I-CAR

by Autobody News Staff

Dale Dlugos graduated high school in 1963 and began working at the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Lorain, OH. After working the assembly line for seven years, he went into management for the next 23.

In the early 1970s, he opened a body shop and asked an employee to manage it for him. He stopped by the facility nearly every day after finishing his shift at Ford.

In 1993, Dlugos retired from Ford, closed his shop and moved to Las Vegas the following year. He opened Winners Circle Kustom Autobody in 1998, located near Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He became friends with American automotive designer Carroll Shelby and assisted Shelby with many projects over the years. The shop was relocated to Henderson in 2014.

Dlugos’ intent was to focus solely on custom work, but he soon realized there wasn’t a demand.

“I went back to what I know best—collision repair—and here I am today,” he said.

While working at Ford, Dlugos learned the three Cs: circulate, check and correct. By implementing this at Winners Circle, it helps him maintain a high level of professionalism in all aspects of collision repair and ensure every vehicle is repaired properly. As the owner, he is on-site every day and accessible to customers.

Jose Martinez joined the company as body shop manager in 2020. With more than 30 years of experience, he said the shop is unique in the way employees have direct and friendly contact with customers and everyone in the shop gets involved in the repair process.

“What sets us apart from other shops is how we go above and beyond in every aspect of the repair and in the way we clean, detail and approach the final quality control check to adhere to our strict process,” said Martinez.

He added they do anything and everything to get a part.

“Dale sometimes even goes out of state to Utah or California to ensure we have the correct part,” he said.

When the shop slowed down in 2020 due to the pandemic, Dlugos and Martinez allocated time to become an I-CAR Gold Glass® facility. They signed up for I-CAR’s new “Get to Gold Class” package, introduced in November 2020. The all-inclusive training package was created for shops working toward I-CAR Gold Class® recognition, the highest role-relevant training achievement recognized by the collision repair industry.

In addition to receiving flexible payment options and discounts, shops have access to a dedicated customer care representative, an InShop Knowledge Assessment™ , a customized training plan based on shop size and existing knowledge, and turnover protection.

The program is intended to help shops achieve Gold Class recognition within a year, which may help shops satisfy OEM and insurance network requirements.

Martinez said the process took Winners Circle about two months to complete. First, an I-CAR assessor visited the shop and assessed technicians’ knowledge. Employees then took virtual and online classes to meet the requirements.

“It was a flawless process,” said Martinez. “We worked closely with our rep, which helped a lot. In many ways, it expedited the process to becoming I-CAR Gold Class.”

Martinez said the process was user-friendly, and technical support was readily available through I-CAR’s Repairability Technical Support (RTS) portal.

The shop became Gold Class as of January 2021. Dlugos said this achievement demonstrates his shop is committed to the highest standards of professionalism and quality in collision repair.

Customers rate Winners Circle a five-star shop.

“To be that, you can’t go in the office, put your feet on the desk and hope everyone makes a good decision,” said Dlugos. “You have to be involved daily and circulate, check and correct. That’s the only way to do it.”

With vehicles becoming more complex, with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features and electric vehicle considerations, Dlugos encourages shop owners to keep up with the latest repair methods.

In addition to relying on OEMs for procedures and technical information, the shop has access to I-CAR resources, like I-CAR’s Repairability Technical Support (RTS) portal.

“I-CAR is on top of the latest developments, acquiring information from car manufacturers,” said Dlugos. “We are then able to get that information to our techs.”

He stressed the importance of ensuring technicians are properly trained and qualified. Otherwise, shops might employ people without knowing the depth of their knowledge.

Winners Circle plans to keep up with annual training requirements to maintain Gold Class recognition each renewal year. Not only will this lead to a positive experience for consumers, but it will also contribute to a complete, safe and quality repair.

“You can’t just say, ‘I’m certified,’ and turn them loose,” Dlugos said. “You have to stay on top of it.”

Operating a direct repair shop (DRP) for several major insurers, Dlugos finds an increasing number of companies are requiring I-CAR Gold Class recognition. He foresees this will likely increase, and recommends shops become I-CAR Gold Class now.

“Buckle up; the future is coming,” said Dlugos. “If technicians want to get a good job at a good reputable body shop, they need I-CAR training.”

The team at Winners Circle Kustom Autobody. Owner Dale Dlugos is pictured in the center holding the I-CAR plaque. Jose Martinez, shop manager, is standing second from the left in the light blue shirt.

Winners Circle Kustom Autobody

Location: Henderson, NV

(702) 643-9981

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair Facility Employees: 15 In Business Since: 1998 Number of Locations: One DRP Programs: Three

Production Space:

14,000 square feet

The shop used the Get to Gold Class package to achieve this industry-respected recognition.

Dlugos said that receiving Gold Class status demonstrates his shop is committed to the highest standards of professionalism and quality in collision repair.

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