SHOWCASE SHOP AND PRODUCT
October 2018 // autobodynews.com
AUTOBODY
TECHNIQUES
TOOLS TESTIMONIALS
3M Auto Craft Collision Repair Wichita, KS
2-3
Accudraft 4-5
Boerne and Schertz, TX
Pfeiffer Collision
Precision Auto Works 14-15
Gwatney Collision Center Sherwood, AR
PPG
Equipment Gateway
16-17
Long Island City, NY
26-27
Grand Rapids, MI
38-39
Reliable Automotive Equipment
Florida Pneumatic
Mid-Island Collision
Gerber Collision & Glass Melbourne/Harbor City, FL 28-29
Rockville Centre, NY
40-41
Saint-Gobain
AkzoNobel Ron Carter Autoland Collision Center Alvin, TX
Alamo Body & Paint
Car-O-Liner
Foundation Ambulance Fayetteville, GA
BASF Automotive Refinish
6-7
CCC Information Services
GYS Welding USA
Kentucky Collision Centers
Tracy’s Collision Center
Richmond, KY
Lincoln, NE
18-19
Sabo Auto Body Seymour, CT 30-31
42-43
SATA Dan-Am Company Drive Collision Centers
ALLDATA Bayside Body Shop Kill Devil Hills, NC
290 Auto Body, Inc. 8-9
Axalta Coating Systems CARSTAR Yorkville Yorkville, IL
Lusid Technologies
Crash Point Systems
10-11
Worcester, MA
20-21
Dominion Sure Seal
Iowa City, IA
22-23
34-35
Axalta Coating Systems Wild Wes Paintworks and Hot Rod Factory
Equalizer
NRD, LLC
C&H Body Repair
D&R Collision
Dover, OH
Orange City, IA
12-13
24-25
Lockport, NY
Greg Cline Automotive Winfield, WV
46-47
Spanesi Americas
Fix Auto Puyallup Puyallup, WA
44-45
Spanesi Americas 32-33
Matrix Wand
Auto Archaeology Honey Brook, PA
Freeland, MI
Superior Detailing & Reconditioning
Lexus of Prembroke Pines Pembroke Pines, FL
48-49
USI of North America Battle Born Autobody 36-37
Carson City, NV
50-51
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a o 2 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
7-Shop KS MSO Benefits From Better Material Planning With 3M CRiMP Tool
by Autobody News Staff
For a seven-shop MSO like Auto Craft Collision Repair, efficient products that improve profitability are vital to its success. A shop without accurate invoicing risks losing a lot of money, especially when it has 125 employees repairing an average of 750 vehicles each month. Fortunately, Auto Craft Collision enjoys easy invoicing thanks to 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division’s proprietary Collision Repair Materials Planner (CRiMP) tool, which helps during the repair planning process to document the materials that will be needed for seam sealing, bonding, corrosion protection and more. According to J.R. Sartain, president of Auto Craft Collision Repair, “The 3M CRiMP tool is a program on each repair planner and estimator’s computer that provides an easy-to-use invoicing tool to charge for all items that are required on the repaired vehicle with current pricing and quantity needed for each operation. We have tried multiple ways to account for these items, but the 3M CRiMP tool puts everything in one convenient place and provides easy invoicing and trackability. We are increasing positive profit centers that were not paid for in years past. Since utilizing the 3M CRiMP tool, we have been able to increase our ability to recoup ‘forgettables’ from $8 per repair order to over $45.” Invoicing an additional $37 on 750 vehicles each month means an average of more than $27,000 that could have been left on the table— a significant increase in profitability, thanks to the 3M CRiMP tool. The product is also extremely user-friendly and boasts the quality of customer service for which 3M is known. Sartain stated, “3M and their people provide impeccable service and support. They came in, installed the 3M CRiMP tool and spent time with each person on training until we were comfortable on our own. They have provided ongoing support with a call or email. 3M backs their products, and we see a rep weekly to ensure all our needs are met. “Our facilities also utilize all 3M adhesives, abrasives and a majority of the collision repair products that
Auto Craft Collision Repair Location: Wichita, KS www.autocraftinc.com
Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 125
In Business Since: 1976
Number of Locations: Seven Auto Craft Collision is a seven-shop MSO that utilizes all 3M adhesives, abrasives and a majority of the collision repair products that 3M offers.
3M offers. Our employees like how easy it is to use 3M products, especially the 3M CRiMP tool, and the supporting documents provided for insurance, when needed, guarantee that we have all our bases covered. Overall, using the 3M CRiMP tool has been really easy and has shown amazing results that can be tracked to demonstrate how beneficial this product has been for our organization.” Auto Craft Collision Repair was founded in 1976 by Phil Turner with one 4,500-square-foot facility in downtown Wichita, which opened as an upper-end sports car and luxury vehicle independent body shop with two technicians, a painter and a receptionist. The company grew to include several more locations until Turner’s death in 2012, and it has continued to flourish under the leadership of co-owners President J.R. Sartain, Director of Marketing and Sales Jaden Randle and CFO Tom Patten. According to Randle, “Phil was truly a father figure to all of his staff. His large portrait is displayed on walls in each store. He was ahead of his time in innovation and implementing new business concepts. His mission was to create a company solely dedicated to treating customers well and working hard for top quality results.” The shops are composed of a total of 92,000 square feet of production space and utilize a variety of top-notch equipment to ensure a high-quality repair on each vehicle. They offer storage to several of their nine DRPs as well as to all non-DRP jobs. Auto Craft Collision
provides paintless dent repair and glass repair services, and they sublet around 50 percent of their mechanical work to their mechanical shop. The shops are I-CAR Goldcertified, and most of their individual facilities have acquired several OEM certifications, with their Ridge store obtaining aluminum certification. Auto Craft Collision converted to waterborne Sikkens paints in 2007, and they recycle and participate in a bumper and headlight recycling program. Randle shared, “We are unique due to our long-lasting relationship with the community. We are truly your closest neighborhood shop, and we have relationships with many repeat customers who refer family and friends for years. We do many community and social events, such as AkzoNobel and Farmers car giveaways each Christmas and Mother’s Day. We celebrate Administrative Assistant’s Day for our referral sources with a chocolate ladies night celebration, and we also host an annual charity fundraiser golf outing called the Phil Turner Memorial Golf Classic, which attracts a full roster of golfers each year and benefits local charities.” Despite continuous changes in the collision repair industries, Auto Craft Collision forges ahead, finding value in social media marketing campaigns as well as agency referrals. “Word-of-mouth, convenient locations and repeat business continue to be our main stay,” Randle said. “Our 30-year-old slogan is ‘Where the mark of a good body shop is no mark at all.’”
DRP Programs: Nine
Combined Production Space: 92,000 square feet
Auto Craft Collision is a sevenshop MSO that enjoys better material planning with the 3M CRiMP tool.
3M Cavity Wax helps Auto Craft prevent corrosion on its highquality repairs.
3M 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division St. Paul, MN 55144 (877) 666-2277 3mcollision.com Dale Ross Daross1@mmm.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 3
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to 4 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Accudraft Booths Offer Enough Space to Repair Ambulances
by Autobody News Staff
Foundation Ambulance is an ambulance repair facility in Fayetteville, GA, that repairs emergency response vehicles. The facility’s ability to refinish ambulances that make their way to the shop is largely due to the size of its Accudraft spray booth. David Diget, vice president of Foundation Ambulance, said, “Our booth is long enough to accommodate large ambulances and even fire trucks. The ability to paint various fire apparatus is a big draw for the emergency response industry. It can be very cost-prohibitive to send an apparatus back to a manufacturer, which could be across the country, just for a paint repair that could be handled right here in the heart of the South.” Foundation Ambulance invested in a 43’4” x 16’10” x 14’16” Accudraft booth for its facility as well as a 10’ x 8’ x 8’ Pro Mixing Room that it uses to spray its PPG paints. Diget said, “The quality produced by the Accudraft paint booth is amazing. We know we will have a highquality finish the first time, every time.” Dee and David Diget founded Foundation Ambulance in October 2016 and opened in January 2017 after the closure of their former employer, the nation’s largest ambulance remounter. The pair boasts 25 years of experience in the ambulance and collision repair industries, respectively. Among the certifications they’ve received since opening are the Ford Quality Vehicle Modifier Program (QVM Certification), Certified Woman-Owned Small Business, Drug Free Workplace certification, NHTSA, GIADA, and NIADA certifications, plus the facility is PPG Delfleet Evolution certified. The facility is 24,000 square feet, where 12 to 15 emergency response vehicles are repaired each month. Although it currently employs 33 industry professionals, Foundation Ambulance is currently looking to hire more personnel to keep things moving smoothly. Foundation Ambulance is able to turn around a high number of am-
Foundation Ambulance
Location: Fayetteville, GA (678) 826-2219 www.foundationambulance.com Company At A Glance...
Type: Ambulance Repair Company Foundation Ambulance repairs damaged emergency response vehicles.
bulances and fire trucks each month because of the quality equipment it has invested in. Its two buildings are stocked with two lifts, two metal fabrication shops, a complete cabinetry facility, a complete graphics shop, an upholstery shop and “one awesome paint booth,” Diget noted. “In addition to repairing emergency response vehicles, we also offer graphics repair, fleet rebranding, used ambulance sales, ambulance remounts, and new ambulance construction. “The ambulance industry is a little bit different than the collision repair industry. Not all adjusters have full knowledge of ambulance repair. There is a general lack of knowledge among adjusters where emergency vehicles are concerned. Our role is to educate the adjusters who oftentimes have never come across an ambulance accident repair job. There are certification requirements in place that would present a liability for an ambulance that was previously in an accident and subsequently repaired and put back on the road. In the event of a future accident, the liability would be a great risk.” The increased liability concerns associated with emergency vehicle repair make it even more imperative than normal for Foundation Ambulance to ensure that it is delivering a high-quality repair. That quality begins with the products and equipment it uses for the repair process. According to Diget, “In addition to the Accudraft booth, we have a Delfleet mixing bank system, and we purchase all of our supplies from ACS, such as paper, tape, bondo, grinding discs and more. We have always used ACS at Foundation and at our previous company over
the last 18 years. The service at ACS is second to none. GSB Industries provides maintenance and filters for our booth.” Foundation Ambulance received training on how to use the paint booth and the mixing room from ACS. Diget stated, “It was very easy to implement these products into our normal business operations. With PPG’s training and technical support, they made the process a breeze. The RTS cost is low. The finished product is outstanding. Also, the team at ACS provides exceptional service from the counter employees to the management team to technicians. They are a top-notch company. Our employees appreciate the support we receive, from the ease of product application to the readily available products when we need it.” Looking at current industry trends, Diget observed “a serious lack of qualified technicians within the body shop industry,” predicting, “Unless more focus is put on educating and training our youth, the industry will be seriously struggling within the next 10 years.” Because Foundation Ambulances recognizes the importance of protecting the environment, its paint shop is equipped with a paint recycler. It also uses the recycled thinner in the production process, leaving it with a carbon footprint of zero. Community involvement is also important to Diget, who reported, “Foundation Ambulance supports Trinity Christian School’s robotics department and football team. Another way we enjoy giving back is to support various equine competitive sports through the use of our graphic shop by donating signage or customized items.”
Facility Employees: 33
In Business Since: 2017
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 24,000 square feet
Foundation Ambulance invested in a 43’4” x 16’10” x 14’16” Accudraft booth that allows them to paint ambulances.
The Pro Mixing Room by Accudraft is stocked with PPG paints at Foundation Ambulance.
Accudraft 961 Rt. 10 E, Ste 2K Randolph, NJ 07869 (800) 524-0340 x112 Info@accudraftpaintbooths.com www.accudraftpaintbooths.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 5
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c C z 6 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Ron Carter Collision Center Enjoys Excellent Color Match with Sikkens Autowave and Automatchic Vision
by Autobody News Staff
The I-CAR Gold-certified Ron Carter Autoland Collision Center in Alvin, TX, employs 27 collision repair professionals who repair around 225 vehicles each month. The emphasis on quality makes them stand out from the competition. Collision Center Director Walter Tucker said, “We fix the cars for our customers because we want them to be safe and to come back when they have a need. We stay busy because of our reputation for doing good quality work.” Tucker also firmly believes in grooming his employees and promoting from within. Both his shop foreman and his painter started as porters whose potential developed over the years. Tucker believes, “It’s the team that I’ve built here in the shop that makes us so successful. Everyone works together as a team, and that makes it easy to get the job done. From our paint manufacturer to our distributor to all of our employees, we have a good team with people who understand the business, so we work together to deliver superior repairs.” The collision center has been a long-time fan of AkzoNobel products. Tucker reported, “Switching to Sikkens in 2008 is one of the best things we’ve ever done. The quality and color-matching are excellent, and we were surprised by how much better it was than the product we were using before. Converting to Sikkens waterborne has proven to be a great business decision for us! “Sikkens offers one of the best products from a quality standpoint— there are no returns and no peeling paint, and AkzoNobel delivers great customer service. We’ve tried many brands, but they’re the best out there. It also helps that they are always available to help us. When they initially demonstrated the product, it was so easy that the painters’ only concern was why we hadn’t implemented it sooner.” Around the same time that it converted to Sikkens, Ron Carter Collision Center began using AkzoNobel’s Automatchic Vision digi-
Ron Carter Autoland Collision Center Location: Alvin, TX (281) 331-3111 www.roncarter.com
Company At A Glance... Type: Dealership
Facility Employees: 27
In Business Since: 1980
Number of Locations: One DRP Programs: Six Ron Carter’s painters are impressed with the ease of use and color-matching capabilities of Sikkens.
tal color retrieval tool and variant decks. “AkzoNobel offers more variances in color than any other manufacturer I’ve seen—there are so many choices to pick from. AkzoNobel does a really great job of keeping the variant deck up-to-date,” Tucker shared. “We have begun using the Automatchic spectrophotometer more often in recent years, and AkzoNobel has a lot of variants in their software to pull from, which helps us match any color. It’s one of the best systems out there.” Tucker began utilizing Sikkens in the shop in 2008. As part of the shop’s ongoing commitment to the environment, he converted to waterborne in 2011 before Texas changed the requirement. “The main reason we started using Sikkens years ago was because of the technical support we received,” he said. “Now our distributor is LKQ, who is here several days each week, but the Acoat Selected team visits us regularly as well. We have a very good support team for both our supplier and manufacturer that allows everything to run smoothly.” Staying aware of the latest information available is important because of all of the ongoing changes in the collision repair industry. According to Tucker, “The biggest trend is all of the electronics. Unless you stay current on how those items need to be repaired, you have a hard battle in front of you. Parts are up to 45 percent of sales every month be-
cause of all the electronic parts. We pre- and post-scan every single car that was manufactured in 2012 forward, and although we often have to fight with the insurance companies to get paid for it, we do it anyway so that we can guarantee we are performing the best possible repair for our customers. “Repairing to OEM specifications to ensure customers’ safety is another hot topic right now. Shops have to fix cars the proper way and stand up to the insurance companies to help them understand that this is how it has to be done. We do a complete disassembly on every vehicle and do not start working on a car until the parts arrive. It’s been a difficult transition since we implemented this process, but it’s worth it.” Tucker obtains many of his ideas for process improvements from the Acoat Selected performance group national meetings he attends several times per year. “The Acoat Selected meetings are very informative. We get to talk to other industry professionals to find out a lot of great information about what’s going on in the industry and what everyone else around the country is doing. Based on what we’ve learned in these meetings, we’ve put a lot of processes in place to help make the business better, including our blueprinting process and the best ways to find updates on repair methods,” Tucker noted. “I believe in the Acoat Selected system, 100 percent.”
Combined Production Space: 34,000 square feet
Collision Center Director Walter Tucker has implemented many process improvements based on information he has learned during the Acoat Selected meetings he attends twice each year.
Ron Carter Autoland Collision Center’s successes are due to the strong team that Collision Center Director Walter Tucker has built, including its employees; its distributor, LKQ; and its paint manufacturer, AkzoNobel.
AkzoNobel 1845 Maxwell Drive Troy, MI 48084 www.akzonobel.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 7
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b s 8 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Bayside Body Shop Excels With ALLDATA Diagnostics Bayside Body Shop
by Autobody News Staff
Bayside Body Shop is located in Outer Banks, a region containing about 32,000 permanent residents. However, every summer more than 400,000 tourists converge there to enjoy its idyllic setting. Owner Brian Holland opened the shop in 2003 and has since turned it into a highly successful business. At first, however, it was a tough uphill struggle. “The shop we took over was in a cinderblock 2,200-square-foot building with a makeshift sheet rock paint booth with a fan in the wall,” Holland said. “It had been around since the ‘70s, and obviously we had our work cut out to turn it into a facility we could be happy with. We renovated the shop from top to bottom. Now it’s 8,000 square feet, and we do approximately $2.5 million– $3 million in annual sales.” With no employees and a mortgage to pay, Holland didn’t panic, even though he was more than aware of the risks involved. “My family always stressed that being a business owner was the right way to go,” he said. “My grandmother was an entrepreneur her entire life, so I was encouraged to start my own shop. We approached two local investors, and they thought well of us apparently because they gave us the seed money we needed. I coown the shop with my wife, Lisa, and our daughter, Carolann, works here as well.” Brian, 51, was originally introduced to the world of collision repair at age 11 when he began helping out at his uncle’s shop, Silver Creek Body Shop in Morganton, NC. “My Uncle Charles Gettys gave me a broom, but quickly I wanted to learn as much as I could,” he said. “I was a painter for six years and it was a great experience. After I got out of the military, we returned to Outer Banks, and for a while I managed a local collision center before starting Bayside Body Shop.” In 2008, Brian decided to diversify and added a mechanical repair division as part of an expansion project. “We hired a mechanic and brought everything in-house,” he said. “Our tagline is ‘more than a
Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC (252) 441-8050 www.baysidebodyshop.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 14
In Business Since: 2003
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 8,000 square feet From left, Lisa, Brian and Carolann Holland run the show at Bayside Body Shop in the idyllic setting of Outer Banks, NC. Credit: Markee Fuller Photography
body shop,’ and it has turned out to be a smart move. We don’t have dealerships around here to help us with things such as our diagnostics, so doing mechanical repair ourselves saves us time and also brings us a lot of other types of work.” To perform pre- and post-scanning on every car that comes through his doors for collision repairs, Brian started looking around for a viable solution. ALLDATA stood out. “As a collision/mechanical shop, we have more needs than most, and we were already using ALLDATA as our management system,” he said. “When we found out about ALLDATA’s scanner and all of their diagnostic tools, we were very interested. After conducting our own research, we decided that this was the best way to go because now we have their scanning technology right here in the shop, which means we don’t have to send it off to someone else and trust them to read it, and it integrates seamlessly into our ALLDATA system.” By using ALLDATA Diagnostics, Brian’s crew is able to retrieve and clear manufacturer P, B, C and U codes and receive live sensor data from all modules/vehicle systems (PCM, TCM, SRS, ABS chassis /body systems and more). They are also able to perform full-system, exportable pre- and post- DTC scan reporting, and it’s all completely integrated with all of the ALLDATA Repair/Collision information. The codes they receive link directly to relevant
OE articles, including their new interactive color wiring diagrams, and enable them to view tech-verified repairs without ever leaving the application. “Right now we have the capability with ALLDATA to scan all of the vehicles when they come in and communicate that information from our tablets to our workstations. We have five body technicians and three mechanical techs, and they’re all using the system every day. After just one hour of training, they were up and running, and after using it continually, they’re getting better at it as well. It provides us with the detailed documentation that we need for the insurance companies,” Brian said. “Our DRPs are willing to pay for whatever it takes to repair the car properly, as long as it’s backed by accurate documentation, and ALLDATA provides that. Getting all of the information upfront means that the vehicle will be fixed correctly and be compliant with OE standards.” Now that ALLDATA Diagnostics tools have become an integral part of their production process at Bayside, Brian is very happy with the results. “We are making money, which is the goal with any tool we acquire,” he said. “The Diagnostics tools pay for themselves every month after just three days. It helps us with our DRPs and our cycle times, and we never run into surprises along the way, which is huge.”
ALLDATA’s Diagnostics tools pay for themselves every month after just three days, according to Bayside Body Shop owner Brian Holland. Credit: Markee Fuller Photography
The crew at Bayside performs pre- and post-scanning on every car using ALLDATA Diagnostics’ tools. Credit: Markee Fuller Photography
ALLDATA (877) 595-7129 www.alldata.com/collision
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 9
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a a th th ( o o m d a 10 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
CARSTAR Yorkville Helps Its Numbers With Spies Hecker From Axalta
by Autobody News Staff
Whenever you talk to CARSTAR operators, you can always guarantee that they will know their important numbers right and left, inside and out and have them at their fingertips. So when we interviewed Justin Fisher, owner of CARSTAR Yorkville, located roughly 50 miles west of Chicago, it wasn’t a surprise that it was a painless and highly informative conversation. Justin, 36, has only been in the collision repair industry for six years, but knows more than most shop owners who have dedicated their entire lives to the business. He credits much of that to the CARSTAR system, which trains its people its way and makes education and training a priority. By working with his father, Dean, for 11 months before he was hired as the MSO’s COO, Justin has been able to excel in a competitive market and grow every year. His dad founded the business in 1976, and Justin acquired it from him in 2014. CARSTAR now features more than 600 locations in North America; much of that success is credited to the systems that the company utilizes to fix cars and provide both its DRPs and customers with excellent service. “CARSTAR’s Operations platform is called EDGE Performance; all of our operators go through it,” he said. “There are multiple tiers and training mechanisms within the platform, allowing it to provide a high level of uniformity throughout the entire organization. They set us up for ongoing success and make us stronger across the board. There are several resources throughout the zone structure within the U.S. organization to gain competitive advantages in insurance relations, marketing and operationally. “We’re all independently owned and operated, so using these tools is at each owner’s discretion; perhaps the most valuable part of EDGE is the EDGE Performance Groups (EPGs). EPGs are very similar to other 20 groups, but these consist only of CARSTAR owners meeting multiple times throughout the year at different locations. These groups allow CARSTAR owners the oppor-
CARSTAR Yorkville Location: Yorkville, IL (630) 553-6564
Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 14
In Business Since: 1976
Number of Locations: One Justin Fisher, owner of CARSTAR Yorkville, is achieving big things with the Spies Hecker® Permahyd® Hi-TEC paint system.
tunity to compare financial data, industry KPIs, operational procedures and administrative best practices. We all have the same reporting mechanisms and chart of accounts, so we are able to compare more closely than maybe some of the other traditional 20 groups, which when coupled with the training and education, makes CARSTAR truly best in class. It’s a power in numbers situation, and it benefits us on many levels.” To paint more than 100 cars every month, Justin has been using the Spies Hecker® Permahyd® HiTEC paint system since November of 2016, a highly productive waterborne paint. The shop has been spraying a waterborne product for more than a decade, but this one is a completely different type of paint. Justin is delighted with the results for a wide range of reasons, he said. “With Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC, this product requires a different spraying process that is allowing us to paint 25 percent faster than with our previous paint,” he said. “Our painter liked our former paint, but once he tried this one, he said it was the best he had ever used. The advanced camera and color-matching system is the best we have ever used as well. We now have two paint prep technicians who have to work a little harder to stay up with him since we started using Spies Hecker.” Since the shop is always looking at its numbers, Fisher can clearly see that Spies Hecker is looking good and improving his stats year after year, he said. “Two years ago, we were aver-
aging 90 cars monthly, then last year it went to 94, and this year we are on track for 102 vehicles monthly. In sales numbers, that means that we’ve added almost $400,000 in total revenue, and much of that is contributed to adopting Spies Hecker, which is exceptional,” he said. Using a paint system that benefits his production in many ways allows the shop to succeed even when things get really busy, Fisher said. “We’re getting the cars out faster, which eliminates bottlenecks, increases our car count and shortens our cycle time, so we’re benefitting across the board. It’s helped us with our DRP relationships because we’re able to meet their needs, and they can see it rather clearly,” he said. Backed by strong support through a fantastic relationship with his Axalta contact and tapping into the manufacturer’s outstanding and convenient training, CARSTAR Yorkville is hitting on all cylinders with Spies Hecker. “Axalta’s Gene Wooden is the Chicagoland Market Sales Manager, and we’ve developed an excellent rapport with him. He and his team are great resources for us,” Fisher said. “Whenever you work with any vendor, you want a product and relationship that will make you a better shop, and having someone like Gene is a big part of that. One of Axalta’s training facilities is located in Itasca, IL, so it’s an ideal situation to keep our painter up to speed and improving the process.”
Combined Production Space: 9,000 square feet
Fisher can clearly see that Spies Hecker is looking good and improving his stats year after year.
To paint more than 100 cars every month, CARSTAR Yorkville has been using the Spies Hecker® Permahyd® Hi-TEC paint system since November of 2016.
Axalta Coating Systems Company Contact: Heidi Stillwell heidi.stillwell@axaltacs.com (610) 358-5353
www.axaltacs.com/corporate/en_US.html
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 11
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a h 12 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Wild Wes Produces Award-Winning Finishes With Axalta Value Brand
by Autobody News Staff
By using an Axalta product that is targeted for the value segment, Wild Wes Paintworks and Hot Rod Factory in Dover, OH, are gathering accolades and winning major awards for their work. Owned and operated by Wes Adkins, 47, and his wife, Stephanie, their two businesses are getting national exposure for both quality and creativity—and he credits much of that to his paint. Adkins established Wild Wes Paintworks in 1994, right after he earned a degree in visual communications. Earlier this year, he opened the doors at the Hot Rod Factory, where his goal is to perform half a dozen complete builds annually. With four employees that work at both facilities, Adkins likes to say that his companies are small but focused intently on high-end paint and turnkey builds. “Both of our shops are fairly small (2,500 square feet each), and we don’t do any conventional collision repair work except for occasional small jobs,” he said. “If an existing client needs something fixed, such as a minor dent or some scratches, we are happy to do it, but we’re more about creating things rather than repairing them. Over the years, we have slowly weeded out all of the lower-end projects, so if we can’t put our name on it and be proud of it, we don’t want to do it.” Five years ago, Adkins was unhappy with his former paint company. He began looking around for something better and found Metalux, which is now marketed as a value brand by Axalta, he said. “Our customers are expecting perfection, so we need a product that will perform at a high level on a consistent basis to exceed their expectations,” he said. “When we first started using the Metalux, we could immediately see that it was an ideal match for us. Almost every project we work on is part of a promotional, cross-marketing campaign with large companies in many cases, so we have to make sure the finished product is spectacular.” Some of Wild Wes’ more notable accomplishments include work he has done for Toby Keith, the coun-
Wild Wes Paintworks and Hot Rod Factory Location: Dover, OH (330) 323-4949 www.wildwespaintworks.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Four In Business Since: 1994
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 5,000 square feet (combined) Wes Adkins at Wild Wes Paintworks and Hot Rod Factory loves spraying Metalux, a product that is now marketed as a value brand by Axalta.
try singer, and well-known organizations. “We custom-painted a truck for Toby and over 150 guitars for him through Ford Motor Company promotions, and that gained us a lot of national exposure,” Adkins said. “We’ve won multiple Best in Show and Best Paint awards at different shows, and this year we will display our 21st SEMA vehicle build in Las Vegas while representing Axalta and Metalux.” In 2013, Adkins began using Metalux and immediately became a strong believer and supporter of the brand. “We were impressed by the coverage and how it sprays out so nicely,” he said. “The wet sanding and buffing is easy, and we’re saving 30–40 percent when compared to our former paint. The quality is as good or better, so we’re obviously pleased and happy [with] where we’re at with Metalux.” When it comes to pleasing his customers with unique colors or some classic favorites, Metalux excels at dead-on color matches and new one-of-a-kind formulations, Adkins said. “I work with their quality engineer, Andy Zuercher, to put together colors for us that are on the money, and they’re exactly what we need for every project,” Adkins said. “We reach out to their color lab and they always come through for us, even when we’re looking to develop a unique color that does not exist.
We have created several one-of-akind colors for customers, and that’s a real benefit of working with Andy.” Adkins values the company’s hands-on customer support and is happy to tap into the company’s extensive knowledge and experience. “Our technical consultant, Doug Markovich, is exceptional,” he said. “He comes by every few months, and each time he imparts some information that assists us to do a better job. He looks at how we’re using the product, and his advice is always on the money. If we ever have any questions, Doug is always available and willing to help. “We need color clarity, especially with these high-end projects. We never get any spotting or mottling with this product, and the application process is easy. An amateur could even get a little careless with it when they put it on and still get a great result every time and look like a pro, because the Metalux is so forgiving.” Having the ability to make the Metalux work for them on the fly is a big plus. “It comes out of the gun and lays down really nice, but we perfect it even more after that,” Adkins said. “Their clear coat provides us with a lot of depth and reflectivity. We wetsand it and finish with 2,000 grit and polish from there. We compound with a wool pad and finish with a foam pad and polish that is outstanding, and we’ve had some great success with that.”
Adkins has received numerous awards and accolades for his creativity and passion for perfection.
In 2013, Adkins began using Metalux and immediately became a strong believer and supporter of the brand.
Axalta Coating Systems Company Contact: Heidi Stillwell (610) 358-5353 heidi.stillwell@axalta.com
www.axaltacs.com/corporate/en_US.html
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 13
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BASF Is a Big Part of Alamo Body & Paint’s Present, Future Plans
by Autobody News Staff
Co-owners Mark Fuller and Randy Barnes at Alamo Body & Paint have two successful locations in Boerne and Schertz, TX, but are always looking to grow. To flourish in our highly competitive and constantly changing industry, Fuller and Barnes know they need to continually step up their game in every aspect of their business—most importantly, hiring the right people, pursuing OE certifications, refining their processes and using top-quality products such as BASF to provide exceptional service to their ever-growing customer base. Fuller has 35 years of experience in the collision repair industry, and in 2016 he and Barnes formed a partnership and purchased Alamo Body & Paint's Boerne location. One year later, they added the Schertz location, and the rest is history. They repair approximately 2,500 cars annually, much of which comes through local car dealerships. “Our Boerne store is along Interstate 10 with dealerships up and down the street,” Barnes said. “We do internal work for them—repair cars from their loaner fleets, and we get a ton of direct referrals. We have learned that many Lexus owners call their dealership before they even call the police after getting into an accident, so they’re very connected. That’s why the referrals are so strong.” By maintaining a wide range of OE certifications, Alamo Body & Paint is at the forefront of a new era in collision repair, Fuller said. “We can clearly see that today’s vehicles are becoming more and more complicated all the time, so certifications are more important than ever,” he said. “More of the OEs, such as Toyota, Lexus and Honda, are creating their own certification programs to retain their customers because if their owners have a bad repair experience, they’re likely to switch brands and [the OEs] know it. Also, now the insurers are starting to care more about certifications and the quality of a repair as opposed to simply looking for the best prices, so DRPs are starting to evolve as well.” In late 2017, Fuller and Barnes began shopping around for a new
Alamo Body & Paint
Location: Boerne and Schertz, TX (830) 443-9556 www.alamobodypaint.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 30
In Business Since: 2016
Number of Locations: Two
Combined Production Space: 17,500 square feet (l to r) Mark Fuller and Randy Barnes co-own and operate Alamo Body & Paint and love using BASF’s premium waterborne, Glasurit 90 Line.
paint supplier that would alleviate some of the issues they had encountered with their previous vendor. “We were fairly happy with their product, but we ran into problems on the supply side,” Barnes said. “We couldn’t get it when we needed it, so it impacted our production. That’s when we decided to take a good hard look at BASF's waterborne Glasurit 90 Line. We wanted to see it in action, so we went on a road trip here in Texas to see it demonstrated at other shops in the state. We met with the people at BASF and [they] took us to visit shops in Houston, Dallas and Wichita Falls, TX, before sitting down with them and outlining our needs and figuring out how we could work together. Our BASF business development manager is Dale ‘Duck’ Nelson, and we couldn’t be happier with him because he has helped us be more efficient.” The transition was seamless and the results were outstanding from day one, Fuller explained. “We started using Glasurit 90 Line on a Monday morning, and when we saw the finished cars we knew that we had made a good decision,” he said. “Our painters didn’t require a ton of training because the application process was pretty much the same as [it was] with our former paint, but the people from BASF came here for two days to teach us the intricacies of the product and the process. We have a painter and a prepper at each location, so the training was invaluable. If we ever have any additional questions, they’re ready to respond promptly with an-
swers.” One major advantage of their BASF relationship is that they will never be waiting around for product, Barnes said. “Our jobber is Capital Paint and Refinish in San Antonio, and they have been great at making sure we have more than enough Glasurit 90 Line in both facilities,” he said. “They knew that inventory was an issue with our former vendor, so we worked with them to set up a system in which we always have enough of it on-hand. We have a cabinet in each facility and someone from Capital is here every weekday, replenishing our inventory and providing enough backup. This means that we don’t ever have to order product, which frees up a lot of time for us. Time is money, and we’re saving a ton in that area alone while also simplifying our entire process.” When it comes to color-matching and how the cars look as they are unveiled to customers, BASF is ahead of the curve in both areas, Fuller said. “We’re using BASF’s camera system and hitting all of our colors the first time due to the strength of the toners,” he said. “They do a great job of updating their COLORMAX cabinet and the formulas are always spot-on, even with a difficult color like Ford’s RR, 3-stage red. When the vehicles come out looking the way they do and we see our customers’ reactions, we’re delighted. We don’t have any use for cars that don’t look pretty, and these sure do look good!”
Alamo Body & Paint has succeeded by maintaining OE certifications and using world-class products and equipment.
(l to r) Paint Prepper Rigoberto Mata and Lead Painter Julio Lopez at Alamo Body & Paint get incredible finishes with BASF’s Glasurit 90 Line.
BASF Automotive Refinish Company Contact: Tina Nelles Marketing Services Manager (248) 304-5413 tina.nelles@basf.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 15
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m a th a 16 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Car-O-Liner Products Help AR Collision Shop Drive Home Excellent Reputation
by Autobody News Staff
At Gwatney Collision Center in Arkansas, the business often tells customers that its reputation is driven home with every repair made. “We recognize we have multiple customers to serve in the collision center world,” said David Sample, the service director at the facility’s Sherwood and West Little Rock locations. “It’s very important to us to make sure that the level of customer service they receive is a very positive experience—one where they are kept well-informed.” The company was established in 1957 when Harold Gwatney opened a Gwatney Chevrolet dealership and collision center in Jacksonville. In 2005, the business expanded with a Gwatney Buick GMC dealership and collision center in Sherwood. The company also operates a satellite location in West Little Rock for the Sherwood location that handles non-structural repairs. When Sample joined Gwatney in 2007, the Sherwood collision center was approximately 6,000 square feet and employed seven workers. “By establishing rapport with our customers and insurance partners, advertising and delivering quality repairs and customer service, we were able to grow our business substantially from that point in time until today,” said Sample. Since then, there have been three expansions at the Sherwood facility. The newest location opened in May. Sample said the best kind of advertising is from the customers themselves through word-of-mouth. Car-O-Liner products have helped Gwatney Collision Center deliver a high-quality repair that customers can count on. When Sample first took over as manager of the Sherwood location, the company was utilizing other measuring and frame equipment. “We were dealing with square footage issues, and the racks in the shop were too bulky,” explained Sample. One of the first decisions he made as manager was to purchase a Car-O-Liner BenchRack. He said the BenchRack is very user-friendly and versatile because it is designed
Gwatney Collision Center Location: Sherwood, AR (501) 945-4444 www.gwatneycollision.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 32
In Business Since: 1957 Wesley Sample using Car-O-Liner’s Vision2 X2 electronic measuring system.
to hold and lift any type of uni-body or full-frame vehicle. Not only does this allow the shop to perform repairs quickly and effectively, but it also helps avoid interruptions when moving cars between different work stations. Sample was already very familiar with Car-O-Liner equipment from growing up in the collision repair business and working at his father, Wayne’s, shop—M&S Body Shop. “From the earliest time I can remember in the 1980s, we had CarO-Liner products, and we always found the capabilities of the equipment [to be] state-of-the-art,” he said. “We had great success and quality repairs, so I wanted to continue using the products while growing our collision operations at Gwatney.” Over the years, the Sherwood location purchased additional CarO-Liner products, including a CTR7 spot welder, a portable aluminum repair station and MIG welder, CARO-TRONIC Classic measuring system and one 5500 bench rack. As the company grew, so did its equipment needs. When the new location opened, they added an additional CTR7 spot welder, a 6300 BenchRack, an EVO system, eight Speed work stations and two Vision2 X2 electronic measuring systems to accompany the 5500 and 6300 BenchRacks. Sample said the shop has always been able to depend on CarO-Liner equipment for its accuracy and efficiency. “By far, the measuring system is the most user-friendly that I’ve used, and I feel that it’s very accurate,” said Sample. Using Car-O-Liner equipment,
such as the BenchRacks and aluminum repair station, he said they’ve been able to maintain the structural integrity that was built into the vehicles at the factory. “Car-O-Liner has been a great product for us to use to make sure we’re as efficient and as timely as possible,” said Sample. Since using the aluminum repair station, the shop has been able to perform more aluminum repairs than they had previously. “It’s a great product that I have full faith in,” he said. The Gwatney team has also been impressed by Car-O-Liner’s training and support. “Any time we’ve purchased CarO-Liner products, we’ve received the amount of training that we need in order to use that piece of equipment to its fullest capability,” said Sample. “Rick Peel is our Southwest regional representative, and he is always just a phone call away if there is an issue that we run into or some sort of need we may have. If he can’t come personally, he puts us on the phone with somebody who can help us out.” Sample said Car-O-Liner has been very dependable in regards to equipment updates and has allowed the shop to move vehicles through quickly and be confident that the technician has been prepared to perform the repair properly. “I’m very appreciative of the Gwatney team, which includes Jamie Cobb, owner, and Aaron Salisbury, fixed ops director, for allowing me to move forward with this latest collision center project and incorporating new Car-O-Liner equipment,” said Sample. “I couldn’t have been able to complete it without them.”
Number of Locations: Three DRP Programs: Nine
Combined Production Space: 49,176 square feet (combined)
Mike Hickman pictured with the BenchRack 6300.
David Sample, service director at Gwatney Collision Center’s Sherwood and West Little Rock locations.
Car-O-Liner (800) 521-9696 car-o-liner.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 17
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a K is d tu th 18 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
CCC® UpdatePlus Helps Kentucky Collision Better Connect With Customers
by Autobody News Staff
Kentucky Collision Centers has prided itself on providing excellent service to customers since it first opened its doors in 1997. Over the past 20 years, the business has grown to include four locations that range from 12,000 to 26,000 square feet. All are located within a 35-mile radius of Lexington, Nicholasville, Georgetown and Richmond. Tim Thacker, owner of the Kentucky-based MSO, began working at a dealership as a refinish technician in 1987. As he learned more about the collision repair industry, he decided to open his own business. Thacker first used CCC products while he was employed at the dealership. He found they were userfriendly and said CCC provided excellent training and technical support. This prompted him to use CCC products at Kentucky Collision. Thacker said that since opening his business, he has relied on the CCC ONE® platform to help him manage all four of his locations and keep on top of the company’s performance, profitability and ROI (return on investment). “The information is all in one system, so we can do our estimating, assign labor for techs, track labor and parts and interface with payroll,” he said. “I can track anything I need to as far as the day-to-day collision repair business.” The company has also depended on CCC® UpdatePlus, its consumer engagement tool, to best meet their customers’ needs since the product was launched five years ago. CCC UpdatePlus is part of the CCC ONE platform. The digital technology allows shops to email or text confirmations and automated appointment reminders to vehicle owners, which aids with customer engagement from the onset. Customers can also find out about shop hours, location and directions as well as view photos of the facility via Carwise.com. Once a new repair order is created by one of the estimators at Kentucky Collision, the information is entered into CCC ONE. Then, UpdatePlus sends out text or email status messages to customers to keep them informed throughout the repair
Kentucky Collision
Location: Richmond, KY (859) 626-9910 www.kentuckycollisioncenter.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 37
In Business Since: 1997
Number of Locations: Four CCC UpdatePlus sends out text or email status messages to customers to keep them informed throughout the repair process. ®
process. They have access to a summary of the estimate and information to contact the estimator, which can help estimators manage their schedules more effectively. “It’s a valuable tool,” said Thacker. “It allows me to connect with vehicle owners via email or text messaging and keeps them updated about their vehicles.” As soon as there is a status change with any of the vehicles, the estimators are able to communicate with customers and let them know about the progress made and when their cars will be ready to be picked up from the facility. Thacker said the user-friendly product provides customers with information quickly, as they have come to expect in a connected environment. Prior to using CCC UpdatePlus, the business had to rely on leaving a voicemail for customers or talking to them face-to-face. Now, the business is finding that customers actually understand the repair process better overall. “This has allowed us another way to communicate with customers,” he added. “The application automatically alerts customers about their vehicle as soon as we enter the information about changes to production.” Once the vehicle has been delivered, the customer receives a singlequestion survey, which is followed up with a more detailed survey to measure CSI. Another feature included with UpdatePlus is the use of Carwise.com. Shops are able to create a profile on the website and share vehicle owners’ reviews to help potential customers locate a repair facility.
Overall, Thacker said his employees have been very impressed with CCC products and received great support from the CCC team over the years. Thacker said that in particular, Pete Strewn, automotive market manager at CCC, has gone above and beyond to ensure everything is working properly and Kentucky Collision receives the proper support it needs. “He is probably one of the most tremendous employees that any business could have,” said Thacker. He said UpdatePlus has been very useful when running his four locations and helped with efficiency, cycle time, customer service and attracting and retaining more customers. “It has helped us keep the car on track as far as cycle time,” said Thacker. In addition, UpdatePlus has been beneficial for his DRPs (direct repair programs) that require CSI tracking. Another benefit is the ability to track parts. Once a car is scheduled at a facility and parts are ordered, CCC® UpdatePlus tracks the progress. Thacker said this feature is good for internal accountability, so shops can ensure parts are ordered. “We strive to create a more friendly, personable environment for customers to make them feel it’s more than just me fixing your car,” said Thacker. “It shows we have concern and compassion for customers and make it as pleasurable of an experience as possible.” He said CCC’s products have helped accomplish this at all four of Kentucky Collision’s locations.
DRP Programs: Seven
Combined Production Space: 86,000 square feet
Kentucky Collision has relied on the CCC ONE® platform to help manage its four locations and keep on top of the company’s performance, profitability and ROI.
Established in 1997, Kentucky Collision prides itself on providing excellent service to customers.
CCC Information Services, Inc. 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 900 Chicago, IL 60654 (800) 621-8070 www.cccis.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 19
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s m T m h c o ti e 20 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Crash Point Systems Developed by Shop Owner in Search of a Better Solution
by Autobody News Staff
Justin Forkuo, owner of 290 Auto Body, Inc. in Worcester, MA, created an amazing set of tools that enable estimators and appraisers to take effective photographs faster and easier than ever before. The tools are saving time and money for body shops and other car companies such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car by cutting the repair estimating process in half. Now, Axalta is recommending Forkuo’s system to its customers worldwide. The company, Crash Point Systems, features a series of wands that has proven to be an educational training tool that helps literally everyone in the shop from the minute the car appears at the facility through the entire repair process. A few years ago, Forkuo saw a definite need for Crash Point Systems, prompting him to create a solution that has gained major momentum and garnered top reviews. “I was looking for a better method to perform vehicle appraisals by creating a standard process for taking photographs and stripping all of the guesswork and headaches out of the equation,” he said. “My shop was spending a ton of time on the phone with insurance companies because there was confusion over what a picture meant or what it was for. Some of our guys also ran into problems taking pictures that couldn’t be easily interpreted, and now my entire auto damage appraiser crew uses our system in one way or another. It’s an educational tool that is simple and easy to learn and highly affordable, so that’s why shops are integrating it into their production and ordering multiple systems.” The current methods weren’t working and were hamstringing his busy shop, so Forkuo started brainstorming and finally found his magic wands. “We were wrestling with markers, stickers and magnets, but all those methods were highly problematic. The stickers didn’t always stick; the magnets fell off and scratched the vehicles, and the markers required a clean surface and were often washed off and then put back on several times. All of these obstacles added even more prep time to the estimat-
290 Auto Body, Inc.
Location: Worcester, MA (508) 363-2902 www.290autobody.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Nine In Business Since: 2006
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 10,000 square feet Justin Forkuo is a shop owner who invented Crash Point Systems to save time and money when taking accurate photos during the estimating process.
ing process and it became a costly complete nightmare.” Forkuo’s system consists of two mobile phone holders and colorcoded, lightweight, durable plastic polymer “wands” that come in three sizes and use well-known industry terms to relay accurate information to everyone involved in the repair process. As a touch-less system, there’s no need to write or attach anything to the vehicle’s surface, thereby eliminating prep work. The tools also aid those who have difficulty taking good pictures, regardless of their level of experience or what language they speak. “Most of my technicians speak Spanish and their English is very limited, so that’s when I started using the color-coded wands,” Forkuo said. “Right away, I could see that we were saving time, because we weren’t going back and forth with the insurance companies over the phone. Instead of sitting on hold, which is highly unproductive, my guys were able to keep moving and getting more done.” Now, the Crash Point System is available in 32 different languages, but most of his techs refer to each one by its color rather than the process listed on each wand. “This tool eliminates all of our problems with communication about repairs,” Forkuo said. “It doesn’t wear out, run out or otherwise need to be replaced. There’s no prep work and pictures can be taken in any weather condition. It makes taking pictures much easier, and it clears up all the confusion as to why a pic-
ture was taken, so my guys are able to keep moving and get more done because they aren’t wondering why a certain picture was taken or on the phone with the insurance company trying to explain it to them. Also, the language problem is solved through the color-coding system we use.” The color codes are direct and easy to decipher. Green is R&I; yellow is repair; red is replace; blue is paint; and orange is POI (Point of Impact). They come in three sizes to accommodate several applications. “For estimators out on the road, we have a set of 7-inch wands that are pocket-size,” Forkuo said. “We also offer them in 18-inch and 25inch sizes depending on how they’re being used. For example, many people like the 18-inch wands because they allow you to get close enough to touch the area you’re pinpointing, but far enough away to get a clear shot.” To order a set of wands from Crash Point Systems, simply go online at www.crashpointsystems.com and order the package that works for you. The Deluxe Bundle is the ideal solution, featuring all three sizes and two mobile holders. “The product is straightforward and ordering the product is the same way,” Forkuo said. “Our entire concept is to simplify the process and save time, so we’ve also made it easy to order our system. After using it just one time on one vehicle, the product will already pay for itself, so it’s a no-brainer.”
As a touch-less system, there’s no need to write or attach anything to the vehicle’s surface, thereby eliminating prep work.
The color codes are direct and easy to decipher.
Crash Point Systems (774) 239-4812 info@crashpointsystems.com www.crashpointsystems.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 21
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p A th io 22 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Auto Archaeology Uses Dominion Products To Ensure High-Quality Restorations in PA
by Autobody News Staff
Guy McFalls has been running the show at Auto Archaeology, a body shop specializing in high-end restorations in Honey Brook, PA, since the summer of 2013. McFalls is not the type of business owner who enjoys sitting around and watching his employees perform all of the hard labor. He does fabricating as well as paint and body work—skills that he knew he’d need to learn for himself at an early age. “I knew growing up that I couldn’t afford to get it all done, so I started doing it myself and it was kind of a stepping stone that took off from there,” he said. “I have a lot of fun with it.” As a 35-year veteran of the auto body industry, McFalls has picked up quite a few devoted customers who have trusted him with their most prized possessions for the past three to four decades. “I ride Harley Davidsons a lot, and my bikes are my babies,” he said. “These people feel the same way about their cars, so if they can see that you’re putting love into it like it’s your own car, they just keep coming back to you. I’ve had nonstop customers ever since I opened up just because they like the way I treat their cars.” Because McFalls’ clients are primarily owners of high-end vehicles such as Corvettes and Camaros, he has set extremely high standards for all products involved with his restoration work. One company he has grown to heavily rely on is Dominion Sure Seal. “The owners of a lot of the cars I build are going to have them for 20 or 30 years, so I need a product that’s going to last and hold up to that because in 10 years, if it fails, they’re going to call me,” he said. “So that’s why I really like these Dominion Sure Seal products; they really seem to hold up and they seem to work very well.” McFalls has his auto body supplier, Johnny from Black Horse Auto Body in Westchester, PA, to thank for introducing him to Dominion’s products. McFalls worked with
Auto Archaeology
Location: Honey Brook, PA 610-273-7700 Company At A Glance...
Type: Restoration, Custom Facility Employees: Two
In Business Since: 2013
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 2,400 square feet
Auto Archaeology, opened by Guy McFalls in Honey Brook, PA, is a body shop specializing in high-end restorations.
Johnny’s father before Johnny took over the business, and since then they have developed a mutually beneficial working relationship with which McFalls is very satisfied. “He usually gives me a call about all of his new products, and I’m kind of his guinea pig,” McFalls said. “He likes to ask me, ‘What do you think of this?’ and ‘What do you think of that?’ He turned me on to Dominion products, and it just so happened that at the time I was doing a lot of panel bonding, so I wanted to try it. I tried the product and I actually liked it, so I just kept moving on with it.” McFalls has been using Dominion’s large panel adhesive (#7002) to put quarter panels on many of the cars he’s restored and has been impressed by the other Dominion products he’s tried as well. “I really, really like Dominion’s large panel adhesive,” he said. “I’m not really satisfied with a lot of the competitors’ panel adhesives, but this Dominion stuff really seems to work. I like Dominion’s self-leveling seam sealers … they really work and they have a good set-up time and everything. I just started using their clears. I use their 4:1 clear and absolutely love it, and I’m getting ready to use their 2:1.” McFalls said Johnny knows him well enough to not waste his time discussing any lower-end products. McFalls typically restores cars that
are worth $80,000–$90,000, so he has no room in his restoration projects for anything less than a highquality, high-performing product. “Johnny knows what I’m looking for in a top-quality product,” he said. “Basically, he doesn’t even need to call me when he gets some of the lower-line products; he knows I’m not interested in them. He just sticks me with the higher-end products.” McFalls said Johnny typically calls him a day or two after he uses a newly recommended product to see how he liked it. He has grown to value McFalls’ feedback enough to pass it on to others when recommending new products. “Johnny is a great guy,” McFalls said. “I’ve known him forever and he’s gone above and beyond to help me. I needed certain things for airbrushing custom stuff, and he’s gone out of his way to help me. That’s one of the reasons why I use him the most—he’s actually a really good dude.” When it comes down to it, McFalls requires long-term products he can rely on just as much as his loyal customers trust him to take care of their cars. “I’m looking for long-term products because I have 30-year and 40year customers who I’ve had since my teens,” he said. “These guys get hooked on a guy they like and don’t let you go.”
McFalls has his auto body supplier, Johnny from Black Horse Auto Body in Westchester, PA, to thank for introducing him to Dominion’s products.
McFalls uses Dominion Sure Seal to repair the floor of a Volkswagen at Auto Archaeology.
Dominion Sure Seal Ltd 6175 Danville Road, Mississauga, ON Canada L5T 2H7 905-670-5411 ext 2226 lcook@dominionsureseal.com www.dominionsureseal.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 23
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q 24 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Equalizer Helps Family-Owned Shop Perform Quality Repairs
by Autobody News Staff
Harlan Huizenga started C&H Body Repair Inc., a family-owned-and-operated shop, in 1974. It is located in Orange City, IA. Aaron Huizenga, Harlan’s son, has been around the shop his whole life, so it felt natural to follow in his father’s footsteps. He went to school at Northwest Iowa Community College to study collision repair. After he finished school, he started working for his dad in the early 2000s. Now, as the owner of C&H, Aaron’s company strives to do quality work, especially when it comes to customer service and the services they provide. They are a part of the community, and he believes that people are more trusting of people they know. C&H Body Repair specializes in auto body repair and refinishing, frame repair and refinishing, glass and windshield replacement, auto detailing, paint-less dent removal, 24-hour towing and recovery services, as well as door unlocking. The company has been familyowned-and-operated for many years, and everyone who works at the shop has contributed to its reputation. “I give my employees credit because without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide the great services we offer,” Aaron said. Quality is important to Aaron and his company, which is why when their supplier introduced them to Equalizer, it was a perfect fit. Since 1987, Equalizer has invented, developed and brought many new products into the auto glass industry. Its products are transforming auto glass removal and replacement technology. The most recent purchase C&H Body Repair made from Equalizer was the Viper. The Equalizer Viper is a wire removal device designed for small quarter glass removals, but can also be used on windshields and rear glass. It’s small, light, and easy to maneuver. “We were running into smaller quarter windows and rear glass that
C&H Body Repair Inc. Location: Orange City, IA (712) 737-4095
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision, Glass and Towing Facility Employees: Five
In Business Since: 1974
Number of Locations: One DRP Programs: Three
Combined Production Space: 4,800 square feet C&H Body Repair Inc. employee Jake Peters uses the Equalizer Viper, a device designed for small quarter glass removals, as well as windshields and back glasses.
were hard to remove with our current tools. Our supplier showed us how the Viper product worked, and we saw the benefits of this tool,” Aaron said. “Any time we can take out windshields and other glass components without damaging other parts of the vehicle, we will be able to save both time and money for our shop and the customers.” A few other products they use include the Equalizer Stingray and the Equalizer Visual Vacuum plunger cups. The Stingray is perfectly designed for cutting out windshields, no matter the direction you are cutting. The rotating speed control allows you to have a wide range of speeds. The Visual Vacuum plunger cups are trustworthy and have the capacity to hold around 90 pounds each. One interesting fact about the plunger cups: They are designed for curved glass. The average person has no idea that there is a difference between a flat glass vacuum and a curved glass vacuum. Each year, Equalizer sends its employees to teach and participate in many training seminars and trade shows and provides training for shops’ employees, which was one thing Aaron liked about the company. He and his crew were able to get training on the products they purchased from Equalizer. “We are certified with Dinitrol
Urethane. We also took the Equalizer class that was put on by Autobody Specialties in Sioux Falls, SD.” With the class, his employees were able to be properly trained on how to use the products. “They (Equalizer) have the right tools for the right job,” he said. C&H Body Repair recently earned a Gold Class certification from I-CAR. The Gold Class title is the highest role-relevant training achievement recognized by the collision repair industry. This is important to Aaron because it shows insurance companies and his customers that they are receiving the best training available. “Our guys are properly trained,” Aaron said “We have certified welders and paint technicians. I think if you have the proper equipment, the best certifications [you] can get and ongoing training, people will trust you.” Aaron is proud of his company and his employees. “We keep up-to-date on our certifications and continue to seek ongoing training,” Aaron said. Using tools from a company like Equalizer not only makes certain tedious tasks easier, but it also helps his team keep up with the latest innovations. “Technology is changing,” Aaron said. “Our goal is to keep up with it.”
Dave and Jake put in a windshield using the Equalizer Visual Vacuum Plunger Cups.
C&H Body Repair has been around since the 1970s and has remained family-owned-and-operated.
Equalizer Company Contact: Monique Stearns (800) 334-1334 https://equalizer.com/
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 25
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g d tr h th m 26 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Equipment Gateway Products Work Miracles for NY Three-Shop MSO
by Autobody News Staff
Precision Auto Works in Long Island City consists of three facilities: LIC Auto Repair and Maintenance Shop, LIC Collision Body Shop, and Certified Collision of LI. The three shops are stocked with the industry’s best equipment, including a variety of high-quality frame machines, welders, spray booths and more. The most beneficial of all are Equipment Gateway’s Miracle Steel System, Miracle Aluminum System, Miracle Glue System, Airopower System and welding blankets. According to Eric Ross, general manager at Precision Auto Works, “Since 2014, we have invested in every product Equipment Gateway offers because their equipment affords us the ability to repair vehicles quickly, accurately and with little effect on corrosion barriers. The biggest benefit of using these products has been the competitive edge it gives us in our market. The capabilities of the equipment opened up more opportunity to repair damaged panels rather than replacing them.” Equipment Gateway’s products are easy to learn and implement on a day-to-day basis. “It was not difficult at all to get started using the Miracle System or any of their other equipment. The machines are all self-contained, well-organized and extremely userfriendly,” Ross said. “For each new product we’ve purchased, Equipment Gateway provides training to educate us on set-up, use and maintenance. This practical information has been more than sufficient to help us understand the products. In a relatively short period of just a couple weeks, our entire staff was able to acquire a high level of comfort and proficiency with the equipment, so it’s been very easy to implement this into our normal business practices.” Equipment Gateway boasts an impressively quick return on investment for its products, particularly the Miracle System—a claim that Ross confirmed to be true. “We use this machine every single day, and it has saved us a tremendous amount of time. Time obviously translates to money, and while it’s hard to say exactly how quick we saw the ROI, I’d say it only took around six months,” he said.
Precision Auto Works
Location: Long Island City, NY (718) 786-2923 www.precisionautonewyork.com Company At A Glance... Type: MSO
Facility Employees: 28
In Business Since: 1996
Number of Locations: Three DRP Programs: One Precision Auto Works is a three-shop MSO in Long Island City, NY, that relies on the Miracle System and other products from Equipment Gateway to deliver high-quality repairs.
The Miracle Steel System is the original panel repair system designed for dent repair. Equipment Gateway’s website states that other dent repair systems are merely imitations that strive unsuccessfully to live up to the authentic version. The Miracle Aluminum System takes aluminum repair to a new level by using lift arch technology to create a one-step aluminum MIG weld to attach slotted keys to the aluminum panel. Miracle Glue allows technicians to make pre-pulls to reduce damage without damaging the paint, and the Airopower System is an incredibly versatile tool capable of 5.25 tons of push and pull. “All of Equipment Gateway’s products are extremely versatile, without a doubt,” Ross shared. “All of the tooling, especially the Airopower System, can be used alongside other tools and benches, or they can be utilized as standalone systems. It can be used alongside a diverse set of straightening frames, or we can set it up outside a working bay area as a standalone. “Everyone in the shop who uses any of the Miracle System products loves the machines and their versatility. Our frame and body technicians use it the most in our shops, and one of our body repair technicians told me, ‘The Miracle System has allowed me to work faster and more accurately on a consistent basis.’ It’s far better than other products that we have used in the past for a number of reasons. Each of these products has helped us improve productivity and efficiency by cutting access time down to a minimum, shortening the prep time needed before moving on
to body filler, and minimizing the heat affect zone to protective corrosion barriers.” Precision Auto Works was founded in 1996 by George Anastasopoulos and Michael Giannakos, who first opened a mechanical repair and maintenance shop before expanding into collision repair in their subsequent locations. The company is now composed of three locations, encompassing 25,000 square feet and employing 28 automotive industry professionals who repair an average of 250 to 275 vehicles each month for New York’s motoring public. Ross attributes the shop’s continued success to its motto: “‘Customer appreciation and satisfaction above all else.’ We recognize the importance of repairing beyond expectations in order to ensure customer retention and referral. Customer service is an imperative part of any company, and that’s another reason why we enjoy doing business with Equipment Gateway. Whenever we have needed to contact their customer service department for any inquiry, we’ve received excellent assistance. Everyone has been a pleasure to deal with and very helpful.” Precision Auto Works also believes in quality over quantity. In addition to being an I-CAR Gold-certified facility, the shop has received BMW Factory Training and is certified through Tesla, Ford F-150 Aluminum, Cadillac CT6, Volkswagen, Infiniti, Nissan, Chrysler and Honda. Ross vehemently believes in “adherence to OEM-recommended practices and procedures by factory-trained technicians.”
Combined Production Space: 25,000 square feet
Eric Ross, general manager for Precision Auto Works, shared, “The biggest benefit of using these products has been the competitive edge it gives us in our market.”
“All of Equipment Gateway’s products are extremely versatile, without a doubt,” Ross shared.
Equipment Gateway (866) 588-7599 sales@equipmentgateway.com www.equipmentgateway.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 27
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u 28 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Florida Pneumatic’s Line of AIRCAT Professional Tools Help Florida Shop Achieve Higher Standard
by Autobody News Staff
When Dave Marafino joined Gerber Collision & Glass in Melbourne, FL, three years ago, he understood the importance of having good tooling in the collision repair facility. He has worked at body shops since he was 16 years old and held a variety of roles, such as painter, heavy line collision technician and general manager. “Having a good quality tool allows us to fix the cars properly,” said Marafino. “When technicians are repairing cars and have tool failure, it stops production and is counterproductive.” The shop’s goal is to maintain a three-and-a-half-day cycle time. “We have to have our cars repaired in the shop fast,” said Marafino. “At Gerber, we’re held to a different standard than a lot of other body shops.” He recently began using Florida Pneumatic’s line of AIRCAT tools and has found that it has helped the facility repair vehicles properly and in a timely manner. Florida Pneumatic is a global manufacturer and distributor of air tools, pipe threading equipment and intake compressor filters. Its U.S. operations, assembly and distribution facility are located in Jupiter, FL. One of the company’s primary brands is AIRCAT Pneumatic Tools, which are manufactured and designed for professional automotive technicians. The tool line was founded in 1998 and designed to have a substantially reduced level of noise while retaining more power and torque. AIRCAT tools have a patented ergonomically engineered handle design, which technicians often find relieves stress and fatigue from their hands, wrists and arms. Most of the AIRCAT tools have a patented tuned exhaust muffler technology, which allows discharged air to pass without developing back pressure while retaining more power and significantly reducing noise. Marafino first learned about the company approximately a year ago from Shawn O’Neil, a representative of AIRCAT, and was interested in having a demonstration. “I was game,” he said. “I’d never used them before, and I’m always
Gerber Collision & Glass
Location: Melbourne/Harbor City, FL (321) 952-0256 https://www.gerbercollision.com/ locations/melbourne-harbor-city-fl Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 20 Florida Pneumatic’s line of AIRCAT tools has helped Gerber Collision & Glass in Melbourne, FL, repair vehicles properly.
interested in trying the latest products and tools on the market.” He received a box of AIRCAT tools for his technicians to test in the shop, including a 6700-6 336-6” Orbital Palm Sander and a 6700-3-332 6” Orbital Palm Sander; a 6350 Low Vibration Saw; a 6520 3” Cut-Off Tool; a 6255 Angle Die Grinder; and a 6320 Spot Sander. The 6” sander has flexible push button speeds of 10,000, 7,000 and 4,000 RPM for sanding, compounding and polishing. It offers 80 percent energy savings compared to running a compressor to power an air sander. The 20-foot low voltage DC cable allows the sander to be used around vehicles as well as assembly areas. The Low Vibration Saw comes with 18-, 24- and 32-teeth power saw blades and has a 9,500 stroke /minute motor to provide fast cutting. In addition, the internal damping system reduces the vibration level to 2.5m/sec2. The AIRCAT 6520 impact-resistant Cut-Off Tool has a reverse switch for easy change of direction and can cut 3/8 inch rolled steel or 18-gauge steel sheet. It was also designed to include extra-heavy-duty dual spindle bearings for added reliability. The Angle Die Grinder includes steel-grade internal bevel gears and a feather trigger for speed control. “I was very impressed with them,” said Marafino. “I was pleasantly surprised [by] how comparable they were to some of the best tools on the market.” O’Neil came into the shop to explain the benefits of the products and demonstrate how they operate.
Marafino soon realized the quality of the AIRCAT tools and how well they seemed to operate. “We all know [that] as technicians, we spend a lot of money on tools,” said Marafino. “When I replace a tool, I’m going to buy one that I feel is the best value for the money.” He said as the industry continues to change, great tools, such as those from Florida Pneumatic, will help the collision repair facility stay up-to-date with the changes in vehicle technology. Working as the general manager at Gerber, Marafino said he has tried to implement new processes, including proper repair planning, tear-downs and the lean process as well as others that will help the shop grow. As a result, the facility went from bringing in $250,000 a month to averaging $350,000 a month. During a recent month, he said they reached $394,000, which was a record for the county. Part of the company’s success, according to Marafino, is also due to the close relationship the employees have with one another. Over his career, he has worked well with his coworkers. “I work on the floor with these guys,” he said. “We work side-by-side and have become close friends.” Once a month, everyone in the shop gets together to go bowling with their families and they celebrate birthdays together. “We try to keep a family-oriented shop with no drama,” he said. “There are problems from time to time, but we get our differences aired. We have to because we spend more time together than with our families.”
In Business Since: 2015
Number of Locations: 200 DRP Programs: Two
Combined Production Space: 6,000 square feet
The AIRCAT tool line was designed to have a substantially reduced level of noise.
Gerber Collision & Glass in Melbourne, FL.
AIRCAT a Division of Florida Pneumatic Mfg. Corporation (800) 356-3392 www.aircat.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 29
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h s a w 30 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Tracy’s Collision Center Enjoys Dependability, Consistency of GYS Welders
by Autobody News Staff
With two busy shops, Tom Tracy, second-generation owner of Tracy’s Collision Center in North and Southwest Lincoln, NE, recognizes the value of equipment that repeatedly produces the same effective results. This is why he began buying his spot welders and mig welders from GYS Welding four years ago. “We started using GYS’s welders as soon as the company started selling in America, and we’ve had really good luck with their products,” Tracy said. “None of our welders have broken down because they are so strong, and that makes me a lot more confident in their tools. Everything I have to say about GYS’s products is good. “GYS produces a more dependable tool, without a doubt. Speed is also a huge factor that impacts the cost of repairs, and their watercooled attachments help make the tools efficient and fast. In the past, welders going down delayed the repair process, but we don’t have that problem with GYS. Welders are very important for the safety of today’s vehicles, and they have to be reliable. GYS has never let us down.” Tracy’s Collision Center also believes in weld-bonding for corrosion protection and has found that the GYS welders are very effective for this purpose. The shops began using a silica bronze mig welder about four years ago as part of their preparation for repairing modern vehicles. Tracy shared, “GYS helped us get involved with this type of welding, and it has been a big positive. Six technicians in our north shop and seven in our south shop use the welders, which is beneficial because everyone can share knowledge, but because they share the tools, it’s important that we receive support for the equipment.” Not surprisingly, GYS provides exactly the type of support needed to keep Tracy satisfied. “Their service has been great,” he said. “We’ve only had a few issues, which were easily resolved, and I haven’t had a bad experience with their customer service depart-
Tracy’s Collision Center Location: Lincoln, NE (402) 441-4820 (402) 441-4800 www.tracysbodyshop.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 50
In Business Since: 1969
Number of Locations: Two Tracy’s Collision Center in Southwest Lincoln, NE, was the operation’s first location. Tracy has expanded the building four times.
ment. When they say they’re going to do something, they do it. Welding something and using that much electricity requires a lot of components, and if I need pieces or consumables, I can rely on GYS to get them to me in a timely fashion. I haven’t had any warranty issues or additional investments needed, and I can’t say that about some of the other equipment we used to use.” Training is also non-negotiable in Tracy’s opinion. “Our shops participate in ongoing training, and it’s a requirement that a company engage in training if they are going to sell anything to us,” he said. “GYS provided our initial training, and we’ve received additional training from an I-CAR instructor who used to work for the shop. Knowing I-CAR’s welding certification requirements helps us use the welder correctly and also taught us what it does. It’s a blessing to find such a great welder, but one of the largest challenges has been figuring out how to get the most out of the equipment. “GYS’s welders are so consistent and produce superior welds because they are ‘smart’ welders; the welder can determine the metal thickness automatically, but it’s important to understand all of the settings because there are lots of little tricks you can employ to get the most out of the welder.” Getting the most out of the equipment used is imperative for Tracy’s Collision Center, which repairs an average of 300 vehicles
each month. Besides receiving their I-CAR Platinum certification, the shops are certified in Ford, Honda and through the Assured Performance Network. Tracy’s body technicians are also all certified welders. According to Tracy, “We’re just trying to do what we need to do to keep up with today’s changing cars. We’re very process-driven, and we try to be educated. We focus a lot on training, and we’re constantly trying to upgrade our equipment. We have a lot of long-term customers and have been voted the Best Shop in Town for over 25 years. We work hard at being what people need us to be.” In addition to spraying with waterborne paints and recycling everything possible, the shops are involved with a lot of community organizations, including Recycled Rides, through which they’ve donated two cars each year for more than a decade. “The body shop has been really good to a lot of people, but properly repairing today’s vehicles requires the right equipment,” he said. “My father was in masonry construction before he opened the shop, which required a lot of equipment, so investing in equipment has never been a showstopper for us because we knew that it would pay for itself. GYS’s welders are fast and efficient, and they produce exactly the type of quality repair you want. Create that type of culture, and you can turn out a really good product that will serve the consumer for the years they own their car.”
DRP Programs: Six
Combined Production Space: 40,000 square feet
GYS’ smart welders allow technicians to calibrate metal thickness and allow for a more consistent weld.
“GYS’s welders are fast and efficient, and they produce exactly the type of equality repair you want,” according to shop owner Tom Tracy.
GYS Welding USA Company Contact: Mike Hildebrand (636) 405-2800 www.gysweldingusa.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 31
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c e o th n m e p d m s 32 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
IA Shop Refinishes Used Cars Efficiently With Lusid Technologies
by Autobody News Staff
Superior Detailing and Reconditioning in Iowa City, IA, was founded in 2011 by Justin Schwab as a detailing shop. However, he soon recognized that the market had a need for other services and began expanding his repertoire. He explained, “Over time, we added paint touch-up, headlight refinishing, color correction, minor collision, bumper/panel replacement and refinishing. In 2013 we made a full transition into the refinishing market, and in 2014 we moved into our current shop, at which point we added a full paint booth and mixing room.” The shop’s main focus is on “business to business,” reconditioning previously owned vehicles to prepare them for resale. Justin’s four employees refinish an average of 120 vehicles each month. “We specialize in minor collision and reconditioning. We don’t tackle massive jobs, do frame work or work with insurance companies,” Schwab noted. “Superior primarily specializes in getting used cars ready for resale for prestigious dealerships. We buff scratches, repair and replace fenders and bumpers, touch up rock chips and generally help used cars look their very best for resale.” Because the majority of Superior’s work involves improving the appearance of used cars, it’s important that they utilize refinish products that can be used efficiently and effectively. In addition to utilizing a high quality paint booth, mixing room, spray guns, compressors and other standard collision repair equipment and tools, Schwab began using refinish products from Lusid Technologies in 2013. “At Superior Detailing and Reconditioning, we have used a variety of different brands and versions of these products and have found that Lusid’s products meet our needs and productivity requirements,” he said. “Their products are easy to use and have helped cut production time and increase productivity. Working in the used car market, we are under tight time constraints; jobs need to be done effi-
Superior Detailing & Reconditioning Location: Iowa City, IA (319) 855-2724
Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Four In Business Since: 2011
Number of Locations: One Owner Justin Schwab (left) relies on his strong team of employees and Lusid Technologies’ Gen2o to recondition previously owned vehicles.
ciently and correctly the first time.” The technicians at Superior Detailing and Reconditioning spray with Gen2o from Lusid Technologies, a complete high-quality waterborne basecoat system that is user-friendly and cost effective. The paint is designed for superior covering power, excellent metallic laydown with less clouding effect, less material used and a better gloss on the finished job. Additionally, Lusid’s Gen2o system meets environmental standards and promises an easy transition from conventional paints with minimal training and investment. Schwab agrees that implementing the new products into his shop’s process was very easy. “We have a strong team, we’ve been given good information on the use of these products and processes, and it’s an easy transition to implement them into shop use,” he said. “It wasn’t difficult at all to start using the Gen2o. With a good vendor, it’s not nearly as difficult to find a product that works as it is to find a good team. “We are lucky to have such a wonderful team at Superior Detailing and Reconditioning. It’s taken a lot of work and searching to create our team. A place is only as good as the people who work there, and we have a very strong and capable crew at Superior. Zachary Martensen has been with us since 2014—he is our lead technician and shop manager, and he’s a benchmark in the shop.” Superior supplements the use of Gen2o with several additional products from Lusid, such as the AD263 Fish Eye Eliminator, the A455 Accelerator, the SX01 Adhesion Promoter
and the 2K Rapid Primer. The 2K Rapid Primer is a high-speed, highbuild primer that boasts excellent filling and sanding properties while providing optimum holdout for most topcoats. The other three products are part of Lusid’s NORTHSTAR product line, and they each deliver on the promises inherent in their creation to minimize fish eyes, speed up the cure time of a topcoat and promote adhesion on properly prepared bumper covers, respectively. Schwab has been pleased with the results his shop has achieved since beginning to use general products from Lusid Technologies. Following the installation, Superior Detailing and Reconditioning has rarely needed help from Lusid. The shop relies on its jobber, Autofinish Supply, for products and support. “Eric Lunas of Autofinish Supply has demonstrated all the new products available, trained us on how to make them work best, and then let us loose to try them for ourselves,” Schwab said. “The combination of excellent products and support from the supply chain has worked well for Superior. “We have been kept up-to-date on available products. We have had a lot of help with training on new products, and this helps us make educated decisions on what will work best in our shop. There are a lot of different products on the market, and many make promises of time efficiency and usefulness. We simply don’t use products that don’t work— we use what works well, saves time and is financially beneficial, which is why we have invested in products from Lusid Technologies.”
Combined Production Space: 4,225 square feet
Superior Detailing and Reconditioning focuses on refinishing used cars to prepare them for resale.
Superior Detailing and Reconditioning utilizes refinish products from Lusid Technologies to ensure the highest quality appearance.
Lusid Technologies (801) 966-5300 www.lusid.biz
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 33
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M a a g c s to p c 34 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Matrix Wand Helps Puyallup, WA, Auto Shop Make Accurate, Efficient Repairs
by Autobody News Staff
Fix Auto Puyallup started as a family business with Mel, Mark and Patty Denny in 1983, and eventually grew to become a significant force in the collision repair industry. Pamela Denny grew up with the shop and saw the dedicated work her grandpa and parents put into it. “My parents were always at the shop, so I was always at the shop as well. They have worked really hard to create a name in collision repair, setting standards for quality repairs in our market,” she said. As their shop grew, they joined an international network of collision repair facilities, Fix Auto, but remain locally owned and independently operated. They have three collision repair locations under the Fix Auto brand—one in Puyallup, Gig Harbor and Port Orchard—and another light mechanics shop in Port Orchard. Pamela is currently the Chief Financial Officer for all three of the shops under Fix Auto, and there are 38 employees in total working at the three locations. From the beginning of their business, the Dennys decided to take a more wholesome perspective in fixing vehicles. They also decided to introduce a new approach to repairs in their field. “We want to be the first in our industry to create standard repair processes that improve the overall repair and down time for our customers and their vehicles,” Pamela said. “We know and understand the precious cargo that goes into these vehicles every day. We want our customers to pick up their vehicles with the peace of mind that their vehicle has, in fact, been returned to them in pre-accident condition.” Pamela’s drive to provide timely and quality repairs using the most up-to-date tools led her and her family to the Matrix Wand. “We initially found out about the Matrix Wand through industry news and had an opportunity to learn more at a VeriFacts Symposium in Los Angeles,” she said. “We decided to purchase the Matrix Wand because we saw the immense value in being able to measure suspension parts, door panels, and fronts and rears of vehicles in order to check structural in-
Fix Auto Puyallup
Location: Puyallup, WA (253) 845-5665 fixautopuyallup.com/en/ Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 38
In Business Since: 1983
Number of Locations: Four The Matrix Wand allows employees at Fix Auto Puyallup to get a more accurate picture of the repairs needed.
tegrity before beginning repairs.” It was a product that could provide the accuracy, efficiency and customer satisfaction that they sought. When the Dennys acquired the Wand, Matrix sent its employee Scott to provide onsite comprehensive training. He was able to give Denny the chance to discover repairs that were not obvious before. “We had a day and a half of onsite training,” she said. “We measured vehicles, door panels and front ends. We had a vehicle we were concerned might have significant structural damage, but after completing measurements, we were able to identify where the damage was located and that the vehicle was still within spec. He was fantastic.” The target-less handheld Matrix Wand takes 3D images of the vehicle with minimal teardown. This virtual 3D measuring can see through solid objects to allow more precise measurements across any section. Captured images can be used to measure suspension, control arms, cradle positioning, toe angle, caster angle, camber angle, strut or knuckle symmetry, sensor placement and gaps. Matrix’s propriety data collection software allows shops to download the 3D images and data points to a computer to make it easier to create blueprints for the work that needs to be carried out along with the parts required. The Wand’s software compares and analyzes a variety of dimensions to identify hidden damages, then verifies the repairs needed by comparing points to the Mitchell
database that is integrated into this product. All calculations done by the Matrix Wand and Repair Analysis Software are accurate within 1mm. The Matrix Wand also provides documentation to insurance companies and customers to reduce liability and ensure customer satisfaction. During the repairs, the Matrix Wand can assist with accuracy, including sensor angle positioning, hanging doors, verifying alignment and checking suspension. It can also be used to capture a final measurement to verify that the car is repaired back to specification before being returned to the customer. Since its launch in 2012, the Matrix Wand has won the prestigious Best New Product Award for the collision repair and refinish division at the SEMA New Product Showcase and has been used all over the country. Pamela has now been using the Wand for two months and has found it to be an incredible help in saving cycle time, improving repairs and sending for more accurate parts. “We have been able to redirect damaged parts with measurements. Previously, a technician spent hours trying to install a part that came defective,” she said. She and the other employees at Fix Auto Puyallup are still learning about the Wand and its dynamic functions. “We are hopeful that we will be able to identify structural damage more efficiently, get parts needed ordered quicker, and slim down repair times due to the measurements and research conducted at the beginning of repairs,” she said.
DRP Programs: Five
Combined Production Space: 10,000 square feet
An employee downloads the 3D images and data points taken by the Matrix Wand to a computer.
Fix Auto Puyallup has been in business in Puyallup, WA, since 1983.
The Matrix Wand (785) 823-8800 thematrixwand.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 35
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FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON OUR PRODUCTS CALL: 716-773-7634 36 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
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NRD Ionizer Gun Helps Husband-and-Wife Team Keep Dust Down in Shop and Offer Quality Workmanship for Customers
by Autobody News Staff
When you approach D&R Collision on a busy roadway in Lockport, NY, the sign in front of the body shop reads: “Hit a deer? Stop in here!!” Diane Brunetta, co-owner of D&R Collision, said that about 80 percent of the shop’s business comes from potential customers noticing that sign. Diane and her husband, Rich, opened D&R Collision in 2014. Their mission is to offer all of their customers personalized service and quality workmanship. “We understand that customers’ vehicles are a major investment, and we strive to provide the best service available,” said Diane. “Customers can trust us to return their vehicles to new-looking, pre-accident condition.” Although Diane has a background as a hairdresser, she has always had an interest in auto body repair. She eventually worked at an auto auction company and then a body shop, where she learned the trade. Diane also spent time helping her father in his garage. Rich worked at his brothers’ collision repair shop from an early age and has been in the industry for more than 42 years. The two met six years ago while employed together at another local auto body shop. Diane worked in the office, and Rich was a head technician. After getting married in 2014, they decided to open a collision repair shop together. Diane manages the office, while Rich repairs vehicles. She often helps him with teardown and reassembly as well. They primarily focus on collision repair, and Diane said they have a good, solid wholesale business as well. A large part of their jobs includes insurance work. Whenever possible, Diane said they help customers save money on their deductible. “We keep our overhead low, which helps keep the costs down for customers,” she said. Earlier this year, the owner of NRD, Gary Moose, came into the shop to have some work done on his vehicle. His son, who had also had his car repaired at D&R, had referred his dad to the shop. Moose told Diane and Rich about the Neutralizer AC
D&R Collision
Location: Lockport, NY (716) 210-3299 www.facebook.com/DICKYNETS collision/ Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Two
In Business Since: 2014
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 2,000 square feet Rich Brunetta said NRD’s anti-static blow-off gun is great for all stages of paint while working on vehicles.
Auto Body Refinishing Anti-static Gun and recommended it as a great tool to have. Established in 1969, NRD is a global supplier of devices that eliminate static charge that can result in damaging electrostatic discharge. The company also manufactures specialty ionizers for the auto body industry to eliminate surface contamination due to static charge. The products help keep the surface clean to avoid reworking and buffing. Over his career, Rich has found that electrostatic discharge is a constant challenge in auto body shops. With the amount of dust and other unwanted particles, he said it is very difficult to keep surfaces clean and can cause blemishes in paint finishes and other work surfaces. He has used other ionizer guns in the past but said NRD’s product has been a step ahead of the competition. NRD’s anti-static blow-off gun incorporates the efficiency and power of an air amplifier with the technology of corona ionization. The lightweight gun offers a wide coverage area and has a rechargeable lithium ion battery. In addition, it incorporates a safety trigger key, hanging ring and an easily replaceable emitter pin and filter. Since using the gun, Rich said it has increased productivity in the shop, which has helped with the business’s profitability. “We have [much] cleaner paint jobs, and there is less sanding and buffing needed, which minimizes re-
working,” explained Rich. “Dirt and other debris won’t stick to the vehicle while we are painting it.” He has found there is shorter prep time and the anti-static blow-off gun is great for all stages of paint while working on vehicles. “When I finish painting something, I can unmask it and send it out the door instead of unmasking it and then having to sand the dirt and then buff and clean it,” said Rich. “It probably saves me two or three hours on every job, and time is money. The quicker you can get cars in and out, the more money you are making.” Prior to using the ionizer gun, NRD spent time with Rich over the phone to understand the shop’s unique goals and then made recommendations to meet its specifications based on airflow, location, safety considerations, power supply, environmental influences and cost. NRD also explained how to use and maintain the product in detail. Overall, the husband-and-wife team said the gun has helped increase productivity in their business, which allows them to spend more time taking care of their customers and building their client base. “Our customers are our family,” said Diane. “We want to continue what we’re doing and help customers out.” “I have a lot of years of experience doing a lot of different types of jobs,” Rich added. “I have a good reputation with all of my clients for being fair and doing good quality work.”
About 80 percent of D&R Collision’s business comes from potential customers noticing the sign out front.
Owners Rich and Diane Brunetta opened their collision repair facility in 2014.
NRD, LLC - Advanced Static Control Company Contact: Colleen Clancy Product Marketing Manager 2937 Alt Blvd., Grand Island, NY 14072 Office (716) 773-7634 Ext. 347 www.nrdllc.com www.nrdstaticcontrol.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 37
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g o s a th h m B C te n 38 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
PPG Enables MSO to Be a Better Business on Many Levels
by Autobody News Staff
The Shaffer family repairs almost 400 vehicles monthly at Pfeiffer Collision in Grand Rapids, MI, and is always striving to become a better business in every facet. With three locations, including a fleet center, the company made a big decision last summer when they decided to change to PPG’s ENVIROBASE® High Performance product line. There were many reasons for the change, but the most important was to lead the organization into the latest in business concepts by implementing PPG’s MVP Green Belt Training Program. “The PPG product is obviously outstanding, but the added benefit of tapping into their MVP 5S and Repair Planning programs was also very attractive for us,” Jared Shaffer said. “They helped us tremendously and it has been instrumental for our ongoing success. We know how to fix the cars, but we needed help when it comes to the business side, and PPG has enabled us to be more efficient.” After making the change, the PPG business development team went right to work and spent three weeks at every one of Pfeiffer Collision’s locations. “Led by Gary Holder, our PPG business development manager, we worked as a team and did everything they promised and more,” Shaffer said. “We were able to put a lot of it into practice right away, and the results were immediate. By incorporating what we have learned from PPG, we have reduced our keys-to-keys duration from 7.8 days to 5.2 days, which means we have cut more than two full days from when the car is delivered here to when we return it back to the customer.” A true second-generation organization, Jared’s father, Jeff, took over the business in 1991, and since then he has always been welladmired and considered a leader in the collision repair industry. He has held many positions, including former President of the West Michigan Bodyshop Association (WMBA), Chairman of the Advisory Committee at the nearby Kent Career Technical Center, Chairman for I-CAR’s
Pfeiffer Collision
Location: Grand Rapids, MI (616) 940-8950 www.pfeiffercollision.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 33
In Business Since: 1989
Number of Locations: Three Owner Jeff Shaffer (left) and his son, Vice President Jared, who runs the show at Pfeiffer Collision in Grand Rapids, MI.
Southwest Michigan region and a member of several other Industry Advisory Boards. Jeff’s and his wife, Lisa’s, main goal was to set the family up for success by instilling a strong work ethic and Christian values into their three sons: Jared, Dustin and Jeffrey. Dustin is the Business Controller and an ordained pastor who works with local churches, and Jeffrey manages the family’s North Grand Rapids location. While Jeff is extremely proud that his sons have chosen to be a major part of the business, he also wanted them to have a career that made them happy. The flexibility of being homeschooled allowed Jared to start working at age 14, and three years later he became a full-fledged painter. Now 39, he isn’t afraid to multi-task and pursues several roles at Pfeiffer Collision. In addition to overseeing the company’s three locations, Jared has followed his father’s footsteps as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee at the nearby Kent Career Technical Center, the Chairman for I-CAR’s Southwest Michigan region and the President of WMBA. With a nationwide technician shortage that is seriously hampering the industry, Jared is motivated to mentor and trains tomorrow’s technicians through his company’s internship program. “We work closely with the interns, and we now have eight working here full-time,” he said. “We encourage them to interact with other interns while learning the trade from our top technicians, and it’s incredi-
ble to see how well it works. The interns feel like they have a purpose and a place in our organization, and they aren’t just brought in to complete menial tasks.” As President of WMBA, Jared’s main focus is to keep the members of the association educated on all the rapid changes in the industry. “We recently held a ‘Future of Collision Repair’ workshop, which was attended by approximately 200 industry professionals,” he said. “We need an association like WMBA so that we can share ideas and best practices to successfully repair the cars back to OE standards.” With outstanding support from both the PPG team and his paint distributor, Pfeiffer Collision’s refinish department is operating at a very high level, Jared said. “The people at PPG and Painter’s Supply Inc. have helped us in so many ways; we can’t count them all! Our rep, Tom Shira, is great. He is also very knowledgeable and treats us like family,” he said. Delighted with PPG’s Envirobase High Performance basecoat system for a wide range of reasons, Jared is now sold on both the product and the company. “The color match is superior and with a wide variety of color-matching tools available to us, we can match any car that comes through our doors. In addition, the Envirobase products save us 15–20 minutes on every vehicle,” he said. “When we look at the finishes out in the sunlight, we’re duly impressed because they look just like OE, and the customers are ecstatic too.”
Combined Production Space: 51,000 square feet
Painter Josh Van Wyngarden uses PPG’s RAPIDMATCH® XI spectrophotometer to get deadon matches at Pfeiffer Collision.
With three locations, including a fleet center, the company decided to change to the Envirobase High Performance product line last summer.
PPG Cathy Rusnak (440) 572-2800 rusnak@ppg.com www.ppgrefinish.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 39
“The Right Way�
RAE
Reliable Automotive Equipment, Inc.
Approved! RAE has demonstrated superior customer service for over 30 years while tailoring its equipment solutions to the ever-changing automotive market. It is our goal to support new technology and provide our customers with the correct resources to repair vehicles consistent with manufacturers approved methods and procedures.
Time Saving, OEM Programs (pre installed) and easy to use. FlexiTherm
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X-press 800 Rivet Gun InvertaSpot GT Fully automatic spot welder developed according to car manufacturers specifications.
Reliable Automotive Equipment 800-328-7855 raeservice.com 40 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
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Multi-Heating Pad-System
Approved for: - Cadillac CT6 - Mercedes-Benz - Tesla - Porsche Each with their own respective set of dyes and attachments.
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Reliable Automotive Equipment Helps Mid-Island Collision Move Forward With Industry’s Best Equipment
by Autobody News Staff
In the fast-paced collision repair industry, it’s imperative for successful shops to move forward with the constant advances in technology. Repairing today’s vehicles requires access to the industry’s best tools. This is particularly true for OEM-certified shops such as MidIsland Collision in Rockville Centre, NY. Having received certifications from Audi (Aluminum), BMW, Porsche, VW, Mercedes (Elite 2 Aluminum), GM, Cadillac CT-6, Nissan, Nissan GTR, Tesla, Ford, Ford F150 Aluminum, Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, Honda and Acura, Mid-Island Collision is certified by “practically every manufacturer that offers a certification,” according to Robert Jesberger, owner of Mid-Island Collision. Jesberger calls his shop “one of the most successful single-owner operations in the country because we acquire the necessary equipment and training to perform the best quality repair possible for our customers.” Reliable Automotive Equipment helps Mid-Island Collision meet these lofty goals by supplying the shop with the best equipment and products available for collision repair. Additionally, since the majority of the tools sold by Reliable Automotive Equipment are approved by multiple OEM certification programs, the shop saves space and time as well as money due to these products’ quick return on investment. Mid-Island Collision Foreman Carmine Luongo shared, “Reliable Automotive Equipment is always moving forward with the advancement of their systems and continues to lead the industry with the most technologically advanced tools and equipment, which are necessary for properly restoring vehicles. Change is hard but necessary, and Reliable Automotive Equipment offers the most current products to stay up-todate with changes in automobiles and the industry.” Mid-Island Collision began purchasing its equipment from Reliable Automotive Equipment 20 years ago due to the prominence of highquality products offered, such as its
Mid-Island Collision
Location: Rockville Centre, NY (516) 766-0101 www.midislandcollision.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 60 Mid-Island Collision in Rockville Centre, NY, showcases excellence with a vast array of OEM certifications and the equipment necessary to repair high-end vehicles to the manufacturers’ certifications.
seven Celette Sevene benches, one XL Celette bench, six downdraft prep deck stations, two Italia spray booths, an all-new double prep deck, two aluminum bays, three Wielander & Shill Inverta Spot GT welders, two Fronius aluminum /MIG-Braze welders, multiple aluminum tool kits, a W&S Flexi therm curing blanket, a Celette Naja measuring system and the Revo speed curing system that is currently being installed. “Reliable Automotive Equipment has helped Mid-Island Collision improve productivity and profitability because their equipment is necessary to move forward with obtaining OEM certifications. They provide us with as much training as we need on all of their equipment, and our technicians love the products,” Luongo noted. “Every experience we’ve had with Reliable Automotive Equipment’s customer service department has been great, and any questions or concerns are resolved in a timely, professional manner. They’re always there for us!” The appearance of Mid-Island Collision is one thing that most noticeably sets the shop apart from other local facilities. Citing their vast array of tools and equipment as the reason Mid-Island Collision has been lauded as “a showcase of equipment,” Jesberger pointed out, “Not too many shops look like this—even dealers promote their vehicles by showcasing them in our front room.” Mid-Island Collision was founded as a 15,000-square-foot shop in 1955 by Vincent Brett. Jesberger purchased the business from his predecessor in 1987, renovating to add 10,000 square feet
to make it 25,000 square feet. Since making his initial investment, Jesberger has dedicated his efforts to establishing a reputation for providing high-quality repairs that ensure the safety of the customer and their family. When the Mercedes-Benz dealership across the street changed locations, Jesberger purchased the four-acre property and transformed the dealership into a facility that provides his staff with more room to service their customers’ needs. Since 2013, the facility has consisted of two buildings located across the street from each other with a combined production space of 60,000 square feet and another 25,000 square feet in parking and storage. The original building includes a training center on the second floor due to Jesberger’s focus on ensuring that all of his employees receive substantial training on any new products, processes or vehicles. Mid-Island Collision employs approximately 40 collision repair professionals who repair an average of 172 vehicles each month, including a great deal of high-end vehicles that predominate the area. Another 25 employees work on an additional 200 vehicles monthly in separate associated businesses, such as dealer service quick repairs (bumper and ding repair), towing and mechanical services. Environmental consciousness is also very important to Mid-Island Collision. The facility was among the first shops in the country to convert to a waterborne paint system. It also makes other efforts to run a green facility, including recycling solid waste and all materials removed from damaged vehicles.
In Business Since: 1955
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 85,000 square feet
Reliable Automotive Equipment supplies Mid-Island Collision with the best equipment and products available for collision repair.
“Reliable Automotive Equipment continues to lead the industry with the most technologically advanced tools and equipment, which are necessary for properly restoring vehicles,” said Mid-Island Foreman Carmine Luongo.
Reliable Automotive Equipment Bill Nortrup Bill@rae1.com (732) 495-7900 (800) 328-7904 www.raeservice.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 41
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CT Body Shop Streamlines Repair Process, Drops Material Usage With Saint-Gobain Products
by Autobody News Staff
Bob McSherry fondly recalls driving past a particular body shop in the suburban area of Seymour, CT, in his mother’s station wagon when he was a young boy. Fast-forward 40 years later, and McSherry now owns that same 71year-old business, which he purchased four years ago. He owns an additional body shop 20 miles away, which he has operated since 1997. McSherry often tells customers that his business, Sabo Auto Body, is “where quality doesn’t happen by accident; it starts with one.” Doing quality work and having the best tooling available is a top priority for the industry veteran. “When it comes to equipment, we are among the most well-equipped in the country,” said McSherry. In addition to being I-CAR Gold Class-certified, the business prides itself on following OEM repair procedures and pre- and post-scanning every vehicle. He said they continuously train employees on all aspects of vehicle construction and new technology to improve their skills and become “better versions of ourselves.” “We’re trying to stay ahead of the technology curve, which is difficult to do in this day and age,” said McSherry. He said that quality products, such as the ones they use from Saint-Gobain, have helped the business provide excellent repairs over the years as well as exceptional customer service. Saint-Gobain, a worldwide building materials company, is the parent company to a number of brands, including Norton, Carborundum and RSG. McSherry has used both Norton and Carborundum products in his business and said they have been very dependable and helped his business thrive. Over the last few years, he has primarily used Carborundum products. The brand offers a broad selection of grinding, cutting, blending, finishing and polishing abrasives that McSherry said are a great value for the money. He currently uses the brand’s papers, adhesives, grinding belts
Sabo Auto Body
Location: Seymour, CT (203) 735-3301 http://saboab.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 47
In Business Since: 1997
Number of Locations: Two Sabo Auto Body’s employees have found that Saint-Gobain products have helped the business deliver great repairs for customers.
and associated products they can source from the line. Just over a year ago, Sabo began using Carborundum | RSG’s Total Inventory Management (TIM) System. The cloud-based inventory management system helps shops optimize material management as well as control inventory levels and track usage. Since incorporating TIM by RSG, McSherry said it has optimized the management of Sabo’s repair materials, lowered costs and streamlined their repair process, which has ultimately helped the business’s profitability. Employees have a card they use to swipe and scan every time they take supplies out of the cabinet. Everything has a “sku” number, so it is entered in to keep live-time data of minimum/maximum product count. “It is the warehouse’s job to keep high inventory, not ours,” he said. “This has saved us time having to do a biweekly check because it’s live data. Because the guys are scanning everything, it allows us to accurately keep track of what we are spending.” He said it also ensures the products aren’t being wasted or walking out the back door. “The data tells you two things: celebrate or investigate,” he said. When the business began using TIM by RSG, the company’s supplier, Paint World, coordinated a training session so Saint-Gobain representatives could come in and teach the employees about some of the best practices when using the products. “My techs were able to pick up
some pointers, which has helped us with efficiency and ensure we aren’t wasteful,” said McSherry. “They also had a lot of buy-in once they understood why it was being done. It is easier to do things with the team rather than do it to the team.” Overall, he said Saint-Gobain products have helped him maintain a cost margin that’s predictable. With the inventory system and some of the business’s other checks and balances, he said they have been able to drop their material usage. “The products are as good as anything else on the market and perform really well,” said McSherry. “We’ve also found that it’s more economical, so we’re getting high-quality products at a good price. Why would anyone want to spend more than is needed to get the job done right?” Having his employees use SaintGobain products has helped him meet Sabo Auto Body’s goal: to deliver great repairs for customers. He said his employees have been instrumental in this. “Our greatest strength is the people who work here,” said McSherry. “We are truly fortunate to have assembled a committed group of driven individuals who look to improve themselves all of the time by doing what they like to do and doing it better than they did it before.” With the industry changing so dramatically over the last two years, McSherry predicts the next few years will bring changes that will require a commitment level that has never been seen before. “We are ready for this now, and we look forward to the future in excitement, not fear,” he said.
DRP Programs: Six
Combined Production Space: 32,000 square feet
The body shop uses Saint-Gobain’s papers, adhesives, grinding belts and associated products as well as Carborundum | RSG’s Total Inventory Management (TIM) System.
Bob McSherry often tells customers that Sabo Auto Body is “Where quality doesn’t happen by accident; it starts with one.”
Saint-Gobain One New Bond St. Worcester, MA 01606 (800) 456-8444 www.refinishsolutionsgroup.com www.carbo.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 43
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Passionate Painter Wants to Tell the World About his SATA Guns
by Autobody News Staff
Chad Valliere is a passionate painter with more than two decades of experience. Back in 2010, he started a great relationship with his SATA spray guns. As the head painter at Drive Collision Centers, located at McDonald Ford of Freeland, MI, Valliere, 39, started painting when opportunity knocked randomly one day when he was 18 and fresh out of high school. “I was working as a parts delivery guy, and one day I painted a few bumper covers for a friend of my father’s and when I was done, the parts manager where I was working saw my work and was surprised to see that I could do it,” he said. “Without my knowledge, my boss recommended me to the collision center there and before I knew it, I was working as a painter’s helper. That is how it began.” Valliere experienced the SATA way and hasn’t looked back since. “I was using another type of gun initially, but I always had my eye on getting a SATA gun,” he said. “A painter I worked with had never used anything other than a SATA, and one day he let me try one of his guns. “I absolutely fell in love with it right away and went out and bought one without hesitation for base coat. Then later, I tried his RP clear coat SATA gun, and a few months later I got one of those too. “From that moment on, I decided that I would only use SATA guns, and now I have five and want to buy a few more.” When the people at SATA were looking for a top painter to profile for this article, they reached out to Jeremy Winters, painter and host of the popular podcast “Booth Talk.” Winters also has a Facebook page called Ask the Painter. “He talks about paint and I love his show,” Valliere said. “Jeremy’s show has quite a following, and he has awesome guests all the time. “Painters from all over the world
Drive Collision Centers Location: Freeland, MI (989) 695-4867 www.drivecollision.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 14
In Business Since: 1982
Number of Locations: One Chad Valliere painted his own truck with his SATA guns, which is the only way he’d ever do it.
discuss things such as painting processes and equipment on his podcast, and I never miss it.” Winters had been communicating with Valliere for a while through his Facebook page and respects him for his knowledge about his craft and willingness to help others. “I chose Chad because he has always been great during discussions online, and I know that he’s a hardcore SATA guy like me,” Winters said. “I started using SATA 15 years ago. Dan-Am is an incredible company. They keep their eyes on the industry and listen to our feedback, and that’s what I really like about them. “Chad is someone who really cares about his work and is always looking for a better way to achieve top results.” When it comes to a spray gun, Valliere definitely has a lengthy wish list, and SATA meets all of his requirements, he said. “A good gun has to be comfortable in my hands and easy to adjust to suit the job,” he said. “Of course, atomization and consistent material transfer are a big deal, and I need to be able to find the trigger every time. “I paint roughly 50 vehicles every month as the only painter here, so I often rely on muscle memory, but SATA makes it all a lot easier because of the way they’re designed. “When I get busy, I just grab the gun and know exactly what it’s going
to do.” The fact that his SATA guns never fail him or break down is a big plus as well, which means he really hasn’t had to call on Dan-Am’s support, Valliere said. “I have never had to re-build a SATA gun, and as long as I do some general maintenance, they don’t need any special attention,” he said. “The plastic ring inside the air cap has needed to be replaced a few times, but it’s easy enough to do. I use these guns a lot, so that will happen, but other than that, I have had zero issues.” Always looking to be a better painter, Valliere will never deviate from using his SATA guns, even though he tried them all before being introduced to what he called “the best in the industry.” He may refine his technique over time, but he will always stick to his guns when it comes to SATA. “I’m only 39 years old and I love what I do,” he said. “I want to work as long as I can, so maybe one day I can be that veteran painter who gave some young kid his very first SATA gun to use. “To be the best painter I can be, I need to use the best equipment and products available in the industry, and without a doubt I know SATA is doing that for me. “As long as my employer and the customers are happy with my work and the finished product, why would I ever consider using anything else?”
Combined Production Space: 13,000 square feet
Chad Valliere is a SATA devotee and hopes to attain more guns to add to his growing collection.
Known for his quality and eye for detail, Valliere is a shining star at Drive Collision Centers.
Dan-Am Company One Sata Drive P.O. Box 46 Spring Valley, MN 55973 (800) 633-7282 www.sata.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 45
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T d A n 46 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Spanesi Equipment Helps WV Shop Stay Ahead of the Curve
by Autobody News Staff
In the small town of Winfield, WV, Greg Cline Automotive always tries to stay ahead of the curve, especially when it comes to vehicle safety and technology. Henry Cline founded the business in 1968. At the time, it was known as Cline Automotive and Henry’s son, Greg, worked part-time at the shop. When Greg graduated high school in 1992, he took over running the company while attending college in the evenings. Since graduating, Greg has made it a priority to carry on his father’s vision while incorporating new equipment and processes at Greg Cline Automotive. “We’ve been striving to provide customers with the best quality service possible to gain their satisfaction,” said Greg. An essential part of this is using top-of-the-line equipment, such as the products he purchased from Spanesi. The shop owner first noticed Spanesi products online while looking at Instagram and Facebook. “I had been following when K.C. Mathieu was building his shop and putting in a Spanesi spray booth,” said Greg. “I liked the looks of the equipment and it looked like good quality, but I didn’t know much about Spanesi.” Mathieu, formerly on Gas Monkey Garage, owns KC Paint Shop: Hot Rods & Restorations. Greg began researching Spanesi equipment and watched a video on the Spanesi Touch electronic measuring system. In January, he reached out to Tim Morgan, managing director and chief operating officer (COO), to learn more. “I messaged Tim on Facebook and he offered to bring the equipment to show me,” Greg recalled. “It impressed me how easy it was to get in touch with him. It was surprising because at the time, I didn’t realize how high up he was at the company.” Morgan loaded the Spanesi Touch system in his vehicle and drove in a snowstorm to Greg Cline Automotive. Greg purchased it that night. “It’s a very good piece of equip-
Greg Cline Automotive Location: Winfield, WV (304) 755-1146 www.gregclineauto.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 11
In Business Since: 1968
Number of Locations: One The Spanesi Touch electronic measuring system has helped Greg Cline Automotive quickly diagnose damaged vehicles.
ment,” said Greg. “It’s quick to set up, easy to use and doesn’t take a lot of training to understand how it works.” The electronic measuring system allows repairers to quickly diagnose damaged vehicles, determine the certification of correct reparation and measure mechanical parts. Greg has found that the more you work with it, the easier it is to operate. Technicians know ahead of time if there are going to be structural issues with the vehicles. This has helped with speed and production in the shop. “We know things a day or two before we would have known them using the other equipment we had,” he said. Greg found the equipment to be very versatile. In addition to putting the Touch system on a frame, it can be used in any bay, a lift or on the floor. Recently, the shop was repairing an F-350 Ford that was too big to fit on the rack. “There was some question about whether it had frame damage or not, so we took the head off the Spanesi Touch, mounted it on the bracket and placed it on the floor,” said Greg. “We were able to do a complete underbody measurement right there on the floor.” Not only have they found it easy to use, but Greg said it also measures parts. “We’re all struggling with complaining that parts don’t fit,” said Greg. “With the Spanesi Touch system, you can prove why you can’t make it fit, no matter how hard you try.”
A month after purchasing the Touch System, the shop installed a Spanesi multi-bench. “I like the fact that it doesn’t take up a lot of space,” said Greg. “It’s used all day long and most days with multiple cars on it. The guys at the shop absolutely love it.” The entire unit, which sits flush to the floor when fully lowered, can be used for teardowns, framework and quick inspections while customers wait. The ramps also lay flat on the floor to allow low-profile vehicles to drive onto the unit. Another benefit is that it wasn’t necessary to purchase multiple pulling towers. If shops want to put more machines in, they just have to buy the bench itself and the adapters and fixtures will work with all of them. Since using Spanesi products, Greg has been extremely impressed with the quality and service. “He [Tim] will do whatever it takes. We’re a small business and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to make the business go along,” he said. The shop recently installed a custom-made spray booth. It is two booths wide with a wall in the middle. One bay is longer than the other. Greg said that taking a car apart and doing a full uni-side refinish takes up a lot of space, and having that wide booth will be helpful for doing a full teardown. “We’re focused on doing a good, high-quality job for customers,” said Greg. “We’re doing it the right way using the right parts and equipment, such as those from Spanesi.”
DRP Programs: One
Combined Production Space: 11,000 square feet
Founded in 1968, the body shop prides itself on doing a high-quality job for customers.
Since taking over the business, Greg Cline has carried on his father’s vision and incorporated top-of-the-line equipment.
Spanesi Americas Company Contact: Tim Morgan, COO (Managing Director) tmorgan@spanesi-americas.com (224) 772-6374 www.spanesi.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 47
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b p 48 OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Award-Winning Lexus Franchise Offers Customers “AmaZinn” Automotive Experiences With Spanesi Equipment
by Autobody News Staff
Lexus of Pembroke Pines often tells customers that it offers “AmaZINN automotive experiences.” Founded in 1999 by Craig Zinn, CEO of the Craig Zinn Automotive Group, Lexus of Pembroke Pines is currently the number one Lexus franchise in the world for new vehicle sales. Lexus of North Miami, another one of the company’s five dealerships in Florida, is number two in the world. “One of the biggest changes we see every year is that car manufacturers change the technology of the vehicles,” said Brian Martin, director of auto collision for Lexus of Pembroke Pines and Lexus of North Miami. “As the technology changes, we must stay at pace with that as far as training and equipment is concerned.” The collision center first learned about Spanesi equipment in 2016 during the SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV. Martin had the opportunity to meet Orazio Spanesi, the founder of the company, and Orazio’s daughter, Cristina, the international marketing manager. “After vast research and testing of the competition, meeting who builds the equipment and who is behind the company was the final reason I chose to purchase their equipment,” said Martin. He arranged to have some of the collision center’s painters fly to Spanesi America’s headquarters in Chicago to meet Tim Morgan, managing director and chief operating officer (COO), and see the spray booths first-hand. “They were very impressed with the filtration as well as with the airflow coming through the paint booths,” said Martin. “Spanesi’s products, with the filtration and airflow, and the technology of the booth far exceeded the spray booths we had and will prepare us for the future.” As a result of that meeting, the dealership purchased four Michelangelo spray booths and a heated double prep station for Lexus Pembroke Pines’ collision repair facility to replace their existing booths. All of them are custom-designed with oversized glass and height compared to the older models they replaced. He said the operation of the booths has been “excellent” and the painters really like using them. “The jobs are coming out ex-
Lexus of Pembroke Pines
Location: Pembroke Pines, FL (954) 520-7747 www.lexusofpembrokepines.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 110
In Business Since: 1999 Spanesi’s frame machines and technology enable the collision center to determine what is wrong with the vehicle and repair it to pre-loss condition.
tremely clean,” said Martin. “The energy efficiency is saving us a lot of profit when it comes to the cost of natural gas and electricity. We were advised that it would be a savings, but seeing our natural gas bill go down is great.” The technicians at the Lexus of Pembroke Pines collision center have also found that the booths have helped their efficiency with production, allowing them to move vehicles through the paint process more quickly. Martin said they are getting approximately two more cars painted per day, per booth. “The filtration allows the jobs to come out a lot cleaner without dirt in the paint, and the efficiency of the paint booths has certainly allowed us to be more efficient with cycle time,” added Martin. The large project required a lot of coordination to keep production interruption to a minimum. There was also a hurricane they had to deal with. “Brian and the Zinn team, along with our crew and trades, have worked closely to keep things moving at a pace that shop production has seen minimal slowdowns,” said Morgan. In addition, when Morgan and Martin looked at the current maintenance costs and upkeep, they found it was cheaper long-term to upgrade to better, new, efficient equipment. Martin said customer service has been outstanding. The nine painters have all been trained by Spanesi on how to utilize the products. “It’s very simple,” he said. “A touchscreen operates all of the controls to the paint booths. They absolutely love the product.” When they want to check on the maintenance of the booths, they are able to easily dial in from anywhere
in the world and receive an update on the systems as well as any maintenance issues there may be. The automotive group is building a new collision center in approximately one year. “We’ll certainly put Spanesi as a preferred vendor in that location,” said Martin. In addition to the paint booths, Lexus of Pembroke Pines and Lexus of North Miami also purchased Spanesi Multibench frame machines and Touch Measuring System. “They are far better than the ones we bought in the past from the competition,” said Martin. “The Bluetooth technology being utilized with easily recognized graphics allows for easier and simpler inspections. This is a game- changer for us. In our blueprinting process, we like to get a unibody measurement for an accurate account of the damages to the vehicle. It’s a lot easier set up for unibody measurements and unibody repairs.” This helps the facility determine exactly what is wrong with the vehicle up front in order to repair it to pre-loss condition. The collision center is certified by Lexus, Honda, Acura, Nissan, Hyundai, Chrysler, Fiat, Kia and Infinity. “The manufacturers understand there are certain equipment requirements that are necessary to be part of these programs, and the Spanesi equipment certainly meets the criteria of those manufacturers,” Martin said. He said the team has been very involved with the purchase of Spanesi equipment, which has elevated morale in the shop. “We’re here to provide good quality equipment for our customers and Spanesi is helping us do that,” said Martin.
Number of Locations: Three DRP Programs: One
Combined Production Space: 31,000 sf - Lexus of Pembroke 50,000 sf - Lexus of North Miami
Prior to installing one of the custom double prep stations at Lexus of Pembroke Pines.
Brian Martin, director of auto collision for Lexus of Pembroke Pines, shown with one of the custom double prep stations at the collision center.
Spanesi Americas (224) SPANESI (224-772-6374) sales@spanesi-americas.com www.spanesi.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 49
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USI North America Paint Booth Plays Major Role in Shop’s Expansion
by Autobody News Staff
Peter Sadabseng, former painter and current co-owner of Battle Born Autobody in Carson City, NV, knows that if he wants to expand, he will need to use top tier equipment and products to achieve his lofty goals. A hands-on owner who isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to succeed, Sadabseng acquired a USI North America drive-through spray booth for a wide range of reasons— and facilitating the growth of his business was a huge part of it. “Every year we grow more, and we want to continue on that same path,” Sadabseng said. “By acquiring this amazing booth from USI, we are moving in that direction. We have only been using it for less than six months now, but we can already see that this is going to enable us to get to the next stage.” After working at another shop in Carson City for several years, Sadabseng, his brother Phouvay and two other associates partnered to open up Battle Born Autobody in 2013, he said. “For many years, a good friend of mine, Terry Layland, kept telling us that we should open our own shop. So, when we finally decided to go ahead, he was happy to invest in the company. We also brought on Steven Olivas, a body man, onboard because I had worked with him before and knew he was very talented. All four of us are hands-on owners, and that’s why we step in whenever needed,” Sadabseng said. Battle Born Autobody is now repairing 35–40 cars weekly and flourishing in a small town with only 7–8 other collision shops. “I grew up here and know all of the other shops,” he said. “We are competitors, but we also work together because there is enough work to go around. To differentiate ourselves from the other shops, we have to stand out in the area of customer service. That’s why we are able to receive a ton of 5-star reviews on social media and get a lot of referrals as a result.” For many years, working with the local new car dealerships in Carson City helped improve the bottom line at Battle Born.
Battle Born Autobody
Location: Carson City, NV (775) 301-6500 www.battlebornautobody.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 11
In Business Since: 2013
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 7,000 square feet
Phouvay Sadabseng, the head painter at Battle Born Autobody, appreciates every aspect of what his USI North America spray booth brings to his paint department.
“We are very loyal to the dealerships because they brought us a lot of business when we started,” Sadabseng said. “We do a significant amount of their lot work and repair cars that get damaged while being transported. They also refer us to their customers all the time, and that’s why we always come through for them—without them, we wouldn’t be here.” When Sadabseng began looking around for a spray booth, he only seriously considered two companies. But after seeing the USI North America booths in action, it was an easy decision, he said. “We called our paint jobber, and he confirmed that USI was a premier product,” he said. “They flew us out to California, and once we saw a few demonstrations, we were immediately sold. We watched two painters painting a car together inside the USI Chronotech, one on each side of the vehicle, and not one drop of paint got on either of them. So we could see that the air movement was incredible, and that’s why we never need blowers with this booth.” Battle Born is saving time and money with its USI booth, which makes it a win-win situation across the board for the busy shop. “We’re saving time when it comes to baking these cars, and that is going to really help us even more when we grow this business,”
Sadabseng said. “In addition, we are saving money on our gas bill with the Chronotech, which is huge. The efficiency of this booth is impressive and the support that we’ve receiving from USI is outstanding.” By using USI’s online support system, the shop is able to stay up and running all the time and roll along at a steady rate. “We have only had to use it once or twice, and each time the solution was easy and straightforward,” he said. “Instead of waiting for someone to come here and figure it out, they helped us online, and 10 minutes later we were back up and running.” Phouvay, the shop’s head painter, has quickly embraced every feature of their new USI booth, including the Easy Paint System (EPS) that automates every aspect of each paint job. “He loves it,” Peter said. “The EPS controls the entire painting process, so we don’t have to guess. Once we enter the information, the system goes for the most efficient process with each vehicle, saving us time, money and product. Phouvay started using it immediately and wouldn’t want to do it any other way now. As the collision industry changes, we need to be on the cutting-edge to stay competitive and grow, and our new USI booth is doing exactly that.”
(l to r) Steven Olivas, Terry Layland, Phouvay Sadabseng and Peter Sadabseng co-own and operate Battle Born Autobody.
Battle Born Autobody is growing and credits much of its growth to its USI spray booth.
USI of North America Company Contact: Stefano Moretto s.moretto@usius.com (201) 405-7760 www.usius.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 51
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