LOCAL FEATURE COLLISION CRAFTSMAN RETIRES DUE TO LACK OF QUALIFIED HELP

Collision repair is all about craftsmanship, according to Lee Morris of Old Dominion Body Works (Richmond, VA) who recently retired and dismantled his 40-year-old business.

When he was just 20 years old, Morris founded Old Dominion in 1983 as a oneman, two-bay operation, but over the years, his dedication to customer service and emphasis on providing high-quality repairs allowed him to expand his facility and hire six additional collision professionals. “I’ve always fixed cars for the vehicle owner, not the insurer,” he explained. “I never signed onto any DRPs because I felt like those took the focus off my actual customer and their needs.”

Morris has always taken pride in his work, seeing collision as a measure of craftsmanship. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my career in this craft, but that’s something we’ve lost somewhere along the line: the craftsmanship of it all. Just like a carpenter or brickmason, auto body repairers need to acquire certain skills, and that should be honored, especially in today’s collision environment.

“Modern vehicles are incredibly complicated, and industry standards change constantly,” he continued.

“Between the many non-reusable parts that need to be replaced after being damaged and the unbelievably low tolerances, a lot of work is involved to truly restore late model vehicles back to their pre-accident condition, but our customers deserve better than having their car returned when it’s only been put back together halfway. It takes a lot of effort to do it right, but these days, it seems like no one wants to put the energy into developing the skills needed to be a collision craftsman, and that’s truly sad.”

In fact, Morris decided to close his shop and retire last summer due to a lack of qualified help. Although Morris has a close relationship with the local vo-tech program that he graduated from, the school has been unable to send a student his way in the last five years because so few graduates intend to pursue a career in the industry. His search for more qualified technicians yielded even more dismal results.

“After one of my A-techs retired last year, I conducted interviews but couldn’t find anyone who came close to having the abilities I was looking for; there doesn’t seem to be anyone in this market who believes in the craft anymore. Twenty years ago, a bodyman could be replaced in 30 days or less easily, but in today’s climate, it’s impossible to reproduce a solid crew that can be held accountable.”

Morris attributes the degradation of the collision craft to greed and a lack of knowledge. “My hat’s off to the successful shop owners who are doing things right, but so many people just focus on their checkbook and whether they’re making money, even though half of them don’t know the difference between net and gross profit. Instead of learning how to run their businesses more effectively, they cut corners and build big fancy facilities that allow them to pull the wool over the customers’ eyes to prevent anyone from noticing that they’re not doing the things they should. I’ve done some postrepair inspections and am simply appalled by some of the shoddy workmanship I saw.”

In contrast, Morris is “just some dumb guy who worked his fingers to the bone because I love the repair side of this industry... Every shop owner must choose their own path, but it seems like fewer are choosing the right path every year. I’m not perfect by far, but I’m aware and I care. I have spent the past four decades working seven days a week in my shop…I looked at every car and test drove them all because I wanted to make sure they had truly been restored to pre-accident condition before I put my name on them. That’s really what it takes. So many people get offended by being told that no one cares, and although I don’t name names, those who take offense should probably look in the mirror. You have to pay attention to what’s going on.”

Staying on top of evolving industry knowledge has come in two main formats, Morris shared. First, he has always spent time reading industry publications, like Hammer & Dolly, to ensure he was aware of what was coming down the pipeline. “Collision magazines do a great job of telling us what we’re going to be faced with. You can pretty much guarantee that what you see on the cover is going to be something you’ll need to deal with in your shop within the next six months.”

Secondly, Morris aligned himself with AkzoNobel early in his career. “I started with them in 1985 shortly after they came to the US, and their phenomenal mindset really helped me grow and turn my shop into what it became. Every shop owner needs someone to look over their shoulder, provide knowledge and help them sort through the challenges we encounter. AkzoNobel has always been very good to me.”

After Morris announced his retirement, Mike Forsythe (AkzoNobel) presented him with a “Legacy Award” to recognize his accomplishments over the past 40 years. “Lee has always insisted on doing things the way he believes they should be done, and although that hasn’t always made him the easiest person to work with, he has never shied away from being the ‘bad guy’ if that meant making sure the job was done right for his customers,” Forsythe praised Morris’ devotion to the craft.

“I still enjoy repairing cars and would have never closed my shop if I could have found like-minded people to join my team, but I refused to hire techs who couldn’t perform the work correctly. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch the dangerous atrocities that take place on so many cars,” Morris shared, and while he will certainly miss his customers, he is eager to begin the next chapter.

Rather than sell his business, Morris emptied the shop and sold the real estate. “A couple different guys were interested, but I couldn’t bear the idea of selling my name and reputation to someone who might ultimately bow down to the pressures that so many succumb to. I posted a sign that reads, ‘I’m retired,’ built a building next to my house and started relocating my tools – I definitely couldn’t part with the tools of my craft!”

Although Morris doesn’t know exactly what the future holds, he looks forward to “never having another employee as long as I live. I’ll never have to travel down Interstate 360 and wonder if my employees will be there or what type of drama we’ll face today. I have low-level needs. I’ll probably spend time in my shop at home so I can focus on the craftsmanship, maybe build some hotrods, but I won’t have to be responsible for anything now. I enjoyed my 40 years in the collision industry, and now I’m ready to enjoy myself.” H&D

Executive Director’s Thoughts

Kudos to Lee, who is the epitome of what this industry is all about: Hard work without compromising your reputation, keeping up-to-date on changes through cultivating long-lasting relationships (and reading magazines like Hammer & Dolly!), a commitment to the future by staying in touch with the local vo-tech program, and a true devotion to the craft. We wish him well! -Jordan

Hendler