Shop and Product SHOWCASE
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JJUNE 2012 INSERT / TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND TESTIMONIALS
BASF Rutherford Auto Body Winchester, OH.........................2–3
Chief/Chassis Liner Vic’s Auto Rebuilders Collision Specialists Pharr, TX ................................... 4–5
CJJ Inc. City Collision of Gainesville Gainesville, FL...........................6–7
DuPont Refinish Winner Premier Collision Center Wilmington, DE .........................8–9
PCL Huntington Beach Bodyworks Huntington Beach, CA ...........10–11
PPG Branning Collision Centers Freehold, NJ.......................... 12–13
Preval Shawn Orr Freelance Airbrush Painter Chicago, IL............................ 14–15
Pro-Spray M & M Body Shop Brownsburg, IN ..................... 16–17
SATA/DanAm Air Shop Owners Talk about Exceptional Products and Services that have Greatly Benefited their Businesses
Quality Collision & Towing Columbia, IL.......................... 18–19
Rutherford Auto Body is a BASF Onyx HD Waterborne Veteran
by Autobody News Staff
In the Columbus, Ohio, area, the most popular colors are Ohio State University’s scarlet and gray, but at Rutherford Auto Body it’s all about the green. By switching to BASF Onyx HD three years ago at both of its two locations, Rutherford Auto Body became one of the first companies in its market to adopt waterborne. Having refinished about 10,000 vehicles since the conversion, the shops’ painters are already seasoned waterborne pros, while most of the other body shops in their region are still working with solvent. Founded in 1947 by Montrose Rutherford and his son Donald, back when they were fixing Buick Roadmasters, DeSoto Airstreams and Nash Ambassadors, the pair opened up for business in a former mechanical shop in Canal Winchester. Donald’s sons, Tom and Terry, almost literally grew up in the shop, working on cars and learning the industry from the bottom up. Montrose passed away in 1959 so Donald continued to run the business. In 1962, Tom graduated from high school to work aside his father. Two years later, Terry graduated from high school as well and joined the company. In 1977, Tom and Terry bought the business from their father and expanded three different times in different locations as the business flourished. Twelve years later, the brothers opened a second location in Pickerington, Ohio, and in 2002, the company established SudSlingers Car Wash and Detail adjacent to their present Canal Winchester location. Rutherford Auto Body’s Operations Manager Jim Sayre has been working for the Rutherford family for 36 years and is a former painter. Three years ago, Rutherford’s management decided to switch over to waterborne paint, for a wide variety of reasons. “Shops will have to use waterborne here in Ohio by law at some point and we just wanted to get in on the front end, rather than wait until the final hour and scramble,” Sayre said. “Early on, we went to a couple of classes to learn more about waterborne and how to use it and we learned that it’s better for our employees, beneficial to the environment, and, honestly, we just really like the product. It works well and the finished result is excellent, so it’s definitely a win-win.” 2 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Rutherford Auto Body Location: Winchester, OH
Telephone: 614-837-7150 Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 31
In Business Since: 1947 DRP Programs: 14
Number of Locations: Two
Combined Production Space: 16,735 square feet (2 shops combined)
The paint team for Rutherford Auto Body (from left) consists of Dave Schaffer, Zach Swigor, J.R. Dorsey, Operations Manager Jim Sayre, Craig Williams and Paul Finn
The training phase for the waterborne conversion to BASF Onyx HD was seamless and drama-free, according to Sayre. “First we went to their training center, which is here in Ohio, which was convenient. Then the people from BASF were scheduled to be here for a full week, but after just two days, our painters were comfortable using the product. We did the conversion at our Pickerington location first and then at our sister shop in Canal Winchester.” Sayre recently polled his four painters to find out their perceptions about the BASF Onyx HD and the techniques associated with it. “Number one, they said it’s very user-friendly,” says Sayre. “They also said you get better coverage than with the solvent. With most vehicles, waterborne means two coats and then you’re done. Plus, the color matches are superior and they can control the metallics better. With the solvent, you have to work at it to get the metallics to lie down correctly, but with the waterborne it seems to atomize better and lay out better. And of course, it’s healthier for them and less damaging to the environment, which they appreciate.” One caution that Rutherford Auto Body’s painters expressed about waterborne paint in general is “don’t rush the drying process,” Sayre said. “When it’s really hot and humid, you have to make sure that you give it time to dry between coats. That’s really important, because if you don’t let it dry properly between coats, you
can get a mess. In August especially, you need to give an extra five minutes, and it can vary from day-to-day with humidy. The other concern they shared is that sometimes when you have to re-work it, you have to be sure it’s cured all the way. Sometimes when you’re re-working the waterborne, it wants to roll a little bit when you sand it, so you have to be certain that it’s completely cured.” Do people in the Columbus area appreciate the fact that Rutherford’s shops use waterborne paint? “We’re in the process of advertising it more now, so that we can take advantage of it. Many customers don’t even know the difference between the waterborne and the solvent, but we’ve discovered that women seem to value it more than men do, as a rule. We tell them that their car was originally painted with waterborne at the factory and that resonates with them, but really there is a big lack of information out there about it for the public.” BASF and his jobber, Wasco, provide exemplary customer support that is prompt, proactive and thorough, Sayre said. “Between the two of them, I cannot say one negative thing. I couldn’t ask for better service and support. Wasco has a guy on the clock eight hours every day, and if you have a problem, he will be here the same day or the next day at the latest. Or, you can call BASF directly if you have any questions about variances in their color chip library, which is painted with all waterborne paint for a true read.”
Painter Craig Williams mixing BASF Onyx HD to get that perfect color match at Rutherford Auto Body
Williams painting a vehicle with BASF Onyx HD waterborne paint
BASF Company Contact: Jeff Wildman Regional Sales Manager Phone: (248) 304-5571 email: jeffrey.wildman@basf.com website: www.basfrefinish.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 3
Chief Equipment is a Member of the Carrillo Family
Vic’s Auto Rebuilders Collision Specialists
by Autobody News Staff
To say that the Carrillo family is involved in the collision industry is like saying the Osmonds or the Jackson family is into singing and dancing. With six of his siblings and his son working for this three-generational business in one capacity or another, Managing Partner Victor Carrillo, Jr., 51, runs Vic’s Auto Rebuilders Collision Specialists in Pharr, Texas, with more than the usual amount of family support. Hundreds of body shops in the Rio Grande Valley have come and gone while Vic’s Auto Rebuilders, in business since 1967, has flourished through everything you can imagine. Several recessions, countless hail storms, tornadoes and even a few floods have impacted business over the years. Every year since its founding, the company has increased its revenues, except for 2008, when the business just held its own. Chief Automotive Technologies might just as well be another family member in the Carrillo clan, because it has provided collision repair equipment to the shop since 1986. “My father Victor Sr., saw that it was a quality company and that’s why we started buying machines from Chief. We got our old EZ Liner from them and it lasted us for many years without any problems. My dad opened a gas station when I was four and he built it into a very successful shop. He passed away at age 83 a few years ago, but he worked right up until the end. My father taught us how to run this business the right way, and getting the proper equipment is a big part of it.” Another formula for success at Vic’s Auto Rebuilders is diversification. In addition to fixing 250-300 cars monthly in its body shop, the company also has a glass division and a towing company. They’re certified to work on Mercedes-Benz vehicles and also maintain a five-acre storage facility as part of their 24-hour wrecking service. The company is also proud to be an I-CAR certified Gold facility for at least the past decade and is also Chief EZ Liner certified. In 2006, the Carrillo family of companies moved from its 39-yearold location to a brand new 35,000 square-foot facility that they built from the ground up; featuring all of the latest equipment and containing 24 bays. “We never have to move a vehicle to get another one out, which was one of our main goals with this new shop,” Robert Carrillo explained. “We’ve got four detail bays, 4 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Location: Pharr, TX
Telephone: 956-787-5084 Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 35
In Business Since: 1967 DRP Programs: Four
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 35,000 square feet
Vic’s Auto Rebuilders has been using Chief equipment like this Goliath frame machine since 1986
16 re-finishing bays and four truck and RV bays. After just two days after moving into this new building, we were at full capacity with every bay filled and we’ve never looked back.” After doing business in Pharr for more than 45 years, the Carrillos have developed a great reputation for being honest and supporting the community, Victor Jr. said. “It’s important to help this community as a way of saying thanks and giving back. We do charity work for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club and the Rotary Club and we sponsor every sports team in town that we can from Little League to soccer and volleyball. We’re also heavily involved in local politics and my brother, Robert, is a city commissioner. If we can make this city a better place to live and work in, why not do it?” Vic’s Auto Rebuilders prides itself in running a green shop and goes well beyond just adhering to local environmental laws, Victor Jr. said. “We paint cars with both solvent and waterborne and we recycle and reuse everything we can. We want to help the planet and that’s why we’re always looking to be more green.” Robert Carrillo relies on his Chief equipment to perform each and every time, and that’s why he values the customer support he receives from his Chief distributor, English Collision in San Antonio. “Eric Kurecka is our rep and he is very responsive. If we have an issue with
any of our Chief machines, we can take a picture and e-mail it to Eric. He gets back to us right away and usually we can solve it that way. When we need him here, he never hesitates and even if we don’t need him, he still visits us at least twice every month.” Kurecka cites Vic’s Auto Rebuilders as his oldest customer and probably one of the most forwardthinking shops in the state of Texas. “They rock and roll over there, with a very clean and organized facility that’s using the latest technology wherever they can. They recently became factory certified by MercedesBenz, so we assisted them in getting a Chief Computerized Genesis Measuring System to work on these cars. Fixing cars has changed a whole lot since their father started the business in the late 1960s and they have a few veteran techs on staff over there who have been working with Chief since its inception in 1972,” Kurecka said. Victor Carrillo, Jr. envisions that many years from now his son Victor III and his nephew Richard will still be using Chief equipment to repair all of the new vehicles in 2020 and beyond. “Of all the vendors we’ve worked with over the years, our relationship with Chief is the longest, for sure. Our attitude is don’t fix it if it isn’t broken. We get calls from different salesmen all the time trying to get us interested in competing companies that make frame machines and measuring systems, but once we find a company we like, we stick with it.”
Vic’s Auto Rebuilders in Pharr, Texas built its own 35,000 square-foot facility six years ago
Twenty-four bays and all of the newest Chief equipment allows Vic’s Auto Rebuilders to fix 250-300 cars every month without fail
Chief Automotive Technologies Phone: (800) 445-9262 email: salesorders@chiefautomotive.com website: www.chiefautomotive.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 5
Innovative Body Shop Owner Gets American Freedom GT Frame Machine
by Autobody News Staff
Some body shops stay with the tried and true, while others proactively look for the newest and most efficient techniques, products and equipment in the market today. Derek Tipton, 45, is the owner of two body shops (City Collision of Gainesville, FL and City Collision of Ocala, FL) as well as a customization company (Detroit City Customs). He is constantly looking to refine his processes while researching the best systems and equipment available. One recent acquisition that fit his improvement-oriented eye took place when he purchased an American Freedom GT frame machine, manufactured by CJJ, Inc., through his distributor, Collision Machinery Services of Titusville, Florida. Tipton, was introduced to the collision industry many years ago by his grandfather, who was in the vehicle restoration business. “I started as a teenager. After taking vocational classes for three years, I bounced in and out of this industry for most of my twenties and thirties, working as a shop manager, painting cars, managing a dealership and working as an independent insurance adjuster. My goal was always to have my own body shop at some point and eventually I realized that I was missing the daily action of a body shop. I didn’t want to go to work for anyone else anymore, so I sat down with my wife and we did some soul searching.” Tipton decided to ease in and bought an existing shop in December 2004, with modest beginnings and big aspirations. He soon got a lot more goal oriented. “My plan was to open five shops in 10 years, which might have been a little too ambitious. The former shop had two DRPs and we dumped one, but within six months we had seven DRPs and had grown to 11 employees in a matter of one year. Revenues went from $100,000 per month to more than $300,000 monthly, and 16 months later, we opened our second shop in Ocala, Florida.” Shortly thereafter, Tipton opened Detroit City Customs in Ocala, where he rebuilds and restores cars, trucks and motorcycles, in many cases from the ground up. His passion is building hot rods. His company’s motto is “Mild to Wild,” but fixing cars at his two collision repair locations pays the bills and allows him to pursue the restoration work. 6 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
City Collision of Gainesville Location: Gainesville, FL
Telephone: 352-732-2990 Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 30
In Business Since: 2004 DRP Programs: Eight
Number of Locations: Two (plus one custom shop) Combined Production Space: 37,000 square feet (2 shops combined)
Derek Tipton, owner of two body shops and a customs shop, appreciates the performance of his American Freedom GT frame machine, manufactured by CJJ, Inc.
“Our goal at the body shops is to fix 40 vehicles every week and our mantra is eight cars every day. What that means is that my writers and my managers have a goal in front of them every day to bring in eight cars. Our techs have a goal to produce eight cars every day as well. By working toward a specific objective, they know exactly what I want and can work as a team to achieve it.” Buying his American Freedom GT frame machine earlier this year was a wise move. “It’s an awesome piece of equipment. I always think back to the guy who says I’ve been doing things the same way for the past 20 years. It doesn’t mean that you’re doing it right just because you’ve been doing it for 20 years. Sometimes I see techs doing things that are completely wrong, because they learned it that way. I’m embracing the new technology designed into this machine because it can increase our productivity and allows us to work on heavier and wider vehicles. It’s got the 360 degree roll around feature and the posts can roll all around the frame machine. You don’t have a bunch of hoses to drag along and all you have to do is park it where you want it and lock it down—just plug it in and go to town. With our old frame pulling equipment, there were always hoses dragging all over the ground and they eventually started getting holes in them, which caused hydraulic leaks all
over the shop floor. With the American Freedom GT, we don’t have those issues anymore. I’m all about efficiency and focusing on how to make my techs’ jobs easier. I’m not afraid to invest in products and equipment that will make my shops run better. We’ve spent approximately $140,000 on parts carts, parts stands, and a mobile estimating station, for example, to provide solutions and cut our cycle times by half within the last two years. Some of the things I’ve incorporated seem like small steps, but they pay off in the long-term.” Tipton appreciates the three towers featured on the American Freedom GT, an option he selected because it fits his operation. “They make one with four towers, but if I can’t pull a vehicle with three, then maybe I shouldn’t be fixing it. If a tech knows what he’s doing, he should be able to pull any frame with three towers, so that’s why we went with the three tower version.” Andy Davis at Collision Machinery Services, Titusville, Florida, sold Tipton the equipment in early February and Davis helped to train his techs on the American Freedom GT. “It was fairly self-explanatory and my techs have worked with frame machines for many years, but Andy did train my guys on the ins and outs of the system. They were comfortable with it quickly and the transition to this new piece of equipment was seamless.”
City Collision of Gainesville is an 18,000 square foot facility that fixes approximately 100 vehicles monthly
City Collision of Ocala is slightly larger than the Gainesville shop, maintaining eight DRPS and employing 15 people
CJJ Inc. Company Contact: Darren Bremseth Phone: (800) 445-8244 x 105 email: darren@autobodyshop.com website: www.autobodyshop.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 7
DuPont Cromax Pro is a Win-Win for Winner Collision Center
by Autobody News Staff
With two busy locations, the Winner Automotive Group pursues the best of the best when it comes to the products it uses, the technology it employs and, of course, the employees they hire. It’s a winning formula and undoubtedly the main reason why these successful shops are thriving in a competitive climate in Delaware. At Winner Premier Collision Center in Wilmington and Dover Auto Center in Dover, both shops repair a wide range of high-end cars, but can handle anything coming through the doors. The Winner Automotive Group owns and operates a Porsche/Audi dealership and also does a considerable amount of Land Rover work, according to Body Shop Manager, Zach Dillard. When it comes to painting vehicles, Winner has adopted DuPont paint lines since its inception in 2000. There are two paint booths, five prep decks and five painters on staff at Winner Premier Collision Center and three paint booths, three prep decks and four painters at and Dover Auto Center. The company changed over to DuPont Cromax Pro waterborne, well before low VOC was mandated by the state of Delaware as of the first of the year. To make certain that they would enter the world of waterborne comfortable with the new product and techniques, Winner converted in June 2011 at its Wilmington location and six months later at their Dover location, so both shops could be ready and compliant well before the deadline. The process of teaching its painters how to use the DuPont Cromax Pro was seamless for the Winner Automotive Group. “All of our paint technicians went through two days of training at DuPont’s training center in Exton, Pennsylvania; and then DuPont came to our location with their own training staff for two weeks during the conversion,” General Manager Ed Heinemann explained. “The combination of the school and the hands-on training here onsite was ideal and really allowed our staff to become proficient with the DuPont Cromax Pro rapidly. From an equipment standpoint, we had to retrofit our booths and prep decks, and we audited our compressors so they were good to go. We installed individual air makeup systems at each booth, which was a significant investment, but well worth it.” 8 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Winner Premier Collision Center Location: 520 S. Walnut St. Wilmington, DE 19801
www.winnerauto.com
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair & Customization
Facility Employees: 35
In Business Since: 2000 DRP Programs: 10 - 15
Number of Locations: Two
Combined Production Space: 29,000 square feet
The Winner Premier Collision Center changed over to DuPont Cromax Pro waterborne paint to be green, provide a healthier working climate for its employees and produce a great finished product
Heinemann shared his perception of the main difference between solvent and waterborne paint: “The actual spraying technique with the waterborne is completely different from the solvent. There was a fairly large learning curve for our technicians, because DuPont predominantly works with one to 1.5 coats of paint, so there is a definite way of spraying it in order to get the proper coverage. None of our painters were hesitant to switch. They were actually excited about learning something new.” Dillard says the shops save time using the DuPont Cromax Pro. “The actual application is faster overall and even though it gets really humid around here in Delaware, we haven’t run into any drying issues at all. One thing we had to watch is usage. Waterborne product costs significantly more, because it is much more condensed. Before, if we had a half inch of remaining paint in our cups at the end of the job, we used to just throw it out. So we had to educate our staff about how to be efficient with the Cromax Pro and measure it more precisely, to minimize overage at the end of the job.” Heinemann is able to track how much DuPont Cromax Pro is being used on every vehicle, which is invaluable information and crucial for his production. “We’ve created a very detailed comparison spreadsheet between our two shops, with the assistance of DuPont and our jobber. We’re able to compare them in every aspect of materials used, and we’re
dialing it down to where we know exactly how many ounces of paint we use every hour.” Dillard says the color matching capabilities with the DuPont Cromax Pro are exceptional. “DuPont really did its homework on the color matching process. They spent a lot of time in Europe perfecting this system. They’ve provided us with at least 4,000 color chips and we also have the cameras that read the hue and color off the cars, so we can mix the colors that way. The first thing we do is look up the formula, do a camera mix and then we do a chip color verification to make sure we only mix it one time, to save money.” The Winner Automotive Group has profited in every respect by working with DuPont. “DuPont is an excellent company and their support and training has definitely set the bar,” Heinemann said. “They’ve provided us with a lot of paint training, but we’ve also tapped into their management training, personal skills training and we’re involved in their business council, which has been crucial, because it allows us to measure ourselves against other successful body shops throughout the country.” Heinemann has been in the collision business for many years, but he is still amazed by the finished product with the DuPont Cromax Pro. “I tell people it looks like the finish on a piano, the luster and the sheen just really step out with the DuPont Cromax Pro.”
The Winner Premier Collision Center advertises the fact that they use DuPont Cromax Pro waterborne paint
Winner’s General Manager Ed Heinemann (left) and Body Shop Manager Zach Dillard were instrumental in converting both of its locations to DuPont Cromax Pro
DuPont Refinish Phone: (800) GET-DUPONT (prompt 7) email: dupontrefinishusa@dupont.com website:
www.upgrade2cromaxpro.dupontrefinish.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 9
PCL Automotive Products Help Rich Evans Excel on Every Project he Touches
by Autobody News Staff
Almost every successful car builder/painter over the years has been able to find what they call their “go to” products—whether it’s paint, primers, sealers or even a certain tape product that they utilize in almost all their work. Rich Evans, reality television star, Autobody News columnist, and owner of Huntington Beach Bodyworks, uses products made by Pacific Coast Lacquer (PCL Automotive) in every project he does. After 3,000 jobs performed over his 25-year career as a premier car builder and collision repair expert, Evans knows what he wants and what he needs to produce quality work time after time. That’s why he exclusively uses PCL’s refinishing products, primarily the company’s primers and clears, as well as their flat black topcoats, that have become increasingly popular with customizers and body shops alike. Evans has nothing but great things to say about PCL and identifies the manufacturer’s role in consistently saving time and money on every job that comes through the doors at Huntington Beach Bodyworks. “I use their products on a wide range of projects and they perform perfectly every single time. I started using PCL’s products in 2000, when
I built my Hummer Limousine (see photo) out a 2002 Chevy pickup with the 333-inch wheel base on it. That was the first time I was introduced to PCL, because I had miles of panel blocking to do on that vehicle.” Evans appreciates PCL’s primers because of their versatility and quality. “We use a ton of their #901 (gray primer) and the black primer, #903. What’s great about their #901 primer is that it’s a high build primer. I shoot it out of a 1.9 gun. I can pull the trigger and just blast on a panel and it will fill 36 and 80 grit scratches faster than most other types of primers. It’s actually a polyester product, so it’s just like spreading polyester putty on but with a gun, which allows me to 10 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Huntington Beach Bodyworks Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Telephone: 714-842-9907 www.richevansdesigns.com Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair & Customization
Facility Employees: One
In Business Since: 1992 DRP Programs: Zero
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 13,000 square feet Evans designed and built this stunning 1964 Lincoln Continental using PCL primers and clears on the TV show Autoholics on the Speed Channel
skip steps and spray it as opposed to spreading it.” Uniformity and consistency is vital to the way Evans does his body work. “My approach has never changed over the years and I won’t ever deviate because it works for me,” he said. “Basically, I shape with 36 grit sand paper and then get the 36-grit scratches removed with the 80 grit; then I move onto the 150 grit and then chase the 150 scratches with the 400 grit, either dry or wet. Then I’m ready to apply the PCL sealer which gives me a great foundation to lay down my paint. When I can do it all in one single step, I’m saving time and—as I always say— time is money! “At the end of the day, I’m not going to get any shrinkage or imperfections, and that’s key,” Evans emphasized. “Many of the primers out there right now on the market will cause shrinkage, which means you have to take mil build off of your clear to try and chase the shrinkage out. The shrinkage is like a dry river bed that shows all the imperfections. But PCL’s primers provide a solid platform so it does not move after it dries. It gives me a lot of options depending on the situation. In the end, PCL’s primers can allow me to skip a few steps if I want to. By switching a step and filling those scratches in, I can complete the job faster. On average, it can save me 50% in time when I go that way, so it’s a big deal, especially when I’m super busy. Sometimes, it can even save me up to 75% of the time I’d spend otherwise.
“When I do a hot rod and I’m in a hurry, I will take each panel and instead of just applying Bondo™ I can get everything in the ballpark with a heavy mil build. That way, I can then work with the product without putting Bondo™ on, or it allows me to work with the product and get my panels true. Because I can apply as much as a gallon on one panel and by the time I come back and hit it with 80, 150 and 400 grit, I’ve already removed 60% of the product while getting the build I need. That means I don’t have to put more Bondo™ on it. Anyone who does this type of work knows that it takes time to mix Bondo™ up and spread it.” Evans also appreciates the PCL’s customer support as well. “Our PCL field rep is Paul Casanova and he’s great. They’ve been sponsoring me for the past six years and I used their products on the reality show Car Warriors (see Corvette photo) where we were able to complete cars within 72 hours with a high quality, long-lasting paint job. Without PCL’s products, we never could have been able to do what we did on that show. And we probably wouldn’t have been able to be so creative and the quality would have suffered if we didn’t have the PCL primers and sealers when we did our Lincoln Continental (see photo) in just eight days on Autoholics. It’s a big part of my process and it helps me to do things in a speedy time. I tell people that I am a “mutt painter” because I never commit to one paint manufacturer or paint line, but I have stuck with PCL from day one!”
The first time he ever used PCL’s products, Rich Evans built a Hummer Limousine out of a 2002 Chevy pickup with a 333-inch wheel base.
Evans and his crew used PCL products while building this amazing 1976 Corvette on the TV car building competition Car Warriors
PCL Automotive Phone: (800) 752-1566 x 260 email: rlaguna@ellispaint.com website: www.pclautomotive.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 11
New Jersey 4-shop Chain Changes to PPG Envirobase® High Performance Waterborne
by Autobody News Staff
In the last 40 years, Paul Branning has worked with several paint companies while painting literally thousands of vehicles. So, he knows of what he speaks when he talks about automotive paint and how to paint cars. As the owner of Branning Collision Centers, with four locations, and a handful of other ancillary businesses, such as a rental car company, a towing service and a salvage yard, Branning, 57, doesn’t have time to re-paint cars or search for that perfect color match. To fix 550 cars monthly and with plans to expand in the near future, painting cars has to be painless and indeed, seamless, for Branning’s operation to be successful, he explained. With his daughter Kim running the administrative side of the company and his son working at his salvage yard, Branning is free to keep his eye on the bottom line and run all other aspects of this second-generation business. Part of the master plan involved embracing waterborne paint well before local laws mandated it and switching to PPG Envirobase ® High Performance waterborne earlier this year, after working with a different paint company for the previous 18 years. “It was a big decision and we’ve only been working with PPG for just a little more than three months, but we’re already using their paint in all four of our locations,” Branning said. “We started using another company’s waterborne product back in 2009, so we knew what it could do and already liked it. “PPG has a great product and our former paint company also had an outstanding product,” he said. “But we just felt as a company that in order to be where we needed to be, this change was the right decision. With multiple locations and plans to expand, PPG fits our business model better.” It was an easy changeover to PPG, because Branning had the right equipment already in place, he said. “It was fast and easy. We also purchased PPG’s color mixing system, but other than that it was just substituting the former paint with the new. There weren’t any drastic changes to our production and workflow. Right now, we’re in the process of using the PPG Envirobase® High Performance waterborne with several of their clears, sealers and primers to find out what will work 12 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Branning Collision Centers Location: Freehold, NJ
Telephone: 732-462-2909 www.branningcollisioncenters.com Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 70
In Business Since: 1977
DRP Programs: Aprox. 15
Number of Locations: Four
Combined Production Space: 70,000 square feet
Paul Branning, the owner of Branning Automotive Group, recently switched to PPG’s Envirobase® High Performance waterborne paint and has encountered nothing but great results
best within our different environments.” With four shops, Branning is cognizant of the fact that some of his locations have unique needs when it comes to paint. “Based on the size and volume of each store, everyone needs its own system,” he said. “For instance, at our Princeton location, we get a larger amount of higher-end vehicles and a different type of customer as a result. It’s all based on the economic situation in each area. When people are spending $100,000 on their car, they expect things that a person who owns a Honda isn’t as concerned about it. We do an exemplary job on every car that comes through our doors, but we also know that certain clients are going to be more discerning than others.” “PPG worked with us to get our painters trained in our fast switchover, which was invaluable. The biggest thing to learn is how to anticipate what the paint will do and how to respond to it. Each manufacturer’s products have their own characteristics and nuances. Our painters needed to learn about how the PPG paint performs in certain situations. But, once they figure that out, they can produce great paint jobs every time.” PPG also came on-site to help the staff get more accustomed to their waterborne product and have continually made themselves available, Branning explained. “The PPG people are here in our stores if we need them, following up and asking questions as they arise. They pro-
vide us with good answers and solid solutions, because they know their product better than anyone else.” Branning prefers waterborne paint over his old solvent days for several reasons, he said. “Once you start spraying the waterborne, it’s so much more user friendly as opposed to the solvent. It’s like night and day. The color matches are better. Everything is better—application, coverage, health reasons, better finished product. There’s no comparison between solvent and waterborne and I would never even think of ever going back.” As a former painter who has painted literally thousands of vehicles, Branning appreciates the fact that the PPG Envirobase® High Performance waterborne paint provides a safer environment for his employees. “I did experience problems breathing when I used solvent for many years,” he said. “Back in the day, we used products that were not great for our health, let alone the environment. But now we know so much more and that’s why we’re using waterborne.” Do people in New Jersey care about the fact that Branning uses PPG Envirobase® High Performance and waterborne paint in general? “I think the average person is more concerned about the economy right now, but in the end we switched for ourselves. Some people will stick with what they’re doing, even if they can see that there’s a better, safer and smarter way of doing things.
Painter Bob Butler applies PPG Envirobase® High Performance waterborne paint to a vehicle at Branning Automotive Group’s location in Freehold, New Jersey
Branning Automotive Group paints more than 500 cars monthly out of its four New Jersey locations, so they require dead-on color matches and a quality product each and every time
PPG Automotive Refinish Company Contact: Cindy Piazza Phone: (440) 572-2800 email: piazza@ppg.com website: www.ppgrefinish.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 13
Top Chicago Painter Prefers Preval’s vFan Airbrush for Mobility & Versatility
by Autobody News Staff
Shawn Orr, 37, is a Chicago-based freelance airbrush painter who has painted murals on cars, helmets, dealership windows, trucks, semis, motorcycles and has even done some painting on human bodies as well. Orr uses the vFan Portable Airbrush System for precision paint and material dispensing, particularly touch-ups and surface repairs, as well as surface preparation and curing. Orr relies 100% on his Preval vFan Airbrush to do touchups for body shops—work they would rather sub out than do themselves. “Body shops line up cars for me and I come in there and paint primarily bumpers with the Prevals vFan Airbrush,” Orr said. “This way the shop does not have to pay their painters a full day of wages to do a few bumpers. I can come in there and get it done a lot faster, because I’m mobile and they don’t have to worry about buying any new equipment or pulling their people off other projects to do the job. Plus, I can do it in half the time!” Sold globally, the Preval vFan Airbrush is made in the USA, and is used heavily in the automotive, aerospace, packaging, semiconductor, solar energy and textile industries. It’s the only airbrush on the market that converts to an airgun and achieves both 3-inch fan and 1/16-inch hairline patterns. Fully portable, the vFan Airbrush can be used in all environments when powered by 150 feet of energy, Preval’s innovative, ecofriendly aerosol compressor unit. Each canister of 150 feet of energy contains seven ounces of VOC-exempt propellant that powers more than 150 feet of linear paint coverage and up to 40 square feet of paint coverage. The vFan Airbrush is also compatible with most workshop compressors. Orr appreciates the fact that his Preval vFan Airbrush offers his body shop customers a great alternative and a smart way for them to improve their cycle times, he said. “If a shop wants to do this type of work inhouse, they have to tape it off and then in the end they’re painting the entire bumper of the car anyway to avoid overspray. With the Preval system, I only have to paint the immediate area on the bumper and feather it off at the edges and then put the clear on top of that. So, it saves time, money and materials for them. They take what I charge and mark it up appropriately, so it’s obvi14 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Shawn Orr Freelance Airbrush Painter Location: Chicago, IL
Telephone: 773-456-4423
By contracting body shops throughout the Chicago area, freelance airbrush painter Shawn Orr can get the work done fast and efficiently with his Preval vFan Airbrush
ously another source of revenue for them.” Orr also likes the versatility of the vFan Portable Airbrush System, he explained. “I spray the base, the color and the clear all with the vFan. Of course, in between each phase, I have to clean the airbrush, but it’s an easy task and it doesn’t take very long. The o-rings inside the unit are coated, so you can spray urethane, water-based paints and solvents. The air coming out of the cans is a dry air, so you don’t have to worry about moisture coming through the hose and ruining whatever you’re working on.” During his 20 years as a mural painter, Orr hasn’t found anything like the Preval vFan Airbrush, he said. “The biggest difference is that it changes from a standard airbrush to a fan pattern air cap. It goes from about a one-inch fan pattern to about three inches. With the standard air cap you can use it to get those really fine scratches for hairline touchups, starting from 1/16th of an inch to a full inch. Then, with the fan pattern, you can do a full three-inch area. The mini jet can’t do that and a standard airbrush can’t go up in size like that, so that’s what distinguishes the vFan Airbrush.” Orr has a wide range of clients and the VFan Airbrush is a nice fit in every scenario without fail, he said. “Lots of people call for us for touch up work and in many cases we will go to their home to do the work. It’s a combination of do-it-yourselfers, customizers, interior vinyl/leather repairers, and of course, the body shops and car dealerships.” Orr is currently doing a mural on a truck and it might be one of his best
projects ever, he explained. “We’re currently working on a truck for Oscar’s Auto Body & Mechanical in Chicago, Illinois. The paint job has black on the bottom with silver on top and fading into it, with an Aztec tribal sign in silver. We’re obviously going to do this design with the vFan Airbrush and we’re excited to see how it comes out.” For retailing less than $200, Orr recognizes that the Preval vFan Airbrush is a superior value. “It’s definitely a great deal, because these airbrushes will last and they can work with most air compressors. Each can has about 150 linear feet and that is more than enough for me to do touch up. And you have two cans with the system, so there’s enough to do an entire bumper with that supply, placing each can into the EDU (Energy Disbursement Unit).” This allows for five times longer lasting spray. By avoiding the use of a loud air compressor, Orr is able to concentrate more on his mural designs while creating, he said. “All you can hear out of the Preval vFan system while you’re using it is the sound of the air coming out of the tip of the airbrush. You won’t hear anything coming out of the portable air cans, which is nice. When you use one of those Chinese-made air compressors, it pretty much rattles the whole house. When I come into a body shop to work, they don’t even know I’m there, because it’s so quiet.” To see a demonstration of the Preval vFan Portable Airbrush, go to YouTube and search for: “Preval vFan Airbrush in the Field: Auto body.”
Orr covets the mobility, versatility and convenience of working with the Preval vFan mobile airbrush system
Retailing at less than $200, the Preval vFan Airbrush is an outstanding value for body shops, mechanical shops who do occasional touch ups and automobile customizers
Preval Spray Team Phone: (877) 753-0021 email: sales@preval.com website: www.preval.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 15
Forward-Thinking Body Shop Owner Changes to Pro-Spray Waterborne
by Autobody News Staff
While many body shops nationwide are reluctant to change and adapt to innovations in the collision repair industry, Mark Waggoner, owner of M & M Body Shop in Brownsburg, Indiana, chose to embrace rather than reject change. Waggoner, 52, runs his busy shop with his son Jake Waggoner, 25, and his son-in-law Drew Conner, 27, fixing more than 200 cars monthly while maintaining six DRPs. One of the most significant changes that M &M has undergone happened roughly two years ago when the shop switched to ProSpray H2O waterborne basecoat paint, primarily to produce a superior finished product, according to Waggoner. Waggoner is a veteran body shop owner with nearly three decades of experience at the helm, but it all began when his father let him paint a few church buses many years ago. “My dad did all the vehicle maintenance at a church, which included working on their large fleet of buses. So I started hanging around and eventually he let me start tinkering around on these buses. They used to take them to a shop to get them painted and I would watch. My father was a mechanic by trade and he wanted me to get into a career where I used my hands. So, I started painting the buses at age 13. I figured out how to do it pretty much by watching. My father would let me paint a fender here and there, and pretty soon I told him—you don’t have to take the buses to that guy anymore—let me do it. So, I started painting them and then pretty soon my neighbors were letting me paint their cars. I wasn’t old enough to drive yet, but I was already painting vehicles and doing body work.” Eventually Waggoner left his father’s side and landed a job at a full-fledged body shop. “I was working at a little place that fixed funeral hearses and ambulances. And at the same time, I set up a little shop in my garage and started painting cars for people. Pretty soon, I got a ton of referrals and I realized I better get a location and do this fulltime. I found a great location right on the main drag here in Brownsburg and opened the doors. That was 29 years ago and we’re still here! At the beginning, we had no DRPs and a couple of grand in the bank. But we worked all the time and I lived above the shop. Our first full year, we did $30,000 in busi16 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
M & M Body Shop Location: Brownsburg, IN
Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Nine In Business Since: 1983 DRP Programs: Six
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 12,000 square feet
M & M Body Shop’s Owner Mark Waggoner (middle) runs his company with his son-in-law Drew Conner (left) and his son Jake (right)
ness and now we’re doing $2.2 million annually.” Making the move to Pro-Spray H2O waterborne basecoat has been a wise decision, Waggoner told us. “We switched two years ago and it’s been a great move. One of my hobbies is racing remote control (R.C.) cars and my involvement in the sport randomly introduced me to ProSpray. I was racing against this kid who’s ranked nationally. It turned out that Troy Weatherholt, his father, works for a jobber that represents Pro-Spray (ABSCO in Lafayette, Indiana). I’d see him around at the races and he kept telling me ProSpray is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’ve always tried not to be the last guy on the block when it comes to making changes in this industry. When computers became a big part of this business, we got involved early in the game, trying to stay with the curve. Some body shops didn’t move quickly enough and now they’re gone. When I opened in 1983, there were 13 body shops in this area and now there are two, so any advantage over the competition is a major deal.” After Weatherholt kept bending his ear about Pro-Spray, Waggoner saw the light, or rather the water. “Troy kept telling me how amazing the Pro-Spray is, so I tried it and we liked it. I decided I wanted to use waterborne, because these cars that we’re fixing are all painted with
water. If the manufacturers are using it, why shouldn’t we? We’re all going to be switching pretty soon anyway. I have seen a lot of paint products over the years, and I’ve seen the industry change with technology and better products, and right now I feel like this is the best I’ve used, as far as what the cars look like when they’re done. I don’t think I’ve seen anything better, that’s for sure.” Indiana is concerned about body shops’ VOC levels and they’re very serious about it, but there are no plans to mandate waterborne, according to Waggoner. “The waterborne obviously makes it a lot easier to get to where we need to be, because there are considerably fewer VOCs with the Pro-Spray waterborne product”. M & M’s changeover to the ProSpray waterborne was easy and seamless, Waggoner said. “All we had to do is add blowers to our existing paint booths and we were pretty much ready to go. Sure, there was a learning curve with the ProSpray, but I told my guys, I don’t care if it’s difficult for them to learn it—we’re doing it. But now, they’re more than happy with it. Change is always tough, but it usually ends up better. If we never changed, I’d still be fixing cars in my little garage. So, you have to always be looking for the newest products and techniques, otherwise you end up being left behind.”
M & M Body Shop in Brownsburg, Indiana has grown steadily since it opened its doors nearly three decades ago
M & M started using Pro-Spray H20 waterborne basecoat in 2010, for a superior finished product and to help the environment
Pro-Spray Automotive Finishes Phone: (800) 776-0933 email: info@prosprayfinishes.com website: www.ProSprayFinishes.com www.ProSprayH2O.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 17
DanAm Air and SATA’s Filters was a Wise Investment for a Young Body Shop Owner
by Autobody News Staff
Chris Kalbfleisch, 33, owns Quality Collision & Towing in Columbia, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis. When he decided to move into a new facility, one of his first big decisions was to invest in a new aluminum piping system by Dan-Am and filters by SATA. It was a wise move, because Kalbfleisch is now reaping the benefits every day, by avoiding leaks and maintenance costs while saving money. DanAm Air (DAA), a Dan-Am Company is the exclusive independent importer/distributor for SATA Spray Equipment in the USA & Puerto Rico. SATA Spray Equipment is well known throughout the world as a premier provider of high quality paint spray guns coveted by the collision industry. In addition, the company manufactures a wide range of compressed air filters, respirators for worker health protection, handheld dryers, spray gun accessories and aluminum piping systems for compressed air. Kalbfleisch counts on several departments for his revenue at Quality Collision & Towing, including a mechanical shop, a body shop, a towing company and a custom restoration division. In addition, he purchases, refurbishes and resells used vehicles at auction, mostly hot rods. So, Kalbfleisch doesn’t have time to worry about losing money on lost air or spray guns that don’t work properly. That’s where SATA played a role in getting him set up with the DanAm Air’s aluminum piping system. Kalbfleisch may be young to have his own shop, but he realizes that doing his homework is a big part of any company’s success. “When I was doing some research, I found out that we can save a ton of money with DanAm Air’s piping system,” he explained. “In our old shop we had the old black piping and we were always encountering moisture problems and condensation issues, so we staring looking around for a better alternative.” By doing an in-depth price and performance comparison, DanAm Air stood out from the competition, Kalbfleisch said. “With the waterborne laws and the changes coming, we looked at all the piping systems out there. We determined it wasn’t cheap, but in the end they were all pretty much the same, price wise. Some of the products cost less but required more labor to install. The DanAm Air piping was a little more expensive, but the qual18 JUNE 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase
Quality Collision & Towing Location: Columbia, IL
Telephone: 618-281-6486 Company At A Glance... Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 15
In Business Since: 2004
DRP Programs: Approximately 10 Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 15,000 square feet
Owner Chris Kalbfleisch invested in DanAm Air’s piping system and SATA’s filters for their longevity, performance and value when he opened his new shop, Quality Collision & Towing
ity was superior and the labor was well below anything else we could find. “As far as longevity, I believe the DAA piping will last longer than the other options we were looking at,” Kalbfleisch said. “We also like the fact that if there’s a break in a line or we have to add something to the system, we can do it ourselves rather than calling a plumber in. It just makes a lot of sense for us. When they brought it in here and actually demonstrated it for us, we could see that common sense will tell you this is the best way to go, as far as dealing with and avoiding water or condensation problems in our air lines.” With all of the hats he’s wearing at Quality Collision & Towing, potential air leaks represent just another problem in a busy shop, he said. “Leaks and water in the lines can cause the whole shop problems. You can get fish-eyes or contaminants in your paint and they can set you back in a big way. And, of course, dry air is a requirement for using waterborne paint especially.” Dan-Am was involved in every step of the setup. “They came down here and helped us in the installation. Five guys were able to install it over three days, which saved us a ton of money. We had it installed before we moved into the building. No other shop in the St. Louis area is using this system, so both DanAm Air and my paint jobber (Cooper Color) were anxious to see it installed and operating. PPG is our paint company and they’ve been
very supportive, they especially like the DAA piping in a waterborne environment. SATA’s support has been outstanding since day one. “The SATA rep was here the day after we moved in, to make sure everything was working well and then he came back about a month later and followed up. We also bought a large SATA air filtration system for our paint booth from them as well, so he wanted to make sure it worked properly. I know that if we need them, they will be here, which is the most important thing.” Kalbfleisch said he might work in the collision industry for at least another three or four decades, so he wants his equipment to be there for the long haul. “We’re anticipating that we will never have to replace the DanAm Air piping ever, to be honest. We have three kids and we’re hoping that they’ll want to get in this business, so we want this equipment to last a long time.” In addition to DanAm Air’s piping, Kalbfleisch has been a long-time user of the company’s spray guns. “I’ve always used SATA guns and that’s all I’ve ever used. I bought my first SATA gun back when I was 17 and I still use it. We have three painters and two of them have always been SATA guys and we’re in the process of convincing the third one. When you’re working with a spray gun, you want to be able to control it and move quickly through your work. It’s a matter of what you’re used to and I am familiar with my SATA.”
DanAm Air’s aluminum piping system saves money with it’s leak free guarantee, no more compressors running continuously
Quality Collision & Towing doesn’t anticipate having to replace the DanAm Air piping for decades. Also pictured above is SATA’s 484 filter, paint manufacture recommended for waterborne & solvent painting
Dan-Am Co. – Exclusive independent distributor of SATA Spray Equipment in the US and Puerto Rico. website: www.satausa.com
DanAm Air – a Dan-Am Co. website: www.danamair.com
Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2012 19
What is the Autobody News Shop & Product Showcase? • It’s a way for shop owners to share information, peer-to-peer, about the products and services that have helped them improve their businesses. • The products described here are often associated with substantial service benefits provided by the companies that created them. • These testimonials can be easily retained for future reference. Autobody News produces the Shop & Product Showcase special insert biannually. Look for the next one in October 2012. Orr relies 100% on his Preval vFan Airbrush to do touchups for body shops—work they would rather sub out than do themselves. “Body shops line up cars for me and I come in there and paint primarily bumpers with the Prevals vFan Airbrush,” Orr said. “This way the shop does not have to pay their painters a full day of wages to do a few bumpers. I can come in there and get it done a lot faster, because I’m mobile and they don’t have to worry about buying any new equipment or pulling their people off other projects to do the job. Plus, I can do it in half the time!”
By doing an in-depth price and performance comparison, DanAm Air stood out from the competition, Kalbfleisch said. “With the waterborne laws and the changes coming, we looked at all the piping systems out there. We determined it wasn’t cheap, but in the end, they were all pretty much the same, price wise. Some of the products cost less but required more labor to install. The DanAm Air piping was a little more expensive, but the quality was superior and the labor was well below anything else we could find.”
“Troy kept telling me how amazing the Pro-Spray is, so I tried it and we liked it. I decided I wanted to use waterborne, because these cars that we’re fixing are all painted with water. If the manufacturers are using it, why shouldn’t we? We’re all going to be switching pretty soon anyway. I have seen a lot of paint products over the years, and I’ve seen the industry change with technology and better products, and right now I feel like this is the best I’ve used, as far as what the cars look like when they’re done. I don’t think I’ve seen anything better, that’s for sure.”
It was an easy changeover to PPG, because Branning had the right equipment already in place, he said. “It was fast and easy. We also purchased PPG’s color mixing system, but other than that, it was just substituting the former paint with the new. There weren’t any drastic changes to our production and workflow. Right now, we’re in the process of using the PPG Envirobase® High Performance waterborne with several of their clears, sealers and primers to find out what will work best within our different environments.”
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The Winner Automotive Group has profited in every respect by working with DuPont. “DuPont is an excellent company and their support and training has definitely set the bar,” Heinemann said. “They’ve provided us with a lot of paint training, but we’ve also tapped into their management training, personal skills training and we’re involved in their business council, which has been crucial, because it allows us to measure ourselves against other successful body shops throughout the country.”
PCL’s primers provide a solid platform, so it does not move after it dries. It gives me a lot of options depending on the situation. In the end, PCL’s primers can allow me to skip a few steps if I want to. By switching a step and filling those scratches in, I can complete the job faster. On average, it can save me 50% in time when I go that way, so it’s a big deal, especially when I’m super busy. Sometimes, it can even save me up to 75% of the time I’d spend otherwise.
I’m embracing the new technology designed into this machine because it can increase our productivity and allows us to work on heavier and wider vehicles. It’s got the 360 degree roll around feature and the posts can roll all around the frame machine. You don’t have a bunch of hoses to drag along and all you have to do is park it where you want it and lock it down—just plug it in and go to town.
Sayre recently polled his four painters to find out their perceptions about the BASF Onyx HD and the techniques associated with it. “Number one, they said it’s very user-friendly,” says Sayre. “They also said you get better coverage than with the solvent. With most vehicles, waterborne means two coats and then you’re done. Plus, the color matches are superior and they can control the metallics better.” “My father Victor Sr., saw that it was a quality company and that’s why we started buying machines from Chief. We got our old E-Z Liner from them and it lasted us for many years without any problems... Robert Carrillo relies on his Chief equipment to perform each and every time, and that’s why he values the customer support he receives from his Chief distributor, English Collision in San Antonio. “Eric Kurecka is our rep and he is very responsive. If we have an issue with any of our Chief machines, we can take a picture and e-mail it to Eric.”
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