My very first road assignment as a tire journalist was to visit Paul E. Hawkinson Co. up near Minneapolis. It was just before Columbus Day in 1984, and it snowed.
And it was there that I first met Gus Hawkinson, grandson of the founder and the then head of the retread equipment maker. I was there to learn about Hawkinson’s latest NDT equipment, but I left with a friend.
A lot of time has passed, and since then Gus sold the business to Branick Industries, dabbled in consulting and retired to Las Vegas. I saw the Crazy Viking at least once a year at various shows and events, and he always had time for a quiet chat or to trade quips. Anyone who knows Gus understands his sharp, brilliant wit – often delivered with a twinkle in his eyes. Lesser men have been left to quiver at the end of one of his barbs, others suffered from debilitating laughter.
Gus’ boundless vibrancy has been taken from him, snatched away by MS. He stays pretty much at his Vegas home under the watchful eye of a housekeeper, according to TRIB chief Harvey Brodsky, who visited Gus recently. TV and reading occupy most of his time now; the disease has hampered his typing ability and, thus, his computer use.
Still, Harvey says, Gus appreciates hearing from industry friends, and enjoys calls and visits and e-mails. If you have a few moments, give him a call at 702-616-9674 (afternoon or early evening only), or drop him a note at [email protected].
* * * * * * *
Anti-Right to Repair legislation forces always manage to find new and different reasons to not support the quest of independent vehicle service shops to have the same access to vehicle service/repair information and tools as car dealers.
A recent Consumer Reports study is their latest fodder.
Under the startling headline “Citing New Study, Independent Repairers Urge Legislatures to Reject So-Called ‘Right to Repair’ Legislation,” the anti-R2R leader Automotive Service Association managed to twist the study’s actual findings to its means.
The CR study, in its June 2010 issue, “found that 84% of owners said they were ‘very satisfied’ with their repair experiences at independent repair shops. This number even exceeded customer satisfaction with franchised dealers,” according to the ASA press release.
Fair enough, 84% of drivers are quite happy using independent shops instead of car dealers. Pretty straight forward stuff.
Apparently, though, buried in the deep recesses of that fact was this head-turning extrapolation by ASA: “This study and others confirm the so-called ‘Right to Repair’ Act is a solution in search of a problem. Automakers already provide affordable access to the necessary information to diagnose and service vehicles. By investing in proper equipment and training, and subscribing to service information providers, repair shops can gain access to everything they need to repair a motor vehicle of any make or model.”
Hijacking the study even further: “Consumers across the country prefer independent repairers because they offer a convenient and affordable alternative to franchised dealers. The system is working. Independents are able to not only compete, but in many cases dominate the vehicle repair market. For these reasons ASA urges Congress and state legislatures to reject the so-called ‘Right to Repair’ legislation. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
CR asked drivers about their recent service experiences, not R2R legislation. If CR had asked consumers what they thought of the R2R situation, I wonder if ASA would have been so bold!
