somewhat indirectly. Arzon Limited, a Q.S. 9000 world-class manufacturer of heat transfer components for the automotive industry, opened their doors for the group. Arzon’s specialty is thinwall welded tube, a technology that offers a wealth of benefits for heat exchanger manufacturers, according to Jeff Carubba, Arzon’s President, who personally welcomed the group on Friday morning. The various tour guides made clear to the group the many advantages of Arzon’s welded tube products:

According to the company’s marketing literature, Arzon’s thinwall welded tube technology has redefined the standard by which other tube companies are measured.

From Arzon, the group headed to the offices of Paling Industries, a major North American independent truck, trailer and heavy equipment rebuilder and manufacturer. Paling’s primary business is heavy-truck and equipment repair for insurance claims, a body shop for the heavy-trucking industry. The facility was populated by dozens of “big rigs” in various states of repair at a number of repair “stations,” from paint and body, to frame and axle, and everything in between. A sideline of the repair business is in the manufacture of customized heavy-lift transporters, some of the finest mechanically driven, elevating transporters in the steel industry. Paling was asked to service and overhaul similar transporters for a steel mill client many years ago. Paling’s management recognized they could manufacture a better, more durable version of the transporter at less expense. The ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive and well at Paling Industries.

The afternoon kicked off with a trip to Burlington Springs Golf and Country Club. Six “teams” enjoyed unseasonably warm temperatures out on the links, which were quite busy on the fine Friday afternoon. NARSA thanks Thermal Components for sponsoring the event. For those not interested in golf, a smaller group headed over to the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology Tour for a peek into life at the beginning of Canada ’s industrial revolution.

The day culminated with the much-anticipated Canadian Night Party. This event, which has become a Canadian Conference tradition, offered the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, beverages, laughter, and fun. The featured entertainer, Glen Foster (a.k.a. “That Canadian Guy”), has been a headliner on the Canadian comedy circuit for more than twenty years. He has performed on numerous television shows, including five appearances with “Just for Laughs,” The Montreal International Comedy Festival, and his own comedy special, “That Canadian Guy.” As always, this popular event was brought to the attendees by the gracious sponsorship of the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers.

Saturday’s educational programming included a session titled, “Advanced Technologies — the New Challenge of 42-Volt Systems,” with Jim Moore of Delphi Integrated Service Solutions. Jim spoke of the challenges technicians will soon face with the change to the 42-volt electrical system. As Jim indicated during his program, technicians will require more training and information than ever before due to the complexity of these systems. Jim discussed the coming revolution in vehicle electronics as automakers transition to 42-volt systems.

After Jim Moore’s program, NARSA’s National Chairman, Daryl Bippert, from Lone Star Radiator in San Antonio , Texas , offered his take on, “Lifetime Warranties? Not in My Lifetime!” Daryl explained why many shop owners have become wary of the idea of a limited lifetime warranty because there are too many variables that can void the warranty. No matter how long you spend on the front end explaining to a customer about the warranty, or how much literature you give the customer (be it the average consumer or an installer account) explaining proper installation procedures and proper maintenance, or how much time you spend covering pre-existing conditions that can cause a radiator to fail, customer expectations are still very high and quite often, very unrealistic. During this extremely informative program, Daryl explained his company’s strategies for reducing the number of unjustified warranties by requiring installation procedures. While the idea of a lifetime warranty has created challenges for manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and installers alike, by taking the proper steps with a customer when you make a sale, your customers will have more realistic expectations and a better understanding of the product you’re selling.

Jim Moore followed up his early program with a session on “ Coolant Chemistry and Corrosion.” As Jim explained, coolants are one of the most overlooked liquids used in vehicle engines and yet they are one of the most important in terms of maintaining performance and longevity. Jim offered attendees the latest information covering the main aspects of coolant chemistry, coolant additives, and cooling system corrosion. Also covered were the correct procedure for testing a cooling system for electrolysis (stray current), locating the source of the faulty ground, and testing for acidity and pH levels.

The working luncheon on “Shop Compliance and Environmental Issues” was designed to provide attendees with the information necessary to understand the rules and regulations governing environmental compliance and the knowledge necessary to comply with them. Representatives from the Ministry of the Environment, as well as industry representatives, were on hand in this panel-style program to give attendees first-hand information needed to keep their shops in compliance.

After lunch, the program concluded with the product displays, which offered shop owners the opportunity to negotiate directly with our industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers. There were plenty of opportunities to discover new products, get great deals on equipment, parts, and services, and to help make a shop owner’s business more profitable in this dynamic and highly competitive segment of the automotive industry.

All in all, the Burlington Conference was very well received by attendees, an indication that NARSA continues to provide top-notch, pertinent programs to radiator shops across North America . Stay tuned for additional information about the upcoming spring meetings in future issues of the CJ.