Laura Bertolli

The newest member of the Bertolli family, Anthony, born April 9, 2007, died today of SIDS. The family was going out of town for the weekend and went in to get him up from his nap and he had stopped breathing. What was supposed to be a fun getaway weekend has turned into the worst day of our lives. My sister and husband are hysterical and the rest of us are pretty wrecked. Here I am, crying, unable to sleep and typing furiously just to keep myself busy. This is a reminder that we must treat those we love with gratitude and affection because they could be gone from our lives in an instant. I only wish I could wake up from this and find out it was just a bad dream - the worst nightmare I could have. But I WILL have to wake up and life WILL go on. I know this in my head, but my heart is screaming to stop the pain.

Hi everyone! Just got back from LA and the biggest HIN show! In the pic is Mike Garcia, the Custom Shop Manager for B. Customs. We took the 95 Toy Supra and the car was a big crowd favorite. Unfortunately, we didn't win any awards, but we're gonna do a little work on the car and the display and maybe in Alameda on Sept. 29th, we'll get something! I enjoyed the show and saw many interesting modifications. One thing I heard is that carbon fiber parts are the new chrome. These carbon fiber parts were everywhere - the hoods, spoilers, bumpers, interior door trim panels, dashboards, and even headliners! Most of the cars had doors that were modified lambo, suicide, vertical, door handles shaved, even MagicTouch where you touch the door somewhere and it pops open. Paint jobs aren't as important at this show as much as performance, suspension, wheels, roll cages, carbon fiber, audio/video and such. I saw a rear bumper with two TV screens in the corners - wild! I have more pix ...

They call it Hot August Nights San Anselmo. This car show benefits the town's holiday lights fund. In January 2005, San Anselmo was under 4 feet of water and the flood devastated both merchants and residents alike. Why, city hall just opened this week after 20 months of rebuilding. Funding was lost for the holiday lights, so Helen and her daughter, Lauren Gregory of Bloomworks put together this fundraiser, among others so the town could celebrate the holidays in style and welcome visitors back to their newly remodeled shopping district. The car show was a success. Seventy seven cars were rejected and the money refunded because of lack of space. The cars that did make it were amazing. The best of show went to a '56 Kaiser Darrin - cream color exterior and red interior. Flawless beauty and the cool thing is that the doors open into the fenders - a pocket door on a car!!! I also saw a '61 Pontiac Catalina, the first car I drove and very seldom seen at car shows. I was driving ...

Hello all, Check out bertollis.com where you will enter a portal to choose either Bertolli's Auto Body or B. Customs, the new custom shop. We have been busy working on the '95 Toy Supra that will be entered in Hot Import Nites next weekend in LA. The office remodel is about 90% complete and we hope to have a ribbon cutting party sometime in October. Other than that, summer is almost over, with the kids returning to school. That means that life will be more routine and we can gear up for a busy fall and winter at the shops. I'll be at the San Anselmo car show this Sunday, 8/19/07 and at the Fairfax car show on 9/9/07. Come out, check out the cars and say hello. Yours truly, Laura

What can I say? I have waited way too long to post to my blog. The newest development in my world is the creation of a new division at work - B. Customs. Since I love cars and hate dealing with insurance companies, I'm hoping that doing custom work will give me a creative outlet and hopefully help my company make some money. We have a new logo, are in the middle of an office/shop renovation and have completed out first custom job and are working on our second. The first is a 2007 GMC Yukon that we installed vertical door hinges, also called lambo doors; complete custom paint job; new grilles and wheels, and custom sound system. We put logo decals on the truck and drove it in the Novato Fourth of July parade. The kids and I had a lot of fun and got some great feedback. The next project, a 1996 Toyota Supra will be done by mid August, just in time for Hot Import Nights ( HIN ) in LA. But before that, I'll be in Reno for Hot August Nights - see ya!

I have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life. Thank you. Peace and a warm hug to you all. Laura

Recently the Associated Press ran an article entitled, "Need a job? Try selling a car". According to the article, auto dealers have 100,000 job openings at 20,000 dealerships across the nation. The various positions include: Sales: 42,198 Service: 37,329 Administrative: 7,120 Management: 6,903 Other: 11,253 Some positions, such as in accounting or marketing, may require a college degree, but most, including sales and management, don't. A high school diploma, some technical training and a desire to work from the bottom up are all that are required. Sales jobs can bring in six figures and technicians can earn between $70,000 and $100,000 a year. Office jobs average around $50,000 a year. The auto industry pays well and offers good job security. Parents, why not encourage your kids to consider a career in automotive?

Hi, This last weekend, the Marin County fair took place. Every year my Rotary club sponsors an ice cream booth to raise funds for our Interact club. Interact is the high school equivalent of Rotary. Marin Catholic High School Interact has about 20 members and they do community service and take an annual trip to Mexico to run dental/eye clinics or sometimes help build homes. Rotarians, their families and Interact club members staff the booth for the four days of the fair. We have a lot of fun and raise some needed money.

Summer has arrived and so have the car shows. Been to three so far, the biggest and most well known being the Good Guys at Pleasanton. This show was dominated by GM. I'm not sure why, but every other car was a Camaro. If you want to restore the classic car you drove when you were a kid, plan on spending $30k in addition to the cost of the car. There's a good chance you won't recoup your investment, but car shows are fun and you will meet lots of cool people who also love cars like you and me. See you in August in Reno!

We hear a lot of talk about hybrid vehicles, but the question most of us want to know: How do hybrid vehicles really work? These cars have two motors, one electric and one gas powered, and they work together to save gas and reduce emissions. Since there are two engines, the gas powered one can be smaller, thereby saving fuel costs. The common hybrids today use a generator as the main power plant. The gasoline engine turns the generator, which in turn, can either charge the batteries or power the electric motor that drives the transmission. During acceleration, the electric motor aids the gas engine. During deceleration and when the vehicle is stopped, the engine shuts off. This can be disconcerting the first few times you drive a hybrid. The vehicle is so quiet, it is as though the motor stalled. Employees of Bertolli's have received proper training in safely repairing hybrid vehicles. As when the air bags first came out, there will be a learning curve until the next inn...

Bumpers on most cars are made of a plastic composite material. When these get damaged, the usual repair is to remove the bumper from the vehicle, send it to a remanufacturer who will strip the old paint, repair the bumper and prime it. The body shop gets it back, paints it to match the car and then installs it on the vehicle again. Most bumper jobs are in the $800 to $1200 range, believe it or not! In some rare cases, the plastic bumper is caved in at the corner only. Try using a hair dryer and work the 'bump' out. This works especially well on Toyota Camry and Honda Accord bumpers, but try it on others. You never know, and you could save yourself hundreds of dollars in repair cost.

I've been reflecting on running my business for almost 20 years. I realized that the best way to operate a successful business is to focus on why I am in business. I know I am in business to make money. Over the years, I told myself that as a business owner, I contribute to the local economy through employment, sales, community service, etc. But really, I just want to make money. Running a business is hard work and there is no one to blame for failures or mistakes. The buck stops with me and if I play my cards right, stays with me!

Hello, This past week has been hectic. We had the commercial shoot on Saturday. I think it will turn out great. My dad, Frank, was a trooper. He is featured along with all the grandkids (11)! For a 30 second commercial, we spent more than 8 hours on the shoot. Since then they have been editing it. I'm always surprised at how much time is spent on production. Usually the result is worth the wait. I'm confident that the company that produced the commerical, IMA Interactive, will do a great job. If you like the commercial or the video on the website, I can get you more info, just call or write. Last night was the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce's annual Installation of Officers and Awards ceremony. This is my last one as a Board member. I will have served for six years, the maximum allowed. I've enjoyed all the professionals I have met and worked with and love being 'in the know' on city happenings. The dinner had a somber tone due to the fact that Ro...

Uh-oh. A month since my last posting. I had made a vow to myself that I would post at least once a week. Oh, well. Today I am shooting a new commercial. The theme is family business and will feature my father, Frank, me, and grandkids (11 of the 13). I'm nervous because I get a lot of 'constructive criticism' about the commercials I have on cable TV. I've even had hate messages left on my voicemail. The life of a faux-celebrity! Watch for it and I welcome your feedback (only good, of course).

What is CAA? California Autobody Association is our industry's leading association. Across the nation, California is looked to for help in regulations and laws relating to the autobody industry. We are lucky that our own CAA is actively lobbying for the autobody industry. They are in constant communication with the Department of Insurance (DOI), the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) and our elected officials, especially Senator Jackie Speier. Our local chapter, Golden Gate, is being revived with the help of Blake Andros (Blake's Auto Body) and myself. I'm excited to have the opportunity to get local shops involved in such an important group. We held an introductory meeting on Friday and had several shops commit to joining. We will have bimonthly meetings and hopefully take back our industry from those trying to take it away from us. For more info, please contact me and I'll be glad to fill you in on what we're doing.

Can't live without it, can't live with it! Insurance is a necessary part of our lives; life, auto, home, umbrella, liability, uninsured motorist, health, dental, mortgage, accident, earthquake, flood and the list goes on. If a profit can be made, insurance will be created to cover any loss. My wish is for insurance to stick to what they sell - monetary relief for a covered loss. I wish they would stop trying to control the manner in which the covered loss is taken care of. Let the policyholder decide how they want their medical, dental, home, auto, etc problem solved (under the terms of the policy purchased, of course). Any attempt by the insurance to control the remedies further is not the insurance specialty and ought to be left to the professionals providing the service. This is my conviction and my vision.

After a weekend of family and friends, I had a chance to reflect as I drove to work. The sky was full of clouds and the sun was peeking through. I admired the hills and trees along 101 and the view of Mt. Tam from San Rafael is one I am so grateful for. Life is beautiful. I am blessed with wonderful kids, family nearby, friends who complete me, and fulfilling work. I am lucky to work with the 'cream of the crop' - technicians who work as a team, helping and teaching each other to strive for the highest quality repairs. Take time from your stressful day to appreciate where you live and with whom you spend life. May you have a peaceful holiday season filled with love.

I just got back from an autobody convention called NACE (National Autobody Convention and Exposition). This is the biggest convention for our industry. I enjoyed attending the California Autobody Association Board Meeting. California has led the country in laws and regulations regarding our industry. The best part of NACE is hearing from other shop owners all around the nation. Some areas are having a hard time financially and others are just now learning about the low VOC paints we use here in California. I was disappointed in how many shops are dying to become a DRP (direct repair provider) for insurance companies. They think this is the only way to get work. DRPs do provide a steady flow of customers that are steered to their shop, but this is not the only way to get work. I believe in the old fashioned way of advertising, networking and getting out in the community so people know and trust you. There are a few shop owners like me, but they are few and far between. They w...

Last night Bertolli's hosted a fellowship event for my Rotary club. Each quarter we get together in the evening to have drinks and get to know each other better. We took the opportunity to honor a longtime employee, Mark Poore, who has worked in the autobody industry for 30 years as an auto painter. Everyone had fun, ate well (a Mexican feast!) and enjoyed each other's company in a less structured, informal way. For more info on Rotary - check out our club's website at www.rotary-sanrafael.org.

Hello! Today I posted my picture so you know what I look like. Of course, if you came from the website (www.bertollis.com), you would have seen me on video.