4 minute read

Car Bench of America

from October 2021 Shop & Product Showcase

by Autobody News

from October 2021 Shop & Product Showcase, page 50

Article from: October 2021 Shop & Product Showcase

WD-40

by Autobody News Staff

After graduating from trade school, Bobby Cobb worked in the collision repair industry for eight years as a painter.

In 1987, with help from childhood friend Kevin Kyes, he started his own small collision center.

Two short years later, the business was doing well enough that Cobb and Kyes decided it was time to expand. Today’s Collision Repair Center was founded, in Chelsea, MA.

A lot has happened in the following 32 years.

“We started out with a great reputation and had the drive to grow,” Cobb said of the reason behind the business’s success.

Cobb and Kyes started hiring employees and taking on more work. In 2003, the business had grown to the point where a second location was needed, and Today’s in Malden was founded.

With continued success, Today’s opened a third full-service location in 2017 in Stoneham, MA. Shortly thereafter in 2020, Cobb recognized the need for a fourth “express” location. Today’s Danvers focuses on light collision repair work, such as dent removal and paint.

Today’s has 72 employees between the four locations, of whom nearly a third have worked for the company for at least a decade. They repair an average of 375 vehicles every month, of all makes, both domestic and imported.

“As owners, we continue to remain hands-on within the business,” said Cobb. “While we may not work on the cars directly, we are involved in the day-to-day running of all aspects of the company. We continue to remain involved and focus on staying current on trends in the industry and change as the industry changes.”

Today’s four locations are I-CAR Gold Class. They have put in the work to achieve certification from several OEMs, including Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Acura, Subaru and Tesla. In 2020, Today’s Collision Malden was ranked among the top seven Tesla Certified Collision Centers nationwide.

Though DRPs are not permitted in Massachusetts, Today’s Collision has partnerships with several insurance providers. The independently owned shops have also partnered with several area dealerships to provide collision repair services.

Most OEMs require collision centers to purchase and use specific equipment in order to be certified to service their vehicles.

“We specialize in high-end OEM certifications and prioritize investing in state-of-the-art equipment and facilities,” Cobb said.

In 2019, Today’s Malden location began the chase to become certified with Jaguar and Land Rover. The main piece of equipment Today’s invested in for this certification is the Car Bench Muraena.

Cobb said although they needed to upgrade to the larger bench as part of the certification process, they quickly found it to be user-friendly and, best of all, universal.

According to Cobb, the Muraena is a great piece of equipment. They’re beyond happy with it. It’s also beneficial that it’s approved for multiple OEM certifications.

Today’s Collision purchased the drive-on version, which is also mobile. This allows technicians to move a vehicle from one department to another within the 23,000-square foot Malden collision center. The Car Bench Muraena is the only bench in the industry that has a lift, as well as the mobile configuration.

“It’s very versatile, which makes it easy for a shop our size to use it,” Cobb said.

Car Bench says all bench models including the Muraena can be combined with a special scissor lift, making them inclinable on both ends. The Muraena’s dimensions have been optimized to allow maximum accessibility from both inside and outside the frame. This allows technicians during the entire repair process to work comfortably, in an ergonomic and efficient position.

Cobb said the Car Bench Muraena allows technicians to do repairs without having to remove the suspension—not possible with some other manufacturers’ frame machines, which require the suspension to be removed for any repair.

Car Benchs’ universal jig system is the most flexible system on the market for vehicle makes, Cobb said.

The technicians at Today’s Collision Malden love the mobile Car Bench machine so much, the shop is getting ready to buy more.

Cobb said the shop bought the Italian-made equipment through U.S. importer and distributor Pinnacle Collision Repair Equipment. Today’s relies on Pinnacle for all state-of-the-art and new equipment for OEM certification specified equipment, from welders to specialty tools.

Pinnacle provides the technicians all the necessary training on OEM-approved equipment, including the Car Bench Muraena at Today’s Collision Malden. Pinnacle is always on top of getting the team necessary data to repair new models on the Muraena.

“Their representation is superb,” Cobb said, praising in particular the Pinnacle representative the shops most closely work with, Josh Cobb. “They’re easy to get in touch with and always attentive to our needs. I feel very confident in their team and dealing with them.”

Today’s Collision Repair Center’s Malden, MA, location is so pleased with the Car Bench Muraena’s versatility and ease of use, it is planning to buy more.