June 2013 Shop & Product Showcase

SHOP AND PRODUCT SHOWCASE

www.autobodynews.com

JUNE 2013 INSERT / TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND TESTIMONIALS PP. 2-3

WONDRIES FAMILY COLLISION CENTER Alhambra, CA AUTOMOTIVE ID

PP. 6-7

AUTO COLLISION SPECIALISTS Miami, FL

CSS USA

PP. 10-11

BODY BEST COLLISION CENTER Sonoma, CA MANAGEMENT SUCCESS!

PP. 14-15

PP. 4-5

RYDELL COLLISION CENTER

O’RIELLY COLLISION CENTER

Waterloo, IA PRO-SPRAY

Tucson, AZ CHIEF AUTOMOTIVE

PP. 12-13

MIKE ROSE’S AUTO BODY Concord, CA

PPG

PP. 18-19

FRED HASS TOYOTA COLLISION CENTER Spring, TX STANDOX

PP. 22-23

TOTAL CARE ACCIDENT REPAIR Raynham, MA WALCOM

PP. 20-21

CENTERLINE CARSTAR COLLISION CENTER Strongsville, OH URETHANE SUPPLY CO.

PP. 8-9

UNIVERSITY COLLISION CENTER Tallahassee, FL INTERTAPE POLYMER

PP. 16-17

DINGMAN’S COLLISION CENTER Omaha, NE

SATA

Shop Owners Talk about Exceptional Products and Services that have Greatly Benefitted their Businesses

Wondries Family Trusts AutomotiveID

by Autobody News Staff

By replacing automotive certification, VIN and Tire and Load labels with new ones provided by AutomotiveID, Wondries Family Collision Center in Alhambra, CA, is returning damaged vehicles to their full pre-loss condition and satisfying their DRPs and customers while fulfilling government requirements. Automotive labels throughout a vehicle are important because they contain unique and vital information about the car, such as safety certification, paint and trim codes, emission controls, service parts, as well as tire and loading data.

AutomotiveID manufactures aftermarket automotive labels for all makes and models, by printing highquality labels that adhere to all federal laws. Before AutomotiveID existed, these custom labels on cars and vehicles were difficult to obtain from car manufacturers or other suppliers. By properly replacing these labels on vehicles where doors, trunks and other places require repair, AutomotiveID labels enable body shops to repair vehicles correctly and responsibly.

Craig Smithers, the parts manager at Wondries Family Collision Center, has been using AutomotiveID’s labels for the past three years.

He doesn’t always need new labels on every car that comes in, but he definitely requires them roughly 30% of the time, he explained.

“With the older vehicles, it’s nearly impossible to get all of the VIN labels from the manufacturers, so we started ordering them from AutomotiveID in 2009,” Smithers said. “Before, it was just another thing that we had to do before we could finish the job, but with AutomotiveID, it’s not an obstacle anymore.”

Wondries Family Collision Center’s General Manager Jay Kirschner also covets AutomotiveID’s labels, because they fulfill his obligations to his customers and his eight DRPs. “It’s a tremendous benefit to have a company like AutomotiveID filling a gap when we need automotive labels. Our commitment is to return each car we fix back to the way it was prior to the accident and our customers and insurance partners expect it. The average customer isn’t aware of the importance of these labels, but it definitely helps us with our DRPs, because they’re very thorough.”

Featuring an easy-to-use, webbased ordering process and quick delivery, AutomotiveID proudly declares that “collision repairers can rest assured that their replacement

Wondries Family Collision Center Location: Alhambra, CA

Telephone: 626-414-1900 www.wondriescollisioncenter.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 46

In Business Since: 1949 DRP Programs: Eight

Number of Locations: One Wilson Gonzalez, a body man at Wondries Family Collision Center in Alhambra, CA, affixes an AutomotiveID aftermarket automotive label on a vehicle

labels will be the easiest part to put back on the repaired vehicle.”

With 300 cars in his shop every month, Smithers needs the process to happen seamlessly. “I just take a digital photo of the label and upload it to AutomotiveID’s website. It takes about five minutes and then within 13 days, I get it in the mail. It’s easy and fast and their service is excellent. With our cycle times at around nine days, we don’t want anything to delay the repair and AutomotiveID helps us that way. By the time we’re ready to return the car to the customer, we’ve usually already had the label for almost a week.”

Dave Heumann, co-owner and marketing director at AutomotiveID, has seen his company grow, but it wasn’t a slam dunk initially when he and his partners saw a need seven years ago and began looking for viable solutions.

“In the past, body shops didn’t know how to deal with this problem,” Heumann said. “Techs would paint around it or copy it and tape it back in place or even cut it out with metal shears and stick it in the vehicle’s glove box. They knew they had to save it, but they really didn’t know how to do it properly.”

Within a very short time, body shops all over the country were ordering replacement automotive labels from their growing company.

“We did our research and we discovered that the car manufacturers cannot replace these unique and custom labels in a timely manner. And most manufacturers do not even offer replacement labels,” Heumann said.

“It’s important to replace these safety labels because they contain the car’s

DNA, essentially. We create custom, one-up labels quickly and affordably with easy ordering and prompt delivery.”

After studying the laws concerning automotive labels, Heumann and his partners discovered their niche and their future. “We found out that federal law in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires that all vehicles must have a valid certification label affixed to the driver’s side door or B-pillar post.”

The main question everyone was asking was is it legal to duplicate these automotive labels? “So we reached out to U.S. Senator Kit Bond (now retired) here in Missouri and he went to bat for us,” Heumann explained. “He helped us to expedite the process and within six weeks we received a letter from NHTSA confirming that it wasn’t illegal at the federal level.”

By using labels from AutomotiveID, body shops can add more revenue and save time, Heumann said. “All major insurance companies provide a markup on automotive labels, so for the first time, shops can be compensated for doing the job right. Prior to this, it was time shops couldn’t bill for, but now it can be part of the estimate.”

Bob Wondries, the founder of Bob Wondries Ford, started Wondries Family Collision Center in 1949 to provide quality body repair and painting for the Wondries Auto Group for many decades. In 2000, the company decided to expand its presence in the collision repair business by building a state-of-the-art collision center in Alhambra, CA.

Combined Production Space: 40,500 square feet

General Manager Jay Kirschner (left) and parts manager Craig Smithers at Wondries Family Collision Center have been using automotive labels produced by AutomotiveID since 2010

Wondries Family Collision Center repairs approximately 300 cars every month

Automotive ID, LLC Phone: (866) 929-1500 10805 Sunset Office Dr., Suite 300 St. Louis, MO 63127 www.automotiveid.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 3

THERE’S NO TIME FOR DO-OVERS OVERS IN THIS BUSINESS. Only the Elektron MI100control T welder produces welds that are OEM tested and validated.

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Chief is Chief is your your one-stop one-stop source source for for state-of-the-art state-of-the-ar t pulling, pulling, measuring m easuring and and welding welding equipment, equipment, plus plus hands-on hands-on training. training.

4 JUNE 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase

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O’Rielly Collision Center Relies on Chief Equipment

O’Rielly Collision Center

by Autobody News Staff

Backed by exceptional training and world-class customer support from Chief Automotive Technologies through his jobber and distributor, the manager of a large, successful collision center in Arizona leans on his Chief equipment every day to fix approximately 220 vehicles monthly.

His primary concerns consist of maintaining a high standard, balancing multiple DRPs and managing a staff of 26 people. And that means Brian Guerrero of O’Rielly Collision Center in Tucson, AZ, doesn’t have time to worry about his measuring systems or frame machines.

“I obviously have a lot on my plate around here,” Guerrero said.

“So, whenever I’m able to buy any piece of equipment that’s reliable— that’s huge. I need my Chief equipment to work every time and if it needs to be fixed, I need it done right away. Any investment in equipment is always significant, so we can’t afford mistakes or problems down the road, especially when we’re busy.

Our Chief machines are always in use, so we rely on them every single day.”

The O’Rielly organization is celebrating its 84th anniversary this year, having been established in downtown Tucson in 1929, when its parent organization, O’Rielly Chevrolet, was only five years old. The O’Rielly Collision Center moved out of downtown Tucson along with the dealership in 1955 and relocated again to its current prime location on Broadway Boulevard in1963. Guerrero, 36, has 12 years of industry experience and has been with O’Rielly for the past six years. His shop uses the Chief Velocity Frame Measuring System and Chief frame pulling systems. Every bay is equipped with a vehicle lift since O’Rielly Collision Center also offers a full gamut of mechanical repair services, Guerrero explained.

Guerrero knows that his Chief equipment is top-notch, but without the great support he receives from his jobber, he’d be lost. “The service we get from Kachina Automotive Equipment Company is hands-down the best we’ve ever experienced from a vendor,” Guerrero said.

“Leading Edge in Phoenix is our jobber and they have a local store here in Tucson, which is helpful. What I like about Leading Edge partnering with Kachina is that they have all the

Location: Tucson, AZ

Telephone: 877-627-9230 www.oriellycc.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 26

In Business Since: 1963 DRP Programs: 10

Number of Locations: One The crew at O’Rielly Collision Center fixes roughly 220 cars every month and their Chief equipment plays a major role. (Manager Brian Guerrero is wearing white shirt.)

parts right away. This way, I’m not going through some third-party or calling some outside vendor I don’t know. If we need a target or a magnet or something requires attention concerning the frame equipment, there is always somebody there the very next day. By having companies like Kachina and Leading Edge backing Chief, it helps us to do our jobs a lot easier.”

Guererro loves working with his Chief Velocity Frame Measuring System because his crew can complete jobs quickly and the system provides excellent supporting data, he said. “It allows us to return vehicles back to their pre-accident condition within an hour or less, in some cases. Hanging the targets and setting up the laser is a fairly simple task, once the techs have been trained. And providing the supporting data to both the customer and the insurance company is a real confidence builder. I give them a piece of paper that tells them the dimensions of the vehicle before and after the repair and outlines everything we did.

It’s a great system.”

If O’Rielly Collision Center ever has issues with its Chief Equipment, John Hildesheim from Kachina Automotive Equipment and his skilled crew are ready to help quickly. “It’s pretty basic,” Hildesheim said. “When the equipment needs to be repaired, we fix it. Our service technician, Tony Buckles, has been repairing Chief equipment for over 20 years in Arizona. Our service van is stocked with thousands of dollars in parts, and we repair the equipment on the first call

in a vast majority of cases. If we have to order the parts, we have them in a few days.”

Hildesheim’s life is a little easier distributing Chief machines, because they’re the crème de la crème of automotive equipment, he said. “Once a shop buys a Chief rack, they don’t have to think about replacing it for 20 years. Chief is a professional’s piece of equipment. It’s quality from top to bottom. That’s why you see so many shops with two or three pieces of Chief equipment. There’s an old saying, ‘Price is what you pay and value is what you get.’ You can buy less expensive equipment but it won’t have nearly the life span as Chief equipment,” he explained.

“For the most part, shops stick with equipment they know is reliable, and they know that 99% of the body technicians have used Chief machines so there is no learning curve for new employees,” Hildesheim explained. “That’s a big deal to a shop owner and the body technician.”

Brian Guerrero appreciates the Chief training he and his staff have received from Kachina Automotive, he said. “We sent all of our techs to their training center in Phoenix for Chief Equipment classes. Some of my guys have taken 10-12 classes there, so it’s an ongoing effort of continuing education about the equipment and how to use it the best way possible. Their training taught them how to quickly find where they need to do the pulling; how to measure it out and where to clamp it down. This has really sped up the process, which improves our cycle times.”

Combined Production Space: 20,000 square feet

O’Rielly’s Chief machines are the collision center’s workhorses and rarely sit idle during work hours

Tony Buckles (left) and John Hildesheim from Kachina help to keep O’Rielly’s Chief equipment working well and their techs properly trained on the equipment

Chief Automotive Technologies Phone: (800) 445-9262 email: salesorders@chiefautomotive.com www.chiefautomotive.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 5

CSS USA, Inc.

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• A massive 179 square feet of filtration area.

• Two huge input filters (over 36sf ) clean the air going through the Workstation.

• Four Paint Arrest Filters (140+ square feet) and two Activated Charcoal Filters ensure the air going back into the environment is clean and EPA compliant.

Different Diffe ere ent Sizes Siz izzes es Available—Including: Available Av vailable—IInclu nclu udi ding: ng: • 13’x11’—Parts, pieces and motorcycles.

• 30’x14’—Any full size vehicle.

•

•

35’x16’x12’5” tall—As above but also Sprinter vans, small boats, and smaller RVs. 60’x16’x12’5” tall—Full size RVs, boats, large trucks, etc.

Lighting: • Four large clear windows provide ample lighting.

• Additional stand lights can be placed

A Smart Solution.

The CSS Workstation works the same and just as effectively as a cross-flow paint booth.

The CSS Workstation is EPA Certified. Ideal for the busy body shop, mobile technician, or smaller shop with limited facilities.

outside the booth.

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Carcoon Storage Solutions (CSS) Saves the Day for Florida Body Shop

by Autobody News Staff

Carcoon Storage Solutions (CSS) showed off its expertise when Auto Collision Specialists in Miami, FL, experienced a fire in its paint booth late last year. The shop’s owner, Leo Iturralde, was justifiably worried because a working paint booth is essential equipment in any body shop.

“It was on a Friday in early November at the end of the day,” Iturralde explained. “My daughter called and said the power went off. I told her to shut everything down. The power came back on around 6:30 pm, but the gas was still running in the booth. When the power kicked in, there was an electrical surge, and it ignited a fire in the mechanical part of the booth. We got all of the cars out of there, but the paint booth was destroyed.”

After cleaning up the mess, Auto Collision Specialists was ready to get back to work on the following Monday, but, without a paint booth! “We were dead in the water,” Iturralde said. “But then I remembered seeing an ad for Carcoon and their portable booths a few months earlier and quickly gave them a call.”

Almost immediately things started to look a whole lot better. “David Bernard at CSS was heaven sent,” Iturralde said. “With our DRPs, it’s all about the cycle times, so we just could not afford to be down longer than necessary. Incredibly, less than 48 hours later we were back in business. Within no time at all we had the CSS portable paint booth up and running.”

The installation was easy and Auto Collision Specialists was back painting its customary 6-8 cars every day. That’s 6-8 cars per day in a portable paint booth with less fuss than buying a can of paint!

“When all this happened we were so busy that I just can’t believe how CSS Workstation put us back in business in this crucial period,” Iturralde explained. “We got all of the work done on time thanks to a great product and the amazing customer service we got from CSS.” Iturralde’s shop uses PPG Envirobase waterborne paint, even though waterborne isn’t mandated in Florida. “We changed over in 2009, because we saw it was going that way eventually,” Iturralde said. “We learned all the tricks of applying the waterborne product and our cars are coming out beautifully. You won’t find many other shops in this area that use waterborne, so it makes us dif-

CSS USA, Inc. Auto Collision Specialists Location: Miami, FL

Telephone: 305-235-6235 www.miamiacs.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 15

In Business Since: 2000 DRP Programs: Seven

Number of Locations: One

Combined Production Space: 12,000 square feet

The Iturralde family, Diana (left) Leo and Margie, runs and operates Auto Collision Specialists in Miami, FL

ferent and we like being a green business.”

CSS has been a technology leader in the portable automotive storage and mobile workstation niche for more than two decades. Its patented portable workstation design was devised specifically for high-volume automotive repairers looking for somewhere to complete smaller repairs without taking up time or space in a busy paint booth.

In many cases, it’s also used temporarily to replace a paint booth that goes down for whatever reason.

David Bernard, Director of Sales for CSS, explained the versatility of the CSS Workstation and the convenience it offers. “We’re selling a lot of these mobile paint booths to smaller shops that don’t have the space or don’t want to invest in a permanent conventional paint booth,” Bernard explained.

“Some shops use them as a backup booth or for overflow work and they can be used as a prep and primer station as well. We also have a lot of mobile repairers that do dealership work ordering CSS Workstations. The set-up and breakdown takes literally minutes.”

The CSS Workstation takes up no more space than a regular paint booth, Bernard said, and many shops will set them up outside in their parking lots if needed. In every scenario, the CSS Workstation conforms to the new rules implemented by the EPA and is fully approved for use anywhere in the United States.

Iturralde obviously won’t be able to look back at the fire in a warm and fuzzy way, but he sure can give a sigh of relief when he thinks about his CSS Workstation and the role it played after the tragedy. “This mobile booth saved us for sure,” he said. “I bless the day I saw that ad and remembered the product, otherwise it would have been chaos here. Even worse it could have seriously hurt my business. We have our permanent booth now, but we’re still going to use our CSS Workstation when we get overflow work. We’re going to make space outside with a canopy and exterior lighting, so that we can get in there day and night.”

A big thank you goes out to CSS’s David Bernard, Iturralde said, because David went way above and beyond on the customer support.

“David’s customer service was unbelievable; on one occasion he drove here from Jacksonville (7 hours) during the Christmas holidays to bring me a service filter for the CSS Workstation. I’ve never seen that kind of customer service from any vendor, so I have to mention it.”

Did your CSS Workstation pay for itself, we asked Iturralde? He responded with a hearty laugh and an emphatic ‘yes.’ “We painted almost 300 cars in that booth over a threemonth period, so it definitely paid for itself, maybe several times over. In this industry, you have to make decisions about equipment and products all the time and in this case, it was a smart decision.”

When the paint booth at Auto Collision Specialists caught fire late last year, the Carcoon Workstation saved the day

Auto Collision Specialists is back on their feet and painting 6-8 cars every day in their permanent paint booth.

But, they’re planning on setting up their CSS Workstation once again out in their back lot to use it when they’re busy

Carcoon Storage Solutions (CSS) 11226 Phillips Drive East, Unit 1 Jacksonville, CA 33256 Phone: (904) 567-3825 www.carcoonworkstation.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 7

Shop Owner is Sticking with a Winner: IPG® American® Brand Tape

University Collision Center

by Autobody News Staff

When it comes to automotive tape, you could talk about its fine crepe backing, tensile strength, adhesion and elongation all day long, but in the end, if it works is what matters.

That’s why a long-time body shop owner who is just getting back into the collision repair business has been using American Brand PG-27 automotive tape, manufactured by Intertape Polymer Group® (IPG), since its inception 25 years ago.

Stan Freeman, 53, has 30 years collision industry experience and owned three shops in Tallahassee, FL, in the 1990s. He recently opened University Collision in Tallahassee after being out of the collision business for many years. “I retired and now I’m un-retired,” he said.”This industry is in my blood and I can’t get away from it.” With a new shop, 12 employees and anticipating 80 cars monthly coming through the doors, Freeman has a ton of things to be concerned with. But his tape isn’t going to be one of him.

As a former car salesman and a numbers guy, Freeman was immediately enamored with the collision industry when he got hired at a body shop as a comptroller in 1988. “I had a buddy who owned a shop, but he wasn’t doing well because he didn’t understand the books. He saw all that money coming through the door and he thought it was all profit, but it’s not. I have an accounting background, so I came onboard to turn him around. I had never been in a body shop before, but I instantly fell in love with it because I could see that the profits were almost guaranteed by the insurance companies.”

Freeman has a long relationship with American Brand Tape and because the tape works time after time, he’s a big advocate for the company and the product. “It’s an American product and that’s a big plus. Competing sales reps are always giving me cases of their tape for me to try, and if it’s free, then why not? You can give it to me if you want, but I’m not changing. When I find a product that works and a company that supports it, why would I ever change? I tell them, I’m happy where I am.”

What can go wrong with tape?

“Nobody wants tape that bleeds,” he explained. “If it bleeds through anywhere, you’re in real trouble. And of

Location: Tallahassee, FL

Telephone: 850-878-0304 www.TBD.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 12

In Business Since: 2013 DRP Programs: Two

Number of Locations: One University Collision Center in Tallahassee, FL, is a new shop, but its owner Stan Freeman has 30 years industry experience and has been using American Brand PG-27 automotive tape since day one

course, you want a good clean line, for when you’re taping off a molding, for example. You also want a good adhesive tape that will also come off easily and it just has to work, that’s all. I’ve tried out some of the cheaper tape that’s out there on the market and it can cause a lot of issues. You spray it, and then the edges start soaking up the tape or the lines aren’t symmetrical. Or you try to pull it off and it’s difficult.”

Stick to the formula that works, Freeman said. “I don’t think anybody has ever done a better job making automotive tape than IPG’s American brand. One of the other socalled leading brands has changed their tape at least 4-5 times over the years. They keep saying, ‘This is our newest and improved’ tape to the point where I’m tired of hearing it.

But I know for a fact IPG hasn’t changed their American tape at all, because if it works, why mess with it?”

During the 25 years Freeman has used IPG’s American PG-27 tape, he has never encountered a bad roll. “The consistency of the product is one of the reasons I’m really impressed with this tape,” he said. “I want to know that every roll my painters use isn’t going to give them any problems, because problems will lead to re-dos and comebacks. I can honestly say that my American tape has never failed me and caused not even one comeback, and I can’t say that about anything else.

“I’ve used several types of paint over the years, because if a com-

pany will give me a better deal, I’m listening,” Freeman explained. “But, I have never even considered changing to a different kind of tape, because I don’t believe there’s a better type out there. Until then, someone else is going to have to prove me wrong.”

American brand PG tape is known in the industry for its easy handling, a smooth crepe backing, high strength, excellent conformability to irregular surfaces and exceptional cornering. It also provides resistance to paint flaking and a clean, well-defined paint line.

IPG’s Automotive National Sales Manager Monty Seawright is proud to be selling a product that is the goto tape for body shops worldwide, he said. “Body shops invest in the American brand for the quality and performance they receive with every roll they purchase.

“I hear positive feedback from paint techs all the time,” Seawright said. “And the main things they like about our tape are: 1) It sticks and removes cleanly. A lot of the other tapes out there don’t adhere properly to the body of the car, especially when they’re exposed to the pressure that comes out of a spray gun and then they leave a residue when they’re removed. 2) It handles temperature swings and extreme humidity, like in Florida and 3) And it’s smooth, so it’s easy on the user’s hands. With our crepe paper backing, it won’t cause wear and tear on a paint technician’s hands, which is vital, because that’s their number one tool.”

Combined Production Space: 10,000 square feet

It’s all in the preparation when it comes to painting and American Brand PG-27 automotive tape always plays a role

Painter Kenny Klotz gets a truck ready for painting at University Collision Center

Intertape Polymer Group 3647 Cortez West Rd., Brandenton, FL 34210 Phone: (941) 727-5788 www.itape.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 9

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D s th e h w h h a m 10 JUNE 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase

Management Success Helps Calif. Shop to Flourish in Competitive Market

by Autobody News Staff

By learning new ways to make his business more efficient and therefore more profitable, Dino DiGiulio, the owner of Body Best Collision Center in Sonoma, CA, has seen his business nearly double over the past five years. And he’s done it while increasing his net profit by five percent. What was the key and how did he do it?

DiGiulio gives credit to his decision to join Management Success in 2008 and implementing the things they taught him. He is now achieving and succeeding at a very high level thanks to Management Success, an automotive industry training and consulting firm in Glendale, CA. Born into the body shop business, DiGiulio grew up watching his father repairing cars in his family’s garage. By the age of 14, he was already working alongside his dad and after graduating from high school, he went to work in a body shop, detailing cars as he attended school to study collision repair. In 1990, DiGiulio took all his savings and opened a 1,800 square-foot shop with one employee.

With the help of his wife, Trina, Dino has built his business into a 12,500 square-foot shop employing 13 people.

Like many body shop owners, DiGiulio was initially skeptical that organizations such as Management Success could be helpful, but after getting a positive review from a colleague he decided to take a leap of faith. “One day I got a call from a friend who owned a body shop and she told me that Management Success was amazing. So, I called them and signed up for their two-day seminar, which took place in Lake Tahoe.”

The seminar was a wake-up call for DiGiulio. “Their program is different from the others, because it comes with a consultant/mentor. You can contact them anytime you want, but during those first six months, they call you weekly and spend 1.5 hours on the phone with you, putting systems in place. They make you accountable [to what you’ve agreed to do] so that you will use their tools and succeed.”

Management Success taught DiGiulio that you can’t do it all yourself, at least not effectively. “One of the first things I learned was to delegate. Before, I was working 14 hours, six days a week and then I was wondering why I was exhausted every night when I got home. Now, I have a manager, an assistant manager and a production manager, but before working with

Management Success!

Body Best Collision Center Location: Sonoma, CA

Telephone: 707-996-2470 www.bodybestofsonoma.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 13

In Business Since: 1990 DRP Programs: Two

Number of Locations: One

Combined Production Space: 12,500 square feet By delegating more duties to his staff and concentrating on being a “true” body shop owner, Dino DiGiulio now has more time to do community work, like helping Meals on Wheels, pictured here

Management Success, I was doing all those duties myself. I don’t write estimates anymore for example. I used to write more than $1 million every year and last year I stepped in and wrote about $15,000 when my guys were overwhelmed. But the point is I don’t have to write estimates anymore, which frees me up to build my business and do the things an owner should be doing.”

Another valuable lesson DiGiulio learned was to get it on paper and document every single step of every repair. “Before, we were processing too many jobs verbally, like so many body shops do,” he said. “Now it’s all done in writing and everything is properly documented from start to completion. That was probably the first policy we put into practice when I got back from that first two-day seminar. Then we dialed everything else in during the next six months.”

Instead of it being an expense, DiGiulio now clearly sees the money he spent on Management Success was a smart investment. “The initial seminar is approximately $500 for two people, the least expensive twoday seminar you’ll ever take. There are a lot of classes and seminars out there, but this one really works because they give you the information, and then provide you with the tools you need and then make sure you follow through. A lot of body shops go through the initial seminar but then don’t want to sign up for the sixmonth program because it requires ongoing work. After the seminar, there is a significant investment in the six-month program, but for me I got that money back within the first

year because our car count went up and stayed up as a result of all the changes we made.”

The numbers don’t lie. In 2008, before DiGiulio joined Management Success, Body Best was doing $1.6 million but now he’s on track to do $2.6 million this year. “We went from 140% efficiency to 180% and our closing rate went from 65% to 83%.

The first week after going through the Management Success five-day estimating class, we wrote $72,000 in business. Our previous average was $25,000 per week.”

Due to the success of his shop, DiGiulio has garnered numerous accolades and multiple awards. In 2008, Body Best Collision Center was chosen as #1 in Sonoma County with AAA insurance company for Customer Service. In 2009, KRON 4 named the shop the Best of the Bay. And last year, Dino and Trina DiGiulio received the coveted Master of Shop Management award from Management Success in recognition for establishing an extremely efficient business operation management while improving customer service.

Management Success has changed his business for the better, but really it’s changed his life in a bigger way, DiGiulio said. “I don’t have to be at the shop 24/7 anymore. Its drastically improved the quality of my life because I get to spend more time with my family. It’s still a process and I am learning new things every day, but now I know much more and have the tools to cope with the demands.

For so many years I was operating my shop with the seat of my pants, but those days are ancient history.”

In 2012, Dino and Trina DiGiulio of Body Best Collision Center in Sonoma, CA, received a Master of Shop Management award from Management Success, an auto industry training and consulting firm in Glendale, CA

Body Best Collision was doing $1.6 million almost five years ago, now they’re on track to do $2.6 million this year and Management Success has played a big role

Management Success!

Phone: (818) 500-9631 ext. ABN www.managementsuccess6.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 11

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12 JUNE 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase

Mike Rose’s Auto Body Changes to PPG for All the Right Reasons

Mike Rose’s Auto Body

by Autobody News Staff

When the owner of a burgeoning multi-shop operation in northern California switched to PPG in 2009, after working with his former paint provider for 18 years, it was a win-win and a game changer in many ways. By tapping into all of the value-added benefits PPG brings to its business, Mike Rose’s Auto Body in the East Bay is making all the right moves for all the right reasons.

Mike Rose opened his first shop 41 years ago in Concord, CA, with five employees in a 3,000 square-foot facility. Today, Mike Rose’s Auto Body has ten locations employing 245 people and repairing approximately 1,500 cars every month. By opening new locations as the East Bay grew in population, Mike Rose’s Auto Body has expanded as opportunities have presented themselves over the years.

To say that the Rose family is living the Great American Dream is a major understatement. Mike’s wife Laurie and his two children work for the company. Brennan is the CEO; his sister Ragan Ortland is the CFO; and Steve Kelly isn’t technically related, but he’s the company’s COO and has worked for the Rose family for 38 years. The company is known for being a leader in community outreach in every region where they have shops. Each year, through their own Benevolence Program, Mike Rose’s Auto Body donates refurbished vehicles to deserving people in tough situations and in 2012 they donated their 40th vehicle to the cause.

Changing paint companies wasn’t easy, Mike Rose explained. “We were loyal to the same brand for 18 years and their products were performing just fine. But, we wanted to see if there was anything better out there. We’re always looking for ways to be a better company and improve our production, so we started doing our research and trying different products.”

PPG was on their short list, but the Roses always perform their due diligence before making any decisions, especially one as important as this, Mike Rose said. “It was a careful process that started with discussions with Mark Juell, PPG’s Refinish Sales Director, Zone 2. Then, we toured quite a few shops to see them using their product. Finally, after seeing a ton of demos, we began using PPG’s waterborne product Envirobase® High Performance on a trial basis.”

To test the product first-hand, the Roses installed the PPG Envirobase High Performance system into their Brentwood location for 90 days,

(Headquarters) Location: Concord, CA

Telephone: 925-689-1739 www.mikesautobody.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 245

In Business Since: 1972 DRP Programs: 20

Number of Locations: 10

Combined Production Space: 165,000 square feet (combined) The Rose family (from left), Brennan, Ragan and Mike, switched to PPG after doing their homework and seeing the product in action

Brennan Rose said. “We wanted to start with one location and then introduce it to each shop over a period of time. We chose Brentwood because that’s where our most critical painter, Kevin Cordua, is the head painter.

He gave us a very positive review and we loved the finished product, so we made the decision to switch over in all our locations at that point.”

When they visited other body shops and collision centers using PPG, the Roses and their staff kept hearing about the company’s exemplary customer service. “Great support is what we kept hearing,” Brennan Rose said.

“When it comes to any product or piece of equipment that we buy, we want a partner—not just a vendor. It’s not always about price, because in the end it comes down to the support. With 1,500 cars coming through our shops every month, we require a 100% commitment from every company we work with, and we get it with PPG.” Once Mike Rose’s Auto Body signed on the dotted line with PPG in October of 2009, the first task was to get its painting staff trained on using the product. It was easily done, because PPG’s training center is in Concord, CA, centrally located for all of Rose’s shops. “All of our painters and preppers went through PPG’s oneday training class, as part of PPG’s Convert with Confidence program,” Brennan Rose said. “The training is excellent and within a very short time, everyone was comfortable painting with the Envirobase High Performance. Since then, we’ve had zero comebacks and no glitches and our staff is putting out the cars like clockwork.”

By working with its local paint jobber, FinishMaster, Mike Rose’s Auto Body has taken full advantage of all the benefits and value-added things PPG offers. “By working with Dave Atwater and Sean Kopec at FinishMaster, we’ve been able to make this switch as seamless and painless as possible,” Brennan Rose said. “They’re very proactive and accountable, which makes it a great relationship.”

One of the benefits implemented

by FinishMaster was the installation of consignment cabinets in each of Mike Rose’s Auto Body’s ten locations. “This replenishment system allows our painters and preppers to have a backup inventory of all our allied paint materials and liquids,” Brennan Rose explained. “If one of our people runs out of something, they can go to the cabinet and get what they need. That way, it won’t slow us down or stop production. Every 2-3 weeks, the people at FinishMaster replenish the contents of the cabinet, so we’re always stocked.”

Dane Dearlove performs a wide range of marketing and internal training for Mike Rose’s Auto Body and he plays an integral part in working closely with PPG. “PPG impressed me with their partnership approach and the way they worked as a team to make everything happen,” Dearlove explained. “With Sal Contreras, we hold Continuing Education classes for our insurance agents with a curriculum provided by PPG, and we also use PPG’s Marketing on Demand website. The paint is great, but the way PPG helps our business is also key.”

Mike Rose’s Auto Body’s Head Painter Kevin Cordua gave PPG very positive reviews after using the product for a brief time

Painter Steve Bartholomew of Mike Rose’s Auto Body is seen here with one of the company’s consignment cabinets, which has made his life easier on a day-to-day basis

PPG Automotive Refinish Company Contact: Cindy Schauer Phone: (440) 572-2800 email: schauer@ppg.com www.ppgrefinish.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 13

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14 JUNE 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase

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Pro-Spray® Has Collision Center Looking and Feeling Smarter

by Autobody News Staff

Every company thrives by making good decisions, especially those that greatly impact its future. Buying the right equipment, hiring the best people available and working with top vendors is a formula for success in any business. So, whenever a collision center switches to a new paint supplier, it’s a very critical move that will impact the business for many years to come.

Matt Halbur, the general manager at Rydell Chevrolet in Waterloo, IA, is proud to be spraying H2O Waterborne Automotive Paint, by Pro-Spray® Automotive Finishes on every one of the 130–170 cars his crew paints every month. He likes being a green business and he appreciates the amazing customer support he gets from his local jobber, but the number one reason why he’s enamored with Pro-Spray’s H2O Waterborne Automotive Paint is the finished product, that is, the product finish.

“It’s an exceptional paint, no doubt,” Halbur said. “We switched over last summer and after using it every day, we can say without hesitation that the Pro-Spray® is superior over anything we used previously.

We had a 15-year relationship with our former paint vendor and we were happy with them, but a while back we started looking around. Our goal was to find a product that could save us money and continually perform at a high level.”

Halbur and Rydell Collision Center’s Brad Vaughn began the process of researching new types of paint, which included meeting distributors and jobbers and doing their due diligence.

“Changing paint is a big deal for any shop and one of the biggest decisions I’ve had to make. The company we decided to go with had to be a good fit for us and we wanted to be comfortable with the brand we chose. We use it every day and we have to rely on it, so it was an important decision and we didn’t take it lightly.”

Since Rydell has been spraying waterborne since 2006, Halbur’s paint crew learned the ins and outs of the Pro-Spray ® H2O Waterborne Basecoat in no time, he explained. “There was very short transition, because our painters know how the waterborne behaves and the best way to apply it. We were simply refining what we had already learned, so it wasn’t a drastic change.”

Rydell Collision Center Location: Waterloo, IA

Telephone: 319-433-3662 www.rydellauto.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 13

In Business Since: 1984 DRP Programs: 13

Number of Locations: One

Combined Production Space: 12,500 square feet AJ Koloc at Rydell Collision Center paints a car using Pro-Spray® H2O Waterborne Basecoat

The changeover to Pro-Spray® has trimmed Rydell Collision Center’s cycle times and the finished product is impressive, Halbur said.

“We’re saving time which is so important for the insurance companies we work with and the quality is impeccable. The Pro-Spray® is easier for our painters to spray and that’s huge. We get excellent coverage after shooting a few light coats and the drying times are faster than with our former product. We ran some tests and timed the process, so we know we’re saving 10% time-wise on every job and 40% on materials with this paint.”

Halbur also appreciates the color matching capabilities of the Pro-Spray® H2O Waterborne Basecoat. “It gives us superior matches that are always right on. We got our initial supply of color chips from Pro-Spray® and now we’re adding our own all the time. By assembling an extensive library of colors, we’ve got what we need for almost every car that comes through the doors here.”

Training offered by Pro-Spray® was a critical element to the success of Rydell Collision Center’s transition to the new paint, Halbur said. “We sent our lead painter AJ Koloc to the Pro-Spray® training center in Massillon, OH. By becoming more and more comfortable with the product, AJ was able to absorb all of the little things you need to know with any new type of paint. Spraying it and drying it are the main parts of the process, but knowing the different techniques that are available and being able to put those into practice as they’re needed is essential to the

overall success of our paint department.”

What is the value of using waterborne in Iowa, where the laws don’t yet mandate its use? “By embracing waterborne, it makes us different in this area, because most of the body shops here use solvent exclusively.

Of course, it’s better for the environment and I always tell customers— your car was originally painted with waterborne paint anyway. Once we educate them, the light goes on and they realize that we’re a progressive, green business. It goes a long way to pleasing our customers and our DRPs as well.”

Brian Mennenga is the manager at Auto Plus in Waterloo, IA, Rydell Collision Center’s Pro-Spray® jobber. He played an integral role in helping the company to make the switch to Pro-Spray® and is pleased to have a well-known collision center using his product in an area where most of the shops are still using solvent, he said.

“By having a large collision center using our product is a big plus, that’s for sure,” Mennenga said. “To have a highly-respected collision center as a vocal advocate of the product is essential. Most shops around here still use solvent, but more and more shops are doing demos with us. Shops like the price—as much as 35% less than the solvent—and they’re always impressed by the quality of the paint job.

They also love our color matches, because all of our chips are sprayed out.

That means the painter doesn’t have to shoot a test panel before using a color, which saves at least a half hour every time.”

Rydell Collision Center Manager Brad Vaughn (left) and GM Matt Halbur are big supporters of the Pro-Spray® H2O Waterborne Basecoat

Rydell Collision Center paints 130-170 cars and each one looks spectacular, thanks to Pro-Spray

Pro-Spray Automotive Finishes Phone: (800) 776-0933 email: info@prosprayfinishes.com www.ProSprayFinishes.com www.ProSprayH2O.com www.NavigatorColor.com www.facebook.com/prospray

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 15

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SATAjet 4000 B Superior in all fields of application

The new SATAjet 4000 B is setting the standards. Featuring state-of-the-art technology, the spray gun has been optimized with the passion for precision so typical of SATA as well as undergoing intensive practical tests. The result: a soft spray pattern which is second to none, perfect ergonomics and outstanding atomization for perfect finishes.

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Dan-Am Co. is the exclusive independent distributor of SATA products and Puerto Rico in the U USS a nd P uerto R ico

www.satausa.com www .satausa.com SATA, SA AT TA, SATAjet SA AT TAjet and/or other SATA SA AT TA products products referenced referenced herein herein are are either registered registered trademarks orr SATA trademarks of SA AT TA Farbspritztechnik GmbH H & Co. KG in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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DanAm Air is advance air piping system for compressed air. The system is for new or expanding projects, DanAm Air is a module system that can easily be expanded or reused. Uses a measure and cut, push to connect technology, easy to use and install yourself system. DAA is very energy efficient, leak free guarantee and no corrosion. Saving can be over 50% compared to copper installation

Easy DIY installation t NO threading pipe t NO use of fire for soldering The results speak for themselves and show that DanAm Air is the best performing system and the best long-term choice, no matter whether the project is for an extension, the modification of an existing pipe system or a new installation.

For a FREE quote Call: 800-533-8016 See cost savings chart at DanAmAir.com 16 JUNE 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase

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Family-Run Shops Value Long Relationship with SATA

by Autobody News Staff

With three generations in the collision industry spanning more than 75 years, the Dingman family is known for doing quality work, being fair and doing the family business right.

Using top-notch products and equipment to become more efficient while setting up their technicians properly is a key to their success.

Boyd Dingman, 62, runs three busy locations in Omaha, NE, with his two sons and daughter, who grew up in the collision repair business just as his dad did. The family started in the collision repair industry in Iowa in the 1930s when Andy’s grandfather Francis Dingman was fixing Nashes, DeSotos and Dusenbergs.

In 1960, Francis Dingman opened a shop in the small town of Garner, IA, and launched the family tradition of honesty paired with exemplary work and service. The shop had to be good because business was sometimes scarce. Garner was the type of place where “people had to look for someone else to run into,” Boyd Dingman quipped.

Boyd Dingman learned the collision business by working as a technician for his father. When Boyd opened his own body shop in 1983 in Waverly, IA, he promised himself to continue the Dingman family legacy. In 1995, when the Iowa Department of Transportation acquired the shop’s land to make way for a highway, Boyd and Diana Dingman decided it was time for a change of scenery. So, they settled on Omaha, NE, to raise their family and open Dingman’s Collision Center in 1996.

Today, the whole Dingman family works for the company with Andy as the GM, and Boyd and Diana handling operations and accounting. Darcie Dingman, Andy’s sister, coordinates marketing, human resources and other management duties while her brother Travis is the company’s parts manager and performs a wide range of other operations-related functions.

Dingman’s Collision Center is spraying waterborne even though it’s not mandated yet in Nebraska.

“We switched over to waterborne about six years ago,” Boyd Dingman explained. “We’re always looking for ways to be a better business and switching over to waterborne paint was a huge part of this. I knew waterborne was on its way and we’ve always been on the cutting-edge for products and equipment, so this was just a logical decision and we surely don’t regret it. We always do our re-

Dingman’s Collision Center Location: Omaha, NE

Telephone: 402-558-3500 www.dingmans.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 47

In Business Since: 1960 DRP Programs: Three

Number of Locations: Three

Combined Production Space: 47,000 square feet (combined) The Dingman family runs three very successful shops in Omaha, NE. Pictured from left to right, Andy, Diana, Travis, Boyd and Darcie Dingman

search before we buy anything, so most of the time it works out just fine.”

The Dingman family’s relationship with SATA is decades old, Boyd Dingman said. “Back in the 1960s at my father’s shop, there were basically two companies that sold paint guns—they were good guns but we were limited by the paint products back then. But now, the paints have evolved to where there are so many different types, including the high solids. Of course, the cost has gone up as well. When it started to get really expensive, we were looking for ways to save money. So, we started using SATA’s HLVP spray guns to save money on material back in the 1980s. The relationship has grown from there.”

Dingman respects his SATA spray guns for their performance and the support he receives from the company. “The SATA guns are the cheapest high-dollar piece of equipment we use here. What do I mean by that? They’re not inexpensive, but they save us money over the longterm. Another big advantage of working with a company like SATA is the exceptional people they employ.

“I’ve known Tony Larimer at SATA for more than 20 years and the guy is sharp and very dedicated to his product,” Dingman said. ‘He knows the industry and his customer support is excellent. Their knowledge about paint is tremendous and they’re always working with the paint manufacturers to find out what product improvements they’re coming up with so they can design paint guns that match the products. They’ll all

spray, but no one gun can do it all.

That’s where we need to call on the SATA folks. By knowing what gun works best with a certain type of paint, the people at SATA can recommend and advise us on what gun to use.”

Dan-Am, the independent exclusive distributor of SATA products in this country was founded in 1976.

Two of their very first products were big winners—a sprayable polyester body filler and a German spray gun to apply the product. In a short time, they became popular with body shops and the entire SATA line was born. In 1980, the Dan-Am Co. began distributing the SATA product line. By focusing on quality and service while developing a marketing strategy for long term growth, the company flourished. By making spray guns to complement the ever-changing modern paint technology and adapting to the advent of the downdraft spray booth, SATA has achieved a high level of success. By continuously developing and strengthening an effective liaison between SATA, the paint manufacturers, the Dan-Am sales team and the marketplace, the company looks at a future that’s painted bright.

SATA’s training is comprehensive and easy to understand, Dingman said. “They put it in clear terms and outline the proper gun to go with a certain type of paint. They’ve been down here over the years to do in-house training and if we ever have any issues, they’re just a phone call away. The company makes their people accessible and we know they’ll be there when we need them.”

Painters like Chuck Kai (pictured here) use SATA spray guns to paint vehicles at Dingman’s Collision Center

Dingman’s Collision Center opened in Omaha, NE, back in 1996

Dan-Am Company Phone: (800) 633-7282 P.O. Box 46, Spring Valley, MN 55975 www.sata.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 17

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Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center Converts to Standoblue® to Improve Profits and Productivity

by Autobody News Staff

As any collision repair shop owner or manager knows, you have to do quality work, you have get it done on time and you have to make money doing it. That’s why Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center in Spring, TX, chose to switch their paint to Standox® Standoblue® waterborne. When considering their paint options, Collision Director Jeff Debner noted that Standoblue® was “The clear winner.

It was the better product from a profitability, productivity and quality standpoint.”

After 14 years running a busy body shop that repairs roughly 400 vehicles monthly, Debner knows how important time can be, so he found Standoblue® very appealing when he learned how quickly their basecoat dries. Even better, the main reason this system dries so much quicker than others is because it is designed to minimize steps by allowing fast application in only 1.5 spray passes. Because of this, Debner said, “We use less of the product and the product dries faster, leading to increased profitability and productivity which were the biggest factors in our decision to make the change.”

Two years after the Fred Haas Toyota Dealership opened in 1969, Haas added the collision center, which was Toyota’s first certified collision repair center. A large facility, Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center is able to handle large volumes in a timely manner, completing nearly half their vehicle repairs within 72 hours.

Debner believes that what makes his repair center different from their competitors is that their quality workmanship is “head-andshoulders above the average repairer.” He added that all repaired vehicles undergo a rigorous quality inspection before being released to the customer. In addition, Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center offers lifetime guarantees on workmanship and against material defects in parts.

This emphasis on quality led Debner to explore the option of switching to Standoblue ®. In addition to Standox ® commitment to color accuracy, excellent sandability and efficiency in application, Standoblue® basecoats blend seamlessly with existing Standox ® refinishing systems. To assist re-

Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center Location: Spring, TX

Telephone: 800-254-0216 www.fredhaastoyota.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 43

In Business Since: 1971 DRP Programs: Seven Employees of Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center are pleased with the benefits of switching to Standox® Standoblue® paints

finishers with finding the right color quickly, Standox® also offers a variety of color tools in a reliable range of both digital and conventional tools. Since Standox® makes their job easier, the painters at Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center are very satisfied with the change to waterborne product in terms of the increased quality and productivity.

Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center also became a member of the Standox® Partnership in Excellence Program, a loyalty program that is exclusive to collision repair shops that use Standox®. Participation allows the shop to earn a 2% rebate on any liquid purchase after any discounts.

Since its inception, Fred Haas Toyota’s reputation for integrity, honesty and customer service has been demonstrated by their promises to reduce the hassle of repairs for their customers. Their success is proven by the fact that their customer satisfaction index is approximately 96.85% favorable.

The shop’s high CSI rating was one of the contributing factors that led to them winning the 2012 Toyota Certified Collision Center Triple Crown in the large shop category.

Additionally, Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center is Toyota-certified and is an ASE Blue Seal shop. With such devotion to providing customer service, it is no wonder that Debner was looking for the same in the paint manufacturer he uses, and that is exactly what he found with Standox ® who he said are “hands-down, second to none when it comes to serviceability from the manufacturer.”

Debner elaborates, “In the 14 years I have been the collision director at Fred Haas Toyota World, I have been served by three different paint distributors and I have never before received the level of service and professionalism that the Gladwin Paint Company delivers every day. One word comes to mind when I speak of them: ‘Outstanding’ really sums it up.

Mike Sprinkle and Brett Lundy, Axalta Coating Systems Sales Representatives, are invaluable assets providing superior service.” Standox® always strives to ensure that customers receive their full support when converting to Standoblue® so that the transition is as smooth as possible, and Debner confirms their success. “It was a pretty seamless transition... we learned the differences about the product and it was an even flow to transition to Standoblue®.”

Fred Haas Toyota’s Collision Center had a great year in 2012 and is off to a great start in 2013. According to Debner, “It has a lot to do with what the Standoblue® product brings to the table.”

Of course, the shop’s success can also be largely attributed to the hard work of their employees. Tommie Young, one of the technicians at Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center, was honored at ASE’s Annual Meeting in November 2012 with the award for Toyota/ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish Technician of the Year.

When it comes to the shop’s success, Debner reiterates the importance of customer service, productivity, quality and profitability, explaining that “Since Standox® performs better in every category, switching was a no-brainer.”

Number of Locations: One

Combined Production Space: 44,850 square feet (33,500 square feet of production space)

Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center has seen an increase in profitability, productivity and quality since beginning to use Standoblue®

Painting technicians at Fred Haas Toyota Collision Center always ensure their customers receive quality repairs, but their jobs have been made easier by the quality of Standox® paints

Standox® Phone: (800) 551-9296 (prompt 7) email: standoxna@usa.dupont.com www.upgrade2standoblue.standox.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 19

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Shop is Saving More Bumpers with Nitrogen Welder from Urethane Supply

by Autobody News Staff

Paul Struhar, 56, is the owner of Centerline CARSTAR in Strongsville, OH, and is a 38-year veteran of the collision industry. He knows a lot about plastic welders because he bought his first one when he started his career as a body and frame technician back in 1975. In his mid-teens, Struhar was attracted to muscle cars, like almost every other kid in his neighborhood. So he attended vocational school in Bedford, OH, to study collision repair and after graduating, his first job was as a body tech.

After a decade working at three different shops, Struhar landed a job as a technical salesman for a collision equipment company, a position that helped him to learn the business from a different perspective. And then in 1992, Struhar decided to take a major leap when he opened his own shop and shortly thereafter joined CARSTAR. “I’ve been using Urethane Supply plastic welders for almost 30 years, so I’ve seen the technology change,” Struhar explained. “But Urethane Supply’s newest machine (the 6056 Nitrogen Welding System) has revolutionized plastic repair.

We’ve had this model for more than a year now and it really has changed our production in a very positive way.

It’s impacted our cycle times and is saving us money.”

Urethane Supply Company’s 6056 Nitrogen Welding System has been universally praised for being the most complete state-of-the-art plastic welding repair system on the market today, according to the company’s website. The system includes an Airless Plastic Welder and a Hot Air Welder coupled to a Nitrogen/Air controller, along with a large supply of welding rod and a fully assembled welding cart. After connecting it to a nitrogen tank and compressed air supply, the user simply just plugs it in and it’s ready to go. Nitrogen acts like a shielding gas, preventing oxidation and creating a much stronger weld on bumpers, fenders and headlight assemblies.

Centerline CARSTAR repairs roughly 140 cars monthly and by using the 6056 Nitrogen Welding System, Struhar says it makes plastic repairs easier. “It’s an unbelievable piece of equipment and it’s allowed us to put more labor dollars into our pocket. By using this welder,

Centerline CARSTAR Collision Center Location: Strongsville, OH

Telephone: 440-891-5955 www.centerlinecarstar.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 17

In Business Since: 1992 DRP Programs: 12 Paul Struhar (left), the owner of Centerline CARSTAR in Strongsville, OH, is showing tech student Jared Baschko how to use Urethane Supply Company’s 6056 Nitrogen Welding System

we’re re-conditioning more and more bumpers here in-house. We’re able to save more of them, because now we don’t have to buy re-conditioned bumpers from several different sources, half of which we end up returning anyway, due to poor quality.”

By fixing bumpers and fenders and doing a quality repair with the 6056 Nitrogen Welding System, Struhar has a distinct advantage.

“Previously, we had no way to perform quality repairs on a lot of these plastic bumpers,” he said. “This welder allows you to replace tabs and put them back on the car and do a complete structural repair on a bumper. Before we had this machine, we were limited to doing just minor or cosmetic repairs. Now, Urethane Supply’s newest system allows us to fix mounting tabs and perform larger repairs. We can either repair the tabs or actually re-create them, using the 6056 Nitrogen Welder.

“One of the real plusses of this new nitrogen welder is that we can fix the O.E. bumpers, which means we don’t have to buy aftermarket ones, in most cases,” Struhar said.

“We also don’t have to worry about them fitting properly, because every time we buy an aftermarket bumper, we have to go through that whole thing where we’re wondering if it’s going to fit or not. It takes time and costs us money to pre-fit these aftermarket bumpers before we’re able to paint them, and we can’t charge for that. Now we’re using the same bumper we took off the car, so we know it’s going to fit every time. You make more money on labor versus parts, so it benefits the bottom line, plus our DRPs like the fact that we’re

going with O.E. bumpers and fenders on our repairs, wherever possible.”

The 6056 Nitrogen Welding System can easily pay for itself in a very short period of time, according to Struhar. “When you figure a re-conditioned or aftermarket bumper costs $300-$400 on average and we were able to save at least 12 of them in the first two months using it, then I can say we recouped that investment rather quickly.”

All Centerline CARSTAR’s five body techs are trained to use the Urethane Supply Company’s 6056 Nitrogen Welding System, to repair bumpers, fenders and yes—even those finicky headlights, Struhar explained.

“Initial training on this system was done here at the shop and our guys picked it up rather quickly.

We’re also having a lot of success fixing headlights, which is great.

We’re able to repair them without replacing them, which is a big deal, because they can cost as much as $1,000 with some cars, such as the ones with self-aiming lenses. You can do a good repair on a headlight with the nitrogen welder and it will be just as strong as the original. There’s no loss of integrity using this welder.”

Struhar also likes the fact that his new plastic welder is sturdy and doesn’t require much maintenance. “It’s a workhorse and we’ve had zero mechanical problems with it since we purchased it. That’s the way you want any piece of equipment to be. Urethane Supply Company’s 6056 Nitrogen Welding System is an investment, not an expense, and that’s the way any piece of equipment should be.”

Number of Locations: One

Combined Production Space: 9,250 square feet

Centerline CARSTAR fixes 140 cars monthly and can now repair plastic bumpers, fenders and headlights by using its 6056 Nitrogen Welding System

After a brief training, Baschko is completely comfortable using the welder and is ready to use it on his own

Urethane Supply Company 1128 Kirk Rd., Rainsville, AL 35986 Phone: (800) 633-3047 www.urethanesupply.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 21

b

THERMODRY TECHNOLOGY:

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BENEFITS

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Heat your materials at the point of atomization within your spraygun nozzle and eliminate costly spraybooth retrofits

1. 25% to 40% reduction in drying time for waterborne and solvent based paints 2. Material savings from 15% to 30% due to higher transfer efficiency with maximum coverage 3. Reduce cycle times and operating temperatures of your existing spraybooth saving time and energy (additional cycles) 4. Clean paint work equals considerably less buffing and faster delivery to your customer 5. Simple installation works with your existing compressed air system and 110volt outlet 6. Superior atomization with zero impurities equals the “Quality in the finish” your customers deserve

c (T o ti in T m p in u u d

“We have invested in the Walcom system and our painters can’t imagine painting cars without it. We paint cars faster, with higher quality, and have experienced a significant savings in materials.”

— Jack Lamborghini Total Care Accident Repair Raynham, Massachusetts

Walcom USA

30 Centennial Street, Pascoag, RI 02859 Tel: 401-293-0200 • Fax: 401-293-0925 www.walcom-usa.com The complete and efficient solution to resolve problems related to new generation paint application.

22 JUNE 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase

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C a th p T w w d

Walcom’s Thermodry Technology is a Game Changer for Busy Shop

by Autobody News Staff

By keeping his head on a swivel when it comes to the newest technology in the collision world, a forward-thinking body shop owner is using a new paint application tool that’s changing his business in a very positive way.

Jack Lamborghini and his partner Brian Bernard opened Total Care Accident Repair just three years ago in Raynham, MA, but they’re already well-known for top-tier work and thorough customer support. With 35 total years of industry experience and as a national consultant helping body shops with their production processes and financials, Lamborghini started in the automotive business when he bought a MAACO franchise in 1976.

Lamborghini purchased his Walcom Thermodry Technology system (TD3) earlier this year, as part of his ongoing mission to incorporate cutting-edge equipment and techniques into his state-of-the-art facility. The Thermodry Technology heats and maintains set compressed air temperatures, regardless of the climate in the room. It enables the painter to use filtered, heated and thermo regulated compressed air, which saves drying time and requires less paint.

Initially, Lamborghini was skeptical about the TD3, but after seeing it in action, he was sold. “Whatever they call it, I call it magic,” Lamborghini explained. “It allows us to get superior material transfer from the spray gun to the vehicle’s surface by heating the paint. Once we found out what it could do, we were ecstatic, because the results are nothing short of astounding. The solvent and clears just lay out better and issues with things like mottling are less present. And because the paint dries faster, you will encounter less chance of dirt getting into the paint, which equals less buffing.

The material savings is also significant, saving 15-20% on our materials usage, and that’s a conservative number. The finished product is exceptional across the board.”

Rob Mercier owns Collision Center Design, the home of Walcom and the North American distributor of the TD3. “Total Care Accident Repair paints all its cars with solvent, but the TD3 can be used with waterborne as well,” Mercier said. “It flashes faster with both types of paint and reduces drying time by 25-30% for water-

Total Care Accident Repair Location: Raynham, MA

Telephone: 508-824-6500 www.tcaccidentrepair.com Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: 13

In Business Since: 2010 DRP Programs: Zero

Number of Locations: One Brian Bernard (left) and Jack Lamborghini own and operate Total Care Accident Repair, a busy shop located in Raynham, MA

borne and 30-40% for solvent-based paints. By using less material, it leads to accelerated drying times. In addition, the materials will dry faster from within as a result of being applied closer to ambient temperature with no humidity.”

Once Lamborghini’s paint crew became comfortable with the TD3, the magic could begin. “It takes a little effort on behalf of the painter to get it dialed in with the air pressure. When the people from Walcom explained the system to our painters and showed them how to use it, they picked it up rather quickly and were adept with it after a day or two. The learning curve is very short, but I would tell people when you demo it, do it for a full day or even two. That way, you’ll be able to see it used on multiple cars, which is hugely helpful. If you gave this piece of equipment to a painter without at least an initial explanation, he would most likely not get it.

“Craig Denton is my lead painter and he’s a very skilled applicator of product, but he’s also a better thinker,” Lamborghini said. “He’s always thinking about improving his approach and how he can do things more effectively. When he first saw the Thermodry Technology in action, he was lukewarm about it. But as he painted the second and third car and started dialing back on the air pressure, he saw what he could do with this system and his attitude changed rather quickly. The more he used it, the more excited he got. And now he can’t imagine going back to the old way of painting cars! We’re painting roughly 70 cars every month here and we’re using the TD3 on every single one.”

Lamborghini then uttered the three words every body shop wants to hear when they discuss any product or piece of equipment—return on investment. “We’re going to get our money back on this machine within the first 3-4 months, I believe. For shops that paint more cars than we do, obviously it will pay for itself even faster, but in the end it’s an investment rather than an expense, which is key. In addition, it’s been virtually service-free since we purchased it.”

The technology is not rocket science and more and more body shops all over the country are realizing that, according to Mercier. “In simplest terms, the heat atomizes the paint more efficiently than cold compressed air does. Our machine regulates the heat right at the spray gun inlet, so that there’s less static pressure at the spray gun nozzle.

When painters find out that our system minimizes die back, alleviates modeling, and saves materials, they like it. And then when they see that their cycle times are reduced significantly, they love it even more.”

What the Walcom Thermodry Technology system can do for any body shop’s painting department is significant, but what it prevents is also just as vital, Mercier said. “By avoiding common issues such as orange peeling of clear coats, and problems associated with fish eyes, die back and/or dirt, the TD3 is a godsend for any painter. Once they learn how to use it, they’ll realize that things they used to have to do–such as denibbing and buffing–are gone, while consistently getting a superior finish on every vehicle.”

Combined Production Space: 9,500 square feet

Craig Denton, the head painter at Total Care Accident Repair, had to paint a few cars to become comfortable with the Walcom Thermodry Technology system (TD3), but once he dialed it in, he was sold

By embracing the latest technology available in the collision industry, Total Care Accident Repair is becoming more efficient every day

Collision Center Design, LLC 30 Centennial Street Pascoag, RI 02859 Phone: (401) 293-0200 www.collisioncenterdesign.com

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2013 23

What is the Autobody News Shop & Product Showcase?

• It’s an opportunity for shop owners to share information, peer-to-peer, about the products and services that have helped them improve their businesses.

• Each article explains in detail, from the shop perspective, how a particular product or service helped them improve their productivity, efficiency and profits.

• Autobody News produces the Shop & Product Showcase (SPS) special insert biannually. Look for the next one in October 2013.

Management Success!

CSS USA, Inc. Download a PDF at:

www.autobodynews.com/sps

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