Press Releases
Belron US Technicians Commute to China for Repairs
Technicians to spend four weeks repairing damaged vehicles in Shanghai
COLUMBUS, Ohio - March 20, 2008 - Twelve Belron US employees departed Saturday for Shanghai to spend four weeks repairing glass in more than 500 Acura TLs damaged by a storm before being exported to China.
Belron US' four-year-old partnership with Dent Wizard, the world leader in paintless dent removal, in responding to catastrophe situations in the United States led to an invitation to go to China to assist with repairing the damaged vehicles.
More than 60 Belron US technicians across the United States applied to be on the China team, but only 12 were selected. The technicians had to meet certain requirements, including receiving a recommendation from their division or general manager on their skills and expertise, productivity and availability. Whether or not the associates had a passport also was a consideration.
"We were just overwhelmed at the amount of volunteers who were interested in participating in this trip," said Scott Gardner, director of technical and operations training for Belron US. "Our associates are doing a great service and are both honored and excited to be going. This is a great opportunity for our hardworking associates to travel and experience a different culture."
The cars became damaged before they were loaded onto a cargo ship bound for China. Honda made the decision to ship the vehicles and then requested the top technicians from the United States make the repairs after the vehicles' arrival in China.
The Belron US employees will work alongside a team from the Columbus, Ohio office of Dent Wizard. The glass damage on the vehicles was significant. The 500 vehicles have more than 3,000 pieces of glass that need to be replaced.
While Belron US' Safelite AutoGlass team has sent groups and task forces to various areas in the U.S., this is the first international trip of its kind for the company.
Alan Whipple, Elite Auto Glass/ Safelite AutoGlass general manager in Denver will be leading the team of technicians traveling to China, which include:
- Harry Baum from Bethpage, N.Y.
- Scott Corbiser from Hagerstown, Md.
- Jeffrey Dittmer from Boulder, Colo.
- Mark Green from Cadillac, Mich.
- Steven Gomez from Long Island, N.Y.
- Tyson Kallberg from Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Richard Kanthavong from Denver
- Dwayne Klimenko from Warren, Ohio
- Aleksandr Kumits from Santa Ana, Calif.
- Johnny Lee from Pasadena, Calif.
- David Lundblad from Wichita, Kan.
- Shane Marvil from Cherry Hill, N.J.
About Belron US
Belron US, a subsidiary of Belron S.A., is a multi-faceted vehicle glass and claims management service organization based in Columbus, Ohio. The company is composed of three major business operations that include vehicle glass fulfillment services, operating under the trade names Auto Glass Specialists(R), Elite Auto GlassTM and Safelite AutoGlass(R); windshield manufacturing; and Safelite Solutions(R) which offers fleet and insurance claims management services. The company employs more than 7,000 people throughout the United States.
###
For additional information, please contact our
Media Relations department.
|
