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congratulations! Your inspiring business story has made it into one of our award-winning magazines and you’ve received industry recognition from across the country. Our entire team at 10 Missions Media is grateful for the opportunity to share your story with our valued readers and you and your company should be proud of your accomplishments.

Having a story covered in a national, industry-leading magazine is exciting and doesn’t happen very often, so we thought it would be helpful to put together this handy Guide to Reprints to help you get the most out of your exposure. My hope is that this guide will help you understand the many affordable options available to you. Whether it is a custom frame for your entryway at home or office, or hardcopy reprint to send to customers or business partners, I think you’ll see that reprints are a great way to share your story.

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Your success Leverage your exposure in the magazine with a custom-designed frame that shows off your success to customers, staff and business partners.

features• Printed on high-quality photo paper using a state-of-the-art digital printing press• Paper is fade-rated at 104 years• Frame is finished with UV-coated crystal clear acrylic glass• Equipped with horizontal and vertical hanging brackets

You pick the matte and frame and we’ll work with you to create the perfect layout to best showcase your story.

PoPular usescollision repair and/or auto care shops

• Hang in office• Hang in lobby• Hang at home or home office

Vendors serVing the collision and/or mechanical market

• Send to client as a way to say “Congratulations on being featured!”• Hang in office• Display at trade shows

07.13 | r+W | 7 07.13 | r+W | 7

Printed in the U.s.a. COPYriGht ©2013 BY 10 missiOns media LLC. All rights reserved. Ratchet+Wrench (ISSN 2167-0056) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 2446 University Avenue West #112, St. Paul, MN 55114. Ratchet+Wrench content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Twin Cities, MN, and additional mailing offices. POstmasters Send address changes to: Ratchet+Wrench, 2446 University Avenue West #112, St. Paul, MN 55114.

contentsstrategies and inspiration for auto care success

On the COver Nick Sallas, owner of Sallas Auto Repair, photographed by Grant Meeks.

07.13 | voL. 2 | No. 7

Proud Partners Shop owner Mike

Proud, center, and his team at

Exclusive Auto in Yucaipa, Calif.

CASE STUDY36 4440

AlE

n l

in

LifeLong LearnersThree shop owners dedicated to

continuous education share how you can help make the industry’s future bright.

tech turned owner After purchasing a struggling shop from his former boss, Adam Preusser faced a

slew of unexpected challenges.

aLL aboard Mike Proud’s award-winning shop is successful for one reason: his

commitment to building a unified team.

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40 | r+W | 07.13

Value Added Inside Mike Proud’s efforts to build a team that

provides an unrivaled customer experience

Mike Proud has a simple approach to setting his shop apart.In every facet of his business, Proud seeks to “do more” than fix cars. Adding value beyond repairs is a focus of his, and it has worked for his shop, Exclusive Auto in Yucaipa, Calif.

Named one of the top five businesses in the city of Yucaipa (population of roughly 51,000) by the California Senate and Legislature, the $1.5 million shop is also a three-time winner of the Celebration Media U.S. (CMUS) Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction award for best auto repair facility in the region.

Using top-down leadership, thorough employee communi-cation and training, as well as a pay structure that allows all employees to share in the shop’s success, Proud has inspired his team to invest in his vision and make it a reality.

“The crew … they’re an extension of the owner. The owner should not be on his own little pedestal or in his own little hole,” Proud says. “Everybody needs to be part of that.”

You set the Mold Proud started in the industry as a technician, working at a Mercedes dealership for many years. In 1994 he bought his shop. Ten years later, he moved into his current 4,000-square-foot building.

While growing the business, he honed one of his most essential leadership philosophies: lead by example. Although the expression is common, Proud says many owners misinter-pret its meaning.

“Some people would take that as ‘I have to do everything,’ because that’s what a lot of owners like to do,” Proud says. “They’re not good executives. They’ve got to do everything, because they’re the only ones who can do it right.”

Proud approaches the subject more holistically, believing that how he presents himself and how he treats his employ-ees informs his staff how to conduct themselves and how to customers need to be treated.

“If you want everybody to have a great demeanor and be pleasant and smiling, well, you’d better be too,” Proud says.

looks MatterOverall appearance is also a priority. From the shop floor to the waiting area, the facility is a model of organization and cleanliness.

“If you walk into an auto shop and it’s filthy, and then you walk into another place and the price is the same … the immaculate one is going to get the job,” Proud says.

To further drive home the point, Proud has all of his techni-cians wear uniforms with white shirts, which encourages them to practice clean work. It’s a trick he picked up during his days at the Mercedes dealership.

“New technicians will come in and they’ll start and they’ll be filthy for about a few weeks, then they start learning how to get cleaner,” Proud says.

Since Proud demands cleanliness from employees, he knows he needs to live up to his own standards. He shows up at the

by peter funk photos by alen l in

midwestRW0713-F05_PDF.indd 40 6/27/13 2:06 PM

07.13 | r+W | 41

Part of the Process Owner Mike Proud’s constant

focus on leadership has helped his staff to better fulfill their roles and

provide value to the company.

shop every day with a uniform that fits his role as owner—a long-sleeve shirt, tie and dress pants.

According to Proud, the owner essentially leads his or her business by setting standards and adhering to those standards.

“You set the basic mold of the presence of the shop,” Proud says. “You are the face of it.”

Pull don’t PushIn addition to leading by example, every owner has to commu-nicate to employees how he or she wants a job done. Proud says there are two approaches.

“There’s managers that whip and push, and there’s managers that speak and pull,” he says. “Do you want leadership, or do you want dictatorship?”

Proud says the best way to encourage employees to get on board with how you want the job done is communication, which will establish what Proud refers to as “matching realities,” the point where the employee and owner’s perceptions align.

Matching realities starts with laying out the goal, such as how a completed car should look. The next step is training.

“You don’t just tell someone,” Proud says. “You train even if you don’t think they need it.”

Proud thoroughly trains on every task an employee does. For example, when new customers come into the shop, their information, such as how much they spend, who the service writer was and whether they were referred, gets written on a special sheet. The process is clearly laid out for staff as far as how to find out if the person is a new customer, where to find the data sheet, how to fill it out, and to make sure that person gets a thank-you card.

With every process, Proud has employees sign an agree-ment that they not only understand how the task should be done, but why he has them do it that way. And if Proud sees his employees slipping up, he sits down with them, has them show him how they are completing the task and explains to them where they are falling short.

“You don’t yell. You talk. You explain things. You develop the reality,” Proud says. “You tell them what the goal is—the final target, what they’re achieving and then the big thing is also praise.”

Chaunda Fanning, administrative coordinator for the shop, says that Proud’s ability to communicate is one of his strongest attributes as a leader. Jim Smith, a senior consultant for Management Success! and a friend of Proud, says setting

midwestRW0713-F05_PDF.indd 41 6/27/13 2:06 PM

42 | r+W | 07.13

clear instructions and expectations for employees makes any owner’s life easier, and Proud demonstrates that.

“He is very good at making sure they know what the their jobs are—how to do them—and he is setting them up to be successful,” Smith says.

sharing in successProud wanted to develop a pay system that would make every employee in the company invested in the shop’s success. From technicians to service writers to administrative coordinators to lot attendants, everyone is paid based on the performance of the shop.

Technicians and service writers receive pay incentives based on the billable hours or sales they produce. Other employees, like an administrative coordinator or lot attendants, receive bonuses in relation to the shop’s weekly gross sales.

A lot attendant at Proud’s shop has a base pay of $10 an hour, for instance. The shop’s bonus system is set in tiers of $2,000. So, at $2,000 above the break-even point—the exact dollar amount the shop requires to pay all of the bills each week—the lot attendant gets an extra $1 an hour. Two thou-sand dollars above that, he gets an extra $2 an hour.

“If the whole shop is doing well, you know everybody is doing this together,” Proud says. “There’s no one person, so you pay everyone accordingly.”

Proud also thinks up unique ways to show employees how specific practices make the shop more successful.

For example, the shop does 30-day follow-up calls with every one of its customers. The service writer lays the ground-

work for the call when the customer is in the shop, saying he will call back in 30 days to check in, and if there are some recommended repairs for the vehicle, he will discuss it with them at that time.

In 2010, when Proud first introduced the idea, his writers were skeptical, because they felt like they were cold-calling customers. So Proud decided to have a contest to show his writers how well the calls could work.

He took two writers and had them start doing 30-day follow-ups with their customers. The first writer to get 10 cars to return to the shop got top prize ($200), and the second-place finisher got a runner-up prize. In three weeks, the two writers combined for a total of 27 cars to come back for additional work, an extra $15,000 in revenue.

Fanning says knowing that Proud’s processes work moti-vates staff to continually adhere to his training.

“I see how it works,” Fanning says. “I’ve taken what he’s trained me on and I use it, and then it works, and that’s satisfaction.”

More than MoneYAlthough money is important, Proud says it’s nothing without the right people.

What’s essential and often overlooked in building a unified team, Proud says, is letting each employee know that you want what’s best for them.

“You tell the person, ‘look, you’re important. … I am here to nurture and help your position in every way I can,’” Proud says. “And that is something that has to come across.”

Working as One Mike Proud (fourth from left) wants the staff at Exclusive Auto to work as a team. it’s one of the reasons he developed a bonus system that rewards all shop employees—from the lot attendant to the technicians—when the company is successful.

midwest

value added

RepRinted with peRmission fRom july 2013. ratchet+wrench, 10 missions media, llC, CopyRight 2013. all Rights ReseRved. foR moRe infoRmation on the use of this Content, ContaCt 10 missions media, llC at 651-224-6207. Rw0713-f05

RW0713-F05_PDF.indd 42 6/27/13 2:06 PM

As featured in Ratchet+Wrench

July 2013


• Classic black solid wood frame• Acid-free gray matte

• 22 custom frame styles• 10 acid-free, custom color mattes options

• 60 premium frame styles • Over 75 acid-free double matte options

s t a n d a r d F r a m e

P r e m i u m F r a m e

s i g n a t u r e F r a m e fenderbender.com / / july 201338

B y B r y c e e v a n s

a Tour in ProducTiviTy

a look at three shops with functional, yet aesthetically pleasing, facilities

Judy Lynch always shows up earlier than expected. It’s a habit she’s developed during her 25 years of consulting for collision repair facilities. As the manager and founder of Collision Repair Design Services for Sherwin-Williams, it gives her the best view of a shop as it is—not as the shop owner wants her to see it.

In recent years, there’s been a stark change in what she sees.“Without a doubt, there’s a new focus on having nicer facilities,” she says. “The

body shop used to be the leftover part of a dealership or just a dirty independent shop. There was no branding; there was nothing to attract customers. They needed to clean up their image.

“It’s been so exciting to see how, for the most part, they’ve done that, or are starting to do that.”

Shops need to differentiate themselves from competition in order to gain the trust of customers and insurance providers, Lynch says. Behind the scenes, that comes from processes and efficiencies in workflow. But, just as important, shops need to give customers an image that represents who they are as a company.

“There’s no one way to do it,” Lynch says. “We work with shops across the globe, and their space is going to be influenced by the city and the culture where it’s located, as well as the personality and culture of the owner and staff.”

Speaking with three shop operators focused on productivity and appearance, FenderBender shows how to make your facility match your business’s needs in three critical areas—the exterior, the front office and the shop floor.

offuTT collision rePairBellevue, neB.

sisson’s Body Worksdelevan, n.y. summiT collision cenTers

four shoPs in souTh carolina

northeastFB0713-F02_PDF.indd 38 6/27/13 3:07 PM

july 2013 / / fenderbender.com 39

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community it just moved into. He wanted a fresh aesthetic that would set it apart from competition in the area, and allow for his shop to be as productive as possible.

Pleasing to the eyeBecause of zoning restrictions, Rybar had to make the office two stories to get the space he wanted. It wound up adding to its already sophisticated look. From the brick-and-stone walls to the tinted glass to the street-side sign, Rybar wanted everything to have the same upscale look. “Without the signs, some people don’t even realize it’s a body shop,” he says.

Productivity in ParkingCustomer parking spaces aren’t the only consideration when designing a parking lot. Rybar’s shop utilizes a linear repair model that relies on moving cars in and out of the process as needed. That’s why he designed his outdoor space to have room for in-process vehicles. There’s also a covered area to put vehicles under.

ouTside looking inGeorge Rybar heard it from every-one—the architect doing the design, the bank providing the loan, the construction guys on the job.

“Everyone kept saying, ‘This is just [a] body shop. Why do we have to do all of this?’” Rybar remembers.

The fact they were asking the ques-tion provided Rybar’s answer.

“I was tired of that perception of a body shop as being four steel walls with dirt and grime in the middle,” he says. “Everybody saying that over and over—‘Why do we need to do it like this?’—just proves what people still think of our industry.”

When Rybar built a new facility for his business, Offutt Collision Repair in Bellevue, Neb., in 2003, he wanted to make sure it didn’t stand out as an eye-sore in the newer, upscale

offuTT collision rePairBellevue, NeB.OwNer: GeOrGe ryBarSize: 18,200 Square feetStaff: 27MONthly Car COuNt: 182

Better Picture, Better BrandClean landscaping and understated signs help Offutt Collision depict a clean-cut image that’s also welcoming to customers. Rybar’s father founded the company in 1966, and he doesn’t want to lose that local, family-owned feel. “We want our shop to look like it’s part of the neighborhood,” he says. The exterior also features a sculpture of an airplane, paying homage to its namesake, the Offutt Air Force Base.

lynch’s law #1: get efficientwe see a lot of shop owners who think they need extra space, but by implementing or improving standard operating procedures, they realize their facility had potential to be so much more productive. the shop needs to be operating as efficiently as possible before you want to spend the money making improvements to the building.

Judy lynch, MaNaGer, COlliSiON repair DeSiGN ServiCeS, SherwiN-williaMS

a Beautiful Part of the neighborhoodOwner George rybar wanted to create a facility that blended in with its upscale area.

northeast

reprinted with permission from july 2013. FenderBender, 10 missions media, llc, copyright 2013. all rights reserved. for more information on the use of this content, contact 10 missions media, llc at 651-224-6207. fb0713-f02

FB0713-F02_PDF.indd 39 6/27/13 3:07 PM

As featured in FenderBender

July 2013

customframing

share Your storYMaximize your exposure in the magazine with this custom reprint opportunity. It’s an affordable and simple way to share your story.

features• Printed on full-color, high-quality gloss paper• Areas available for customization• Include logo, website, contact information• Easy to re-order


• Point of sale piece for customers to read while waiting• Supplement with estimates or repair orders to customers• Include with promotional mailings to customers or business partners• Distribute at local events


• Share with key companies to build referrals• Trade show and event collateral• Client presentations

hardcopyreprints

a u g u s t 2 0 1 3

a scorned ex-girlfriend, an unwilling office babysitter, and the mars Rover landing might not seem related to collision repair, but Regional auto Center’s success is partly owed to all three. that’s because all three subjects have been the focus of the greensboro, n.C., company’s successful television commercial campaign, which has turned the business into a household name within the community.

under the creative eye of company vice president Ric thomas and his son, dustin, a university of southern California gradu-ate with years of advertising and broadcast experience under his belt, the series of creative and funny commercials have racked up national awards and, most importantly, driven business back to the shop.

“the way you consume information is completely different now,” dustin says. “so much information is thrown at people, so if you’re not putting information out there, too, you’re going to get lost.”

Identifying the Brandalthough Regional auto Center has been profitable since it opened in 1997, Ric acknowledges that the shop relied heavily on word-of-mouth referrals. But as times changed and profits started to plateau, it became more evident to him that advertising was a necessary expense. that’s when he hired dustin in 2009 to set up a three-year marketing plan to ensure that the business would keep growing.

RepRinted thRough the CouRtesy of the editoRs of FenderBender magazine ©2013 10 missions media, LLC

“We’ll be here when you need us. We’re a family-owned company, we’re a locally owned company, and we will be here when the need arises.” —ric Thomas, owner, regional Auto Center

By Anna Zeck Photos by Bert Vanderveen

l I g h t S , C A m e R A , A C t I o n !

Regional Auto Center’s creative tV commercials have ensured that the shop stays top-of-mind with customers.

august 2013 / / fenderbender.com 7

Printed in the U.s.a. COPYriGht ©2013 BY 10 missiOns media LLC. All rights reserved. FenderBender (ISSN 1937-7150) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 2446 University Avenue West #112, St. Paul, MN 55114. FenderBender content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Twin Cities, MN, and additional mailing offices. FenderBender is a member of BPA Worldwide. POstmasters Send address changes to: FenderBender, 2446 University Avenue West #112, St. Paul, MN 55114.

Contentsaugust 2013 // volume 15 // number 8

spreading the WordRic Thomas, owner of

Regional Auto Center in Greensboro, N.C., which

is well known for its witty television commercials.

Learning Full timeJim Keller, founder of 1Collision Network, says no matter where you are in your career, there are always business-enhancing lessons to learn. by bryCe evans

Jim Keller, president, 1Collision Network, photographed by Corey

Hengen in Milwaukee, Wis.

On the cOver

52.

40.

46.

be

rt v

an

de

rve

en

Case stUdYnew directionInside one shop’s decision to change its name for the sake of growing its customer base. by bryCe evans

Brand BuilderRic Thomas and son Dustin have made Regional Auto Center in Greensboro, N.C., a household name with a simple, effective TV commercial campaign. by anna ZeCk

midwest02_TOC_Mast.indd 7 7/23/13 1:00 PM

l i g h t s , c a m e r a , a c t i o n !

RepRinted with peRmission fRom august 2013. FenderBender, 10 missions media, LLC, CopyRight 2013. aLL Rights ReseRved. foR moRe infoRmation on the use of this Content, ContaCt 10 missions media, LLC at 651-224-6207. fB0813-R03

to quickly turn the footage into three, 30-second commercials ready for airtime.

Finding the Sweet SpotJust as crucial to producing good commercials is airing those commercials in the most effective way possible. television stations offer the option to handpick when the commercial will air, or to choose from various packages, such as sports, news, or prime time.

using the demographic data he collected, dustin started exper-imenting with gearing the campaign to different demographics.

“it’s hit or miss at the beginning,” he says. “you try it in spurts and see if it’s working. you also want to see how your demo is changing and work with that. eventually you’ll find a pattern that you can get ahead of.”

Regional auto Center now runs commercials during the nightly news, as well as during popular prime time shows among the shop’s demographic. the commercials also only run for a three-month stretch before switching to a different station.

“you want to hit people over the head with your information, but you don’t want to hit them over the head so much that they’ll get annoyed,” dustin says.

he says that experimentation is key to finding the right time slot; that could mean trying cable, sporting events, and varying how often the commercial runs or during which shows.

“if you get the right time slot, weekly could be sufficient,” dustin says. “you have to find that sweet spot.”

Reaping the Rewardsthree years later and Regional auto Center has found that sweet spot, and it has been reaping the rewards ever since. in fact, after the commercials started airing, revenue increased by almost $1 million in the span of one year. the company has experienced growth every year, and dustin is now gearing up for the relaunch of the company’s website and the release of six new commercials this fall.

and while Ric says he can’t trace the shop’s success back directly to the commercials, it’s made him enough of a believer that he’s too scared to find out what would happen if the commer-cials stopped airing.

“as good as i am, i am not the reason we have grown so astronomically over the past three years,” he says. “advertising is the money i don’t want to spend, but if you don’t do it, i think you’re selling yourself short.”

Regional auto Center2448 Battleground ave greensboro, nC 27408 phone: (336) 286-2277

web: regionalautocenter.com

a u g u s t 2 0 1 3

a scorned ex-girlfriend, an unwilling office babysitter, and the

mars Rover landing might not seem related to collision repair,

but Regional auto Center’s success is partly owed to all three.

that’s because all three subjects have been the focus of the

greensboro, n.C., company’s successful television commercial

campaign, which has turned the business into a household name

within the community.

under the creative eye of company vice president Ric thomas

and his son, dustin, a university of southern California gradu-

ate with years of advertising and broadcast experience under his

belt, the series of creative and funny commercials have racked

up national awards and, most importantly, driven business back

to the shop.

“the way you consume information is completely different

now,” dustin says. “so much information is thrown at people,

so if you’re not putting information out there, too, you’re going

to get lost.”

Identifying the Brandalthough Regional auto Center has been profitable since it

opened in 1997, Ric acknowledges that the shop relied heavily

on word-of-mouth referrals. But as times changed and profits

started to plateau, it became more evident to him that advertising

was a necessary expense. that’s when he hired dustin in 2009

to set up a three-year marketing plan to ensure that the business

would keep growing.

RepRinted thRough the CouRtesy of the editoRs of FenderBender magazine ©2013 10 missions media, LLC

“We’ll be here when you need us. We’re a family-

owned company, we’re a locally owned company,

and we will be here when the need arises.”

—ric Thomas, owner, regional Auto Center

By Anna Zeck Photos by Bert Vanderveen

l I g h t S , C A m e R A , A C t I o n !

Regional Auto Center’s creative tV

commercials have ensured that the shop

stays top-of-mind with customers.

august 2013 / / fenderbender.com 7Printed in the U.s.a. COPYriGht ©2013 BY 10 missiOns media LLC. All rights reserved. FenderBender (ISSN 1937-7150) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 2446 University

Avenue West #112, St. Paul, MN 55114. FenderBender content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Twin Cities,

MN, and additional mailing offices. FenderBender is a member of BPA Worldwide. POstmasters Send address changes to: FenderBender, 2446 University Avenue West #112, St. Paul, MN 55114.

Contentsaugust 2013 // volume 15 // number 8

spreading the Word

Ric Thomas, owner of

Regional Auto Center in

Greensboro, N.C., which

is well known for its witty

television commercials.

Learning Full timeJim Keller, founder of

1Collision Network,

says no matter where

you are in your career,

there are always

business-enhancing

lessons to learn.

by bryCe evans

Jim Keller, president, 1Collision

Network, photographed by Corey

Hengen in Milwaukee, Wis.

On the cOver

52.

40.

46.

be

rt v

an

de

rve

en

Case stUdY

new directionInside one shop’s

decision to change

its name for the

sake of growing its

customer base. by bryCe evans

Brand BuilderRic Thomas and son

Dustin have made

Regional Auto Center

in Greensboro, N.C., a

household name with

a simple, effective TV

commercial campaign.

by anna ZeCk

midwest

02_TOC_Mast.indd 7

7/23/13 1:00 PM

Custom AreA

l i g h t s , c a m e r a , a c t i o n !

RepRinted with peRmission fRom august 2013. FenderBender, 10 missions media, LLC, CopyRight 2013. aLL Rights ReseRved. foR moRe infoRmation on the use of this Content, ContaCt 10 missions media, LLC at 651-224-6207. fB0813-R03

to quickly turn the footage into three, 30-second commercials ready for airtime.

Finding the Sweet SpotJust as crucial to producing good commercials is airing those commercials in the most effective way possible. television stations offer the option to handpick when the commercial will air, or to choose from various packages, such as sports, news, or prime time.

using the demographic data he collected, dustin started exper-imenting with gearing the campaign to different demographics.

“it’s hit or miss at the beginning,” he says. “you try it in spurts and see if it’s working. you also want to see how your demo is changing and work with that. eventually you’ll find a pattern that you can get ahead of.”

Regional auto Center now runs commercials during the nightly news, as well as during popular prime time shows among the shop’s demographic. the commercials also only run for a three-month stretch before switching to a different station.

“you want to hit people over the head with your information, but you don’t want to hit them over the head so much that they’ll get annoyed,” dustin says.

he says that experimentation is key to finding the right time slot; that could mean trying cable, sporting events, and varying how often the commercial runs or during which shows.

“if you get the right time slot, weekly could be sufficient,” dustin says. “you have to find that sweet spot.”

Reaping the Rewardsthree years later and Regional auto Center has found that sweet spot, and it has been reaping the rewards ever since. in fact, after the commercials started airing, revenue increased by almost $1 million in the span of one year. the company has experienced growth every year, and dustin is now gearing up for the relaunch of the company’s website and the release of six new commercials this fall.

and while Ric says he can’t trace the shop’s success back directly to the commercials, it’s made him enough of a believer that he’s too scared to find out what would happen if the commer-cials stopped airing.

“as good as i am, i am not the reason we have grown so astronomically over the past three years,” he says. “advertising is the money i don’t want to spend, but if you don’t do it, i think you’re selling yourself short.”

Regional auto Center2448 Battleground ave greensboro, nC 27408 phone: (336) 286-2277

web: regionalautocenter.com

Custom AreA


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As seen in...

ratchetandwrench.comStrategies and Inspiration for Auto Care Success

Know Your

Niche

page577 ways to delegate effectively

Silver liningHow 3 sHops found

meaning in mistakesPage 44

How to determine an

owner’s salary Page 63

wHy it pays to tour otHer sHops

1

People who own hybrids tend to know a lot more about how they work and tend to have much stronger opinions about how to fix them.—Carolyn Coquillette, owner of Luscious garage in San Francisco

How a science major-turned-shop owner built one of the

best-known hybrid repair businesses in the country.

Page 38

midwest midwest

As seen in...

Strategies and Inspiration for Collision Repair Success

fenderbender.com

fenderbender.com / / july 201318 july 2013 / / fenderbender.com 19

snap shop

shop Rich’s Auto Body Inc.locAtIon Merced, california owneR leonard Rich Jr.sIze 50,000 square feet stAff 41Monthly cAR count 160AnnuAl Revenue $3.5-$4.5 million

Rich’s Auto Body opened in its current location in 1964, but has acquired three additional pieces of property in different stages since then. The building now encompasses 50,000 square feet and takes up nearly the entire stretch of the block, a presence that CEO Leonard Rich Jr. takes seriously. In 2002, he decided to redesign the exterior of the building to look more uniform and modern. While the building was originally made of cement block, he chose to add stucco in a peach color with maroon trim. “It’s a different look for a body shop,” he says. “A lot of people drive by it and think it’s a hotel.”

Besides acting as a body shop, the space also doubles as a car museum, containing more than 91 classic cars that Rich has collected and restored at the shop over the years. Although displaying the cars was originally intended merely to share Rich’s passion, they have also become a marketing tool for the shop. “I wanted people to see the quality of work that we do and what we can do,” he says.

The large sign on the exterior of the building also advertises the car museum, with an outline of a classic car featured prominently on the sign to attract visitors.

The building’s original entrance was an overhead door, but Rich swapped it out for an office door with an awning during the redesign. The door leads directly into the main lobby, so he wanted to create a more welcoming atmosphere for new customers. “We wanted to make it look more upscale,” he says. “That was the whole idea about changing our exterior in the front.” Rich also added columns, glass block windows and sunshade canopies to make the building look more inviting.

Although sunny days outnumber the rainy ones in Southern California, Rich built two carports for pick-ups, drop-offs and estimates to shield customers and technicians from rain during the process. He selected Italian tile for the roof of the carports because the warm tones kept with the Mediterranean theme of the exterior.

No detail was too small during the building redesign, including the landscaping along the front of the building. Numerous palm trees were planted along the street, while Italian cypress run down both perimeters of the property line. Next to the entrance, a bed of brightly colored flowers helps create the welcoming environment that Rich was looking for. “I always say you need to look at the place where you’re going to have your car repaired before you bring it there,” he says. “If you don’t feel comfortable, you shouldn’t be there.”

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Annual revenue: $3.5–$4.5 millionSquare footage: 50,000Staff size: 41Repairs per month: 160

RepRinted with peRmission fRom july 2013. FenderBender, 10 missions media, llC, CopyRight 2013. all Rights ReseRved. foR moRe infoRmation on the use of this Content, ContaCt 10 missions media, llC at 651-224-6207. fB0713-f01

FB0713-F01_PDF.indd 18-19 6/27/13 3:05 PM

bACk

a postcard for everYthingAnnounce your exposure in the magazine with these custom-designed postcards. These are a quick and direct way to communicate with your customers – just add the postage!

features• Full-color, printed on paper with a gloss finish • Space for handwritten notes to your customers• Customizable – add your contact info or a special message• Three templates to choose from


• Marketing tool to promote your shop• Announce new services• Holiday greeting cards• Direct mail campaigns• Counter cards at point of sale (Like a big business card!)


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postcards


fenderbender.com / / april 2013

44

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John Kimpton, owner‘A’ Street Automotive & CollisionSpringfield, Ore.ShOp Size: 7,000 sq. ft. for collision (12,000 total)StAff Size: 8 for collision (13 total)CAr COunt: 65 (collision only)AnnuAl revenue: $1–1.5 million (collision only)

Since he founded the shop in 1988 with longtime friend Chris Kuhnhausen, John Kimpton says ‘A’ Street Automotive & Collision has benefited greatly from its environ-mentally conscious values. “It’s not just for reducing your waste stream or water contamina-tion,” he says. “There are a lot of reasons why having this type of mindset is good for your business.”

First off, it provides a better work environment for employees, he says. Employees know that the shop is safe and clean. “It also lets them know that you care,” Kimpton says.

“If you’re going out of your way to do some of these things, your staff is going to notice and appreciate that.”It also helps shops to regularly evaluate their practices. If you’re always trying to reduce waste and streamline processes, Kimpton says,

then you’re always analyzing current systems and looking for improve-

‘A’ for (environmental) effort John Kimpton’s ‘A’ Street Automotive & Collision is a certified green business in

Springfield, Ore. Having a green focus requires a concentrated effort on the part of his team.

ments. It’ll make a difference in all areas, not just ones focused on sustain-ability, and obviously, it will help to create efficiencies.Lastly, Kimpton says that most sustainable practices happen to be the

most cutting-edge, as well. “You’re always focused on new technology,” he says. “That’s going to help your shop’s practices, and it’s going to make a difference in public perception

of your shop.”

“You’re always focused on new technology. That’s going to help your shop’s practices, and it’s going to make a difference in public perception of your shop.”–John Kimpton, owner, ‘A’ Street Automotive & Collision

THE BEnEFITS OF BEIng grEEn

being green in 2013

midwest

07_Topical.indd 44

3/15/13 10:17 AM

‘A’ STREET AUTOMOTIVE & COLLISION FEATURED IN NATION’S #1 MAGAZINE FOR COLLISION REPAIR!

A foolproof way to win over insurance adjusters1

A better method for managing materials

Page 31

improve your customer service

3 ways to make it happen today

Page 33

InnovAtIve Processes.

Hot trends. tHe lAtest

tools. And wHAt you need to know to

mAke eco-efforts A moneymAker.

Page 40

“There are a loT of reasons why having This

Type of mindseT is good

for your business.” —John kimpton, environmentally

conscious owner of ‘A’ street Automotive.

how To be|

green in 2013

leadership

4 steps for crafting a

winning shop culture Page 51

customer service

loyal customers share what

keeps them coming back Page 61

education+training

How to ensure the best

education for your techs Page 73

LEADERship

CustomER sERviCE

EDuCAtion+tRAining

‘A’ Street Automotive & Collision3445 Main St.

Springfield, OR 97478phone: (541) 726-8453

fax: (541) 746-7085 web: astauto.com

We are thrilled to share some exciting news about our shop. In July, our shop was featured in the most popular magazine serving the collision repair industry, FenderBender. This was a great honor, so we wanted to share our story with you.

Check out our story online at www.fenderbender.com

THIS AREA RESERVED FOR ADDRESS AND OTHER USPS REQUIREMENTS.

Want to cut cycle time? Here’s wHat not to do.

Page 77

“We’re constantly trying to do everything

better, and improve in

any way possible.” –Gus Mallios, oWner,

suMMit Collision Centers

Form and Function

Jon Parker

on the spread of u.k. Collision trends

Page 35

hoW to Create

praCtiCal, produCtive spaCes that also

appeal to CustoMers Page 40

turn your

warranty into a Powerful

marketing toolPage 65

6 steps for ensuring the

success oF new hiresPage 57

IN THE NEWS!

Summit Collision Repair was recently

featured in the nation’s #1 magazine

for collision repairers.

We’re proud to share that Cannon’s Automotivewas recently featured in Ratchet+Wrench, the nation’s #1 magazine for mechanical repairers.

IN THENEWS!

‘A’ Street Automotive & Collision3445 Main St.

Springfield, OR 97478phone: (541) 726-8453

fax: (541) 746-7085 web: astauto.com

We are thrilled to share some exciting news about our shop. In July, our shop was featured in the most popular magazine serving the collision repair industry, FenderBender. This was a great honor, so we wanted to share our story with you.

Check out our story online at www.fenderbender.com THIS AREA RESERVED

FOR ADDRESS AND OTHER USPS REQUIREMENTS.

Custom AreA

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