October 2022 Shop and Product Showcase

SHOWCASE SHOWCASE SHOP AND PRODUC TSHOP AND PRODUC T

TOOLS l TECHNIQUES l TESTIMONIALS

AkzoNobel 2-3

Terr y Cullen Southlake Chevrolet Jonesboro, GA

ALLDATA 4-5

Nor thside Collision Paint & Body Inc. San Antonio, TX

Anest Iwata USA 6-7 Knight Enterprises LLC West Columbia, SC

asTech 8-9

Key Collision of Por tsmouth Por tsmouth, NH

Audatex, 10-11 a Solera Company

Hu man Collision Center Hu man, TX

Axalta Coating 12-13 Systems

Woodman Collision Center Alton, IL

Blowtherm USA 14-15

Morong Falmouth Body Shop Falmouth, ME

Car-O -Liner 16-17

Nor th America

V & F Auto Body Keypor t & Metuchen, NJ

CARWORX 18-19

WRC Collision Los Angeles, CA

CCC Intelligent 20-21 Solutions Mountain View Auto Wayne & Ridgewood, NJ

Equalizer 22-23

Mills Body Shops & Auto Glass Evansville, Chandler & Newburgh, IN

Hunter 24-25 Engineering

Patterson Auto Body Patterson, NY

I- CAR 26-27

Deer y Collision Repair Burlington, IA

Induc tion 28-29

Innovations

Hixson’s Body Shop Sunbur y, PA

Industrial 30-31 Finishes & Systems

Kim's Auto Body Santa Clara, CA

KECO Body 32-33 Repair Produc ts

Dorn's Body & Paint Mechanicsville, VA

Launch Tech 34-35 USA

JJB Auto Glass Atascadero, CA

Mitchell 36-37 International

Lloyd's Collision & Paint Center Santee, CA

PPG 38-39

JDS Collision Repair Ir ving, TX

Pro Spot 40-41 International Salinas Collision Repair Salinas, CA

Oc tober 2022 l autobodynews.com

Sher win- 44-45 Williams

Faith Quality Auto Body Murrieta, CA

Sher win- 46-47

Williams

Franktown Collision & Restoration Garage Franktown, CO

Spanesi 48-49 Americas

Nick & Ernie’s Fix Auto Skokie Skokie, IL

Steamericas, Inc. 50-51 Murpho’s Rods & Customs Buda, TX

USI of 52-53

Nor th America

Steve's Collision Center Sparks, NV

SATA Dan-Am 42-43

Company

Paddock's Paint Works Chester eld, MI

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AkzoNobel Professional Consulting Services Coaches Terry Cullen Chevrolet to Achieve KPI Success

by Autobody News Staff

Just like a sports coach can make all the difference in leading his team to victory, Terry Cullen of Terry Cullen Chevrolet in Jones boro, GA, sees his relationship with AkzoNobel like that of a coach. The sports metaphor is an easy one for Cullen to embrace.

Cullen’s dad and his two un cles played hockey profession ally in their native Canada. After their professional sports careers, the brothers became owners of Chevrolet dealerships. As a result, Cullen grew up in the business, working for his dad during his high school and college years.

After graduating from the Uni versity of Michigan with a degree in business, he sold cars in Windsor, Canada, and Detroit and worked his way up to become a sales man ager for a Pontiac and Buick dealer ship in Lapeer, MI.

His career evolved to focus on the finance side of dealerships, and Cullen credits his “persistence re moves resistance” drive for landing him an opportunity to own a deal ership with a move to the Atlanta suburbs in 1990.

Terry Cullen Chevrolet began in Morrow, GA, but in seven short years fueled by the climate of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics grew to its current Jonesboro location. The dealership offers new and used car sales, along with service, parts and a body shop.

With Cullen’s strong business and finance side, he was a skilled entrepreneur. But his knowledge of body shop operations was where he needed the most support.

Enter AkzoNobel. Just as a sports coach guides, mentors and helps achieve goals never thought possible, AkzoNobel became Cul len’s personal coach.

Cullen relied on AkzoNobel and its professional consulting ser vices to make a key difference in the life of his body shop.

“Several years ago, we were moving on from a competitive wa terborne refinish system. We inter viewed many paint companies and Sikkens was the clear winner. But the product is just the beginning. What continues to blow our minds is the business and technician sup port AkzoNobel provides to its Sik kens customers,” Cullen said.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Cullen had recently promoted a team member, Bart Benedetti, into the body shop manager role. With a strong work

AkzoNobel’s professional consulting services helped Terry Cullen, left, and his body shop manager, Bart Benedetti, right, increase their net profit goals within the first year of working with the AkzoNobel team.

ethic, Benedetti quickly rose through the ranks at Terry Cullen Chevrolet but didn’t have a lot of body shop experience.

AkzoNobel’s team met with Cullen, his son, Drew Cullen, and his new body shop manager week ly to set goals and develop a growth plan, not to mention train Benedetti on all of the Sikkens products.

“They helped us develop blueprints for success for our en tire body shop, and just as impor tantly, they held us accountable for keeping timelines we commit to,” said Cullen of his experience. “They’re almost like a board of di rectors for us. The level of profes sional consulting that we received from AkzoNobel took us from zero to hero in one year, and it cost us nothing. We’re profitable, we’re growing and we’re smiling.”

The AkzoNobel “dream team” was made up of Ryan Ross, Joey Pape and Drew Holdren. They helped to establish 17 key perfor mance indicators for Benedetti to improve, and in working with Ak zoNobel, they increased average sales per employee from $14,500 to $17,600.

“They held Bart’s hand through ‘business school,’” said Cullen of AkzoNobel’s profession al consulting services.

Cullen had experience in working with 20 Groups, but he said AkzoNobel’s body shop knowledge and experience was key because it was an area he wanted to focus on growing.

During their meetings, the AkzoNobel team taught Benedetti how to read financial statements, and they even helped the Terry Cullen Chevrolet body shop team lay out a mutual action plan. The

plan outlined training, SWOT anal ysis and action items for meeting clearly defined goals for keeping their eyes on the “puck” while building accountability.

They drilled down to specifics by first analyzing the company’s current gross profit, along with determining what would be an achievable net profit goal. By lay ing a path, they built a model to achieve it. They also broke down sales and costs for labor, parts, materials and sublets.

From AkzoNobel’s perspec tive, it looks forward to provid ing support to an existing body shop’s team and cultivating strong employees and leaders, such as Benedetti.

“Thank you for your time to day and allowing AkzoNobel to become a part of helping Bart in his new role,” read one email from Pape to Cullen. “I appreciate your trust in AkzoNobel to be a part of his training.”

Along with relying on Akzo Nobel’s professional consulting services, Terry Cullen Chevrolet uses all Sikkens paint and clear products and has full confidence in its line of products and high cus tomer satisfaction.

Just like a sports team looks forward to a winning season, Cul len is grateful for his winning sea son: improving his body shop’s KPIs and building the leadership confidence of his body shop manager.

“Their consulting services were a distinguishing factor,” said Cullen of his decision to choose AkzoNobel over other refinising companies, and credited it as a clear competitive advantage. Score one for the AkzoNobel dream team.

Terry Cullen Southlake

Chevrolet

Location: Jonesboro, GA (770) 968-4444

www.terrycullen.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 75

In Business Since: 1990

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 10,700 square feet

Bart Benedetti said the quality of the Sikkens ColorScala Pro is the “best color matching capability” he’s ever seen.

Terry Cullen Chevrolet’s come backs are next to zero, thanks to Sikkens’ exceptional paint quality.

AkzoNobel

Facebook:

ALLDATA Gives San Antonio Auto Body Shop All the Information Needed to Do Repairs Right

by Autobody News Staff

Northside Collision Paint & Body Inc. in San Antonio, TX, was estab lished in 2001, when Mark Gutier rez a longtime Allstate agent with no collision repair experience purchased a small body shop, de termined to set a higher standard for collision repair in the area.

Mark’s son, Javier Gutierrez, began working for the family busi ness at the age of 12, working his way up from detailing to his current role as co-owner and production manager, with a six-year stint in the U.S. Army along the way.

Javier Gutierrez also took a detour to Appleton, WI, when he was a young teen, where he be came the youngest graduate of Jaguar North America’s aluminum cosmetic and structural repair certi fication program. Gutierrez said the repair standards he learned there influenced the standards he applies to all makes and models that come through his shop now.

More than two decades after Northside Collision’s opening, the 22,000-square foot facility repairs an average of 30 vehicles a month.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a $100,000 car or a $10,000 car, we fix them with the same standards,” Gutierrez said.

About 10 years ago, the shop had several OEM certifications and participated in multiple insurance companies’ DRPs, as the then-gen eral manager had a “DRP mindset,” Gutierrez said.

“He thought if we could do more cars, we would make more money,” he said. “My solution was, we need to make more money with less cars.” This meant the shop had to get off DRPs and start billing for all work performed.

Gutierrez said the chances of repairing a vehicle correctly while maintaining profitability under a DRP contract are slim to none.

“Most [insurance companies] do not pay for or allow for proce dural repairs on their estimate,” he said. “They want the bare minimum on an estimate because they are trying to be cost effective, which can sacrifice both the safety and overall completeness of a repair.”

Gutierrez said he wanted to get out of the DRPs, so he brought in ALLDATA to help with the transi tion to researching correct proce dures for every repair.

“It completely opened our eyes,” he said.

Gutierrez said his shop now

Northside Collision Paint & Body Inc. in San Antonio, TX, uses ALLDATA Collision to research every repair procedure on all makes and models.

uses a third-party company to per form diagnostic scanning as it has invested the time, money and train ing into OEM-specific equipment but uses ALLDATA Collision to re search repair procedures.

“We research every single re pair and gather all the info directly from the manufacturer, so we’re not arguing with insurance compa nies on things that aren’t optional,” he said.

Northside Collision also has Toyota and Honda’s research tools, and has compared the results to those from ALLDATA.

“It’s always current,” Gutierrez said of ALLDATA’s repair informa tion compared to the OEMs’. “So now we are leaning very heavily on ALLDATA to gather all of our infor mation.”

Another big advantage to us ing ALLDATA is the fact the pro cess to research repair procedures is “repeatable,” regardless of make or model.

“Other manufacturers’ sites are extremely different,” Gutierrez said. “With ALLDATA, once you teach the process, it’s the same across the board. The research side is very easy.”

The monthly subscription fee is practically paid for on its first use every month, he said.

“It’s a very quick return on in vestment,” Gutierrez said. “It’s not so much an expense as it is a tool.”

The shop recently added Bryan Mullett to the team, a longtime insurance adjuster with 20+ years of industry experience. He was quickly and easily trained with ALLDATA and has become an irre placeable asset.

“I generally can train some body to use it pretty effectively in about three hours,” Gutierrez said.

And if anyone runs into a snag researching a repair procedure, a “Library Request” can be sent to ALLDATA, which usually returns the answer within 30 minutes.

“I couldn’t ask for a better sup port team,” Gutierrez said.

Since quitting DRPs, Gutierrez said, Northside Collision is repair ing fewer cars down from an av erage of 100 per month to 30 but its gross profit is significantly high er, as its average estimate is now $8,700.

“We fight for dollars and cents, to minimize out-of-pocket expens es for the customer. The insur ance company pays for everything they’re willing to and the remaining balance is passed on to customers,” he said. “Other shops on [DRPs] get so much work, their only option is to rush through repairs and ulti mately not repair them the way the manufacturer says. As a result, the quality of the repair suffers.”

Gutierrez said Northside Colli sion will soon become a training fa cility to teach other collision repair ers how to do procedural repairs, with support from ALLDATA.

“At the end of the day, the safety for the consumer has to be paramount in the entire repair process,” Gutierrez said. “Every body in the process has to have that same mindset.

“If everyone can think about doing a safe repair first and fore most, then a quality repair, and then worry about the money af ter, I think that would completely transform the entire industry.”

Northside Collision Paint & Body Inc.

Location: San Antonio, TX (210) 496-7443

www.northsidecollisionsa.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: Six

In Business Since: 2001

Number of Locations: One

Space: 22,000 square feet

Northside Collision Paint & Body Inc. got out of the “DRP mindset” and started billing insurance com panies for all work performed.

The team at Northside Collision Paint & Body Inc. repairs about 30 vehicles a month.

ALLDATA

Company

james.loveridge@alldata.com

Knight Enterprises LLC says ANEST IWATA’s Series 2 ‘Blows Other Guns Out of the Water’

by Autobody News Staff

From frame-off auto restorations to custom paint jobs to RV and boat repairs, Knight Enterprises LLC in West Columbia, SC, does it all.

“You name it, we’ve painted and repaired it,” said co-owner Evan Thurber

Thurber runs the shop with his wife, Tearsa, mother-in-law, Crystal Knight, father-in-law, Jeff Knight, who opened the collision repair shop in 1986, and several other family members.

“You feel like family when you come there,” said Thurber. “Word of mouth is how people hear about our friendly service and the quali ty of work we do, and thankfully, we’re so busy, we don’t have to advertise.”

Thurber said he and his family do what they can to ensure their customers’ safety, even if they can’t get them in the body shop that day.

“If we go check out the situa tion and their bumper is hanging off, we’ll secure the cover so it’s safe for them to drive until their ap pointment,” he explained. “We go above and beyond to ensure the customer is satisfied.”

Thurber added that Knight Enterprises is in the process of expanding.

“Right now, we have two buildings for one location, and we’re hoping to add more work space in the future,” he said.

Thurber became co-owner of Knight Enterprises in 2019 after moving from Florida to South Car olina to be with his wife Tearsa. She has 12 years of collision repair experience.

“I had been working at an auto body shop in Florida for a while, so when I joined Knight Enterprises, I took over the paint department,” he said. “I’m also a combo guy and I’ve been helping out with es timates and body work; I lend a hand anywhere I can.”

Since painting is Thurber’s specialty, he’s particular about the gun he sprays.

“About seven years ago, I asked my paint rep in Florida if I could demo some different brands because I wasn’t happy with my current gun,” he explained. “So, he lent me an ANEST IWATA LS 400,

Evan Thurber, left, his wife, Tearsa, center, and his father-in-law, Jeff Knight, right, own and operate Knight Enterprises with Jeff’s wife, Crystal Knight

and I was like, holy moly, this is a completely different world com pared to what I was using.”

He has been a big fan of the Japanese manufacturer ever since.

“I continued trying different ANEST IWATA guns the LPH 400, the W 400, WS 400 there’s just so many amazing gravity feed spray guns,” he said. “Even the LPH 80, I use on all my custom jobs and small spot repairs.

“There’s nothing that you will pick up from ANEST IWATA that you won’t enjoy spraying because of the quality of the product and professional results.”

He also appreciates the versa tility of ANEST IWATA products.

“You can use them in your high-end body shop or at-home shop,” Thurber said. “Their prod ucts are top notch; they know how to set themselves apart.”

However, Thurber believes ANEST IWATA’s soon-to-be-re leased WS 400 Series 2 Clear and the LS 400 Series 2 Base gun “blows any other gun out of the water.” He had the pleasure of demoing both products for two weeks in late June.

“I’ve never sprayed or handled anything so admirable and com fortable as these guns,” he said. “Right out of the box, just looking at it, it’s a beautiful thing; it’s slim, lightweight much lighter than the Supernova.”

Thurber continued, “It has that nice chrome gunmetal look to it, and it’s scratch resistant, which was a much-needed improvement from the Supernova.”

He said despite “pushing the

Series 2 to its limits,” he did not see a single scratch.

Thurber also found the Series 2 easier to use.

“One of the big things for me with the Supernovas was having to dial in your fan in a couple of turns to find that even spray pat tern,” he explained. “Right out of the box, Series 2 is ready to spray; you don’t have to adjust your fan or fluid knobs at all.”

Thurber continued, “You sim ply pull the trigger, shoot both Series 2 guns at 29 psi and you’re getting the most even and atomized results I’ve ever seen. You also save money by having less overspray and therefore using less material.

“These guns have surpassed all my expectations,” he added.

Over the years, the paint equipment company has also pro vided Thurber with valuable cus tomer support.

“Whenever I bring any con cerns or thoughts to ANEST IWATA’s attention, they put it in perspective and consider my rec ommendations,” he said. “If you have a question, they’re more than willing to help you. For example, they’ll suggest different air pres sures and fan patterns to ensure getting the most out of your gun.”

Thurber said he highly recom mends purchasing the WS 400 Se ries 2 Clear and LS 400 Series 2 Base when they’re released in Fall 2022, because he will be doing the same.

“These spray guns aren’t just another gun to add to your collec tion, they will take over your collec tion,” Thurber concluded.

Knight Enterprises LLC

Location: West Columbia, SC (803) 796-4616

www.knightenterprisesllc.net

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: Five

In Business Since: 1986

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 8,000 square feet

Evan Thurber, co-owner of the West Columbia, SC, shop, poses with his ANEST IWATA spray guns.

Evan Thurber sprays a customer’s vehicle with an ANEST IWATA paint gun while wearing a spray paint suit from the same company.

ANEST IWATA USA, Inc.

Catherine Swisshelm

catherine.s@anestiwata.com (513) 417-0106

www.anestiwata.com

Facebook: @AnestIwataUSA

Twitter: @anestiwatausa

Instagram: @anest_iwata

LinkedIn: @anest-iwata

YouTube: @Anest Iwata USA Inc

Shop

by Autobody News Staff

In the old days, shops were con tent sending their cars to the local dealerships for scans and calibra tions. But now they realize doing it themselves comes with many benefits, including maximizing efficiency and retaining control of the entire process.

At Key Collision in Ports mouth, NH, asTech, a Repairify company, is playing an integral role as the shop moves nearly all of its scans and calibrations under its own roof.

Key Collision currently uses the asTech Duo Remote Diag nostic Device, adasThink and the John Bean Tru-Point calibration system. When General Manager Brendan Morgan came onboard, the team was in the process of acquiring asTech tools and equip ment for all of its 11 locations.

“We were sending way too many cars to the dealership for scans and calibrations,” Morgan said. “So, we contacted asTech and told them we want to do all of our diagnostics at all of our 11 locations with them and that was how it started.”

When asked his three main concerns as a shop manager, Morgan knew the answers right away.

“The supply chain, providing the best customer service we can and finding and hiring good peo ple,” he said.

He did not mention his auto motive diagnostics as an issue, because it isn’t thanks to asTech and the way his company ap proaches scans and calibrations.

As a teenager, Morgan sus pected cars would somehow be in his future as a career. “When I was younger, I was really into cars and automotive racing, stuff like that, and just ended up at Alfred State College [in New York just outside of Buffalo] for auto body,” he said. “As I was working on cars, I dis covered I liked the body styling as pect and the different colors. So, I got into customization and decid ed to head down that road.”

Morgan is a wise man at 43 who has learned how to become a better leader over the years, he said.

of

In-House,

NH, love their

“In the end, it’s all about the people our employees, custom ers, vendors, associates and part ners everyone. If our crew and the people we interact with are happy, it all works well. I figured that out with my first manage ment gig, and it’s a great recipe. I want our people to be better and improve their lives by working here; that’s really our main goal and something we are always thinking about.”

Morgan is taking full advan tage of his asTech tools and keep ing 95% of his scans and calibra tions in-house.

“It’s been enormous for us,” he said. “Our asTech Duo of fers our customers two types of scans a remote OEM scan sup ported by ASE and I-CAR cer tified technicians or a local car side OEM-compatible scan. Our asTech adasThink imports the estimate data and compares the OEM repair procedures against the lines of labor that they have on their estimates. Using the data in the estimate, adasThink iden tifies the calibrations and safety features or functions that need to be done on the vehicle to make sure it’s fixed properly. We use our Tru-Point ADAS calibration system to enable calibrations with 100% OEM tooling when we complete our repairs.

“So, we are obviously allin with asTech and pleased with their products and their incredible support.”

Morgan should also be very happy with the money he’s sav

Key Collision of Portsmouth

Location: Portsmouth, NH

431-8991

www.keycollisioncenter.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 157

In Business Since: 2000

Number of Locations: 11

Combined Production Space: 238,979 square feet

equipment for

ing by using his asTech diagnos tic tools.

“We do roughly 35 calibra tions every month and before I got here, most of them were go ing to the dealership. Sometimes it would take two days to get the vehicle back, which hurts our cy cle time. By using asTech to its full capabilities, we are delighted with the overall results. Maintain ing full control of our diagnostics is a huge deal and the entire com pany is benefitting greatly from the decision.”

Jamie Virgue was hired at Key Collision as a detailer, but now she’s handling most of the shop’s scans and calibrations, us ing asTech every step of the way.

Morgan is thrilled with Vir gue’s progress. “She’s doing all of our calibrations, and we couldn’t be any happier with the results,” he said. “She is driven and motivated and a fast learner, so she has quickly become an es sential team member. She creat ed her own niche, and that’s what we love to see. She’s in her 20s, so she can have a great career in this industry as an automotive di agnostic technician.”

Current OE data is vital to a shop that repairs 200 vehicles ev ery month.

“So, if we need them to pull something, we send out an email and pull a position statement from the manufacturer telling us what has to be done. asTech is really on top of it when it comes to all the OEM information, so we always have what we need.”

Key Collision in Portsmouth is staying ahead of the competition by performing almost all of its diagnostics in-house with the help of asTech.

asTech, a Repairify company

Tennyson Parkway

Plano, TX 75024

John Wise, Director of Marketing Communications John.wise@repairify.com

Serving California, Arizona & Nevada

@asTechDrivenByRepairify/

@asTech_official

@company/astechDrivenByRepairify

@astech_official

Virgue has found a great niche, doing all of the calibrations for the shop.

Diagnostician Jamie Virgue, left, and General Manager Brendan Morgan, right, at Key Collision in

The future of automotive claims

Huffman Collision Center Chooses Audatex, a Solera Company, for Streamlined Estimating, Reliable Tech Support

by Autobody News Staff

In 2012, David Dietert became the owner of the only auto body shop in Huffman, TX: Huffman Collision Center

He said the I-CAR-certified fa cility operates mainly off word of mouth.

“I think what sets us apart is our demeanor and the way we approach customers,” Dietert explained.

Dietert maintains customer satisfaction has two parts: friend ly service and proper repairs. He implements the Mobile Estimating System (AudaMobile) by Audatex, a Solera company, to ensure his technicians begin the repair pro cess on the right foot.

“I started looking into a mo bile estimating system around 2016 because an insurance adjust er said I was required to do so,” he explained. “I went with Solera’s product because it was way less expensive than the competition and so much easier to use than what I had in the past.”

According to the Audatex website, AudaMobile assists with efficient claim creation, vehicle identification, damage capturing and repair cost estimation while streamlining approved repair workflow.

Dietert said as the owner, he sees the benefits of the mobile estimating system more than any one else.

“When you have a smaller operation as I have here, it’s not something you can put on the company itself,” Dietert said.

He added insurance compa nies know Audatex, which makes the claim process more manage able.

When it comes to tech sup port, Dietert described how Au datex helped him rectify an email hack he experienced a year ago.

“When I upgraded my com puter from Windows 7 to Windows 11, the [repair] data did not transfer over,” he explained. “So, I called my contact at Audatex to assist me.”

Dietert said the first support tech he spoke with “laboriously” tried to update the data and figure out why it didn’t transfer over.

“I had my doubts at first, but they said, ‘don’t worry, we’ll get it

As the only auto body shop in Huffman, TX, owner David Dietert said Huffman Collision Center does its part to provide certified repairs and dependable customer service.

taken care of for you,’” he recalled.

Dietert said seven to eight hours later, the support techs re solved the issue. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it.

“I then haphazardly found out I couldn’t get photos I had taken with AudaMobile to migrate over to the new system,” he explained.

“The tech support didn’t do any thing wrong; it was an issue with my email.”

Dietert said he called Auda tex again and spoke with a young woman.

“I explained my email issue, and she said, ‘I can get that tak en care of for you,’” he recalled.

“She figured out I had download ed the wrong email server and then migrated everything to my email perfectly.”

With her insight, Dietert said he could get the photos to the insurance company, and “every thing was good.”

“If I didn’t have her help, I never would’ve figured it out,” he said. “It was such a good ex perience, and I could tell she was highly trained. The biggest thing was she was engaged, compared to some people who would’ve just given up.”

Dietert added that within an hour, the Audatex support tech had everything fixed, and the shop was up and running again.

He also said that Audatex recently made enhancements to its estimating system, and he’s looking forward to engaging with the training when he has downtime. “I will continue to use

AudaMobile until I close my shop down, which, sad to say, will be coming soon,” Dietert said.

The Texas shop owner ex plained the state is expanding the road in front of his business and using eminent domain to clear out any buildings standing in their way.

“I found this out around 2019, so it has been a long time coming,” Dietert said. “Five years ago, it was a prediction, and now it’s happening; they’ve already started expanding the road about two miles away. Homes, churches, businesses; all of it’s going.”

Dietert added he’s grateful to have a huge lot. He’s debating using the money from the state to relocate his business further back on his property.

“But I haven’t made that deci sion because I am nearing retire ment age,” he explained. “If this happened 10 years ago, it would be a different story.”

Another option is to give the property to his daughter, a hair stylist, so she can open her own business.

“When you’re 35, you can do things like that,” he said.

Dietert said he wouldn’t be surprised if another body shop opened in the same spot.

“Otherwise, I hate to say it, but there’s going to be a lot of people in despair because they have to drive a little further to get their body work done,” Dietert said. “All in all, I do feel we’ve had a good run here.”

Huffman Collision Center

Location: Huffman, TX (281) 361-5600

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: Three

In Business Since: 2012

Number of Locations: One

Combined Production Space: 5,000 square feet

Pictured is the paint room of the I-CAR-certified facility.

Willie Josey, left, a 35-year crafts man of body work and paint, and Tommy Casell, right, a trainee and helper, pose mid-work day at Huffman Collision Center.

Audatex, a Solera Company

Sonia Javed Marketing Strategy Director (202) 768-1707

Sonia.Javed@solera.com

EZ Waterborne System Helps Auto Body Shop Look to the Future

by Autobody News Staff

The family at the helm of Woodman Collision Center, Inc., in Alton, IL, certainly understands how to build a multi-generational business.

The business’s first location then known as Woodman Auto Body was established in 1947 by Jess O. Woodman Sr. His son, Jess O. Woodman Jr., learned the trade from his father and owned multiple Woodman shops in the area.

Jess H. Woodman, son of Jess O. Woodman Jr., also fol lowed in the footsteps of his fa ther and grandfather, and began working in the family business as a teenager.

Jess later worked for two de cades for a couple insurance com panies, but in 2004, he and his wife, Ginger, opened Woodman Collision Center’s current location in Alton.

Jess and Ginger’s sons, Ryan and Chad, are now the fourth gen eration of Woodmans to operate the auto body shop, taking over their parents’ business.

Ryan Woodman has worked in the shop from the day his dad opened it in 2004, having grown up working alongside his dad and grandfather.

“It was just something I en joyed doing in the garage with my dad when I was younger, and when I graduated from high school, I decided to give it a try as a career and enjoyed it,” he said.

Chad Woodman, on the other hand, found his place in the fami ly business in 2008 after graduat ing from college with a degree in criminal justice.

“I got involved in the business side, working with customers and insurance companies, which was something I enjoyed,” he said.

Today, the I-CAR Gold cer tified shop repairs an average of 120 to 150 vehicles per month.

The brothers and co-owners said the industry has changed a lot since the shop opened 14 years ago.

“There was no such thing as a pre-scan and a post-scan; you didn’t have all the sensors,” Ryan said. “Paint was single-stage or a base clear. Now you’ve got every thing from tri-coats to four coats.

Chad Woodman, left, and Ryan Woodman, right, are brothers and co-owners of Woodman Collision Center, Inc., in Alton, IL, which uses the Axalta Cromax EZ® Waterborne System.

You’ve got to scan every car that comes in the door now.”

“It’s basically driving a com puter on wheels,” Chad said. “Now it’s about writing proper estimates, getting repair proce dures, documenting everything. Fixing cars properly is more of a challenge.”

With that in mind, the Wood mans are keeping an eye on the future of both the collision repair industry and the planet as a whole.

In addition to recycling all plastic bumper parts and sheet metal components and taking steps to make its equipment more energy efficient, the shop uses a downdraft spray booth and HVLP (high volume, low pressure) guns, to reduce overspray, which reduc es harmful emissions.

Woodman Collision Center also started using a waterborne paint system in 2008, becoming one of the first collision repair cen ters in the St. Louis area to make the switch.

“We’re doing our part to keep the planet good for the next gen eration,” Ryan said. “It’s also what most OEs are using now, so it just made sense to switch.

“It seemed like that was the forward progress of the collision industry, and we wanted to make sure we were ahead of that.”

The shop website explains that, since it mixes an average of 2 gallons of basecoat per week, the move to waterborne from a solvent system saves more than 600 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOC) every year

the equivalent of eliminating the emissions of more than 200 cars per year.

In November 2020, the shop tried Axalta’s Cromax® EZ, a wa terborne system designed to achieve quality goals with prod ucts that provide quick and accu rate application, and color tools that are convenient and reliable.

After the initial test run, the shop made the switch to the wa terborne system.

“The thing I liked about Cro max was it was user-friendly once you got it into the booth,” Ryan said. “You could sand out any is sues you found in the booth.”

The clear coats are more buffable, and the blends easier to lay down. The color match is also top-notch, with a wide range of variants to choose from, and the camera works well to provide a “third eye” when a painter is torn between two variants.

“Those were the big points that led us to switch,” Ryan said. “Our painters like it too for those reasons.

“We don’t have a lot of redos because we try to handle that before it gets to the booth, but at times it does happen,” he ex plained. “Usually it’s just a quick scuff and throw it back in there.”

The shop has multiple Axalta reps it can call for assistance.

“There are two [reps] from the area we have known for a really long time, and they’re on their game and ready if we have an issue,” Ryan said. “They get on it real quick and get it solved.”

Woodman Collision Center, Inc.

Location: Alton, IL (618) 466-1450

www.woodmancollisioncenter.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 11

In Business Since: 1947

Number of Locations: One Production Space: 14,000 square feet

The I-CAR Gold shop repairs between 120 and 150 vehicles per month, using Axalta Cromax EZ® to match the paint on the first try while producing far fewer VOCs than a solvent system.

Ryan Woodman said he likes how user-friendly Axalta Cromax EZ® is. “You could sand out any issues you found in the booth.”

Axalta Coating Systems

Company Contact: Heidi Stilwell heidi.stilwell@axaltacs.com (610) 358-5353

www.axaltacs.com

Facebook: @AxaltaNArefinish

Instagram: @axaltarefinish

Twitter: @axalta

LinkedIn: @axalta

YouTube: @axalta

Their New Blowtherm Paint Booth is Already a Valued Team Member at Morong Body Shop

by Autobody News Staff

Well-known throughout Maine as a shop that specializes in Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, and Mazda, Morong Body Shop in Falmouth recently acquired their second Blowtherm paint booth to contin ue its legacy. Since 1953, Morong Body Shop has been performing collision repairs on these four brands with a tight crew and that focuses on quality.

After carefully vetting most of the other paint booths on the market, Brandt Hatala Shop Man ager, knew he would stick with Blowtherm. “We have moved several times over the years, and the paint booth in one of our for mer locations was a Blowtherm unit that was installed in the late 1980s,” he said. “You can’t beat that kind of life expectancy from a piece of equipment that was used on a daily basis for all those years. So, we knew about Blowtherm’s track record and it was impressive, so it made the decision a lot eas ier. When you purchase a booth, you expect it to last for a long time and perform at a high level, and that’s exactly what we get with our Blowtherm.”

Two of the most notable ben efits that the Morong crew have experienced since acquiring their second Blowtherm booth include increased productivity and the fact that they were able save money by switching over to a natural gas burner system. “We are so much more efficient now because we are using less energy and getting a much better bake cycle,” says the Body Shop manager. “It’s a more even heat source and the finished product is always excellent.”

The paint jobs that Morong Body Shop is creating on a con sistent basis tie in neatly with their mantra “When we are done, it shouldn’t just look good; it should look like an accident never oc curred at all.”

The booth’s installation pro cess was seamless and drama-free with the help of their distributor Mike Hites at Autoquip out of New market, NH. It also gave them the opportunity to become a greener business during the same time. “We purchased a pretty universal

Morong Body Shop has been using Blowtherm spray booths over three decades. Now that's longevity.

Blowtherm booth that allowed us to switch over to waterborne paint easily,” Hatala said. “The in stallation was planned out ahead of time and worked out very well with our schedule. The develop ment process evolved around the importance of us being able to use the existing footprint that the existing paint booth was sitting on. It was critical for us to mini mize any remodeling expenses in order to keep costs down and stay within our budget. Blowtherm had a model available that fit the space perfectly with minimal building modification, which was great. Even the existing blower unit venting stack was able to be used with some minor sheet metal modifications.”

Morong’s is delighted with ev ery aspect of their new Blowtherm booth; from the quality of the equipment to the strong support they receive from their authorized Blowtherm USA Distributor. “Mike Hites is always on top of it, and that makes all of our lives so much easier. If we ever have a question, he is right there with the correct answer and most everything can be solved with just a phone call. I tell people it’s a great partner ship Blowtherm is an amazing product and Autoquip’s custom er support is outstanding! You need both factors when it comes to a major investment like a paint booth and we are getting both.”

A bit of history… their story began when the VW Beetle be came popular in the United States

in the early 1950s. “We were a body shop first that later became a dealership,” Hatala said. “One day, the managers here saw the new VW bug and were so impressed, they inquired about selling them and that’s how it started. Today, we are the second oldest fami ly-owned VW dealership in the United States.”

Morong’s runs a tight crew in their Body Shop, with a painter, a body man, and an assistant, in addition to their single downdraft Blowtherm paint booth acting as the fourth member of their team.

Since the VW dealership was founded in 1954, they’ve expand ed their Porsche dealership in 1955; the Audi brand in 1970; and Mazda’s brands in 1976. “Custom er experience and exceeding cus tomer expectations is vital to our business, and has been the key to the success for Morong over the last 65 years.”

The plan at Morong Body Shop is to eventually expand to accommodate more volume in the near future which will involve moving their Blowtherm booth into the new space. “Before the end of the year, we will open our new Porsche dealership on our campus here in Falmouth. The hope is that we can expand the body shop into a larger space as it becomes available within our dealership. The future at Morong Body Shop looks bright and with our Blowtherm paint booth in the mix, it looks even brighter,” explains the Body Shop manager.

Morong Falmouth Body Shop

Locations: Falmouth, ME (207) 523-8740

www.morong.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: Five In Business Since: 1953

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 3,500 square feet

Morong's attributes money savings, energy efficiency and a better bake cycle to their Blowtherm booth.

The future at Morong Body Shop looks bright and Blowtherm is going to be a big part of it all.

Blowtherm USA & Training Center 810 No. Grove Road Richardson, TX 75081 (855) 463-9872 or (262) 269-6265 sales@blowtherm-usa.com www.blowtherm-usa.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/BlowthermUSA/100047363546123/

Car-O-Liner®

Helps V & F Auto Body Repair Vehicles Properly, Save Time

by Autobody News Staff

In 1974, Frank Ferraro opened V & F Auto Body in Metuchen, NJ, with his best friend, Frankie Valentino. Eventually, the two parted ways, and Ferraro became the sole owner.

Ferraro opened a second lo cation in Keyport 15 years ago, which he manages, leaving his sister to run the original location in Metuchen. Ferraro’s daughter, Ni cole, and son, Frank, operate the entire family business.

“My father had us work sum mers at the shop when we turned 13,” Frank explained. “My sister is older than me, so I was elected to wash cars and prep bumpers while she worked in the office.”

Frank said V & F’s customer service approach is what sets it apart from other shops.

“We make people feel like they are part of the family and taken care of, which eases their mind,” he said. “We also try to empathize with their situation.”

Frank added that V & F Auto Body aims to provide service customers can’t get anywhere else.

“We apply that mindset to every repair too,” he said. “So, people leave feeling comfortable, knowing we fixed their car properly.”

To help ensure proper repairs, V & F has invested in multiple OEM certifications.

“Keyport’s collision repair part ners include Subaru, Ford, Honda, Acura and Assured Performance,” Frank said. “Metuchen is certified by Ford and Assured Performance.”

V & F Auto Body switched to a Car-O-Liner® measuring system, frame machine and spot welder to meet manufacturer standards.

“With the advancement of this industry, you must adapt to the manufacturer repair procedures,” explained Frank. “Since we first introduced Car-O-Liner®, it hasn’t let us down. It repairs the vehicles properly.”

About 10 years ago, Frank came across the Metropolitan Car-O-Liner® booth at the New Jersey Trade Show.

“Their Vision measuring system caught our eye,” he recalled.

Frank said he then demoed the Car-O-Liner® Car-O-Tronic® Vision2™,

V & F Auto Body has two locations in Metuchen and Keyport, NJ.

which they retrofitted to their current frame machines.

“The Car-O-Liner® reps said the Vision measuring system would eliminate screwing together the car and fitting it together, and at first, we were very skeptical,” he said.

“Up until that point, for radiator support, for example, we would have to screw it together, fit all the sheet metal and fit the headlamps in the bumper. Then, nine times out of 10, you had to tweak something because all you were using was a tram gauge, so you didn’t know where anything was from the cen terline or the height.”

Frank said after the demo, he was pleasantly surprised to discov er the reps were right.

“Vision saved us an immense amount of time, so we bought one for each shop,” he said. “After three years, we had paid off both mea suring systems, so we decided to buy a Car-O-Liner® BenchRack for Metuchen. Then, shortly after, we bought two more BenchRacks for Keyport.”

Today, there are seven BenchRack™ frame machines be tween the two locations. In addition, V & F invested in a CTR™ 9 Resis tance Spot Welder and the Key port location has incorporated the PointX® II measuring system for blueprinting.

“We continue to rely on Car-O-Liner® to help us do the job right, which means getting the di mensions right and within specs, and supplying documentation to prove it,” said Frank.

The New Jersey shop owner

added the Car-O-Liner® products are easy for everyone to use.

“We were able to get computer illiterate people to use the measuring system, which is big,” he explained.

Frank said he has also seen a 100% improvement in the re pair process since switching to Car-O-Liner ®

“These products cut the cycle time in half,” he said. “The bigger jobs get done much quicker because we removed those extra steps.”

Frank added his technicians also prefer the design of the Car-O-Liner ® BenchRack.

“The BenchRack is lower to the ground, so it’s less wear and tear on the technician,” he ex plained. “Also, access to the vehi cle on all sides is greater because of the lower profile of the bench.”

Frank added the BenchRack™ takes up much less room than other frame machines, so he can fit more equipment in the space.

“On top of the ease of use, there’s also less of a carbon foot print than if you’re using bigger machines,” he explained. “Plus, when you clamp the vehicle down, it does not move, especially if you have EVO™ Anchoring & Holding, which also makes it easier to pull advanced materials.”

Frank concluded by sharing about V & F Auto Body’s relationship with its Car-O-Liner® representative.

“We’re in contact with our jobber constantly, and they come out quickly to repair the ma chines,” he said. “If we ever have a problem, the support on the products is superb.”

V & F Auto Body

Location: Keyport and Metuchen, NJ (732) 739-6202 www.vfautobodynj.com

Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 30

In Business Since: 1974

Number of Locations: Two Combined Production Space: 19,000 square feet

“Car-O-Liner®s Vision2 measuring system saves us an immense amount of time,” said V & F’s Keyport location operator, Frank Ferraro Jr.

V & F owner, Frank Ferraro, left, poses with his son, Frank Ferraro Jr., right, who operates the Keyport location.

Car-O-Liner-North America info@car-o-liner.com (800) 521-9696 www.car-o-liner.com

LinkedIn: @car-o-liner-hq

Los Angeles Repair and Restoration Shop Can Make Any Car Gleam with CARWORX

by Autobody News Staff

WRC Collision is a family-owned business that focused solely on classic cars until 2020, when it ex panded to also offer collision repair services to Los Angeles County.

Today, WRC Collision and its team of eight employees does everything, from eye-popping full restorations and customizations to collision body repair on any make and model.

Manager Rudy Hovsepyan has been with WRC Collision since the repair side was established.

“Our technician is [I-CAR] certified, and cars get into ac cidents on a daily basis,” Hov sepyan said. “Our mission is to perform highly specialized repairs and our workmanship is backed up by our word.

“I just love bringing cars back to life,” he said. “It’s a passion.”

The collision repair side of the business puts through about 45 vehicles per month, but WRC Collision has not lost sight of its original mission of Resto-Mods and custom builds. In fact, this November, the shop will display two of its custom Resto-Mods at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Ve gas—its first time showing off its work at the largest automotive trade show in North America.

The first car is a 1972 Buick Riviera. Hovsepyan said the re imagined car is “very unique.”

“It’s been ‘murdered out;’ ev erything is black,” he said. “Every thing has been handcrafted. The panels have been redesigned.”

The second car is a 1964 Ca dillac Coupe DeVille.

“This car is also handcraft ed,” Hovsepyan said. “It has no door handles, it’s fully air ride equipped, with all the new tech inside the car.”

To produce the best finishes on classic and modern cars alike, WRC Collision relies on clear coats, putties and fillers from CARWORX. Established in 1999, CARWORX’s mission is to deliver reliable prod ucts that revolutionize the refinish ing process while enhancing body shop productivity. The company offers more than 500 automotive

WRC Collision in Los Angeles, CA, uses CARWORX clear coats, fillers and putties to both create custom cars, and to repair any make and model’s collision damage.

refinishing products and accesso ries, and is constantly researching the market for the latest manufac turing tools and trends.

The shop is partnered with Clips Plus, located in Ventura County. Clips Plus is also a fami ly owned and operated company, supplying CARWORX products in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

WRC Collision uses CAR WORX’s EUROCLEAR MS+ poly urethane clear coat, which stands out for its scratch resistance, easy application and good leveling ca pabilities. It has excellent resis tance to UV and fuel, and can be air- or force-dried.

Hovsepyan said the EURO CLEAR clear coat has advantages for both restoration and collision repair work.

“When you’re doing classic restorations, classic panels are a little different from modern cars,” he said. “It’s not plastic, and the metal is older.

“Once we tried CARWORX, it laid out the clear very nicely onto the panel, letting you see the de tails in the panel, which is what we look for.”

Hovsepyan said the shop’s employees tried the EUROCLEAR on a couple of cars and loved it.

“I received good feedback

from our employees that it’s easy to work with,” he said. “It’s also easier to sand and polish.”

When refinishing collision re pairs, Hovsepyan said the EURO CLEAR can be used with a medi um reducer when a vehicle needs to be repainted very soon after completing the repair.

“It gives the benefit of being able to do it the way you want,” Hovsepyan said. “That has in creased productivity on the colli sion repair side, so customers are happy. We’re happy.”

Since it works on such a wide range of vehicles, the shop uses just about all of CARWORX’s put ties and fillers. Hovsepyan said CARWORX is a great company to work with.

“We’ve noticed that Clips Plus is the only company that distributes CARWORX,” Hovsepyan said. “Per the owners, Sergio and Olivia, they have advised that CARWORX always gets the product to them quickly and is always available.”

WRC quality and production has gone to the next level thanks to the efficiency of CARWORX’s products.

“It’s like our name is on the car,” Hovsepyan said. “Now that we’re using CARWORX, it’s CAR WORX’s and our name on the car.”

WRC Collision

Location: Los Angeles, CA (818) 765-8500

www. wrccollision.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair & Customization

Facility Employees: Eight

In Business Since: 1959

Number of Locations: One Production Space: 20,000 square feet

WRC Collision will display two custom cars at the 2022 SEMA Show, including this 1964 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.

The team at WRC Collision appreci ates CARWORX products for their advantages for both restoration and collision repair work.

CARWORX

3800 Transcanada Highway Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 1B1

(514) 745-5959

www.carworx.net

Facebook: @carworx.net

Instagram: @carworx_distribution

LinkedIn: @carworx-distribution

YouTube: @Carworx Distribution

UNCOVER NEW BUSINESS SUCCESS

Reach Your Goals with CCC Elevate® Services

Your shop’s needs are as unique as each repair. Get personalized, practical support to achieve greater success with CCC ELEVATE Services.

Your dedicated ELEVATE Advisor will work with you to merge your team’s talents with industry best practices and develop a customized plan for your shop.

Establish the right business objectives

Analyze and learn from shop and team performance

Identify sales growth and profitability opportunities

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Outline staff roles and responsibilities

Drive new improvements in business operations

“

ELEVATE has FAR exceeded our expectations and we’ve never been part of something that has brought about this kind of meaningful change and added this kind of value to our operation.

John Botek, Chesapeake Collision Randallstown, MD

“

Connect with your ELEVATE Advisor today at cccis.com/elevate-by-ccc/

CCC Elevate Services is a registered trademark and CCC and the CCC logo are registered service marks of CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. ©2021 CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.

Mountain View Auto Has More Time with Customers Thanks to CCC

by Autobody News Staff

What started as a diner compa ny in the ‘30s got its humble be ginnings in collision repair when Mountain View Auto opened in 1957 with Les Daniel II, succeeded by Les Daniel III in the ‘80s.

Despite his shop owner lin eage, Mike Daniel, son of Les Dan iel III, said he didn’t see himself following suit until six years ago.

“I went to college, got my CPA license, and worked at Deloitte and Touche in financial audit and finally in mergers and acquisi tions,” explained Daniel. “As years passed, conversations began with my dad as to what the next steps would be for the business.”

After five years at Deloitte, Daniel began worrying he’d wake up in his 40s and regret not giving the auto body industry a shot.

“We discussed keeping the company status quo as I contin ue on my financial career path or join the family business,” he re called. “So, after thinking about my father’s success, I decided to go for it.”

About four years ago, Moun tain View Auto added a second shop and recently made a sizable addition. The Wayne, NJ, business then expanded to three locations a year ago.

When hiring and maintaining quality technicians, Daniel said Mountain View Auto is thankful to be one of the few shops with little to no issues.

“If you’re efficient and run your body shop the right way, your tech nicians and your labor not only are your highest cost, they’re also your biggest profit,” he explained. “We treat our people properly.”

On top of that, Daniel said Mountain View Auto always stays updated on the latest technology.

“About five or six years ago, I attended a trade show and saw the capabilities CCC Intelligent Solu tions had compared to the pro gram we were using,” said Daniel. “I told my dad, ‘We got to make the switch.’”

He said they haven’t looked back since.

“Now, here we are, with CCC pretty much running our operations,” Daniel added.

Daniel said using the CCC ONE® platform has benefitted

their collision repair business in various ways.

“CCC ONE is used by most in surers we work with, so we can automate a lot of the administra tion of the repair process and get paid quicker,” he said. “CCC ONE is so fast that we spend less time in front of the computer and more time helping our customers.”

Daniel is a member of the CCC ELEVATE program, which offers repair facilities guidance on industry best practices and maxi mizing the return on investment for the CCC ONE Total Repair Plat form.

“The CCC Elevate team has helped us with processes to re duce our cycle time and automat ing our parts procurement so we can better serve the needs of our customers,” he said.

Daniel added that Mountain View Auto built a great relationship with CCC and looks forward to the future.

Regarding community in volvement, Daniel said Mountain View Auto sponsors various athlet ic clubs, including the Wayne Boys and Girls Club.

“We buy the uniforms for the kids, things like that,” he said. “We do our part to help them get out there and play.”

Daniel is also one of 12 Pas saic County Technical Institute auto motive committee members.

“Once a month, we talk with the instructors, principal and su perintendent about the budget, the latest vehicle technology and what they should add to the cur

riculum to get the kids ready for this ever-changing industry,” he explained. “With that, we have the opportunity to select students to work with us either through a workstudy or summer program so that they can get hands-on experience.”

Daniel said, unfortunately, out of a 30- to 40-person first-year class, only about 10% stay in the industry.

“As committee members, we need to look internally and see where these kids get placed and what kind of work they’re shown,” he said. “I don’t think many collision repair students see a path to finan cial comfortability and success.”

Daniel said it starts with the family enforcing outdated stereo types.

“We need to show parents that this industry has changed; if you’re on the tech side, you rarely get dirty you’re on the computer di agnosing cars,” he explained. “And even if you’re getting dirty and us ing your hands, as an A Tech, you can make $40-$45 an hour.”

Daniel emphasized that peo ple in the collision repair industry can make good money and pro vide for a family.

“You don’t have to work in a subpar shop with dust everywhere,” he said. “Many shops, especially around me, have invested in equip ment and technology that allow for a clean work environment.”

Daniel concluded that colli sion repair is a “lost art,” and he hopes more tech students have a chance to experience the many opportunities in this industry.

Mountain View Auto

Location: Wayne and Ridgewood, NJ (973) 694-1433

www.mtviewautobody.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees:

In

Number

Locations:

Production

square feet

Pictured is the frame department of Mountain View Auto, housing four machines. The New Jersey collision repair business expanded to three locations last year.

Pictured is the teardown section, where Mountain View Auto owner Mike Daniels said technicians disassemble 100% of the damaged area of the vehicle to create a repair plan.

CCC Intelligent Solutions

Company Contact: Mark Fincher (877) 208 -6155

Mountain View Auto, owned by Mike Daniel, recently opened a new location at 96 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Wayne, NJ.

Mills Body Shops & Auto Glass Elevates Customer Experience Using Equalizer Products

by Autobody News Staff

Many people have a hard time choosing their career path in life. Not Britt Decker, co-owner of Mills Body Shops & Auto Glass, a multi-shop operator in the New burgh, IN, area near Evansville.

Britt, who co-owns the shop with his brother, Don, grew up in the industry. “I was born in 1968, and my parents bought the shop in 1970,” he said. “Since the time I was young, I knew I wanted to do this.”

“This” is growing Mills Body Shops from one shop into four thriving locations. As a result, the MSO has a large market share in the southwest region of the state. Its growth came steadily: In 1977, it moved from its original location into a larger shop. Five years lat er, in 1982, it added a second lo cation, Mills East. In 1986, it add ed the Chandler shop and then in 2003, it invested in a new corpo rate headquarters location offer ing glassworks in Newburgh.

Decker said having excep tional partners like Equalizer Industries has made the shop stronger, offering exceptional service and care to its custom ers, many of whom are repeat. Prior to 2003, Mills Body Shops always outsourced glassworks. But in 2003, when it decided to make the investment, it went with the hands-down choice of using Equalizer products for auto glass repair.

The decision was simple. Since Mills Body Shops used PPG as its glass supplier, it was familiar with Equalizer products, because the two companies pro vided training together. The trust and credibility it had with PPG translated to Equalizer products.

Decker said the Equalizer Viper and Raptor tools are exceptional.

The Raptor tool is a cord and wire auto glass removal device designed from the ground-up to dramatically improve the power of the vacuum cup with the in tegration of Equalizer’s AirForce Constant Vacuum Cups. This technology has been specifically developed by Equalizer to create a quick placement and constant

Britt Decker said he would highly recommend Equalizer products to anyone. The quality and dependability of the products, along with its excellent training, distinguishes it in the market, he said.

vacuum to the glass so the Raptor stays in place and resists sliding.

Like the Equalizer Raptor, the Equalizer Viper is a cord and wire removal device designed for small quarter glass removals, but it can also be used on wind shields and back glasses. The double direction capability of the reel allows for optimum use and the magnetic points on the ratch et shaft ensure the ratchet stays firmly attached to the tool, even in steep and vertical scenarios.

Decker said he was so pleased with the Equalizer products he never considered other suppliers. One of the things he feels most differentiates Equalizer in the mar ket is its exceptional training.

He sent two of his leading technicians to a five-day, 40hour training school Equalizer’s Auto Glass Academy in Round Rock, TX, taught by Global Ed ucation Director Gilbert Gutierrez, one of the inventors of the Equalizer Viper tool. Gutierrez even gave his technicians his cell phone number in case they had questions beyond the training.

The technicians received a voucher to purchase addition al products during the training, which they used to purchase the Equalizer Stingray and the Equalizer Pushknife.

The Stingray has high torque, fast acceleration and a top-end speed that is faster than any of Equalizer’s Express tools.

How it operates: The plunger

floats on a series of ball bear ings, and the blade is driven by a floating pin-bearing system. This allows all the power of the Sting ray to be pushed directly to the blade. Ergonomically designed, the tool provides repairers with a comfortable and natural grip. Plus the low profile of the handle gives techs clearance no matter which direction they are cutting. The tool has rotating speed con trol, which gives a wide range of speeds from 500 to 3,000 strokes per minute.

The Equalizer Pushknife is also impressive. It features a rectangular plate for striking with a rubber mallet, enabling power from the mallet to be transferred to the blade and through the ure thane. Equalizer blades can be easily changed out by unscrew ing the hinged plate that locks the blade in place.

Decker said by investing in quality Equalizer products, his shop is able to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.

Celebrating 52 years in busi ness, Mills Body Shops values its employees and invests in its staff by giving them the best possible training. They are an I-CAR Gold Class shop and are certified in Nissan, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Jeep and Hyundai.

“We want to be known for quality and how we treat peo ple,” he said. “That’s why we’ve grown consistently each year over the last five years.”

Mills Body Shops & Auto Glass

Location: Evansville (two locations), Chandler, Newburgh, IN (812) 479-6981

www.millsbodyshop.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 70+

In Business Since: 1970

Number of Locations: Four Combined Production Space: 30,000 square feet

Beyond investing in quality equip ment, Mills Body Shops more importantly invests in quality em ployees who have a strong work ethic, positive attitude, growth mindset and good listening skills.

To combat the technician and worker shortage, Mills Body Shops grows technicians from within. Apprentice techs are paired with master techs for learning, growth and mentoring.

Equalizer® Industries, Inc. 2611 Oakmont Drive, Round Rock, TX 78665 (512) 388-7715

www.Equalizer.com

Facebook: @equalizertools

Twitter: @equalizertools

Instagram: @equalizertools

YouTube: @equalizervideo

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Patterson Auto Body Describes Hunter Engineering as ‘Leader

by Autobody News Staff

Patterson Auto Body is a mechan ical repair garage, gasoline conve nience store and collision repair center in Patterson, NY.

“There’s a lot of moving tar gets on the property,” said co-own er Jim Byron, who runs the shop with his business partner, Ron Christie, and son, James Byron

Jim and Ron opened Patter son Auto Body in 1983 and moved to their current 13,000-square foot facility in 1984.

Autobody News asked Jim and James how Patterson Auto Body stands out in the industry.

“We’re family-owned and operated, and we work with ve hicle owners and their third-party payer openly and honestly,” Jim said. “Collision repair is an indus try we all need to come together under a common goal: prioritize the vehicle owner’s safety first and foremost.”

Jim added that his whole team, from management staff to technicians on the floor, prioritizes correct repairs as job one.

“As an I-CAR Gold Class shop, we are diligent about our training,” said Jim, a former I-CAR trainer. “We take our education and desire to be in this industry very seriously.”

On top of that, Patterson Auto Body holds multiple OEM certifica tions, including GM, Chrysler FCA, Ford, Subaru, Honda/Acura, Hyun dai, Kia, Nissan and Infiniti.

Performing vehicle align ments with the HawkEye Elite® by Hunter Engineering is another way the team ensures driver safety.

“Performing alignments after any collision should be mandat ed,” said Jim. “I’m a firm believer in that, especially when components are being replaced, like bumpers or repairs such as core supports.”

He explained no matter how minor the collision, there’s always a possibility the vehicle alignment was compromised.

“Even the inertia of the vehicle coming to an abrupt halt can cause a reaction in the steering align ment,” Jim said. “So, a simple ad justment can save customers hun dreds of dollars down the road by preserving the tires and preventing additional uneven pressure on the rest of the steering and suspension components.”

Jim added that checking the suspension alone helps uncover issues hidden from the naked eye,

such as bent or worn parts.

“If the issue was caused by the car accident, it’s a valuable find,” he said. “And even if it’s from nor mal wear and tear, at least you can bring it to the customer’s attention so they can choose to rectify the situation.”

Jim emphasized prioritizing customer safety over making a sale.

“You’re giving back to the customer by assuring you looked at their vehicle in a professionally correct manner,” he added.

Jim also stressed document ing alignments.

“There have been many mo ments where we’ve done our due diligence by creating a PDF to attach to the electronic file, and months, sometimes years down the road, a customer will have issues and want to confirm our shop performed a proper align ment,” Jim explained. “And this documentation as proof cements the fact that you’re professional and you’re supporting everything you’re doing.”

Jim said Patterson Auto Body continues to use Hunter Engineer ing products for proper alignments and more because the company is “a leader in innovative modern technology.”

“As this industry evolves, and it’s forever evolving, Hunter Engi neering always meets our needs in a professional, timely fashion,” said Jim. “As a small business, having support from a company like Hunter is a relief.”

James added, “The fact that we can text our hands-on support rep, Ryan, in the early evening with

an issue and he shows up at 7 a.m. to address those concerns demon strates the company’s above and beyond dedication.”

Jim also stressed the im portance of shops preparing for the future and investing in prod ucts like the Hunter Engineering ADASLink® full diagnostic scan tool.

“As of late 2021, 20% of all cars repaired in a collision repair shop needed some form of ADAS recalibration, and by 2023, that number will double. So, by 2025, we’ll be nearing 100%,” he ex plained. “How can a collision re pair shop afford not to be involved in ADAS, not be engaged with it, and not understand it?”

On the mechanical side, Pat terson Auto Body uses the Hunt er Engineering Road Force® Elite wheel balancer.

“The Road Force® Elite saves us a lot of work because we can check rim diameter and lateral wheel run out to ensure the rims aren’t bent,” said James. “Our state does a wonderful job not filling potholes, so many people say their wheels feel off, bent and twisted, or the bases are scuffed out from hitting curbs. And thanks to Hunter products, we can easily solve these problems.”

Jim shared that Patterson Auto Body is a proud member of the Certified Collision Group (CCG), a national organization of body shop owners.

“We identify companies that can service and support our indus try, and Hunter Engineering was recently named as one of our sup porting partners.”

Company At A Glance...

Patterson Auto Body owner Jim Byron and son, James Byron, plan for the future by investing in products like Hunter Engineering ADASLink® full diagnostic scan tool.

Patterson Auto Body owner James Byron chooses the Hunter HawkEye Elite® to ensure driver safety.

Father

,

James Byron, right, of Patterson

Deery Collision Center Builds Bench Strength with I-CAR Training

by Autobody News Staff

“Never stop learning” is the man tra of Justin Clubb at Deery Col lision Center in Burlington, IA. It explains why the 35-year-old collision center manager uses an I-CAR subscription plan to al ways makes sure his crew gets the right training.

Clubb entered the collision repair industry unexpectedly.

“I took a job at the local news paper selling advertising, and the dealership I work for now was one of my accounts,” he said. “I was looking for a better job right after I met my wife, figuring I needed to get a career. The Deery Auto Group had an opening, so I interviewed for it, but didn’t get the job. And then they called me and said hey, do you want to be a production manager for a body shop? I was a little hesitant be cause I knew very little about cars at the time. But I took the job and that’s how I entered the industry. I will be celebrating my ninth anni versary here soon, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Learning on the job has nev er been foreign to him, Clubb said. “Everything I’ve done has been headfirst. Sink or swim. I’m still learning every day because this industry is changing rapidly. It’s not going to slow down for you, so you better continually be up on your training and expand your knowledge base.”

Generalists are a dying breed because now it’s all about specialized training.

“Things like diagnostics and aluminum repair, for example, have dramatically increased the amount of training that’s neces sary to be successful,” he said. “I think about the technician of today versus the ones of tomor row; it’s going to be completely different. The amount of special ized knowledge you will need to work on the future cars it’s not going to be easy.”

For that reason, Clubb is working with Southeastern Com munity College in West Burling ton, IA, to prepare the next gen eration of technicians.

“I’m passionate about trying to get young folks into this indus try because there is no doubt that

Manager Justin Clubb at Deery Collision Center in Burlington, IA, is 100% dedicated to his I-CAR subscription.

we need a lot of them. Right now, these kids are being pushed to go to four-year schools and that’s not for everybody,” he said. “So, if we can get some of these kids to see how great a career this can be and how much money they can make in really a short period, we have a fighting chance.”

To stay ahead of the curve with his crew’s training, Clubb is 100% dedicated to his I-CAR subscription.

“We signed up for their monthly plan, so we can pay a flat fee every month and the training is unlimited. We can take one class if we need or if it takes 20 or 30, it’s not a problem.

“It’s awesome for some of my new hires. A while back, I hired three guys who all started at around the same time. They all knew cars fairly well; they all like to work with their hands and have some sort of experience. They worked on vehicles in their back yards or garages, but nothing professionally,” Clubb said. “So, I’ve taken those skills and built a training path, that is carefully bro ken down week by week. So now we fast forward, and these three guys are ProLevel™ 3 and they’ve got welding certifications. And in the process, I now have an I-CAR technician training path that is ideal for new hires.”

Many members of his crew have embraced the unlimited I-CAR training.

“Some of them have been able to take things that they’ve

learned from I-CAR and educate me about them. We want them constantly learning, so they can better themselves, which helps us in the end,” Clubb said. “It’s great to see them develop and grow while finding their own lit tle niche. Maybe someone isn’t a superstar when it comes to plastic welding, but they might be a good at aluminum repair. They develop their own path as they progress, and I-CAR enables them to do it that way.”

Clubb appreciates his I-CAR subscription from a price stand point too.

“It was better for us as a shop. It’s built so I always know what I need to pay. I know my budget exactly every month for the training. We never have to say you can’t take this class be cause we can’t afford it or if it’s not in their wheelhouse,” he said. “If a tech starts asking about tak ing some painting classes and he will likely never paint a car, that’s fine. It helps to make them a more diversified technician with a broader knowledge base.”

Clubb can’t say enough pos itive things about I-CAR.

“They’re doing a lot of great things for the industry,” he said. “I’m really excited about their new training facility in Chicago and delighted to be an I-CAR subscriber. With ADAS, elec tric cars and autonomous travel on the way or already here, we are happy to be associated with I-CAR.”

Deery Collision Repair

Location: Burlington, IA (319) 758-6900

www.deerycollisioncenter.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 11

In Business Since: 2004

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 8,200 square feet

The team at Deery Collision Cen ter continually takes I-CAR classes to get better at their jobs and attain new skills.

Clubb encourages all of his employees to improve them selves through education and I-CAR leads the way.

I-CAR (800) I-CAR-USA

www.I-CAR.com/GTGC

Facebook: @icareducation

Twitter: @I_CAR_Education

Instagram: @icareducation

LinkedIn: @company/i-car

YouTube: @user/icartraining

Saves the

for This

by Autobody News Staff

When new technology makes the collision repair industry safer and more efficient, it’s always a win-win.

The short version about the Mini-Ductor® II is that it’s a hand held flameless torch featuring the power of technology with Invisi ble Heat® to heat ferrous metals in seconds. The device’s motto is “Heats nuts red hot in seconds!” and based on customer reviews, it does exactly that.

Hixson’s Body Shop, a one-person body shop/car resto ration company operating out of a renovated barn in Sunbury, PA, is using the Mini-Ductor® Induc tion II Heater Tool to make life a whole lot easier.

When the shop’s owner, Amie Aumiller, began using it, she was a believer almost imme diately. “I call the Mini-Ductor® Induction II Heater Tool my mag ic wand because it works so well. Sometimes I will use it twice a week or I may not need it for a month. But every time I reach for it, I know it’s going to do the job by just plugging it in and pushing a button.”

Aumiller is a second-gener ation combo body technician/ painter who learned the business from her father, Greg, at the shop she still owns and operates.

“I painted my first vehicle when I was only 8 years old,” Aumiller said. “It was an old farm truck and I remember the col or it was Bahama Blue. I also learned a lot dissembling stuff, but sometimes I forgot how to put them back together.”

By the time she was 20, Au miller had done a full restoration on a 1968 Nova. One of her most recent restorations was taken to a Barrett-Jackson auction.

In 2014, Aumiller’s father passed and her life changed instantly, she said.

“I was seven months preg nant with my first child and we had a shop full of cars, so I took a deep breath and told myself, just

Owner Amie Aumiller at Hixson’s Body Shop in Sunbury, PA, is delighted with her Mini-Ductor II from Induction Innovations.

go with it,” Aumiller said. “I was working full-time as a bartender at a local restaurant at the same time and when I wasn’t there, I was here at the shop doing body work and restoration jobs.”

The Mini-Ductor was de signed to solve problems such as removing stuck or corroded parts and adhesives in a faster, safer and more precise way than using an open flame torch. The company’s founder and presi dent, Tom Gough, developed the first Inductor® Series model

22 years ago, having 28 years in collision repair and seeing the many time-consuming process es in the industry, according to the company’s website.

Aumiller loves her Mini-Ductor II. It provides a flameless solution for releasing corroded or fro zen hardware and other metallic components from corrosion and threadlock compounds, without the collateral damage normally associated with torches.

Saying goodbye to oxy-acet ylene torches was a real game changer for Aumiller at Hixson’s Body Shop.

“Induction heat is really the only way to go,” she said. “From my experience, the results from torches are unpredictable. Things like uneven heating and open flames can cause more damage and catch plastics, wiring, fuel or

trim on fire. Since we are located in a barn that consists primarily of wood, the Mini-Ductor II gives me that much-needed peace of mind.”

With her Mini-Ductor II, Au miller said she doesn’t need to use any other substances to get the job done right every time.

“That’s another huge thing because with those lubricants, they’re flammable. And a lot of times, especially with the rust work that I do, it’s either cab cor ners or rocker panels or boxes for the trucks and cars I repair or restore,” she said. “So, with the introduction of heat to the pro cess, you can often burn away the finish. Or if you happen to be near a gas line that can also obviously be a concern. With this device, you don’t have to worry about those types of things.”

With her Mini-Ductor II in her arsenal of go-to tools, Aumiller is happy to be a brand ambassador for Induction Innovations and its drama-free flameless approach to dealing with frozen hardware.

“This device hasn’t failed me yet, so I will continue to use it and I will continue to recommend it to other shops,” she said. “When something works well, I am never afraid to tell other people about it. The Mini-Ductor II saves time and it’s so much safer to use, so it’s perfect for our applications and here at Hixson’s Body Shop.”

Hixson’s Body Shop

Location: Sunbury, PA (570) 850-3663

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: One In Business Since: 2004

Number of Locations: One Production Space: 20,000 square feet

Aumiller is a second-generation combo body technician/painter who learned the business from her father Greg

Aumiller said the Mini-Ductor II from Induction Innovations “Heats nuts red hot in seconds!”

Induction

FITS EXISTING SPRAY BOOTHS

SHORTER CYCLE TIMES

REVENUE PER LABOR HOUR

LOWER ENERGY COSTS

ARE YOU EV READY?

Move to Industrial Finishes Makes Shop Owner Smile Ear-to-Ear

by Autobody News Staff

Everyone in this industry has to anticipate change or they won’t survive. In this case, James Kim, owner of Kim’s Auto Body in Santa Clara, CA, entered into an agreement with Industrial Finish es and Systems to spray AkzoNo bel Sikkens waterborne paint and tap into the company’s worldclass customer support.

With his shop growing expo nentially every year, Kim is doing everything he can to adapt and continue to provide a top-notch finished product. The pandemic wasn’t easy for Kim and his crew, but now they’re back on track. A Tesla certification they landed in 2021 has helped the bottom line.

“Teslas are very popular here in Silicon Valley and we’ve been getting our fair share of them since we got the certification,” Kim said. “They are now a big part of our workload. To please these Tesla customers, we have to do a great job on each one, and a big part of that is the paint.”

To produce a top-notch product each and every time, Kim signed up with Industrial Finishes & Systems in 2019, for a lot of dif ferent reasons.

“We knew one of their reps, Ray Alegeria, so when he joined Industrial Finishes, we followed him there,” Kim said. “We knew that he was a great rep, and he helped us during our early years, so we knew it would be an awe some fit for us, and we were right.”

Kim, 41, had no plans to take over the family’s shop, but when his late father, Keene, got cancer, he decided to step in and begin running the business in 2006. It was a trial by fire scenario, but by working hard and asking a lot of questions of his vendors and insurance adjustors, he has en abled Kim’s Auto Body to post better numbers every year, with a two-year interruption caused by the pandemic.

Taking over a 26-year-old shop was a real game changer for Kim, he said.

“I was considering entering the Peace Corps and seeing the world, but life had other plans for me. I had to figure things out on my own just to survive, so I im

Kim’s Auto Body is right in the middle of Silicon Valley so it repairs many high-end luxury brands, including Tesla.

mersed myself in the business and got up to speed as fast as I could,” he said. “I started asking my crew a lot of questions and read everything I could find. Back then, we were fixing three to four cars weekly and I was scrambling to get them done. My father had a lot of longtime clients, so it made it a little easier. But admittedly, it was a scary time.”

From day one, Kim’s plan was to obtain the finest equip ment and tools available in the collision repair industry and train his crew on how to use them effi ciently, Kim said.

“I’m not afraid to invest in the best equipment and products out there on the market, because I know it will pay off over time,” he said. “When I was first intro duced to AkzoNobel, I could see right away that it’s a great prod uct. Their clear coats are very high-level and the base coats are the best we’ve encountered.”

Kim appreciates the handson customer service he receives from Industrial Finishes for a wide range of reasons.

“They’re extremely pro cess-oriented with their system and we really like that,” he said. “They take a very personable and friendly approach and continually show that they’re not just about the numbers. They make us feel like they want us to succeed, so it’s less of a sales relationship and more like a partnership.”

One major benefit of work ing with Industrial Finishes is the fact Kim has access to the com

pany’s top managers, something he never encountered with the previous paint companies he worked with.

“When I met with their busi ness development team, led by Director of Marketing Mike Duncan, I was honestly blown away. They offered us a wide range of resources, and we are still in the process of taking advantage of them all,” Kim said. “They have a strong team that can help us in every area, from marketing to business strategies and financials. It’s like having an in-house con sultant as part of our crew. They also have an outstanding techni cal team with a ton of very knowl edgeable people, so if we ever have a question, they always have the right answer.”

Another benefit of working with Industrial Finishes is the col or-matching precision Kim’s paint crew is enjoying.

“It’s a camera-based system and it is excellent,” he said. “We haven’t had any color-matching issues since we started using it and we don’t anticipate any in the future.”

In 1968, Industrial Finish es opened an automotive paint store in Portland, OR, and anoth er branch in Roseburg, OR, in the early 1970s. In 1990, the Bend, OR, store was opened, followed by the acquisition of two more Oregon stores in Gresham and Medford. Today, the company owns 33 locations in Oregon, Utah, California, Idaho and Nevada.

Kim’s Auto Body

Location: Santa Clara, CA (408) 294-7633

www.kabsc.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: Eight

In Business Since: 2016

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 12,000 square feet

Kim’s Auto Body loves the over-the-top hands-on customer service it receives from Industrial Finishes.

Owner James Kim appreciates Industrial Finishes on many levels, including the fact he has access to all of the company’s management team for advice.

Industrial

New

KECO GPR Creates Efficiency, Profitability for Dorn’s Body & Paint

by Autobody News Staff

Barry Dorn is a second-generation collision professional and one of two owners of Dorn’s Body & Paint in Mechanicsville, VA.

His thorough knowledge and expertise come from hav ing held a variety of positions within the shop over the years from technician to repair planner, overseeing parts management and operations.

In addition to his experience, Dorn relies on his vendor part ners to help him carry out quality repairs the first time to minimize comebacks.

One of his foremost partners is KECO Body Repair Products. KECO’s products allow him to use glue pull repair (GPR) systems for a less invasive repair, which results in a more efficient repair process while maintaining profit ability. The products also support the challenges that come with working on newer cars such as EVs and aluminum.

The refinish team at Dorn’s Body & Paint is made up of a doz en body shop technicians who are able to implement a more fluid repair process, thanks to KECO’s GPR kits.

To make it convenient and easy for the team, KECO provid ed on-site and in-depth training that grew their confidence and knowledge.

“Their training is unbeliev able,” said Dorn of his KECO ex perience, “Chris White and Gene Fetty helped us every step of the way. It was intense two-day train ing and it was well worth it.” KECO provides ongoing technical support online or over the phone.

KECO also taught their ap prentices about metallurgy, since there are many questions sur rounding the use of their systems on aluminum and steel. As a result of the quality training, Dorn’s team was able to immediately perform successful glue pull paint repair with the KECO system.

Automobiles are using more aluminum than ever before. KECO’s GPR system doesn’t require a different set of tools to work with aluminum and can replace both spot welders required for steel and aluminum. This creates less investment for a shop. Additional ly, the GPR tools and techniques can actually make more aluminum panels repairable, getting cars

After almost three years of using KECO, Dorn’s Body & Paint has seen consistent profitability from its investment in glue pull repair (GPR).

completed faster.

Since the three years Dorn made the switch to KECO, he has found his technicians’ speed, ef ficiency and panel flatness have increased over time. Overall, he found the KECO system and 6C process easy to learn and imple ment, and highly reliable.

Dorn said as a result of using KECO, it has changed their com plete repair process, not only with paintless dent repair but on largerto smaller-scale jobs. As a result, it’s required less paintwork, less priming and less intrusion.

Dorn made the decision to switch to KECO because the shop wanted a cleaner, more efficient repair using GPR.

According to KECO, GPR works by gluing specially designed tabs to the exterior panels of a ve hicle and pulling the dent out with varying tools. This method of dam age removal offers significant ad vantages over traditional collision repair techniques, as it does not remove e-coatings and corrosion protection applied to the panel by the vehicle manufacturer, yielding a simpler, cleaner repair that can significantly reduce the amount of body fillers and/or paint to finish. Additionally, GPR can also be per formed on EVs without powering down the vehicle.

Another benefit to KECO is in the billing process. In charging consumables to repairs, the KECO system contains tangible items that can be invoiced in the form of tabs and glue, which helps with tracking spend and ultimately increases a shop’s profitability.

Shrinking the repair size is an other advantage to the KECO GPR

system. Reducing the size of the repair, it results in directly propor tional savings in filler, primer and paint. Leaving the paint intact and beginning to straighten the panel with glue tabs while using knockdown tools reduces the repair area immediately. How much it shrinks is related to the dent loca tion, shape, depth and skill set of the technician.

Dorn appreciates KECO prod ucts for another reason.

“There are also some OEMs that are very limited in what they will allow a shop to do during a repair, such as not allowing the use of anything but soft push tools or glue,” he said. Therefore, using KECO makes it easier to meet OEM compliance standards.

Dorn is grateful for partners such as KECO Body Repair Prod ucts because it helps the shop build strong operations for today, as well as position it for strong growth in the future.

“Using KECO GPR today is like having the future now,” Dorn said. “In the future, estimating sys tems, insurance adjusters and oth er companies will know the value of glue pull repair. So it is possi ble that charging for glue pull kits, using less filler/primer/paint than allowed by the system, and labor unit ratio gains will no longer be a given with GPR in the same way they are today.

“How quickly shops can adapt to GPR and reap the benefits be fore the system changes will be key,” he said. “That adoption speed will determine their profit ability threshold. Once the future is here, shops operating in the past will not be able to keep up.”

Dorn’s Body & Paint

Location: Mechanicsville, VA

746-3928

www.dornsbodyandpaint.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Employees:

The convenience of on-site training and complete technical support of KECO GPR systems has resulted in greater confidence and skill level by the refinish team at Dorn’s Body & Paint

KECO Body Repair Products

Company Contact: Scott Stayton (405) 694-5161

KECOTabs.com

Facebook: @KECOBodyRepairProducts

Instagram: @kecodentrepair

YouTube: KECO Body Repair Products

TikTok: @kecogpr

Owner Barry Dorn sees GPR as an opportunity for auto body shops to do business in a new, smarter way.

Leading ADAS Expert Relies Only on Launch Tech

by Autobody News Staff

Automotive diagnostics is some thing the collision repair industry didn’t have to deal with 22 years ago. Vehicles with ADAS first ap peared in the U.S. in the 1950s, believe it or not, but they took off in the early 2000s, with the 2000 Cadillac DeVille with Night Vision, and 2000 Toyotas with Dynamic Laser Cruise Control.

Now, every auto body shop needs to work with a third-par ty or train someone in its crew to do calibrations. That’s where Launch Tech USA, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of diagnostic tools and equipment, has truly filled a void.

Lee Swindell, owner of JJB Auto Glass in Atascadero, CA, is an ADAS expert. He taught auto diagnostics for two years, works hand in hand with the glass in dustry on many levels, and is a master certified technician with the Auto Glass Safety Council. He also just launched the Auto Glass Technical Institute, to train people from all over the world.

How did Swindell get start ed in the diagnostics game? By pitching in, like everything else.

“Interestingly enough auto glass was my first job,” he said. “I was paid to sweep up the broken glass, but I wasn’t really allowed to do much more than that. I have now been in this in dustry for 19 years.”

Knowledge is king when it comes to ADAS diagnostics, and that gives Swindell a distinct ad vantage over his competition. Working with Launch Tech USA also enables him to perform pre cise calibrations.

“Ultimately, you can have the best tool in the world, but you’re lost without knowing how to use it. When it comes to per forming diagnostics, you’re only as good as your education. So, we’re very big on education and everything that we do.”

Swindell opened JJB Auto Glass in 2017, when diagnostics were still a gray area.

“As the owners of a glass company, we began seeing an uptick in vehicles that were com ing in our shop with cameras,”

he said. “That was really the first thing that hit the market. Back then, there were still a lot of things that we weren’t able to calibrate, which meant that we had to send cars to the dealership.”

A lack of knowledge has been one of the largest problems within the auto diagnostics field.

“Back in the day, some of the dealers told people you don’t have to necessarily calibrate this or that,” Swindell said. “If you don’t unplug the camera, you don’t have to calibrate, they told people. Well, ultimately that’s false. It boils down to a lot of the dealerships actually don’t have the technology or know how to use it. Who are you going to believe the dealership you pur chased the vehicle from or the glass shop that will replace your windshield? I truly understand why they would believe the deal ership. And that’s just a lack of education.”

It is truly a family business at JJB Auto Glass. Tiffany, Lee’s wife, was a hairstylist for 23 years, but now she is one of the finest automotive window peo ple in the industry.

“So, we got her out of the hair chair and she then came on full time here at the glass shop,” Swindell said. “Oh boy, she’s the big boss around here now, not to mention that she is a silver med alist in windshield repair. She actually competed in the Auto Glass Olympics last year in Flor ida, and she brought home a sil

ver medal.”

When Swindell first saw the Launch Tech equipment at a lo cal diagnostics center, he want ed it immediately.

“They were using Launch Tech USA and they did a Toyota calibration in about seven min utes. Then they did another cal ibration on a Honda and it took 10 to 12 minutes. I just thought, how soon can I have this equip ment? I had it within a week, one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.”

Swindell currently has Launch Tech USA’s ADAS Pro Plus Premium package, a mobile unit, and recently ordered the Launch Tech USA HD package to do calibrations on larger vehi cles, like Freightliners and heavy duty trucks.

Swindell appreciates Launch Tech because he gets updates like clockwork and the compa ny’s support is over the top.

“Launch Tech gets us all of the updates into everyone’s hands on the newer vehicles faster than any other compa ny,” Swindell said. “As long as our tablet is connected to WiFi, we will automatically get the up grades. There’s a little icon on our tablet, so I always look at it when I come in each morning. It will tell us if there are three or four new updates and you simply just click and it takes a couple of minutes, and you’ll have the newest and greatest technology instantly pro grammed into your tablet.”

JJB Auto Glass

Location: Atascadero, CA (805) 459-5631

Company At A Glance...

Type: Auto Glass and Calibration

Facility Employees: Five

In Business Since: 2017

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 5,000 square feet

JJB Auto Glass is gaining a lot of new clients because it is skilled at doing even the toughest calibrations.

Launch Tech USA Ontario, CA (562) 463-1580

www.launchtechusa.com

Facebook: @LaunchTechUSA

Twitter: @launchtechusa

LinkedIn: Launch Tech USA

YouTube: @LaunchTechUSA

Lee Swindell, the owner of JJB Auto Glass in Atascadero, CA, runs a family business, with wife Tiffany and daughter Olivia pitching in.

JJB Auto Glass uses Launch Tech USA’s ADAS Pro Plus Premium package, a mobile unit, and recently ordered its HD package to do calibrations on larger vehicles.

California Auto Body Shop Uses Mitchell to Stay

of

by Autobody News Staff

Lloyd’s Collision & Paint Center has deep roots in the East San Diego, CA, area, where it has of fered reliable, trustworthy and quality collision repair services since 1984.

Founded by Robert Lloyd Sr., it is a second-generation collision shop with its flagship location in Santee, CA, and a second location that opened in 2012 with a recent expansion in 2021 in Lakeside, CA. With its emphasis on family op erations, Robert Sr. managed the estimating aspect of the operation, while Robert Jr. performed body work and Michael painted. As both facilities have flourished, Robert Jr. and Michael have taken the roles of managing the production and quality of repairs set out by the staff.

Lloyd’s Collision & Paint prides itself on using the latest collision repair techniques. As a result, it knew it needed a new solution. When ADAS-equipped vehicles are damaged in a collision, their recalibration is critical to proper, safe repair.

Lloyd’s did not have a way to calibrate these vehicles so it sent the work back to the dealership.

“ADAS is quickly expanding,” said Robert Jr. “We would receive vehicles and they would have codes come up representing the ADAS. We would then have to take them to the dealership to calibrate and align them. Sometimes when we would get the vehicle back from the dealer, there would still be an issue and we would have to send them back to get re-done.”

The entrepreneurial-minded Robert Jr. decided to open a mo bile calibration business with his wife, Brittney. They are now able to service vehicles that have been in a collision at their facility, as well as vehicles that maybe just had a simple windshield replace ment or alignment that required recalibration.

Lloyds Collision & Paint turned to Mitchell International, Inc. for its calibration target system. The re pair shop already used the Mitchell RepairCenter management system and Estimating Software. From a business operations perspective, it made sense to use Mitchell’s

on

Calibration

Lloyds Collision & Paint draws on the skills and talents of various family members to deliver an exceptional collision repair experience for its customers in the East San Diego, CA, area. Pictured, left to right, are Robert Lloyd Jr., Brittney Lloyd, Michael Lloyd and Robert Lloyd Sr

calibration system to streamline operations seamlessly and better manage business processes.

As a result, they invested in the MD-500 all-in-one scan tool and MD-TS21 target system, which combine Bosch’s compre hensive vehicle coverage and hardware with the ability to run Mitchell’s full suite of cloud-based repair solutions. Bosch is an indus try leader in ADAS. Having diag nostic licensing agreements with all major OEMs, it had the most complete vehicle coverage and a clear advantage over others in the market.

The decision to invest in Mitchell’s solution was made easier because Robert Jr.’s great working relationship with his local representative, Luke Burger, made the whole investment process smooth and easy.

“Luke always goes above and beyond for us so there was great trust there,” said Robert Jr.

After Lloyd’s purchased the tools in 2021, Mitchell held intense, two-day training for the Lloyds at their facility to train them on the calibration equipment.

“We had very personal train ing with the Bosch and Mitchell reps at our vehicle calibration facil ity,” recalled Robert Jr.

“We took several vehicles from the shop and spent two days set ting up the equipment, all the tar gets, and what to do, not to do,” he said. “The training was better than what we could have asked for.”

To build on his training, he took several I-CAR and manufactur

er training courses, and continues to grow his knowledge daily to keep up with latest software pow ering vehicles today.

Some of the many features Robert Jr. has appreciated about Mitchell’s tools include a complete workflow solution that supports static and dynamic calibrations, scanning and estimating/repair blueprinting. Working with Mitch ell’s system will integrate the scan tools directly into the workflow applications used by collision re pairers and insurance carriers, as sisting in the diagnostic portion of collision repairs.

It makes repairers’ jobs so much simpler when it comes to writing estimates. The MD-500 integrates with Mitchell’s cloudbased solutions, making it easy for repairers to walk around a vehicle, take photos, write an estimate, link directly to the OEM repair informa tion from the DTC, order parts and automatically upload standardized scan and calibration reports.

As a result of this technology investment, Robert Jr. said the equipment has paid for itself with in a year because the shop can support the calibration work from other local businesses, whether it’s a glass company, tire/align ment shop or another body shop. Lloyd’s is glad to be ahead of the pack in its area regarding ADAS.

Ultimately, the biggest bene fit of Mitchell’s calibration system is time. “It’s expedited the repairs and lessened the cycle time, which is advantageous to the shop and customer,” he said.

Lloyd’s Collision

Paint

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 40

In Business Since: 1984

Number of Locations: Two Combined Production Space: 75,000 square feet

Robert Lloyd Jr.’s decision to choose Mitchell’s target system has been a sound and profitable investment.

Due to this Nissan Versa’s involve ment in a front-end collision, Lloyd’s used Mitchell’s target system to calibrate the front radar for the adaptive cruise control.

Mitchell International, Inc.,

Enlyte Company

Mesa

A

by Autobody News Staff

JDS Collision Repair is named af ter its owner, James David Shirley Jr., but everyone calls him David.

“I couldn’t think of a better name for the business than one with my signature to guarantee everything we stood for,” he said. “If my son (James David ‘JD’ Shirley III) decides to even tually take over the business, the name of the sign will remain the same.”

Another thing that will un doubtedly never change is the company’s commitment to PPG and its ENVIROBASE® High Per formance waterborne paint line. It has played a huge role since the doors opened in 2015 on this high-production shop that re pairs roughly 300 vehicles every month.

Shirley Jr. was born in Fort Worth, TX, in 1971 to deaf par ents. His father was a body man, painter and mechanic, and his mother was a draftsman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was a great experience for a boy who was literally living in a big classroom.

“I had worked alongside my father in his shop and learned many skills,” Shirley said. “I not only learned how to work on all aspects of a car, but I realized quickly that I could effectively communicate at a very early age. This had allowed me to be very proficient in automobile repairs and it began the foundation for my career.”

At 16, Shirley got hired at a body shop, and he was off to the races. He is now 52, with 36 years in the industry as a shop fore man, parts director and manager at some of the most successful collision centers in Texas.

In January 2015, Shirley opened JDS Collision Repair and brought many of his team with him. Some of his people have worked for him in different shops for 20+ years, and he values each and every one of them.

“I am very lucky to have a great staff,” Shirley said. “Peo ple stay here because they feel appreciated and respected, and that is how it works. I realized long ago that we would not be

where we are today without this amazing team.”

In 2015, entering into an agreement with PPG was an easy decision. “I used PPG previously, and it was such a good experi ence,” Shirley said. “My two paint ers love the product, and they were also familiar with its charac teristics and were very comfort able here with the system.”

When it comes to any ven dor, Shirley looks for “products, processes and people,” and hit the trifecta with PPG and his job ber, English Colour. At a shop where they have to produce 15 or more vehicles daily, JDS Col lision Repair has no leeway for comebacks or anything that can hamper the process.

The shop’s approach is to “pull cars, rather than push” through its production system, and it evidently works. Shirley devised a parts rack system and designated a specific area to dis assemble cars and track parts, so they have them ready for each tech when the times come to in stall them.

“That way, the tech knows where every part is and we don’t have to run around trying to com plete a repair,” he said. “I learned from experience that searching around for parts or waiting for parts is the No. 1 way to mess up your cycle time. We have to keep moving here, so designing these racks and coming up with this system is perfect for us.”

By using the ENVIROBASE® High Performance waterborne

paint line on every vehicle, the crew at JDS Collision Center is exceeding everyone’s expecta tions.

“We hear back from our em ployees, our insurance partners and, of course, from our custom ers, and all we hear are compli ments,” Shirley said. “We have reduced our booth time consid erably and getting more through put than we ever anticipated. We can’t fall down with this product because I tell people it comes with training wheels. My guys are hitting color matches deadon, so we never get comebacks, which is a major deal. In addition, we are saving time on curing the vehicles, so it’s been wonderful.”

To educate himself, Shirley and his son have taken classes through PPG’s MVP Business Solutions program. “I’ve taken production classes, estimating classes and classes about paint processes, and they have all been very valuable. My son has worked his way up the ranks from washing cars for two years to parts and now as an estimator, so the PPG classes have helped him as well.”

Tapping into the advantages of working with PPG has helped Shirley on multiple levels, so he is more than delighted to share the news.

“We are happy, what more can we say? You get a product that works, and it’s supported well from both the jobber and the manufacturer, what more can you ask for?”

JDS Collision Repair

Location:

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees:

In Business Since: 2015

Number of Locations: One

Production Space:

JDS Collision Repair has a bright

with PPG playing a major

ongoing

PPG

JD Shirley, left, and his father, James David Shirley Jr., right, represent two generations at JDS Collision Repair.

JDS

Repair

with the PPG ENVIROBASE®

Pro Spot Builds Trust with Salinas Collision Repair

by Autobody News Staff

A famous Zig Ziglar quote goes like this: “If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.”

This quote perfectly sums up Salinas Collision Repair’s re lationship with Pro Spot Interna tional. Manager Mark Duliba, an I-CAR instructor, has been turning to Pro Spot repeatedly, not only because the products are reliable and made to last, but because he has an amazing relationship with his Pro Spot distributor Adolph Cosio, built on trust.

Being based in Carlsbad, CA, Pro Spot dominates the California market. Cosio is a popular and be loved rep who is as knowledge able as he is trustworthy and sup ports his customers at every turn.

Beyond knowing him well, Duliba relies on Cosio to deliv er the goods literally. Some of the Pro Spot products Cosio has delivered to the Salinas Collision Repair team include an SP-5 MIG Welding Machine, i4 Spot Weld er, PR-5 Riveter, NP-3 Nitrogen Plastic Welding Machine, Alumi num Pro Spot Welding Station with AL-5 Capacitor Discharge Stud Welder and a Pro Spot Fume Extractor FE-110P.

Duliba has been in the col lision repair industry since 1984 and has strong roots with vehi cles, including classic and custom show cars, and has worked with Rod Powell, a respected custom painter and builder. In advancing to the complex cars of today, he’s seen his share of repair products and lauds Pro Spot for its excellence and quality.

He began working for Sali nas Collision Repair in 1988 in its paint department before moving into production, parts and gener al management. As the manager, he oversees an “awesome” team of collision technicians, repairers and painters.

Another reason Duliba chose to work with Pro Spot was Salinas Collision Repair was the first Ford collision repairer in California to be aluminum certified in 2014, to work on the Ford F-150. Pro Spot has a special partnership with Rotunda, a Ford purchasing program, through which Ford

The Aluminum Weld Station includes a Pro Spot AL-5 Capacitor Discharge

Stud Welder, designed for aluminum dent pulling to help repair a vehicle’s panels. The equipment is especially helpful when working on trucks with an aluminum body, like the Ford F-Series.

dealership shops can purchase equipment.

Because of Duliba’s I-CAR in structor background, he knew Ryan Swanson, a fellow I-CAR instructor and the training and development manager for Pro Spot.

“Ryan does all of the Pro Spot YouTube training videos, and I knew we would be well sup ported. I’m a big believer in service after the sale,” he said.

Duliba said he and his team love Pro Spot products because they are user-friendly, readily available even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and meet the standards for all OEM certifications they hold. In addi tion, he said, Pro Spot’s reliability and durability are unbeatable.

“For example, we purchased the Smart SP-5 MIG welder in 2014, and as long as you maintain and care for them, you get consis tent results and quality,” he said.

He also appreciates Pro Spot’s equipment for another factor it is all “technician proof.” Most good techs, he said, can fig ure out the features and master them in a short amount of time.

Duliba describes the Alumi num Pro Spot Welding Station with AL-5 Capacitor Discharge Stud Welder as a “simple system” that gets the work done. The Alu minum Weld Station system is equipped with a portable repair station cart, and all accessories necessary for aluminum dent

pulling and repair.

Duliba said the detailed fea tures of Pro Spot’s equipment are designed with a technician in mind. For example, the PR-5 Riveter is battery-operated, so a tech doesn’t have to deal with messy cords or hoses. Regard less of the battery voltage level, it provides the correct hydraulic pressure and delivers 200 rivets per charge.

Another indispensable Pro Spot tool at Salinas Collision Re pair is the Nitrogen Plastic Weld er. This equipment uses nitrogen gas with heating element to re structure common plastic com ponents in automotive repair, from cracked bumper cover sur faces to hinged tabs. The way it works is that nitrogen is used as a shielding gas to prevent the plas tic from burning during the weld ing process, producing a strong, lasting weld, according to Pro Spot. Compressed air is used to maintain a consistent temperature between welds; that way, the ni trogen is only activated when pull ing the trigger so it’s not wasted between welds.

As an industry veteran, Duli ba values timeless principles that guide collision repair shops to produce quality work with an eye for efficiency, cycle time and service excellence. He is grateful to partners like Pro Spot who are 100% invested in their customers’ goals.

Salinas Collision Repair

Location: Salinas, CA (831) 444-4459

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 15

In Business Since: 1978

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 18,500 square feet

In Salinas Collision Repair’s shop, Pro Spot equipment has become some of the team’s hardest-working members, providing dependable and quality collision repair.

The PR-5 Rivet Gun System is a favorite tool among technicians because it’s designed to quickly and easily change from one arm to another, saving time and hassle.

Pro Spot International

Sea Otter Place Carlsbad, CA 92010

(877) PRO-SPOT

YouTube:

Paddock’s Does Million-Dollar Jobs, Every Car Painted with SATA Guns

by Autobody News Staff

Many painters get attached to their tools, equipment and pro cesses, especially if it can help them do an exemplary job.

In this case, Rob Paddock, owner of Paddock’s Paint Works in Chesterfield, MI, is a devotee of SATA, and that’s why his logo contains a depiction of a SATA spray gun. Without really know ing it, Paddock has become a brand ambassador for SATA and isn’t afraid to tell the automotive world about it.

Paddock works on classic, primarily pre-WWII vehicles, many of which are million-dollar jobs headed to Pebble Beach, CA, for the annual Concours D’ Elegance. If you’re a car connois seur, you know it’s the Super Bowl for car enthusiasts, where the finest and most expen sive vehicles in the world are displayed and compete for cov eted awards.

Paddock fell in love with classic and exotic cars at an early age.

“While I was a kid, we used to go to an automotive show here in Michigan in the Upper Penin sula called the St. Ignace Car Show,” he said. “My uncle was a member of the Corvette Club of Michigan, and he had 10 1957 Corvettes. So, my mom would drive one, my dad would drive another, and my whole family would come along. I think I was around 8 years old when an Im pala was there, painted black with flames. I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. And from that moment on, I decided I wanted to paint cars.”

Let’s fast forward to 2012, a significant year for Paddock and his career.

“I’ve always loved what I did, and I worked for some great shops, but I was kind of unhap py with my current situation,” he said. “So, talking to my wife, she said why don’t you go out and do this on your own? I was reluctant because starting any business

Rob Paddock, owner of Paddock’s Paint Works, loves his SATA guns because they are reliable and versatile, and always help create worldclass finishes.

can be risky. But my wife insist ed and kind of pushed me out the door. Otherwise, I don’t know that I ever would have had the courage to do it. My cousin gave me a break and got me into a building and that’s how I started.” Luck and family connections led him to the creation of Pad dock’s Paint Works.

“I painted an offshore racing boat for my cousin, he owned the building that I painted it in. So, we talked, and he said, hey I’ll give you a break on the building. So, we set up a paint booth and went from there. I owe my cousin for helping me because it really helped to get me started.”

Paddock said SATA spray guns have been in the equation since nearly day one, a decision he has surely never regretted.

“In my high school’s auto body program, I used another brand because I didn’t know any better. One day, a coworker at a shop where I was working was spraying with a SATA gun, and I asked him can I use it? It was amazing and I have never consid ered using a different gun since that day.”

Now he owns a dozen SATA guns, all of which play a different role as he restores highly collect ible Duesenbergs, Packards and old Bugattis.

“I love the way the SATA guns fit in my hand,” Paddock said. “With many of the cars I paint, I’m shooting at 90 degrees into crev ices, which can be difficult. It also depends on the fan in many cases. I have it opened wide sometimes, and then I have to pin it down a lit tle bit depending on the contours of the vehicle I am painting.”

Paddock has developed his own style of painting over the years.

“I kind of spray differently than many people who think I’m kind of crazy,” he said. “I use a 1.2 tip ver sus a 1.3 or 1.4 when I am spraying clearcoat because it atomizes bet ter and lays out nicely. That way, I’m not just pounding material on whatever. In addition, I am using less material with the SATAs. With these high-end cars, I will put four to even six coats on a car but I’m putting less on at a time because it just lays out much better.”

Paddock also values the cus tomer service offered by SATA, even though he has only needed it once, he said.

“I lost a part on one of my SATA guns, so I called them and they sent it to me the next day. Fantastic! These guns don’t break and I take good care of them and clean them after every paint job so I know they will last me forever.”

Paddock’s Paint Works

Location: Chesterfield, MI (248) 941-1207

www.paddockspaintworks.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Automotive Restoration

Facility Employees: Five

In Business Since: 2012

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 4,000 square feet

In just 20 days, Rob Paddock did a complete rebuild job on this 1935 Delage D8 that won the French Cup at Pebble Beach, all painted with SATA guns.

Dan-Am Company

One Sata Drive

P.O. Box 46

Spring Valley, MN 55975

533-8016

www.satausa.com

Facebook: @SATAUSA

Twitter: @SATA_DanAm

Instagram: @sata_by_dan_am

YouTube: SATA by DanAm Company

This 1928 Auburn speedster is a show stopper created by Paddock’s Paint Works.

With Ultra 9K®, we connect color performance with labor optimization and deliver on productivity. Ultra 9K is innovative and compact with 62 toners rich in pigments, intensity and effect driving color accuracy for first-time repairs of today’s complex colors. Painters love it because it is easy-to-use, requiring minimum training and more important, they see quality and speed-to-color. Shop owners and managers see the month-overmonth upticks in production and profitability. Ultra 9K is the complete package. OEM approved.

Ultra

Refinish System Helps High-Volume Shop Get It Right the First Time

by Autobody News Staff

In 1979, Lee Amaradio opened a small shop in Mission Viejo, CA, with a business partner. Amara dio wanted to name it Faith Auto Body, while the partner wanted Quality Auto Body, so they com promised, and Faith Quality Auto Body was born.

A year later, Amaradio bought out his business partner, and a decade after that, in 1990, he moved the shop into a bigger space in Murrieta.

Since then, he has bought the three lots next door and built another building on each. Faith Quality Auto Body now compris es four buildings at the same lo cation, totaling 34,000 square feet of production space.

All that additional production space needed more work to fill it, and that’s where Steve Saunders came in.

Saunders had worked for a few small shops since 1987, working his way up to a general manager position, until he was hired by Amaradio in 1996.

“Lee is a super guy,” Saun ders said.

Saunders is now director of OE compliance and training at Faith Quality Auto Body, working to qualify the shop for as many OE certifications as possible to bring in more business volume.

The I-CAR Gold Class shop now has 20 certifications, in cluding Subaru, General Motors, Volkswagen, Honda, Ford, Vol vo, Mazda and Mercedes-Benz, as well as the certifications and equipment to work on high-top vans like Sprinter, Dodge ProMas ter, Nissan NV and Ford Transit, and is currently working on two more.

Saunders said thanks to the expansion of the OE certification program and Amaradio’s vision to expand the footprint, the shop now repairs about 200 vehicles per month, increasing month ly sales from about $125,000 to $800,000 over 20 years.

The shop and its employees’ excellence have not gone unno ticed – Faith Quality Auto Body was named the 2008-09 Collision Business of the Year by Assured

Faith Quality Auto Body in Murrieta, CA, matches colors the first time every time with Sherwin-Williams’ Ultra 9K® Waterborne Refinish System.

Performance Collision Care, and Saunders was named the 2021 Single-Shop Executive of the Year by BodyShop Business.

Saunders is also active in the industry, participating in Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meet ings and serving as chair of the Riverside I-CAR Committee since 1996.

“You need to be a part of the industry; you can’t just sit back and complain,” Saunders said. “You have to get up and do something. Not just for yourself, but for everyone.”

Saunders said Faith Quality Auto Body has been using Sher win-Williams refinish products since 2000, but in 2017, the com pany switched the shop to its Ultra 9K® Waterborne Refinish System.

The shop tells customers on its website it takes special pride in its ability to match factory finishes as the final step in the restoration process, and Saunders said Ultra 9K makes that easy.

Ultra 9K is a waterborne ba secoat system, with 63 pigment rich toners, that gets the right col or, the first time even the most difficult and is OEM-approved.

“It was a real easy transition,” Saunders said of the switch to Ul tra 9K.

Sherwin-Williams provided two weeks of training for the shop’s technicians on the system’s new equipment and software, he said.

“The biggest worry when you switch paint is the colors won’t

match or look good,” he said. “This paint lays down nice. It’s very user-friendly and the color match is terrific.

Saunders said all systems have a color eye camera to help match paint, but the Ultra 9K sys tem’s camera seems to work es pecially well.

“Normally, the camera se lects a chip that doesn’t match exactly,” he said. “But when we spray with this one, it matches.”

Saunders said the ease of color-matching in particular has improved the shop’s productivity.

“Formulas are only as good as they can be,” he said. “That’s why color matching is so import ant. People don’t want so see their car looking like it’s been repaired.”

Saunders said more compli cated modern finishes in partic ular three-stage pearls have al ways been the hardest to match.

“It’s just phenomenal with this system,” he said.

The system’s base coat lays down super smooth, Saunders said, leaving no texture, meaning the clear coat goes on smooth too.

In addition to the great prod uct and results, Saunders said Sherwin-Williams always provides terrific support to the shop.

“The people representing Sherwin-Williams have good knowledge,” he said. “If you have any questions or issues, they’re always really close by.

“It’s just a really good company,” he said.

Faith Quality Auto Body

Location: Murrieta, CA

698-8215

www.faithqualityautobody.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 50

In Business Since: 1979

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 36,000 square feet

Director of OE Compliance and Training Steve Saunders said switching to the Ultra 9K system in 2017 has improved the shop’s productivity.

The base coat goes on “super smooth,” Saunders said, so the clear coat does too.

Sherwin-Williams® Automotive Finishes

Warrensville Center Rd. Warrensville Hts., OH 44124

798-5872

www.sherwin-automotive.com

Facebook: @SherwinWilliamsAutomotive

@swrefinish

LinkedIn: @Sherwin-WilliamsAutomotiveFinishes

@SWAFC

ONE

A hardworking refinish system, complete with basecoat and single stage options, as well as pigmentrich toners and pearls for brilliance and effect, and an unbeatable selection of primers/sealers and surfacers, and tough clears. This system is for the customer that wants one solution, one partner. Your System is Sunfire PRO™. Your Partner is Sherwin-Williams®.

Sherwin-Williams Sunfire PRO Does It All for Shop Offering Restoration and Repair

by Autobody News Staff

Mike and Paulette Covairt didn’t know it when they purchased a 1962 Volkswagen Beetle to restore not long after they started dating, but it was the first step to the life they live now, running Franktown Collision & Restoration Garage in Franktown, CO.

Mike said he bought the Bug from what was then Douglas Auto Body, and, after a year of work, had it ready to roll.

He kept in touch with the shop owner even after finishing the car, and when the owner was ready to retire in 2014, he offered the Co vairts the opportunity to take over the lease and buy the equipment. On April 1, 2015, the new owners officially opened the business un der its current name.

That Bug has since been re stored a second time, and still makes appearances at local car shows every now and then. Mean while, the shop offers classic car restoration and auto body repair and paint, as well as welding and fabrication.

Paulette runs the office, and Mike works in the shop. “I always wanted to restore cars since I was a kid,” Mike said. “I was always in terested in it.”

He didn’t go straight into restoration work, however. Mike worked in carpentry for years, and then as a metal fabricator in the metal art and sign business.

“That was where I learned how to paint and weld, a lot of the things you would need to know to restore cars and do collision work,” he said. “I began to restore cars on the side at home, for my self and other people, and feel like I caught onto it pretty quick.”

Mike also started learning how to do collision repair work, taking on some of that at home.

“Then we got the opportunity to buy a business doing it, and we went for it,” Mike said. “We took the risk and here we are.”

Seven years later, the shop averages one or two completed collision repairs per day, and one or two completed restorations per month.

Franktown Collision & Resto ration Garage doesn’t work direct

Franktown Collision & Restoration Garage in Franktown, CO, uses Sherwin-Williams® Sunfire PRO to bring both classic and collision-dam aged vehicles back to life.

ly with any insurance companies, Mike said. Customers are wel come to use their insurance cov erage but they have to be the one to negotiate with the insurance company on the estimate.

“We mainly stick to resto ration and self-pay collision,” Mike said. “It’s worked for us. We’ve been pretty fortunate to be able to do that and survive.”

Mike said as a shop that does both restoration and col lision repair, its paint inventory was getting out of control.

“We were using a great prod uct but it was expensive and we had to stock two banks,” he said. “For some restoration work, one [bank] didn’t work economical ly for some applications. Trying to stock two banks meant a lot of inventory, and a lot of money wrapped up in it.”

Mike said the shop was look ing for a product it could use for both restoration and collision repair when it was contacted by Shane McIntosh at Sherwin-Williams®

McIntosh recommended the shop try Sherwin-Williams Sunfire PRO complete refinish system, designed for the shop that wants one solution and one partner.

The Sunfire PRO system fea tures basecoat and single stage options, pigment-rich toners and pearls for effect, and an unbeat able selection of primers, sealers and tough clears.

As the current painter, Mike

has been personally using the Sunfire PRO system since the shop switched to it in early 2022, so he has seen firsthand how it performs, and as the owner, he’s seen how it affects the bottom line.

“It’s a good paint,” he said. “It has worked well for us. Col or matches are good, and we’ve been pretty successful with it.

“We have less money wrapped up in a large invento ry of paint products, because we’re using one product for both restoration and collision,” he said. “It has helped our paint profit, and saved us some mon ey and some room, since we don’t have so much money wrapped up in inventory all the time.”

Mike said the shop is also en joying a superior customer service experience after making the move to Sherwin-Williams.

“The support has been great,” Mike said. “Shane is a great paint rep. We were having some custom er service issues with our previous supplier. We felt like it was time to make a switch. Sherwin-Williams has been a great company to work with.”

Mike said switching to the Sunfire PRO refinish system was a smart move.

“It’s a good product, if people are in a situation like I am, doing collision and restoration work,” he said.

Franktown Collision & Restoration Garage

Location: Franktown, CO (303) 688-2276

www.franktowngarage.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair & Restoration

Facility Employees: Five

In Business Since: 2015

Number of Locations: One

Production Space: 3,600 square feet

The shop repainted this 1959 Corvette for a customer who only drives black Corvettes, but bought this one when it was red.

Mike Covairt, left, and Paulette Covairt, center, with their Sherwin-Williams representative, Shane McIntosh, right.

Sherwin-Williams® Automotive Finishes 4440 Warrensville Center Rd. Warrensville Hts., OH 44124

(800) 798-5872

www.sherwin-automotive.com

Facebook: @SherwinWilliamsAutomotive

Instagram: @swrefinish

LinkedIn: @Sherwin-WilliamsAutomotiveFinishes

YouTube: @SWAFC

Measuring

The Blueprint is Right in Front of You.

MULTIBENCH

The Spanesi® Touch Electronic Measuring System and Multibench

Repair Workstation are designed to work together seamlessly.

Multibench allows technicians to drive most vehicles directly onto its low-profile ramps. After the vehicle is disassembled to evaluate the damage, the Touch rolls right up, letting the technicians gather measurement data in no time.

its 10-ton pulling column, the Multibench also serves as a single-bay repair solution. Finally, technicians use Touch to check structural repairs and ensure proper OEM specifications are achieved.

Touch Electronic Measuring System:

Multibench Structural Repair Workstation:

Nick & Ernie’s Fix Auto Skokie Relies on Spanesi to Navigate Growth, Success

by Autobody News Staff

Nick & Ernie’s, a Fix Auto collision repair facility, has built a small empire of mechanical, collision, auto glass and truck and fleet shops in the Skokie, IL, area.

Family-owned and operat ed since 1969, Ernie Loggarakis and his sister, Sandy Dimoulis, now oversee the family business, which began as a service station founded by their parents.

Loggarakis started working there as a teen, pumping gas and doing other chores. He went to college for two years and re turned in 1986, when he bought a body shop and added collision repair to the auto mix of services.

Since that time, Nick & Er nie’s has grown rapidly. To keep up with its collision repair growth, Nick & Ernie’s turned to Spanesi for various equipment. Loggarakis’ first purchase was the Spanesi Multibench. He was searching for equipment with a unibody lift as a smaller repair center. He bought the lift nine years ago, and it has become an important workhorse in the repair center.

He purchased the Multi bench from Tim Morgan, Spanesi Americas’ COO, based in Naper ville, not far from Nick and Ernie’s Skokie location.

“Ernie came to our facility in early 2013, with his father Nick, to look at the Multibench in our Training Center,” said Morgan. “Spanesi Americas was just start ing, and we discussed past ven dors and a facility owner’s needs. After that first meeting, it helped me create how Spanesi Americas is today: Quality products, service, support and training. No shortcuts or ‘taillight guarantees’ with us. We consider our clients family!”

The Multibench employs an electro-hydraulic lift suitable for lifting most vehicles. The bench lowers to a total height of just over an inch, allowing technicians to use the repair bay for multiple repair operations.

In shopping for the right equipment, Loggarakis looked at several other vendors, but none possessed the multi-tasking fea tures of Spanesi. “Spanesi was a

Family-owned and operated since 1969, Nick & Ernie’s is proud of its dedicated employees who take pride in their work and are supported by Spanesi’s quality equipment.

perfect fit for our needs,” he said.

Loggarakis was so happy with the Spanesi Multibench, he added four additional benches in 2020, when Nick & Ernie’s under went a 7,500-square foot expan sion of the body shop.

With that expansion, Logga rakis also added the PULL UP! re pair system for structural and cos metic glue pulling and the Touch electronic measuring system. The Touch system allows measuring a vehicle frame and structural items, mechanical parts, user-added points with photos, wheel and tire alignment, suspension parts and comparative measurements.

The Touch provides a com plete set of post-repair doc uments. The technician and customer can be confident the vehicle has been returned to OEM specifications. Loggarakis said he’s been pleased with the Touch’s performance, as it makes his estimates and blueprinting much more accurate because it identifies any structural damage early in the diagnostics process.

As Nick and Ernie’s contin ues to expand its collision repair operations, Spanesi is a reliable business partner in facilitating that growth. Loggarakis also purchased the Spanesi 106 EXT Structural Straightening Bench, designed for larger and longer ve hicles. He shopped around with other providers but landed with Spanesi because of its greater

versatility.

With the 106 EXT investment, Loggarakis said it’s allowed the shop to update its capabilities to work on more modern vehicles, including Tesla. Nick & Ernie’s is undergoing its Tesla certification.

Perhaps Loggarakis’ favor ite aspect of the Spanesi brand is its service after the sale. “One of my big pet peeves are vendors that drop off a six-figure piece of equipment with a ‘have a nice day mentality,’” he said. He described Spanesi’s training support and service as “exceptional,” and credits Morgan for his breadth of knowledge and attentive service and care to his customers.

Morgan holds monthly train ing classes in Naperville. Logga rakis has sent four of his techs there in the last two years. At first, the techs had “culture shock” with the 106 EXT, but once they got used to it, they love how it’s efficient, quick and easy to use. Morgan has also provided on-site training support for the facility.

For Nick & Ernie’s, its longterm reputation of providing qual ity collision repair is built on its service quality, attention to detail and its loving care of customers’ vehicles. With Spanesi’s excep tional products and support, Log garakis believes there is nothing they can’t do as a shop.

“We can go into the future knowing Spanesi will meet all of our needs,” he said.

Nick and Ernie’s Fix Auto Skokie

Location: Skokie, IL (847) 676-0420

www.nickandernies.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 44

In Business Since: 1969

Number of Locations: Four Combined Production Space: 75,000 square feet

As Nick and Ernie’s continues to expand its collision repair operations, Spanesi is a reliable business partner in facilitating that growth.

Nick and Ernie’s recently purchased the Spanesi 106EXT Structural Straightening Bench and the Universal Jig system to meet the requirements of its expanding list of OEM certifications.

Spanesi Americas Inc.

Timothy W. Morgan (224) SPANESI (224-772-6374)

www.spanesi-americas.com

Facebook: @spanesiamericas

LinkedIn: @spanesi-americas

Twitter: @spanesiamericas

Instagram: @spanesiamericas

YouTube: @SpanesiAmericas

Wash and detail right in your shop

Increase

and quality

Chemical-free and eco-friendly

Murpho’s Rods & Customs Relies on the Optima Steamer™ to Realize Car Restoration Dreams

by Autobody News Staff

Murpho, of Murpho’s Rods & Customs, likes to go on a firstname basis. This Hot Rod Hall of Famer – inducted just this year – is known simply as “Murpho.”

Murpho got “hooked” on hot rods when he was a kid growing up in Southern California. What started as a hobby of racing and fixing street cars in his teens de veloped into a full-blown career as a restoration specialist of vin tage muscle cars, hot rods and classic automobiles. He is also a publisher and, most recently, a podcaster.

Murpho’s Rods & Customs is based south of Austin in Buda, TX, a thriving suburb of the cap ital. There, Murpho operates a 10,000-square foot space with his 12-person team of fabricators and craftsmen. Before coming to Tex as, Murpho lived in Orange, CA, where he perfected his craft and established his brand.

Murpho’s has a reputation for specializing in “the highest quality customs, focusing on the 1920s through 1970s. It also provides service for all pre-1972 vehicles.” Murpho’s Rods & Customs is known for its artistic styling chop tops and eye for detail. It recent ly finished a family-owned 1934 Tudor and a 1942 Chevrolet 3100 that was purchased new in Austin.

Murpho’s provides the fol lowing services: rust repair, panel replacement, superior body and paint, metal fabrication, frame off restoration, electrical rewire/wir ing/diagnosis, Vintage Air install, suspension, Air Ride systems, engine and trans swaps, engine rebuilding, brake conversion, chassis, along with custom con sultation and design.

As part of his Hall of Famer reputation, Murpho takes car res toration seriously and relies on the right tools to restore classic cars to their original state. One of his favorite products is the Steam ericas Optima Steamer™. Murpho says he’s been working on cars professionally for 20-plus years as

Murpho’s has a passionate team of skilled craftsmen who take pride and joy in their finished products.

a business owner, and he’s nev er seen the steamer quality like Steamericas Optima.

“I have used other products, but I can’t tell you how awesome it is,” said Murpho of his experience.

According to Steamericas, the patented dry steam boiler and its high-tech features make it easy for the Optima Steamer™ to har ness the cleaning power of steam. The Optima Steamer™ boasts an LCD display for easy operation, a water tank with a visible gauge in addition to the direct water hookup. An easy-access to parts makes maintenance and repair a breeze. The Optima Steamer™ is available in diesel or electric pow ered models, meeting needs for both mobile operations as well as indoor shop operations.

He uses the steamer for ev erything from detailing to clean ing doors and kick panels and interior carpets. Murpho said he even uses the Steamericas Opti ma to blow through the AC vents to keep that cold air flowing de spite the Texas heat.

Murpho’s team works on 35 cars at any given time. Operating a busy, thriving custom detailing shop requires the right tools and equipment. That’s why Murpho is so grateful to have a steamer that makes his team’s work smoother, easier and more time efficient.

He purchased the Optima

through Hotsy Carlson, a pres sure washer distributor company that also happens to be one of the main distributors of the Optima Steamer™ in Texas. After his pur chase, he received video tutorials and a how-to book. But the qual ity, half-day one-on-one training from the Steamericas rep set the team on a strong course to use the machine nimbly and confidently.

Murpho has found the Steam ericas Optima to be an indispens able tool for another reason. He is the publisher of two popular mag azines, Car Kulture Deluxe and Ol’ Skool Rodz, which he publishes in 13 countries outside of the U.S. and has a circulation of almost 80,000. As a result, he’s constant ly prepping, restoring and getting cars ready to shoot, and he needs them to look picture-perfect. That’s where the Steamericas Optima comes in it is one of the tools he uses daily that he could not do without.

If car restoration and publish ing don’t keep him busy enough, Murpho also has a podcast. You can tune in at @customkultur erodcast. Murpho is grateful to be pursuing his childhood dream of working on and restoring cars. He is a wonderful example of how passion, hard work and inexhaust ible creative energy can propel you to greatness, and reach Hall of Fame status.

Murpho’s Rods & Customs

Location: Buda, TX (512) 912-1300

www.murphos.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Restoration and Refinishing Facility Employees: 12

In Business Since: 2002

Number of Locations: One Production Space: 10,000 square feet

In addition to classic car restoration, Murpho has built on his brand through publishing and podcasting. Car Kulture Deluxe and Ol’ Skool Rodz are available worldwide in 13 countries and boasts a circulation of almost 80,000. He also has a podcast, and you can tune in at @customkulturerodcast.

While not as flashy as some of the cars Murpho’s works on, Steamericas’ Optima Steamer™ is prized for its workhorse nature and wide range of uses.

Steamericas, Inc.

18022 S. Figueroa Street Gardena, CA 90248

(844) US STEAM

www.steam.am

Facebook: @OptimaSteamerUSA

Instagram: @optimasteamerusa

YouTube: Steamericas Inc.

Nevada Shop Owner Calls USI ITALIA Booths ‘The Rolls Royce of Paint Booths’

by Autobody News Staff

Steve Binau, owner of Steve’s Collision Center in Reno, NV, has succeeded by doing all the right things and making smart moves.

As a result, he now has six loca tions in Nevada and is repairing a grand total of 600 vehicles monthly.

To stay ahead of the technol ogy and be a major player in the Silver State, Binau uses USI ITA LIA paint booths in four of his six shops. Things are going great for this 54-year-old entrepreneur, and much of his success can be cred ited to using the best equipment, tools and training available in the industry today.

This Northern California na tive learned about collision repair while attending Independence High School in San Jose, CA. One year after graduation, Binau began working for a restoration company, until 1993, when he decided to try his luck in Nevada.

Binau stayed at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino in Reno when he hit the “Biggest Little City in the World.”

“Yes, believe it not, that was my address for my first two weeks in town,” he said. “They offered free local phone calls, so I pulled out the Yellow Pages and started calling around.”

He landed another resto ration gig, but eventually made the move to collision repair. For a short time, he bounced around to different shops, but he always had his eyes on the jackpot.

“We took a 10,000-square foot shop and eventually added space and now it’s 16,500 square feet,” he said. “We decided that our mission was to outdistance the big chains by providing supe rior customer service. Most of the insurance agents and adjusters I work with have my cell phone number, and they know that they can always get a hold of me.”

To grow, Binau had to tweak his business model, and that’s when USI ITALIA entered the picture.

“We knew if we wanted lon gevity, we needed to be organized and structured,” he said. “I also de cided that I wasn’t going to skimp on important things, such as equip ment and training. I also wanted a paint booth that could provide us with excellent customer service, which is what we receive from USI ITALIA.”

After meeting with a local jobber recommending USI ITALIA, Binau took a long look at the booths and learned a lot about the technology and how it could make his a better shop.

“I could clearly see that the air flow in those booths is impec cable and they’re very efficient as well,” he said. “These USI booths have a crazy amount of technolo gy, and you can pick the control panel that works best for you. They looked at our production process and helped us to set the booth and prep deck up that was ideal for the way we operate.

“We love the fact that these booths create a finished product flawlessly each and every time while doing it efficiently. They are also very durable, so you know they’re going to last a long, long time. I am a huge advocate for USI ITALIA because we are sav ing money and time and my nine painters all love using them every day.”

Over the years, Binau start ed acquiring body shops strate gically, only when the opportu

nity was prime. In several of those instances, he opted for USI ITALIA Chronotech paint booths, a move he is happy he made.

“The last shop I bought, Fern ley Auto Body in Fernley, NV, already had a USI booth, so that was a very pleasant surprise,” he said. “If they are using a Chrono tech, they have to be a good shop, I thought, and so the booth was a big part of our decision process.”

One of the major benefits of spraying in USI booths is the sim ple fact Binau’s shops can paint more cars every day, he said. “I can honestly say that we are paint ing one additional car every day at each of the four locations that have USI ITALIA booths. We are also saving a ton of time because we don’t have to polish and cut the vehicles. The best part of it all is that we never have imperfec tions or issues with orange peel, so by avoiding comebacks, we are saving even more money.”

Once the USA ITALIA booths are installed and ready to roll, an extensive training program begins, Binau said.

“These people are so knowl edgable, it is pretty amazing. When you buy a piece of equipment like a paint booth, you want an expert team to help you and that’s exactly what we get with the people at USI. Knowing everything we can about our booths gives us an advantage, which is essential to our growth and success.”

Steve’s Collision Center

Location: Sparks, NV (775) 856-1820

www.stevescollisioncenter.com

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 70

In Business Since: 2002

Number of Locations: Six

Combined Production Space: 65,000 square feet

Partners Steve Binau, left, and Steve Brice, right, operate three shops in Sparks, Mount House and Fernley, NV.

Painters Manager Jay Bradshaw, left, and Painter Justin Trulin, right, love their USI ITALIA booth for the curing time, air movement and a world-class finished product every time.

USI of North America

Company Contact: Stefano Moretto (201) 405-7760

s.moretto@usius.com

www.usius.com

Facebook: @USI-of-North-America

Instagram: @usi_refinish

Steve’s Collision Center is one of Steve Binau’s six body shops, all of which are located in Nevada.