4 minute read

AkzoNobel

from October 2021 Shop & Product Showcase

from October 2021 Shop & Product Showcase, page 50

WD-40

by Autobody News Staff

When you’re an MSO with four locations, everything you do needs to be scalable and adaptable when it comes to tools, products, training and equipment.

If you’re not all on the same page, any MSO will suffer, and that’s why Cascade Collision, with four locations in Utah, makes sure its three co-owners are constantly looking for solutions that will create uniformity with its production processes without sacrificing one iota of quality.

As part of their approach to doing business, Cascade Collision switched roughly five years ago from its previous paint supplier to AkzoNobel, to spray its Sikkens Autowave waterborne product.

Brothers Russ, Brian and Dan Nichols run the show at Cascade, with each playing a different but very important role. Part of their master plan is strategically opening new locations in Utah, but only if the opportunity is right. They recently decided to build their fifth location in Eagle Mountain, UT, to leverage their success in the Beehive State.

Cascade Collision’s success story began back in 2000, and its steady path to expansion has been built on smart decisions when it comes to things such as tools, equipment and OEM training for its 100-plus employees.

Repairing 1,000 vehicles every month is a challenging ask, but the Nichols family is poised and prepared to take it on. A big part of that formula involved switching over to the Sikkens Autowave waterborne system by AkzoNobel, praised for its coverage and sprayability, and lauded worldwide for its ability to create incredible finishes.

The timing for the switchover in 2017 was perfect for Cascade Collision because its former paint was struggling to meet the quality and speed needed, causing bottlenecks and slowing down production, co-owner Brian Nichols said.

“We began running into various issues with the paint brand and it became problematic after a while. We were spending a lot of non-productive time playing around with chips, so we decided to meet with all of the paint companies.”

To assist in the search for a new paint vendor, Cascade Collision’s Production Manager John Barratt played a pivotal role in the vetting process by meeting with every paint company over a sixmonth period.

Coincidentally, Barratt attended UVSC (now UVU) in Orem in 1999, where he received an excellent education on every aspect of the collision repair industry from instructor Terry Nichols—the father of his new bosses, Russ, Brian and Dan.

Cascade was an early adapter when it came to embracing waterborne paint in 2010 and proud of it.

“In the end, it came down to two things—cutting down on our waste disposal and being a green operation,” Barratt said. “By using the Sikkens Autowave waterborne system, the quality of the finished product that we’re getting every time is excellent, so we are not sacrificing or compromising anything by using the waterborne.”

For accurate color matches, the paint crew at all four locations use digital color matching tools designed by AkzoNobel called Automatchic and MIXIT.

“It makes it so easy and all of our painters know how to use it,” Barratt said. “We’re hitting our colors 90% of the time with just one pass, which means it’s helping our cycle times, which is exceptional. It makes life a lot easier when you can dial colors in like that.”

Designed so painters, preppers and even detailers can use it in a pinch, there is little training needed in order to operate these tools to get dead-on color matches.

“Paint chips? We don’t need them anymore, which is so nice,” Barratt said. “When you know that you’re getting a blendable match, it makes everything else easier. The device offers you a rating to go off of three different images to compare and it rates them as well. We don’t get comebacks now because the colors are not an issue and the customers are always amazed when they pick up their vehicles.”

By using the Sikkens Autowave waterborne system to paint 1,000-plus cars every month, Barratt and his paint team are exceeding customers’ expectations and meeting all of their tight deadlines.

“This waterborne product is easy to cure and we never have to use hand-held dryers,” he said. “With waterborne, it’s all about quick dehydration and everything is faster with this product, no doubt.”

The crews at Cascade are happy to be using Sikkens Autowave waterborne system every day, and the support they receive from their jobber and the brand is exceptional, Brian Nichols said.

“Our rep is AIS Automotive, Inc. and they are literally in one of our locations every day. If we have a question about anything or need a product delivered quickly, these people are so willing to help us, it’s perfect.”

With a company motto that says, “We are Serious About Perfection,” the people at Cascade Collision are happy—and serious— to report their paint departments are firing on all cylinders, thanks to the AkzoNobel Sikkens Autowave waterborne system.

The crew at Cascade Collision loves Sikkens Autowave because it’s easy to apply and the finished product is spectacular.