Recognizing Experts in Education: Plano ISD Teacher of the Year Awards

And the award goes to…

Jennifer Denton of Wilson Middle School and Lilly Wisler of Barron Elementary School took home the evening’s top honor at the Plano ISD “Teacher of the Year” gala. They are the 2015 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year.

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They were chosen from nearly one-hundred teachers, nominated by their peers. The Teacher of the Year Selection Committee members had the tough task of choosing the winners after interviewing all the nominees.

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The Teacher of The Year winners got more than an award. They will also get to drive a brand new Lexus for the summer, courtesy of Park Place Lexus Plano.

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General Manager Chris Brunner was on hand to congratulate the winners and present the “Summer in a Lexus” prize-pack, which also includes Texas Rangers tickets and Dallas Arboretum passes.

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Park Place Dealerships would like to thank all the teachers for their selfless dedication and contribution to the community.

Historic Win In Monterey for Park Place Motorsports

Park Place is celebrating a historic win at the races in Monterey, California. Patience and preparation put Park Place Motorsports in the top spot in the winner’s circle. The No. 73 Park Place car- a Porsche 911 GT/ Justice Brothers / Children’s Tumor Foundation Porsche 911 GT America competed at the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship during last weekend’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix in Monterey, California.

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Drivers Patrick Lindsey and Spencer Pumpelly led the team to victory after a difficult start to the season.

It is great to get the monkey off our back,” said Team Principal and co-driver Patrick Lindsey. “We’ve had really fast cars, qualified well, and bad luck has kept us from the top of the box. This is just the first win to get out of the way, there are a lot more to come.”

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Good luck and careful management of resources contributed to a dominant performance. They weren’t off to the best start at the Sunday race, a slight balk on the start allowed a few competitors to get ahead during the opening laps.

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As the race went on, momentum shifted as the competitors started pulling over for pit stops.

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Team Park Place Motorcars knew the challenges ahead with the twists and turns of the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Californian Patrick Lindsey had a strategy in place: patience and managing his tires and fuel would be key to winning.

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Patrick was able to pit from the lead with just over one hour remaining, handing the reigns to teammate Spencer Pumpelly for the rest of the event.

The start was pretty bad for us,” said Lindsey. “If it weren’t for the guys on the pit box though, and our crew over the wall that executed just awesome pit stops, I would have been in a world of hurt.  They gave me the chance to shoot out front, get a little bit of a lead and control from ahead.  And Spencer got in the car and did what Spencer does best which is go out, run hard and win races.”

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With Pumpelly comfortably in the lead, all attention turned to managing fuel for the rest of the race. The team’s calculations worked perfectly putting them first at the finish line and taking the first TUDOR win for the team in the process.

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This was a team effort from start to finish,” stated Pumpelly. “The car was fantastic all weekend. Everyone did a great job. Patrick drove really well this weekend and got his first pole. We proved we had a fast car, all we needed was good drives, good pit work and a little bit of luck that we haven’t had. Sure enough, Patrick gave me a huge lead. The guys got us on and off pit road, twice, faster than I’ve ever seen them do it. Just flawless. True team effort today!”

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Up next for the team is the highly challenging Grand Prix of Detroit at the beautiful Belle Isle circuit on May 30th. We wish the team all the best as they prepare for the race. Be safe and Good Luck!

 

 About Park Place MotorsportsPark Place Motorsports is an extension of Park Place Dealerships.Park Place Motorsports augments the unparalleled attention its dealerships provide by offering customers a premium level of support in relation to their motorsports activities. Services include maintenance and repair, driver and racecar support, and parts engineering and distribution. These offerings are authentically promoted by Park Place Motorsports’ flagship GT Daytona team in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. 

 

New Swedish Model Revealed at Park Place

A hot, brand new Swedish model with curves to die for created quite the stir.

All eyes were on the sleek physique draped in a semi-sheer silver cover-up, sitting in a dimly lit lounge at Park Place.

The energy and anticipation were palpable…. The countdown finally culminated in the Fresh Faces of Fashion unveiling the exciting all-new 2016 Volvo XC90.

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2016 Volvo XC90
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2016 Volvo XC90

The design is bold yet elegant while the engine is powerful yet efficient. The XC90 is pure luxury all around, offering comfortable seating for seven.

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You can pre-order the XC90 right now at Park Place Volvo. Only three-thousand all-new XC90s will be available in the U.S. If the excitement in the room after the unveiling is any indication, most of them will soon call Dallas home.

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2016 Volvo XC90

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To celebrate Volvo’s new addition to the line-up Park Place Volvo partnered with Stanley Korshak and Modern Luxury Dallas. The event was also a Wrap party for 2015 Fresh Faces of Fashion- a group of influential women dedicated to fashion, the community, and giving back.

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2015 Fresh Faces of Fashion

Throughout the evening guests enjoyed a smorgasbord of Swedish-inspired treats and a preview of the latest Swedish fashion. The high-fashion lounge of Carin Rodebjer featured the designer’s latest fashion meanwhile Absolut Elyx Vodka served up delicious martinis…shaken, not stirred.

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Stanley Korshak fashion lounge. Fashion by Carin Rodebjer.

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For the gentlemen, an Eton Shirt Suite showcased menswear and accessories from Eton and offered Glenlivet and Chivas High Marque tasting.

Frost 321 cranked up the cool factor with their signature frozen drinks made by combining liquid nitrogen ice cream and cocktails.

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Perrier-Jouet provided champagne for the Stanley Korshak Beauty & Bubble Bar where guests sipped champagne while make-up artists worked their magic doing make-up.

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The celebration didn’t end there. Park Place Volvo  and Modern Luxury Dallas donated $5,000  to The Salvation Army Echelon group- an organization of young adults who are rising up to serve The Salvation Army through donations and fundraising.

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A big thank you to all our partners and everyone who helped Park Place Volvo reveal the all-new 2016 Volvo XC90.

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Park Place BodyWerks: Restoring Vehicles and Smiles

An innocent bystander caught in a police shoot-out in Lewisville, Erica Montes was lucky to get out alive; her Honda CR-V however, sustained a lot of damage. Adding insult to injury, her claim for repairs was denied.

After several months of back-and-forth with the insurance company, Ms. Montes came to terms with her SUV being riddled with bullet holes.

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What she didn’t know is that her story caught the attention of Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth- General Manager, George Johnson, and things were about to get a lot better.

Mr. Johnson reached out to the manager of Park Place BodyWerks Fort Worth, David Norris, who invited Erica to stop by the body shop for the necessary repairs; oh and those repairs…they’re on the house.

Having been through so much, Montes was thrilled with the offer and knowing that her car will be restored.

In 2-weeks, Park Place BodyWerks fixed the damage from the shoot-out, but that’s not all they did.

Having taken panels and bumpers off, the body shop technicians noticed several other bumps and bruises on the CR-V that needed to be fixed or tended to. They fixed and replaced a laundry-list of small items that made a big difference. The icing on the cake- a complete detail and a full tank of gas; also compliments of Park Place BodyWerks.

When Erica came to pick-up her CR-V, it was unrecognizable.

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It was no longer the dull silver SUV with rusty bullet holes she dropped off just 2-weeks ago, it was whole again and shiny.

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There was more than a car restored that day. Montes’ smile was back on her face and that put a smile on ours!

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A Bugatti Wish Fulfilled and Memories Made

An experience to last a lifetime and a permanent grin to prove it.

Park Place teamed up with the Make-A-Wish foundation to make 7-year-old Michael Hollis’ dream come true.

His dream…worth nearly $3 MILLION!

Watch Michael Take The Ride Of His Dreams!

The young boy, battling leukemia, is a fan of fast cars and auto-racing video games.

Naturally, he wanted to experience a Bugatti Veyron for himself.

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Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse

Michael, along with his mom and dad flew in from San Antonio for the big surprise, arranged by Park Place Premier Collection, Make-A-Wish and Bugatti.

They pulled up for Michael’s big surprise in a white stretch-limo.

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Michael had no idea what was in store for him till he saw his dream car…a black and blue Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse…with a Bugatti factory driver.

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The driver wasn’t just any driver, it was Butch Leitzinger- a race car driver who won the famed Rolex 24 at Daytona three times.

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Butch Leitzinger- Bugatti Factory Pilot

Michael- stunned and excited, climbed into the Bugatti, taking it all in while Butch explained what each button does and how the super car, packing 1200 horsepower- taking it from 0-60 in under 3 seconds, works.

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After a thorough overview and Michael’s Bugatti hat on, the duo was off for the ride of a lifetime.

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Although the car tops out at 255 mph, Leitzinger didn’t go quite that fast.

Michael, taking it all in during the ride was all smiles, waved to cars as they passed.

After the ride, Michael and his family got a personal tour of the Park Place Premier Collection- checking out Rolls Royces, Bentleys and other awe-inspiring luxury vehicles.

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Michael Hollis in a Rolls Royce
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Malcolm Gage- Park Place Premier Collection New Car Sales Director with Michael Hollis and a Bentley
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Simon Crossley- Park Place Premier Collection Sales Consultant showing a McLaren to Michael Hollis

Bugatti and Park Place didn’t let Michael leave empty handed. He received quite the swag bag full of goodies from Bugatti to ensure he’ll have plenty to remind him of his experience of a lifetime.

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(L) Heath Strayhan- General Manager Park Place Premier Collection (M) Michael Hollis (R) Butch Leitzinger- Bugatti Factory Pilot

Check out the full Park Place Premier Collection and Park Place Bugatti.

Legacy of Love at Park Place Lexus Plano

Park Place Lexus of Plano rolled out the red carpet for a fun evening of fashion, food, and fundraising. The Women’s Auxiliary group- Legacy Chapter hosted its annual fundraiser “Legacy of Love” benefiting Children’s Health in Plano.

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The raffle table was loaded with goodies ranging in value from $1,500 to $6,000. Everything from a Tory Burch gift bag to a trip to Mexico was donated for “Legacy of Love”. Park Place Lexus also donated a ‘Weekend in a Lexus’ package, which includes dinner and theater tickets.

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Fashion designer Nicole Miller was a special guest at the event. She is also one of several designers who provided fabulous outfits for the fashion show.

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(L) Nicole Miller (R) Diane Hopson

Some of the youngest models who commanded the runway were patients from Children’s Health.

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Former star of The Bachelor Jake Pavelka & Amy Vanderoef emceed the fashion show.

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Pictured: (from left to right) Amy Vanderoef, Diane Hopson, Jake Pavelka

Guests enjoyed treats from Sambuca 360, Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Moët & Chandon, and Silver Star Whiskey.

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2015 Legacy of Love event at Park Place Lexus Plano

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Also a real treat were the gift bags, loaded to the brim with goodies from fantastic sponsors.

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Dallas Blooms

Dallas Blooms is in it’s final week at the Dallas Arboretum. If you haven’t visited this beautiful Dallas attraction yet this year, now is the time! There’s more to see than delicate cherry blossoms and brightly hued tulips popping up across the lush lawns this year. A Porsche, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Volvo are also on display. Park Place Dealerships is the exclusive automotive sponsor of the annual event and have added some of our favorite cars to the mix.

A white Volvo XC-60 welcomes visitors to the Arboretum as they drive up. It’s one of several Park Place vehicles providing a perfect backdrop for pictures.

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Not far from the entrance, perched among the pastel-colored tulips is a picture-perfect black Porsche Boxster GTS.

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Cool Thursday Concerts got a little cooler with the addition of a stylish silver Mercedes-Benz ML350 greeting visitors on the lawn.

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This year’s theme, “Deep in the Hearts of Texans”, pays homage to The Lone-star State with Texas-sized topiaries.

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Dallas Blooms runs through Sunday, April 12th.

Luxury Brands On Display At 2015 DFW Auto Show

Navigating a maze of cars and SUVs, the 2015 DFW Auto Show will definitely have something for every type of automotive aficionado you can find.

From antiques to the latest models fresh off the production line, the show can be a sensory overload of the best kind.

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1961 Jaguar XK150
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1989 Porsche Carrera

From the moment you walk in the door, the sight is a sea of cars. You’ll definitely want to climb inside, feel the soft leather seats, play with the latest state-of-the art technology, or even catch a view of a car that hasn’t made it to a showroom yet.

The bright lights illuminate the vivid colors of all sorts of vehicles from Lexus’ newest addition- a blue Lexus NX to an orange McLaren 650S Spider to a bright red Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Coupe spinning slowly atop a display pedestal.

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2015 Lexus NX
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2015 McLaren 650S Spider
2016 Mercedes Benz AMG GT S Coupe
2016 Mercedes Benz AMG GT Coupe

Car shopping has never been easier with so many brands and models all under one roof. You can climb into and get a feel for many vehicles on display. Shop to your heart’s content at the show then let the Experts in Excellence take it from there.

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Whether you fell in love with a Lexus or a Maserati or perhaps you’d like to experience the exquisite luxury of a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley, Park Place has locations across Dallas-Fort Worth to provide you with a car buying experience that only Experts in Excellence can deliver.

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2015 Maserati Ghibli
2015 Bentley Flying Spur W12
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2015 Volvo S60
2015 Rolls Royce Wraith
2015 Rolls Royce Wraith
2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe
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The 2015 DFW Auto Show runs through Sunday, March 29th. Purchase tickets online here.

 

Park Place Dealerships Supporting Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

PARK PLACE DEALERSHIPS SUPPORTING DALLAS BLOOMS AT THE DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDEN, WHICH RUNS THROUGH APRIL 12

In its 31st year, Dallas Blooms presents “Deep in the Hearts of Texans” through April 12 supported by Park Place Motorcars Dallas, Park Place Porsche and Park Place Volvo.

“This is one of our favorite events in which we participate annually,” said Rob Sumner, marketing director at Park Place Dealerships. “Since 1985, Dallas Blooms has been a ‘must see’ attraction. Corporate support is integral to bringing Dallas Blooms to the community each year and we are proud to be a part of Dallas Blooms.”

PARK PLACE DEALERSHIPS SUPPORTING DALLAS BLOOMS AT THE DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDEN, WHICH RUNS THROUGH APRIL 12

Pictured is Rob Schweizer, general manager of Park Place Volvo and Mary Brinegar, Dallas Arboretum President.

Some Area Body Shops Fighting Insurance Companies Over Repairs

Park Place Technician

Article by Terry Box

Most of the body shop techs at Park Place Dealerships cringe when they see the word after-market in a repair order.

Too often, after-market parts — any part not made by the original manufacturer — “just don’t fit,” said Eric McKenzie, director of body shop operations for the Dallas-based group of high-end dealerships.

After-market parts cost substantially less than original components from an automaker, but “the bottom line is they are not the same parts,” McKenzie said.

He and other body shop operators are pushing back against insurance companies, which frequently require shops to use the cheaper parts and even specify how much time they should spend on repairs.

“It all started with cost discounts on repairs, but then they began wanting changes in labor rates and telling us which parts we should use,” McKenzie said. “When an insurance company controls a shop’s profits, they have to take shortcuts.”

The insurance companies created the system, and large companies like State Farm say the direct-repair programs save consumers money.

“State Farm certainly understands the need for repair shops to remain vibrant and healthy,” spokesman Gary Stephenson said. “We also have a high interest in repairs being done at a reasonable cost.”

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More than a decade ago, State Farm, the largest auto insurance company in the U.S., was sued over the use of after-market parts in repairs.

Since then, Stephenson said, State Farm has “discontinued prescribing” after-market parts in most repairs.

Most insurance companies, however, continue to demand them, body shop operators say.

The parts are generally 20 to 50 percent less expensive than OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts from an automaker.

But they are just one of the issues that unite Park Place Dealerships, Sewell Lexus, Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine and others that have joined the year-old Auto Body Association of Texas.

The association wants to negotiate changes in direct-repair programs — although it hasn’t gotten much response so far from insurance companies.

Prescribed hourly rate

The programs go by various names — preferred service providers, concierge auto repair, etc. — but they tend to work in the same way.

Insurance companies sign agreements with body shops, promising to recommend those shops to policyholders in return for the shops’ following certain cost and repair guidelines.

Shops in the network must agree to do the work at a prescribed hourly rate — $44 an hour in the Dallas area, McKenzie said. That amount is intended to cover the shop’s overhead as well as the tech’s wages.

“Just as a way of comparison, most lawn mower shops get $80 an hour,” McKenzie said.

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Some collision repair businesses — such as Park Place’s Bodywerks shops — refuse to participate in the programs, but they still have to fight the insurance companies to get higher pay.

“They just tell you, ‘Everyone else accepts that rate. Why can’t you?’” said Burl Richards, who owns Burl’s Collision Center in Henderson and is the head of the Auto Body Association of Texas.

In addition, insurance companies insist on applying that hourly rate regardless of the amount of high-tech equipment a shop might have or the experience and training of its techs.

“There’s no incentive to buy new equipment or spend more on experienced techs,” Richards said. “The system makes good shops do bad things.”

The new 45-member association would like to get consumers involved in the issue.

“When consumers get mad and start hopping up and down, that will get everyone’s attention,” Richards said.

More than 500 shops across the country have joined a lawsuit against the nation’s top insurance companies, contending that insurers send consumers to shops that spend a minimum to fix vehicles — and fail to restore them to their pre-accident condition. The Texas group and its dealers haven’t joined that suit so far.

And U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., recently urged the Department of Justice to investigate the collision repair business because much of the work is being done with after-market or used parts that could affect safety.

Honda crash-tested a vehicle with after-market parts on it and found that the parts — which are often lighter than original pieces — affected the timing of air-bag deployment.

“I have been in this business my whole life, and I have never seen shops so galvanized,” said Richards, 48. “It’s because it’s getting harder and harder to do repairs right.”

The association says consumers need to understand that they can take their vehicles to any shop they want, not just those in an insurance company’s network.

“The insurance companies tell customers that they can get their cars repaired faster at one of the program shops and that the work is guaranteed for life,” McKenzie said. “Every reputable shop guarantees their repairs for life. It is just feel-good talk.”

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Cost-cutting measures

Twenty years ago, the direct-referral programs seemed like a good deal for body shops.

Insurance companies encouraged their customers to use one of the program shops, and the shops were authorized to begin repairs immediately. In return, the shops documented the damage and specified what needed to be done to repair a vehicle, speeding up the process.

But over time, the insurance companies started adding cost-cutting measures to the agreements, specifying which parts could be used in repairs and the amount of time that could be charged for repairs, McKenzie said.

The stipulations gained extra clout when collision repair chains such as Richardson-based Service King and Lewisville-based Caliber Collision, which rely on volume repairs, accepted them. Officials with both companies declined to comment about the insurance company programs.

Park Place is not part of any network, but insurance companies expect its shops to follow the same directives for parts use and repair costs.

“Some insurance companies won’t pay you to blend the new paint with the color of the other panels,” McKenzie said. “So some shops do it anyway and just eat the cost. We do.”

Insurance companies often insist on using after-market body panels for big repairs such as damage to hoods, fenders, doors and bumper assemblies. But in many cases, the shops say, they won’t fit. The shop has to either modify the part or negotiate with the insurance company to use an original manufacturer’s part.

“In a lot of cases, the after-market companies use old dies to cast metal parts, so the edges of the die are rounded and the panel is not exact or holes that should be round are oval,” McKenzie said.

Park Place Technician

Overpriced?

The insurance companies, meanwhile, contend that automakers’ parts are priced too high — meant to earn profits for both automakers and their dealers.

While that may be true to some extent, the automakers designed and tested the parts, and they guarantee their integrity, McKenzie and Richards said.

“The quality of the after-market parts is horrible, particularly the foreign-made stuff,” Richards said. “A manufacturer’s hood and headlamp have a 99 percent chance they will fit. I don’t know what the percent is with after-market parts, but a lot of times we end up having to drill new mounting holes in the part and work with it to get it to fit — and it will still have gap issues.”

Poor fit and finish in a repair can cause additional depreciation in the value of the vehicle.

Some insurance companies won’t even pay to have the new paint on a repaired vehicle buffed out, Richards said.

“The thing is, we and lot of other shops do it anyway, even though we don’t get paid,” he said. “You have to. It comes down to your reputation.”

The Auto Body Association of Texas tried to get the Texas Department of Insurance and state legislators involved in the issue, but none has expressed any interest, Richards said.

“I don’t hate insurance companies,” he said. “I hate the way they do business. There’s got to be a way to do this and not hit consumers with higher insurance costs.”

McKenzie agreed.

“Insurance companies are partners we need,” he said. “But repairs are just not being done properly anymore.”

Follow Terry Box on Twitter at @TerryBoxdmn.