showcases shop howcase and product - autobody news · 2019-05-31 · michael holman, a detailing...

SHOP AND PRODUCTSHOP AND PRODUCTSHOP AND PRODUCTSHOP AND PRODUCTSHOP PRODUCT PRODUCT PRODUCT PRODUCTSHOP SHOP SHOP SHOP SHOP SHOP SHOP AND PRODUCT PRODUCT PRODUCT PRODUCT PRODUCT PRODUCT PRODUCTSHOWCASESHOWCASEJune 2019 // autobodynews.comTOOLS // TECHNIQUES // TESTIMONIALS

DeBeer Re!nishRickenbaugh Automotive GroupCollision CenterDenver, CO 18-19

EqualizerCARSTAR Collision Centers, Inc.Fitchburg, MA 20-21

Lusid TechnologiesRoland’s Auto BodyWhite Plains, NY 22-23

CCC Information ServicesBig Sky CollisionBillings, MT 14-15

CeletteBill Ussery Motors Collision CenterMiami, FL 16-17

Matrix WandCarrillo & Sons Collision CenterSan Diego, CA 24-25

Sherwin-WilliamsSchaefer Autobody CentersSt. Louis, MO 30-31

Spanesi AmericasFix Auto ChicagoChicago, IL 32-33

USI of North AmericaMike’s Auto BodyConcord, CA 34-35

PPGCervini’s Auto DesignsVineland, NJ 26-27

SATA Dan-Am CompanyGerber Collision & GlassDuluth, GA 28-29

3MElite Paint & BodyWest Palm Beach, FL 2-3

AccudraftDimmitt Collision CenterOldsmar, FL 4-5

AkzoNobelAnkeny Auto BodyAnkeny, IA 6-7

8-9

AutelLaMettry’s CollisionMinneapolis and St. Paul, MN

Axalta Coating SystemsDeano’s Collision & MechanicalSpecialistsElk River, MN 10-11

Car-O-LinerG & C Auto BodySonoma Cty., Marin Cty.,Mendocino Cty., Solano Cty., CA 12-13

Inside this Issue:

AUTOBODYBrought to you by:

2 JUNE 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS | Shop and Product Showcase

Shop and Product Showcase | AUTOBODY NEWS JUNE 2019 3

New 3M™ Trizact™ Hookit™ Foam Abrasive Disc,8000 Grit Saves Shop Time and Money

Michael Holman, a detailing tech-nician at Elite Paint & Body in PalmBeach, FL, who began detailingcars when he was only 9, is alreadyan industry veteran at 25 years old.

At age 14, he started workingofficially at a body shop and turnedheads almost immediately for hiswork ethic and eye for detail.

“Detailing vehicles is a lot morethan just washing cars. A good de-tailer can really make or break ashop,” he said. “I’m the last person totouch a vehicle before it goes backto the customer, so it’s not just waxon, wax off; it’s also about qualitycontrol. I knew early on that I wantedto perfect my craft and do the bestwork I possibly could, and workingfor a great shop like Elite helps.”

Having the finest products avail-able helps enable Holman to per-form a spectacular job on each andevery vehicle.

“3M is the standard in this in-dustry, and I’ve been using theirproducts from the very beginning,”Holman said. “One morning I camein for work and the 3M™ Trizact™Hookit™ Foam Abrasive Disc, 8000grit was sitting there. They told meto try it, and I realized immediatelythat it would make my life a lot eas-ier.”

Holman’s boss at Elite Paint &Body is the shop’s owner, JohnHauser, who proudly repairs expen-sive European cars for his discern-ing customers in the Palm Beacharea.

“Many of our customers driveAudis, Jaguars, Mercedes-Benzesand BMWs and expect top cus-tomer service and quality,” Hausersaid. “These cars have to be pris-tine when they leave here, whetherit’s a Hyundai or a Jaguar, so Hol-man’s role here is critical.”

Hauser uses a lot of 3M prod-ucts and is always looking for newthings that can help him do a betterjob.

“Our 3M rep, Jay Guadalupe,picked us to test their 3M™ Trizact™Hookit™ Foam Abrasive Disc, 8000grit for 30 days,” he said. “3M wantedour feedback before it goes nationalon June 1, and we have nothing but

positive things to say about it.”It used to take Holman 45–60

minutes to detail a car, but now byusing 3M™ Trizact™ Hookit™ FoamAbrasive Disc, 8000 grit he’s moreefficient than ever.

“I’m saving at least 15 minuteson every job, which is awesome. Itremoves the smallest scratches toeliminate the need for compoundingand it also reduces the total polish-ing time. We haven’t really beenable to figure out how much moneywe’re saving yet, but I’m sure it’s sig-nificant.”

Holman is cutting detailed finish-ing and polishing steps with 3M™Trizact™ Hookit™ Foam AbrasiveDisc, 8000 grit, he said.

“I’m getting a fast and extremelyconsistent cut and able to skip the5000,” he said. “I’m going straightdirectly from 3000 to 8000 and re-moving even the smallest scratcheseasily. The 8000 is a fine gradeabrasive that really delivers refinedfinishes to auto clear coats, and isalso great for wet sanding in orderto reduce dust and prolong sheetlife. If I detail eight cars daily, for ex-ample, that means I am saving twohours every day, 10 hours a week.When we’re busy and I need to turnthings around quickly, that means alot, so I’m pleased with this system.”

“I learned many years ago thatquality and safety are more impor-tant than just making money, and

we’ve built our business around that.We won’t skimp on parts or productsbecause in the end, we’re servingthe customer, and they deserve thebest,” said Hauser.

Part of Hauser’s success stemsfrom the fact that his team membersare dedicated to their jobs and areloyal to the shop, he said. His smallbut highly productive crew consistsof two body men, one painter, onecombo tech and the aforementionedHolman. He is able to retain themwhile other shops struggle to findgood people.

“I’m often asked, what’s the se-cret for getting the best people andkeeping them around?” said Hauser.“I tell them to pay them well anddon’t treat them like employees, andit will work. I told myself that when Igot a shop, I’d make sure to treat mycustomers right, and that’s why we’vebeen around for 36 years.”

Starting on June 1, the 3M™Trizact™ Hookit™ Foam AbrasiveDisc, 8000 grit system will be avail-able nationally, so ask your 3M repabout it and request a sample. Se-lected detailers and painter helperslike Michael Holman at Elite Paint &Body have already seen the systemin action, so they know it’s the realthing.

“We’ve used it all up during thetesting process, so we’re anxious toget more in here and make it part ofour daily production,” said Holman.

Holman (left) and Elite’s OwnerJohn Hauser are all-in when itcomes to 3M and its products.

Elite Paint & Bodywas used as a testing shop for the 3M™ Trizact™ Hookit™Foam Abrasive Disc, 8000 grit system, one of its newest products.

Elite’s Detailing Technician MichaelHolman is delighted with theresults he gets with the 3M™Trizact™ Hookit™ Foam AbrasiveDisc, 8000 grit system.

by Autobody News Staff Elite Paint & BodyLocation: West Palm Beach, FL(561) 848-8855

Company At A Glance...

Type: Collision Repair

Facility Employees: Eight

In Business Since: 1983

Number of Locations: One

DRP Programs: One

Combined Production Space:5,000 square feet

3M Automotive Aftermarket Division3M Center223-6S-07St. Paul, MN 55144-1000(877) 666-22773MCollision.com


Accudraft Helps Dimmitt Collision Produce FlawlessResults on Luxury Vehicles

As a dealership shop specializing inluxury vehicles, Dimmitt CollisionCenter knows its customers don’tjust expect their vehicles to functioncorrectly when they are returned—they also expect them to look great.

Dimmitt Collision Director HarryBlackledge shared, “The results weachieve with Accudraft’s Titan down-draft paint booths allow us to exceedour customers’ expectations on eventhe most luxurious vehicles.”

When the 38,000-square-foot fa-cility opened in June 2018, DimmittCollision invested in three AccudraftTitan downdraft paint booths and anAccumix paint mixing room, allowingpainters to efficiently produce flaw-less results on the luxury vehiclesthey repair.

Blackledge noted, “With the sizeof the Titans, we are seeing morethroughput in our booths, allowing usto do more jobs per day by increasedflash and cure times. Our team mem-bers are very happy with the Accud-raft booths because they work greatand allow us to produce more hoursand increase production.”

As a shop that repairs an aver-age of 130 vehicles each month,Dimmitt Collision needs to be well-equipped and efficient. The use ofAccudraft’s Titan booths allows theshop to produce high-quality jobsmore quickly due to the product’sunparalleled airflow and contamina-tion controls. The EnergySmart tech-nology allows Dimmitt to save up to50 percent on energy bills, and thedual mode technology provides aneasy switch between water-basedand solvent-based modes, allowingthem to prepare for the next projectwhile the last is being completed.

Dimmitt Collision Center beganusing Accudraft’s booths in 2014.Despite researching other paintbooth manufacturers before openingthe new facility, “We just kept comingback to Accudraft because of the fea-tures they offer and their competitivepricing,” Blackledge said. “We’ve hadgreat success with Accudraft prod-ucts, and it was definitely the rightdecision to continue with this brand.”

Blackledge credits distributorDoug Hines of CDHINES for help-ing Dimmitt choose the best Accud-raft paint booths for the shop.

“Doug has been instrumental in

servicing our original spray boothsand with the sales and installation ofour new Titan spray booths. Doug isa great representative for the Accu-draft lines, and his service is excep-tional,” Blackledge said.

Completing set-up for its new fa-cility, Dimmitt Collision Center alsoinstalled a three-sided Accumix paintmixing room next to the booths tomaximize productivity. The code-compliant area allows paints to bemixed and stored safely and pro-vides a controlled environment forthe refinish portion of each repair job.

Using Accudraft’s Titan paintbooths was easy for Dimmitt’spainters because they already hadexperience with Accudraft’s technol-ogy. When Dimmitt first converted toAccudraft’s booths in 2014, Black-ledge recalled, “Accudraft’s controlpanel was a little different from whatwe were used to, but it was easy tolearn. It was leagues better than theother technology available at thetime—and the quality product we re-ceived is something I can’t say aboutother manufacturers! We’ve alwaysgotten great reliability from Accud-raft.”

Dimmitt Collision Center teammembers are thrilled with how per-fectly the Accudraft Titans configureinto their new facility and help themmaintain their high standards of serv-ice and results.

“The Titan line from Accudraft issuperior to our previous spray boothsin several ways,” Blackledge said.“They allow more air flow during thespray and drying cycle, which allowsfor faster dry times when needed.Plus, the size of the spray booths al-lows us to do more at one time ver-

sus going in and out of the boothsmultiple times for the same vehicle.”

Dimmitt Collision Center is partof the Dimmitt Automotive Group,which was founded by Larry Dim-mitt Sr. in 1924. The organizationhas grown over the years, addingCadillac in 1965 and Toyota in 1985.Since then, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce/Bentley, Jaguar, McLaren,Aston Martin and Audi dealershipshave been added under the Dimmittname. Dimmitt Automotive Group isnow owned by Larry Dimmitt Sr.’sgrandson, Richard Dimmitt Sr.

Dimmitt Collision Center holds10 OEM certifications and is I-CARGold-certified. In addition to its pri-mary facility, the shop employs threeremote estimators at other Dimmittdealerships.

The shop maintains environmen-tal compliance by recycling with KPACompliance Solutions, and it usesGlasurit 90-line waterborne paints.

Blackledge shared, “The Dimmittfamily and organization are involvedin numerous community organiza-tions. If there’s a charitable organi-zation that the company is involvedwith, you will see the Dimmitt fam-ily and leadership team actively in-volved. The Dimmitt family followsthe principle of having a servant’sheart and encourages their teammembers to follow this example.Volunteering with charitable organ-izations is just one of our ways.”

A high-quality shop such as Dim-mitt Collision Center requires high-quality products to properly serve itscustomers. Dimmitt has found a keytool to its success in Accudraft’s Titandowndraft paint booths and the Ac-cumix paint mixing room.

Dimmitt Collision Director LarryBlackledge shared, “The flawlessresults we achieve with Accudraft’sTitan downdraft paint booths allowus to exceed our customers’expectations on even the mostluxurious vehicles.”

The size of Accudraft’s Titan paint booth and its technology allowDimmitt Collision to process more jobs faster without sacrificingquality for efficiency.

Because Dimmitt Collision Centerspecializes in high-end, luxuryvehicles, the products its teammembers use must help themadhere to their customers’ highexpectations. This is why theyuse Accudraft’s Titan downdraftpaint booths and Accumix paintmixing room.

by Autobody News Staff Dimmitt Collision CenterLocation: Oldsmar, FL(727) 797-7070www.dimmitt.com


Type: Dealership Collision

Facility Employees: 27

In Business Since: 1924 (dealership)


DRP Programs: Five


Accudraft961 Rt. 10 E, Ste 2KRandolph, NJ 07869(800) 524-0340 [email protected]


Ankeny Auto Body Shoots & Scores With AkzoNobel

Owner Mark Martin of Ankeny AutoBody in Iowa is a big hockey fan. Afew years back, his shop even cus-tomized a Zamboni to seat 10 peo-ple. It is used by the Iowa Wildhockey team to give fans free ridesat games. As a second-generationoperator, Martin took over the busi-ness in 1990 after his mother, fatherand brother ran it for more than 12years. Much of their success is cred-ited to using top products and toolsto fix roughly 80 vehicles per month.Part of their winning formula revolvesaround the fact that Ankeny AutoBody began using Sikkens, a lead-ing AkzoNobel vehicle refinish brand,in 1992 and its Autowave waterborneproduct since 2011 to provide in-credible finishes while protecting theenvironment.

A graduate of Iowa State Uni-versity with a degree in BusinessManagement and Construction En-gineering, Martin worked as a con-tractor for five years before enteringthe family business.

“I was playing pond hockey witha long-term friend of mine one dayand all of a sudden he told me that Ishould take over the family shop,”Martin said. “It seemed a little out ofthe blue at the time, but it made methink and convinced me that I shouldenter the collision repair industry.”

Soon after, Martin broke the icewith his family and told them of his de-cision. “Both of my parents had retiredfrom the business and my brotherwas running the shop,” he said. “But,when I told them I wanted to take itover, my mother came out of retire-ment after 20 years and ran the officeuntil she finally retired at age 88.”

Over the years, Martin hasworked hard to make all the rightmoves, and has received many ac-colades from his customers as a re-sult. When he entered the picture,Ankeny Auto Body had two employ-ees and operated out of a 3,000-square-foot facility that was repair-ing an average of 20 cars per month.Today the shop has a dozen em-ployees to fix 80 cars monthly out ofa 15,000-square-foot building.

When Martin made the switch tospray Sikkens Autowave almost twodecades ago, he did it for several rea-

sons that have paid off on many lev-els, he said. “We knew that the Cityof Ankeny was going to grow and thatour volume was going to increase, sowe wanted a reliable paint that wouldhelp us to accommodate our steadygrowth. In addition, we wanted towork with a company that would be agood partner for us by helping us inevery aspect of the business, andthat is exactly what AkzoNobel hasdone for us.”

One of the smartest things Martinhas ever done was joining the AcoatSelected 20 Group and utilizing its G5cutting-edge lean production system,he said. “These business improve-ment programs have made us a bet-ter company, because we interact ona regular basis with top shops andmeet in person with them at a differentlocation every six months,” Martinsaid. “We’ve learned about best prac-tices, doing financial analysis, devel-oping marketing and business plansand getting technical information thatwe can’t get anywhere else. Part ofour success is due to the fact that wecontinually work on our business, asopposed to working in it.”

For his color matching, Martin’screw uses AkzoNobel’s AutomatchicVision to precisely measure andmatch the existing color on any areaof a vehicle. It consists of two ele-ments— Automatchic Vision, thelatest generation of AkzoNobel’shand-held device that digitally ana-lyzes color, and the AutomatchicSmart Search, a color retrieval soft-ware that provides the optimum color

formula to get dead-on matchesevery time.

Another sage decision that Mar-tin made less than a year ago wasacquiring AkzoNobel’s Carbeat™system, a highly intuitive and practi-cal tool that visually represents workin production and identifies the sta-tus of a repair at a glance.

“We have an 80-inch computertouch screen that blows away any-thing else that exists,” Martin said.“It gives us real-time vehicle statusinformation so that we are all on thesame page all the time. It’s a cloud-based user-friendly application, andall of our technicians use it daily.We’re still learning more about it andfinding new ways to improve ourworkflow, efficiency and communi-cation by painting a clear picture ofwhat we’re doing in real-time.”

Enamored with Sikkens Au-towave and delighted with all of thegreat tools and advice that comewith it, Martin also appreciates thesupport he receives from his jobber,the Body Parts Store in Des Moines,IA. “When we switched to Sikkens,we began working with Kim and JonSnyder, the owners of the BodyParts Store, and it’s been wonderful.They know our business plan andour goals here and provide us withoutstanding support.”

A great product, amazing sup-port and some of the newest tech-nology in the industry today—it’s ahat trick that Mark Martin and AnkenyAuto Body are using to score and getwinning results consistently.

Mark Martin, owner of AnkenyAuto Body, is always ahead of thegame, which is why he is usingSikkens Autowave by AkzoNobel.

(l to r) CSR Shelli White, blueprinter Jim Schafer, GM Phil Ulvestad,owner Mark Martin and parts manager Brenna Tomlin are part of thesuccess of Ankeny Auto Body.

Head painter Jordan Hoffmanloves the finished product thathe gets every time with SikkensAutowave by AkzoNobel.

by Autobody News Staff Ankeny Auto BodyLocation: Ankeny, IA(515) 964-7291www.ankenyautobody.com






DRP Programs: 10


AkzoNobel1845 Maxwell DriveTroy, MI 48084www.akzonobel.com


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LaMettry’s Collision Keeps Diagnostics In-Houseby Using Autel’s Cutting-Edge Tools

Jason “Buck” Zeise is the mechan-ical operations manager at LaMet-try’s Collision, an MSO often in thenews for being a forward-thinking andaward-winning company with nine lo-cations in the Twin Cities, MN, area.

Established in 1976, LaMettry’shas continued to grow by adhering tothe company’s vision statement of“leading the automotive repair indus-try with commitment to the finestworkmanship and treating all peopleand vehicles with the utmost re-spect.” LaMettry’s Collision fixes anaverage of 1,200 to 1,500 vehiclesevery month. CEO Joanne LaMet-try and her sons, J.R. and Randy,run the company. J.R. and Randygrew up in the business and learnedthe industry by performing literallyevery job that could be performed ina body shop.

Every LaMettry’s location ad-heres to industry best practices, in-cluding the performance of pre- andpost-vehicle scans on every car re-paired—a company policy since No-vember 2015. LaMettry’s also workshard to maintain a wide range ofOEM certifications and is the onlyshop in Minnesota authorized to re-pair Teslas.

To provide some of the finest au-tomotive diagnostics services in theindustry today, LaMettry’s proudlyuses scanning systems made byAutel, one of the world’s leading man-ufacturers and suppliers of profes-sional diagnostic tools, equipmentand accessories in the automotive af-termarket since 2004.

With a crew of 20 mechanics,Zeise has worked at LaMettry’s since2008 and managed the mechanicalside for the company since 2015, sohe has witnessed the evolution of ve-hicle diagnostics and how it has af-fected the collision repair industryfirsthand. To handle his company’shuge workload, which includes PDR,glass, 24-hour towing and Clear-Guard services, Zeise needs scan-ners that are reliable, up-to-date andrelatively easy to use.

Seventy percent of all the me-chanical repairs that Zeise’s crew per-forms are collision-related and donein-house or on the road by two mobiletechs that do most of the more com-plex diagnostics. The company cur-rently has nine MaxiSYS MS906BTs,

one MaxiSYS MS906TS and a Max-iSYS Elite to perform J2534 moduleprogramming, in addition to one ofthe newest release tools, the AutelMaxiSYS Advanced Driver Assis-tance System (ADAS) Calibrationtool package, to ensure all modernvehicles equipped with radar andcamera safety systems are calibratedperfectly before leaving the shop.

LaMettry’s Autel diagnostic toolsmake Zeise’s department look good,he said.

“We’re busy all the time, and weuse our Autel devices for most ofour diagnostics, including all of theelectronics, airbags, restraint sys-tems, steering, suspension, someair conditioning work and all of theADAS calibrations these newer carsrequire,” Zeise said. “We always saythat our role is to get these cars run-ning right and to make them safewhile the collision side makes thempretty.”

Zeise was introduced to Autelrandomly after some thieves brokeinto his van five years ago, giving himan opportunity to do an impromptuproduct comparison.

“All my scan tools were stolen, soI ended up getting an Autel scannerand a competing device at the sametime to do a comparison,” he said.“Quickly, I discovered that the Autelscan tool was more up-to-date withan intuitive interface and a ton of ca-pabilities that the other scanner didn’thave. It allows me to create PDFs toattach to our repair files for when theygo over to the collision side.”

Autel has all of the scan tool ca-pabilities that Zeise expects suchtools to have and more, he said.

“We have to generate a lot of re-ports, so we need a scanning systemthat will do that fast and seamlessly,”he said. “We also need scanners thatare highly intuitive so my crew does-n’t have to do a lot of homework touse them. Their capabilities, such asbi-directional control, initializationsand calibrations, mean that we don’thave to sublet our diagnostics to adealership 90 percent of time. And fi-nally, the vehicle coverage that Autelgives us is superior across the board.”

Autel stands out for its compre-hensive OEM information—whetherit’s for a Ford, Fiat or Ferrari—espe-cially to an MSO like LaMettry’s,which will often repair up to 20 brandsevery day.

“We used to have to take manyof our European vehicles to the deal-erships, but now we’re doing them allin-house,” Zeise said. “Our Autelscanning tools tell us when an up-date is available for each vehiclemake, so we can download the infor-mation in less than an hour by simplyclicking on it.”

Zeise and his crew are enthusedabout using their Autel MaxiSys ad-vanced driver assistance system(ADAS) calibration tool many timesdaily. They will be buying a secondone later this year.

“When you acquire a good pieceof equipment, it’s not an expense—it’s an investment. Our Autel diag-nostic scanning tools have definitelypaid for themselves several timesover,” he said. “Diagnostics are goingto become a bigger and bigger partof everything we do, so our mutuallybeneficial relationship with Autel isimportant.”

With a crew of 20 mechanics,LaMettry’s has been offeringmechanical repair servicessince 2015.

Jason “Buck” Zeise, the mechanical operations manager at LaMettry’sCollision, calls upon his Autel MaxiSYS ADAS diagnostic tablet and theAutel ADAS Calibration Frame every day.

Master electronics and safetysystems technician Paul Bosteluses the Autel scan tool to performa pre-scan/blueprint scan on avehicle at LaMettry’s Collision.

by Autobody News Staff LaMettry’s CollisionLocation: Minneapolis andSt. Paul area, MN(952) 941-5586www.lamettrys.com





Number of Locations: Nine

DRP Programs: 12+

AutelFarmingdale, NY(518) 240-5197www.Autel.com


Deano’s Collision Enjoys Easy Color Matching With Axalta’sAcquire and Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC Paint

Color-matching is often one of themost challenging aspects of the re-pair process due to the multitude ofvariables impacting the results.

“We pride ourselves on color-matching, but it’s not always a sim-ple task,” said Tom Wistrom, ownerof Deano’s Collision and Mechani-cal Specialists in Elk River, MN.“Lots of research and education arerequired to ensure we are utilizingthe best procedures, technologyand tools. Our customers are trust-ing us to return their vehicle to pre-accident condition and beyond.”

Brandon Wistrom, general man-ager, added, “The variations we’reseeing within the OEM colors tend tobe a nonstop battle, so color-match-ing is incredibly important for us.Color-matching became much eas-ier when we started using the Ac-quire™ Quantum EFX by AxaltaCoating Systems because it gives usa better starting point. Using the Ac-quire, along with Axalta’s coatings,provides us with a superior product,and when we deliver the repaired ve-hicle, we know it’s done and it’s doneright.”

Randy Porter, production man-ager at Deano’s, said, “Using the Ac-quire is much more efficient. We getto our color match quicker. The Ac-quire is able to look at different an-gles, resulting in a closer flake value.When the technology came out inthe early 1990s, the first time I usedthe camera, I was amazed at the re-sults and thought this might be thething we’re going to use from now on… Each camera generation hasbeen a step in the right direction.When the Quantum EFX came out, Iwas taken back at the size. The win-dow is smaller, allowing access intotighter spaces. The color-match sys-tem is very convenient—you can seeresults right in front of you. If thematch doesn’t look right on the color-proofing screen, you can easily goback and choose another alternate.By adjusting the paint formula beforewe mix, we’re not over-tinting andwasting product. The reduced timespent on color-matching has also im-proved our booth throughput, whichhas a great impact on the bottomline.”

Established in 1984 by Thomasand Cheryl Wistrom, Deano’s isproud to be celebrating its 35th yearin business. What began as a hus-band-and-wife team has expandedto 23 employees, including their sonBrandon, general manager, anddaughter Angie, office manager.Throughout the years, continuedgrowth and expansions have ledthe shop to its present-day location,which contains 24,000 square feetof production space. On average,Deano’s repairs 175 vehicles eachmonth and attributes its success torepeat customers spanning multiplegenerations.

Since Deano’s opened its doors,the shop has used paints from Axaltabecause “we have always prided our-selves on having the highest qualityrepairs,” Brandon explained. “In orderto do so, it’s important to use cutting-edge products with the latest tech-nologies. We’ve grown with Axaltaand used different products fromthem along the way.”

Deano’s converted to CromaxPro waterborne paint in 2006 assoon as it hit the market as part ofthe shop’s ongoing efforts to pre-serve the environment. The shopalso puts a large focus on using qual-ity products to reduce waste and ma-terials used.

In 2017, Deano’s began usingSpies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TECbecause “it requires fewer productsand has some very unique advan-tages as far as colored sealer andpaint,” Tom said. “It’s an enhanced

version of Cromax Pro. We felt itwas the superior paint line, and wewant to ensure we’re always usingthe best products available.”

Brandon shared, “Axalta has anextensive color library and color-matching tools. It puts us a stepahead of the competition. Our em-ployees love Permahyd and the Ac-quire because it makes their jobseasier, plus they receive great sup-port and training from Axalta. If wehave a concern, Axalta is very goodabout taking care of it, so our tech-nicians don’t feel like they’re on theirown.”

Transitioning from one Axaltapaint line to another has been veryeasy, and though the biggest chal-lenge was converting to waterborne,that transition was much easier thananticipated for Tom.

He said, “Switching to water-borne sped up productivity, andSpies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TECdefinitely reduces repair time sincethere are fewer steps involved. Anytime you can repair cars faster,you’re going to be more profitable,and using less product also helpskeep costs down.

“Having Axalta as a paint part-ner is an excellent relationship, andI can’t imagine a day where wecould go back to not using the Ac-quire. The technology is so supe-rior, it just makes our job easier.Without a partner like Axalta, youdon’t know what’s out there that youcould be missing. They bring thingsto the table that help you succeed.”

Tom and Cheryl Wistrom foundedDeano’s Collision, and their children,Brandon and Angie, now also helpensure the high-quality repairs thatcustomers have come to expectfrom the shop.

Deano’s Collision & Mechanical Specialists praises Axalta’s Acquire™Quantum EFX and Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC paint for theircolor-matching abilities.

In addition to being an I-CAR Goldshop, Deano’s is OEM-certifiedby eight vehicle manufacturers,certified aluminum-repair-capable,and employs I-CAR & ASE-trainedemployees.

by Autobody News Staff Deano’s Collision &Mechanical SpecialistsLocation: Elk River, MN(763) 441-4646www.deanoscollision.com






DRP Programs: 13


Axalta Coating SystemsCompany Contact: Heidi [email protected] (610) 358-5353www.axaltacs.com/corporate/en_US.html


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G&C Techs More Confident About ComplicatedRepairs With Car-O-Liner

As vehicles grow more complex, re-pairs become increasingly compli-cated. G&C Auto Body, an MSO inCalifornia, believes in keeping up withthese challenges by investing in theindustry’s best available equipment,such as Car-O-Liner’s BenchRack™with full EVO™ system and specialtyattachments.

According to Patrick Crozat,COO of G&C Auto Body, “Our tech-nicians are much more confidentdoing complicated repairs with theCar-O-Liner frame equipment, whichincreases productivity and profitabil-ity. It makes the entire structuralalignment process faster and moreaccurate, giving guests a better fin-ished product.”

G&C Auto Body began usingCar-O-Liner’s rack in 2017 because“it is a superior product with a strongcorporate backing and great localservice,” Crozat shared. “I deal withthe purchasing of equipment and set-ting up training classes for all collisionstaff, and Car-O-Liner has alwaysbeen prompt and responsive to what-ever our needs are. Our long-term re-lationship with Oscar Loscano, ourdistributor from Precision for Colli-sion, was especially beneficial. We’resaddened by his recent passing andwill miss his expertise.”

For a busy MSO with 254 em-ployees repairing an average of1,400+ vehicles each month, it’salso vital that new equipment beeasy to train on and simple to im-plement into current processes.

Regarding the addition of theCar-O-Liner BenchRack, Crozatnoted, “It wasn’t difficult at all. It waswelcomed with open arms from ourtechnicians. We installed the equip-ment in all of our stores in threemonths and were able to train all ofour techs within five months from thebeginning of the installation. Theylove it.

“Car-O-Liner’s frame machinesare superior to the last product wewere using. It takes longer to set upand take down, but the pulling andanchoring capabilities are way bet-ter as is the accuracy of the meas-uring. The ability to do upper bodymeasurements is simple.”

Available in four versatile lengthsof 4200mm, 5000mm, 5500mm and6300mm, Car-O-Liner’s BenchRackfeatures a powerful 10-ton drawaligner that pulls from nearly anyangle, 360 degrees around the vehi-

cle, while the ergonomic design andremovable ramps allow better ac-cess to the vehicle. The EVO univer-sal system allows shops to performeffective holding and clamping with-out specific vehicle fixtures. TheBenchRack meets requirements formultiple OEMs.

G&C Auto Body was founded in1972 by Gene Crozat and LeoGassel, who decided to go intobusiness after working together at adealership body shop. Gassel soldhis share of the business to Crozatwhen he retired a few years ago.Over the decades, the business hasexpanded to include 14 facilities infour counties in central California.Gene’s wife, Teri, and their children,Shawn, Josh, Jamie and Patrick,all hold key positions in the company.

When asked what makes G&CAuto Body different from the com-petition, Crozat shared, “Our people… Every business has equipment,frame racks and paint booths. Wejust have better people and top-of-the-line equipment for them to use.We have, in my opinion, a superiortraining and mentoring program inall departments to homegrow ourpeople.”

The Crozats are very involved intheir communities, working with localfood banks and volunteering withlocal charities. They established theCrozat Family Foundation throughwhich they have donated 137 vehi-cles to community families in need.

Environmental consciousness isalso of the utmost importance atG&C Auto Body.

Crozat explained, “We are verycareful with making sure we handle

all of our waste as required by ourgovernment agencies. We use athird party, GMG Envirosafe, to auditour stores for compliance, and weconstantly perform internal auditsand coach and train our staff.”

Regarding recent trends in theindustry, Crozat said, “The econ-omy has been very stable for nineyears now, and we have seen con-sistent growth, usually in the doubledigits, every year. Business is great,and from what I have heard, the in-dustry itself has been on a consis-tent growth pattern as well.

“Consolidators will continue togrow, and repairs on vehicles willbecome increasingly complicated,requiring facilities to need to con-tinue to train and invest in equip-ment. I think cost per claim severitywill continue to rise, leading to morevehicles not being repairable aftera collision. I don’t feel autonomousvehicles will really affect the indus-try for a very long time. OEMs aregoing to push their programs andcertifications to facilities, but there’sno reason to worry—there will al-ways be room for smaller operators.There are fewer shops than thereused to be, but the population isgrowing exponentially every yearwith more and more young peoplebeginning to drive.”

What’s the key to G&C’s suc-cess? “The only thing constant inlife is change. There will always bechallenging customers, new vehi-cles that require different repairs,and shifts in insurers’ goals and fo-cuses, but G&C Auto Body is al-ways open to growing, changingand adapting to the current market.”

G&C Auto Body’s industry profes-sionals and their focus on trainingmake the MSO stand out the most.

Technicians at G&C Auto Body are much more confident about doingcomplicated repairs with Car-O-Liner’s BenchRack™.

G&C Auto Body is a 14-shopMSO founded by Leo Gasseland Gene Crozat, whose wifeand five children now help runthe business. (Pictured: PatCrozat, COO)

by Autobody News Staff G&C Auto BodyLocation: Sonoma County, MarinCounty, Mendocino County,Solano County, CAwww.gandcautobody.com





Number of Locations: 14

DRP Programs: 20

Combined Production Space:200,000 square feet (combined)

Car-O-Liner(800) 521-9696car-o-liner-us.com


CCC ONE® Products Are Helping Montana MSO MeetBusiness Objectives, Optimize Processes

More than 40 years ago, Matt Mc-Donnell Sr.established Big Sky CrashRepair out of a four-car garage inBillings, MT.

The business’s name laterchanged to Big Sky Collision. Fast-forward to 2019, and the companyhas grown to be the largest family-owned collision repair facility in itsarea.

Matt’s son, Matthew Jr., joinedthe team about a decade ago. Afterworking alongside his older broth-ers for a few years, Matthew boughtthem out in 2015.

By August of that year, the com-pany had purchased a second lo-cation in Bozeman and soon afteropened a third in Livingston.

In addition to its extensive OEMcertifications and keeping up withthe latest developments in toolsand equipment, McDonnell saidpart of the company’s success isdue to a strong emphasis on lead-ership training.

“We’ve noticed that very fewshops in the country train,” he said.“They might bring in consultants, butthey don’t set aside time for estima-tor training, CSR training or any-thing else along those lines.”

As a result, he said Big Sky hasfocused on targeted training for allemployees based on the businessgoals CCC has helped put into place.

Big Sky has used CCC® Esti-mating software for decades. Lastyear, it incorporated more featuresin the CCC ONE® Total Repair Plat-form to help boost performance. Mc-Donnell said customers now haveexpectations that are created fromother buying experiences, such asAmazon and the doctor’s office, andCCC products are helping the busi-ness meet these expectations.

The software includes CCC®

Repair Workflow, a configurable busi-ness tool designed to streamline op-erations, and CCC® UpdatePlus,which has enabled the shop to au-tomate appointment reminders forcustomers and send repair statusupdates via text or email.

The shop also uses CCC® Lobby,which allows customers to electroni-cally confirm their information whenthey walk into the shop. They can se-lect their preferred method of com-munication rather than filling outpaper forms and information theyhave already provided to the insur-ance company.

“Our customers love the lobbycheck-in process, which is a tablet

check-in form that guides themthrough critical questions,” said Mc-Donnell.

With goals in place to facilitatethe MSO’s continued growth, BigSky recently became involved inCCC® Elevate. The personalizedCCC consulting service is designedto help collision repairers better un-derstand and achieve their overallbusiness objectives and help opti-mize their processes.

This includes defining staff roles,demonstrating ways to improve theoverall customer experience andcreating personalized Standard Op-erating Procedures (SOPs).

Many times, McDonnell said itcan be challenging to optimize busi-ness practices when writing manualSOPs. CCC Checklists is helpingBig Sky meet this challenge.

The fully customizable tool en-ables collision repair shops to setthe tasks they want completed,track quality control and documentthe quality of the repair. The man-agement tool uses electronic SOPsand automatic logging. It also canstore photos, notes and reports.

“Using CCC’s Total Repair Plat-form, we are able to create qualitycontrol checklists that are incorpo-rated into the repair plan,” said Mc-Donnell. “There are critical processes(like photos or repair procedures) thatneed to be completed before thetechnician can move the vehicle.”

For example, if they have a sec-tioning procedure, the checklist re-quires photos of the welds andsectioning area before the vehiclecan be moved to the next stage inthe repair process.

Since using CCC® Checklistsover the last year and a half, Mc-Donnell has found that it has em-powered his employees with thetools they need to provide excellent

service. Working with CCC, theyhave been able to define their uniqueoperational processes and enabletheir locations to set high standardsfor the business. Checklists thenholds employees accountable fortheir work to ultimately ensure eachstore is repairing vehicles correctlyevery time.

“Checklists is a wonderful tool,”said McDonnell. “It makes sure thatas you go through the process, youhave a direction.”

Big Sky created its own check-list of features to ensure techniciansprovide a “bullet-proof” repair. All ofMcDonnell’s technicians have down-loaded Checklists on their phones inorder to keep track of action items toaddress during each stage of the re-pair process.

“It creates a chronological orderof things that have to be done inorder to move to the next step,” saidMcDonnell. “It really makes senseand I love it.”

McDonnell said CCC’s extensivesupport and high-quality productsare helping position the collision re-pair business for future growth. Thisis important, as the company plansto add additional locations over thenext several years.

“We have a winning attitude andculture at Big Sky. We have somereally good people working for uswith the right attitude and leader-ship qualities, and it’s contagious,”said McDonnell. “We’re never goingto give up, so we never take defeat.Instead, we learn from what we didand get better.”

He said CCC is helping him andhis team meet their business goals,and they have been impressed withthe attention given to their business.

“It’s extraordinary,” he said. “Wereceive unbelievable customer serv-ice from CCC.”

Big Sky Collision Center hasfocused on targeted trainingfor all employees based on thebusiness goals CCC has helpedput into place.

Buddy Neese uses the CCC Repair Facility app for technicians.

Jake McClain uses the CCC RepairFacility app for technicians.

by Autobody News Staff Big Sky Collision (Network)Location: Billings, MT(406) 259-6328www.bigskycol.com





Number of Locations: Three

DRP Programs: Two

Combined Production Space:2 city blocks

CCC Information Services, Inc.(877) 208-6155www.ccc-one.com


Celette Products Enable Miami Collision Center toProvide Exceptional Service & Certified Repairs

Since Bill Ussery Motors opened itsdoors in Coral Gables near Miami, FL,more than 60 years ago, the focus ofthe family-owned MSO has remainedthe same: hiring talented people andproviding customers with exceptionalservice and quality repairs.

“It’s our guide to everything wedo,” said Scott Woodard, generalmanager of Bill Ussery Motors Colli-sion Center. “We have a ton of long-term employees, and the ownershipis motivated with investing in thepeople. You can’t run such a largefacility without having hard-working,dedicated employees.”Bob Brockway, chairman and

CEO, attributes the customer phi-losophy to the company’s tradition.

“We follow the golden rule: treatpeople fairly and honestly in the sameway you would want to be treated,and you will have a customer for life,”he said.

Woodard said the business’stenured and professional staff guidesclients through the insurance claimprocess, while certified technicianswith more than 100 years of com-bined experience use the latesttechnologies to complete repairs tolike-new condition. This includesusing original Mercedes-Benz partsand factory-approved paint systemsto return vehicles to their originalpre-accident condition.

“Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables,part of the Bill Ussery Motors Group,is the second-oldest Mercedes-Benzdealership in the United States,” saidWoodard. “Over the years, we’ve de-livered the ideal combination of ex-ceptional Mercedes-Benz sales andservice.”

Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gablesand Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Baycontinue to be recognized as two ofthe premier dealerships in the coun-try.

“We have many long-time cus-tomers,” said Woodard. “We areeven selling to our original cus-tomers’ grandchildren.”

As a result of their efforts, thebusiness has been recognized byMercedes-Benz USA as one of the“Best of the Best,” which includes thetop 22 percent of its retail network.

Bill Ussery Motors Collision Cen-ter, incorporated in 1990, opened itsstate-of-the-art, 30,000-square-foot

facility in Miami, FL, in 2008. In 2013,the shop evolved into the present-day Elite Certified Aluminum Struc-tural Mercedes-Benz Repair Facility,a prestigious tier II certificationawarded by Mercedes-Benz. Thecertification means that Mercedes-Benz-certified repair techniciansperform aluminum structural repairsthat strictly adhere to the Mercedes-Benz standards. It also gives thebody shop access to purchase cer-tain OEM parts as directed by themanufacturer. Currently, the busi-ness has grown into a multi-shopfacility that serves customers forboth dealerships and South Florida.

Woodard has worked in the in-dustry for more than 35 years atevery level and been consistentlylooking for a better way to fix carsand be ahead of the competition.When he joined the collision centerin 1999, he was familiar with con-ventional structural repair methods.That same year, he became famil-iar with the Celette brand and in-corporated the use of the Celettebench in the shop. Since then, hehas found that Celette collision re-pair products offer superior accu-racy and efficiency.

“For the last 20 years, we’ve putevery car on a Celette bench thathad any signs of structural deviation.It’s a very well-designed industrialpiece of equipment that seems tolast forever,” said Woodward. “Also,it gives us the ability to market whatwe do and most importantly deliver aquality and safe repair.”

Bill Ussery Motors Collision Cen-ter currently utilizes two Sevennebenches and a Sevenne XL and

most recently purchased Celette’sNAJA 3D electronic measuring sys-tem in an effort to maintain its Elitecertification. The measuring systemuses a sliding measuring arm con-nected wirelessly through Bluetooth.It allows the collision center to meas-ure vehicles with or without the me-chanical parts installed.

For more than 60 years, Celettehas been evolving alongside OEMautomobile makers, adhering to theindustry’s changes in safety and ma-terials and striving to develop repairoptions that are quick and easy.

“NAJA 3D does an amazing job,”said Woodard. “It’s similar to triage;we are able to tell exactly where thevehicle is broken.”

Technicians pre-measure vehi-cles with the Celette NAJA 3D todetermine structural damage. As asecondary precaution, they also re-measure vehicles to ensure they arewithin the specs of the machine andaccurately document the damage soit can be shared with the customeror insurance company. The collisioncenter also saves the file so that ifthere is an issue with the vehicle inthe future, there is documentationproving the condition of the car whenit left the facility.

Since using the NAJA 3D meas-uring system in combination withthe Celette benches, Woodard hasfound that the quality standard itgives its customers is unmatched.

“Every vehicle that leaves ourshop is structurally straight,” saidWoodard. “I’m a dedicated Celettebody shop guy forever because ofwhat I’ve seen those benches do. Itworks so well; it’s fool-proof.”

Scott Woodard stands near theCelette bench at Bill UsseryMotors Collision Center.

Technician Jeremy Brockmeasures a vehicle with the NAJA measuringsystem, which the company purchased about a year ago. The companyhas found that it has been instrumental to measuring structural damage.

Bill Ussery Motors CollisionCenter depends on Celettebenches to ensure a quality,certified repair.

by Autobody News Staff Bill Ussery Motors CollisionCenterLocation: Miami, FL(305) 661-9666www.billusserycc.com





Number of Locations: Three


Celette1-800-CELETTE (235-3883)www.celette.com


75-Year-Old Automotive Group Switches to DeBeerRefinish Waterborne to Save Time & Wow Customers

Usually when a shop switches to anew paint system, there’s a brief in-troductory period during which itsmanagement and crew familiarizethemselves with the product’s nu-ances, application processes andsupport.

But in this case, team membersat Rickenbaugh Automotive GroupCollision Center in Denver, CO,hit the ground running when theyseamlessly began using the De-Beer Refinish WaterBase 900+Series last year, according to thecollision center’s manager, ChrisHudson.

Rickenbaugh Automotive Grouphired Hudson two years ago to re-duce the shop’s dependence on itsDRPs. The results have been verypositive.

“We’ve doubled our volume inthe last two years after cutting ourDRPs from six to two,” he said. “A lotof things have changed since theJohn Eagle Collision court decision,which has confirmed the fact thatshops are liable while the insurancecompanies are not. It’s more impor-tant now to perform repairs using onlyOE-required repair procedures with-out deviation. So we informed ourDRPs last year that we are no longerinterested in cutting costs, compro-mising our quality or risking our repu-tation to save a few bucks for themon a repair.”

The shop is on track to do $10million in business this year withoutcutting corners in any way, Hudsonsaid.

“To be completely honest, wehave definitely turned away somebusiness because we’re inflexiblewhen it comes to negotiating withthe insurance companies. We havebeen here for 75 years, and we wantto be around for another 75 years, soaccountability and transparency area big part of that. We have proventhat we can still excel with fewerDRPs by concentrating on beinglean, working smarter and taking thehigh road with everything we do,” hesaid.

Part of Hudson’s approach in-volves working with the finest tools,equipment and products in the colli-sion repair industry, he said. This in-cluded converting the Rickenbaugh

Automotive Group Collision Centerto a DeBeer Refinish shop.

“To stay relevant, we knew thatwe needed to work with the latesttechnology, and to be honest, ourformer vendor was behind the times.So we decided to look at all thebrands and entered into an open bid-ding process,” he said.

Hudson embarked on a 60-dayjourney and learned about all of thepaint companies and their waterborneproducts as a result.

“We tested and re-tested, visiteda lot of shops and talked to theirpainters and managers. We just did-n’t do demos; we actually paintedcars in our facility, which turned outto be an invaluable experience,” hesaid.

Now Hudson’s crew is extremelycomfortable using the DeBeer Re-finish WaterBase 900+ Series.

“We are saving 30 percent whencompared to our former paint, usingfewer toners and creating an amaz-ing finished product on the 300 vehi-cles we paint every month,” he said.“It’s like night and day when compar-ing the efficiency and productivity ofour former product with DeBeer Re-finish, and our paint technicians aredelighted about producing 15 carsout of three booths every day.”

One of the main benefits Hudsonand his crew received came from tap-ping into the service and advice theshop got from its new jobber, he said.

“Alan Squier from SpecializedProduct Supply in Denver has reallystepped up and brought genuine

value to the entire process,” he said.“He gives us real numbers with realresults, which is phenomenal. Weare not just a number to them, andSpecialized Product Supply provesit by visiting us frequently and mak-ing themselves available to us 24/7.They did their research and showedus that they knew the market here,and that’s why we can rely on themfor anything we need.

“One of the best things aboutthe DeBeer Refinish waterbornesystem is that it delivers dead-oncolor matches. The color library isfantastic, and we’re adding to it allthe time. With our old system, we hadproblems literally every day, but nowthose issues are gone. Using thespectrophotometer, we are able tomatch Tesla’s colors and evenMazda’s with those quad coats.Every carmaker has at least onetricky color to deal with, and thissystem’s database gives us severaloptions to choose from. It’s turnedwhat was a problematic part for ourproduction into a no-brainer.”

Every time a vehicle exits itsbooth painted with the DeBeer Re-finish WaterBase 900+ Series, thedecision to switch paint brands is re-inforced.

“The clears give us a glossy lookwith more depth and less shrinkage,which is a big difference,” Hudsonsaid. “The cars come out of the bakelooking spectacular, and they staythat way. When we see our cus-tomers’ faces every time they pick uptheir cars, it makes our day.”

Assistant Manager Katrina Wuenschappreciates the fact that the DeBeerRefinish waterborne system deliversdead-on color matches.

Rickenbaugh Automotive Center’sManager Chris Hudson is using DeBeerRefinish WaterBase 900+ Series and loving every minute of it.

Detailer Leonardo Cardenas atRickenbaugh Automotive GroupCollision Center is delighted withthe amazing finished product thatDeBeer Refinish WaterBase 900+Series provides.

by Autobody News Staff Rickenbaugh AutomotiveGroup Collision CenterLocation: Denver, CO(303) 571-4443www.rickenbaugh.com






DRP Programs: Two


DeBeer Refinish, A Valspar®Automotive Brand4440 Warrensville Center Rd.Warrensville Hts., OH 44128(800) 321-0672www.de-beer.comFacebook.com/OfficialDeBeerRefinishInstagram.com/OfficialDeBeerRefinishYouTube.com/OfficialDeBeerRefinish


Family-Owned CARSTAR Fitchburg Loves EqualizerCobra Glass Removal System for Ease of Use

CARSTAR Fitchburg Auto Body Re-pair Experts in Fitchburg, MA, is oneof two CARSTAR franchise loca-tions owned by the Blaisdell family,who also owns CARSTAR Atlanticin Lowell, MA.

Performing safe and proper re-pairs per OE recommendations is atop priority for CARSTAR Fitchburg,and keeping up-to-date on the in-dustry’s best technology and equip-ment helps the shop achieve thatgoal.

CARSTAR Fitchburg has beenusing Equalizer products for morethan a decade, so the shop investedin the Equalizer Cobra Glass Re-moval System as soon as it hit themarket.Corey Blaisdell, who co-owns

the shops with his brothers Justinand Randy, shared, “We bought thenew Cobra tool as soon as it wasavailable and had the unit with theserial number ‘2.’ We love Equal-izer’s products for their ease of use,training and being way less likely tocause the damage to the glass orvehicle that some of the traditionalglass cut-out tools would cause.”

Introducing Equalizer’s Cobrawas very easy for CARSTAR Fitch-burg. Before implementing this prod-uct, the shop’s technicians wereusing cold knife techniques andpneumatic bladed tools.

“As soon as we brought the toolin and showed the techs once, theywere hooked, and we all loved it be-cause we immediately saw a largernumber of technicians capable ofdoing glass work without issue ordamage,” Blaisdell stated. “The em-ployees love it because it makesglass removal less of a burden andeasier for everyone.”

Although set-up takes a bitlonger with the Cobra than a coldpull knife or pneumatic blade mightfor a seasoned glass tech, the ben-efits far outweigh the set-up time.

Blaisdell listed its positive im-pacts on the shop: “Not breakingwindshields and back glasses orcausing damage to these cars dur-ing the removal process is a big gainoverall. We’ve also benefited fromthe Equalizer Cobra Glass RemovalSystem due to less downtime spentwaiting for parts, more people being

capable of doing the work correctlyand a much easier training processto get a tech up and running with thistool. The ability to train all our techswith this tool, even the newer onesto the industry, without having themcause damage is one of the biggestgains this product provides.”

The Blaisdell brothers are sec-ond-generation shop owners. Theirfather, Gary, began repairing vehi-cles more than 40 years ago for hisbrother’s used car lot after attendinga local technical high school. Beforelong, he and his wife, Angel, renteda two-bay garage with a wood stoveand payphone. While Angel helpedwith the bookkeeping and kept thefamily life running smoothly, Garyworked his way towards bigger andbetter facilities.

In 1989, Gary invested in hisfirst CARSTAR franchise when afriend presented “a vision he couldfeel good about,” Blaisdell recalled.“With the successes and a commit-ted staff, Gary began to build whatwe have today. With guidance fromour parents, my two brothers and Iare now leading the family businesswith 46 employees between the twolocations.”

Having acquired I-CAR GoldClass status, ASE certification andHonda/Acura ProFirst designation,CARSTAR Fitchburg is dedicated toproviding customers with the bestpossible experience.

Blaisdell said, “Our commitmentto customer service and makingsure our customers, vendors, insur-ance partners and employees arehappy with the work we provide hascontributed largely to our successes.

We invest in the best and newestequipment and always keep upwith repair techniques the way theOE manufacturer recommends forproper and safe repairs every time,plus we provide a warranty like noother.”

Blaisdell expects the productshe invests in to come with compa-rable customer service.

In regards to his experienceswith Equalizer’s customer servicedepartment, he noted, “We had ourCobra sent in for warranty repairafter about a year of use. They sentme a loaner tool for the time theyhad mine, communicated effectivelythroughout the process and got thetool back to me in a timely manner.When we had a different problem sixmonths later with the charging port,Equalizer replaced the whole unit forus. From my experience, they offergreat customer service with no roomfor complaints.”

As a family-owned operation,CARSTAR Fitchburg also knows ithas a stake in the planet’s future,which is why it invests in equipmentthat will preserve the environmentfor future generations.

Blaisdell shared, “Always keep-ing up with the newest technologyand innovations in the industry keepsus working cleaner and healthier forour employees and the environment.Air recyclers and vacuum systemscome to mind; however, our ap-proach to the method of repair, suchas repairing more bumpers, and in-vestment in equipment like theEqualizer Cobra Glass tool allows usto reuse more original product, ratherthan put it in a landfill.”

Boasting I-CAR Gold Class, ASEcertification and Honda/AcuraProFirst designation, CARSTARFitchburg is dedicated to provid-ing customers with the bestpossible repair according toOE specifications.

CARSTAR Fitchburg praises the Equalizer Cobra Glass Removal Systemfor its ease of use and easy training process that prevents damageduring the repair process.

CARSTAR Fitchburg CollisionCenter in Fitchburg, MA, is one oftwo CARSTAR franchise locationsowned by brothers Corey, Justinand Randy Blaisdell.

by Autobody News Staff CARSTAR Collision Centers, Inc.Location: Fitchburg, MA(978) 342-3428www.carstarcollision.com





Number of Locations: Two


EqualizerCompany Contact: Monique Stearns(800) 334-1334www.equalizer.com


NY Body Shop Says Lusid Technologies’ ProductsProvide Unbelievable Quality at an Affordable Price

Repairing vehicles to the highest ofstandards is an important priority forJames Caridi, owner of Roland’sAuto Body.

The second-generation bodyshop owner in White Plains, NY,said that part of providing first-classservice is using reliable productssuch as those he purchases fromLusid Technologies.

Caridi said the state-of-the-artautomotive coatings they manufac-ture are second to none.

“I have been very impressedwith their products,” said Caridi.“The quality is unbelievable, thereis no dieback and my employeeslove it.”

Caridi has worked in the indus-try since he was 14 years old andspent much of his time helping athis brother’s body shop. He alwayslooked up to his brother, JosephCaridi, and learned how to run asuccessful collision repair businessfrom him.

Caridi opened his first bodyshop in 1991 when he was 19 yearsold—Supreme Collision in Yonkers,NY. A decade later, he became apartner at Roland’s Auto Body, es-tablished in the 1940s, in WhitePlains.

Eventually, he bought out hispartner in 2013 and has run the col-lision repair facility ever since.

“We try to take care of everyonelike they are family,” said Caridi. “Igrew up around this neighborhoodand everyone knows me. I try to dothe best for everybody that I can.”

Today, Roland’s prides itself onalways being honest, loyal andfriendly to customers while provid-ing exceptional workmanship.

The body shop consistentlyreceives high praise from its cus-tomers. An essential aspect of pro-ducing excellent work is delivering acar with a high-quality paint job.Customers often tell Caridi that thebusiness does an outstanding job ontheir body work and the paint jobslook like new.

Roland’s used another brand ofpaint for many years. After learningabout Lusid Technologies’ productsfrom their jobber, Bob’s Car Color,Caridi decided to make the switchin 2013. Bob’s Car Color was es-

tablished in 1947 in the Bronx, NY.“We had never changed our

paint line, but when Rob Jr. fromBob’s Car Color introduced us toLusid Technologies’ products, wefound they were really good andwell-priced,” said Caridi.

Bob’s Car Color has providedproducts to Roland’s Auto Body fornearly 30 years. Rob Jr.’s grandfa-ther started the auto supply businessin 1947. Located in Poughkeepsie,NY, the company sells paint andsupplies to body shops in the sur-rounding area. Since he first heardabout Lusid Technologies’ productsin 2011, Rob Jr. said he has highlyrecommended them to the shopshe supplies.

He said the paint line is compa-rable to some of the more expen-sive lines available on the markettoday, which equates to significantcost savings on their materials bill.

“The benefit to the shops is thatthey can increase their bottom lineand achieve the same results asusing other well-known brands,” saidRob. “This offers shops a depend-able product at a competitive price.”

Caridi uses the company’s Gen-Rock / GenMax brand, a completeline of automotive primers, primersurfacers, clears and additives.Since using GenRock / GenMax,Caridi has found the products canbe applied on nearly every automo-tive refinish basecoat. This includesNorthstar™ GenRock and Gen20finishes.

In addition to using the primersand primer surfacers, Caridi is a bigfan of the clears. He said they are

easy to apply and polish and offerlong-lasting gloss as well as excel-lent drying. The company offersGenMax 5010 for rapid curing andthe GenMax 4010 for a fine overallfinish.

Rob said the products are widelyknown for providing excellent colormatch and performance.

Caridi agrees. He said the Gen-Rock line is user-friendly and easyto work with. This gives him and hisemployees the assurance that theywill have excellent coverage on everyjob.

In addition to GenRock, LusidTechnologies manufactures North-star fleet and industrial products outof their production plant in Salt LakeCity, UT. The company’s productsare custom-manufactured and canbe tailored for special applications.They are also available in multipleVOC levels in order to comply withair pollution requirements.

Caridi said that John Panto,the Lusid Technologies technicalrepresentative, is very responsiveto their shop’s needs.

“All of our questions and issuesare resolved quickly and accurately,”he said. “I couldn’t be happier withLusid Technologies, their people andtheir products.”

The employees from Lusid Tech-nologies said they are particularlyproud to be associated with Roland’sAuto Body.

“Working with a solid family-ori-ented business that takes care ofits customers fits perfectly with theway that we ourselves like to dobusiness,” they added.

Since using Lusid Technologies’GenRock / GenMax brand, Caridihas found the products can beapplied on nearly every automotiverefinish basecoat.

James Caridi, owner of Roland’s Auto Body, depends on LusidTechnologies’ products for a reliable and high-quality paint job.

Roland’s Auto Body prides itselfon always being honest, loyal andfriendly to customers while pro-viding exceptional workmanship.

by Autobody News Staff Roland’s Auto BodyLocation: White Plains, NY(914) 948-2826




In Business Since: 1940s


DRP Programs: Two


Lusid Technologies(801) 966-5300 www.lusid.biz


The Whole Family Loves the Matrix Wand atCarrillo & Sons

When customers get their cars re-paired at Carrillo & Sons CollisionCenter in San Diego, CA, they workwith the entire family, includingowner/founder Maria Carrillo andher three sons: production managerTony, Jr., service advisor Daniel,and parts manager David.

Some days, the shop’s clientsalso get to meet the Carrillo family’scanine children: bulldogs namedLouie V, Oliver, Mojo and Tank, anda Pomeranian named Sophia.

The Carrillos, obviously doglovers, feature their pooches ontheir website, social media and alladvertising with a memorable slo-gan: “Wrinkles are cute on dogs, butnot on your car.” By making all theright moves, this shop has excelledfor 38 years and is still going strong.

“We are a VQ shop for Verifactsand members of SCRS, CIC, WINand NABC,” Maria Carrillo said.“Being aligned with these organiza-tions has truly helped us stay on topof all the current challenges that weface as a small family-owned busi-ness.”

One wrinkle at Carrillo & SonsCollision Center disappeared latelast year when they acquired a Ma-trix Wand, the 3D measuring blue-printing and collision repair device,at the SEMA Show in 2018.

Maria said she had wanted aMatrix Wand for the past five years,so finally buying one late last yearwas a significant move.

“We knew we were ready, so wemet with Jan Srack at SEMA, andit was an easy decision,” she said.“We were lucky to get a special redone because sometimes Matrix cus-tom-paints a wand, and in this case,it represented the first one theywere selling at the show. Red is myfavorite color, so we’re happy to tellpeople that it’s our very own specialedition.”

Tony, Jr. uses the Matrix Wandon 70 percent of the 100–110 vehi-cles they fix monthly.

“Before we had the Wand, wewere guessing the severity of thedamage, and now we’re able toquickly identify hidden damage andimprove our work flow,” he said. “Inthe past, we had to tear down manyof the cars to find hidden damage,

which took too much time and tiedup a lot of floor space in this 15,000-square-foot facility.”

Now within just minutes, almostevery vehicle can be measured withthe Matrix Wand to identify hiddendamage that Carrillo & Sons could-n’t find before.

“We’re writing very accurate es-timates the very first time in order toeliminate supplements,” Tony, Jr.said. “We blueprint the car, order theparts and then verify the repair byusing the Mitchell Reference Data-base, which is integrated into theMatrix Repair Analysis Software. Ithelps our cycle time because we areable to fast-track structural analysis,starting the repair process right awayand fixing the car seamlessly byusing the Matrix Wand.”

The Matrix Wand has also en-abled the Carrillos to provide theinsurance companies and theircustomers precise documentation,Tony, Jr. said.

“This is so valuable because inthe past, we didn’t have the docu-mentation to justify our repair timesuntil we got it on the rack,” he said.“We had to use a tram gauge or doa visual inspection, and usually theinsurance company would tell usthat they would pay us when wehad a measurement. In addition,our alignments were always prob-lematic because it was kind of aguessing game. In some cases, thecustomer thought they were goingto pick up their vehicle but we hadto tell them we needed another 3–4

days to get the parts and do thealignment, but no more.”

To train Tony, Jr. on how to effec-tively operate the Matrix Wand, thecompany sent trainer Alan Eaton toSan Diego to work with him for onefull day.

“We went through every type ofrepair we might encounter, includ-ing suspension, under-carriagedamage, actual frame damage, rearand front uni-body damage, and sideimpact damage. We used the wandto make measurements on severalcars with Alan, and it was an ex-tremely helpful experience,” he said.

For several months, Tony, Jr.was the only person trained on thedevice, but now he’s got anothermember of the crew onboard withthe shop’s Matrix Wand.

“My assistant, Raul Sebastian,started learning all of the ins and outsabout a month ago. He is now incharge of all our pre- and post-scansas well as all measurements. It’s likeanything else—the more and moreyou work with the Matrix Wand, thebetter you get at it,” he said.

Tony, Jr. can already see that hisMatrix Wand is going to cover hisinitial investment within 18 months,he said.

“We’re able to streamline ourrepairs, and we don’t need to spec-ulate anymore,” he said. “It gives usthe exact information that we needto fix these cars right and get paidfor it. How many pieces of equip-ment can pay for itself that quickly?To be honest, I can’t think of any.”

Carrillos uses their Matrix Wandon 70 percent of the 100–110vehicles they fix monthly andcan already see that the devicewill cover their initial investmentwithin only 18 months.

The crew at Carrillos & Sons Collision Center consists of (l to r) DanielCarrillo, Tony Carrillo Jr., Ken Thayer, Maria Carrillo and David Carrillowith their beloved dogs.

Production assistant Raul Sebastianperforms all of the shop’s pre-scans,post-scans and measurementswith the Matrix Wand.

by Autobody News Staff Carrillo & Sons Collision CenterLocation: San Diego, CA(619) 287-7200www.carrillonsons.com







Matrix Electronic Measuring, Inc.(800) [email protected]


Cervini’s Auto Designs Thrives in High-ProductionClimate With PPG Waterborne Technology

General Manager Jim Frie atCervini’s Auto Designs in Vineland,NJ, oversees a fast turnaround anddemands accuracy. That’s why he isso enamored with PPG’s ENVI-ROBASE® High Performance wa-terborne basecoat system and itscolor matching capabilities. “When acustomer buys a product from us, weoffer them the option of pre-paintingit for them, so that they can install itright out of the box,” Frie said. “It’sadded a whole new level of serviceand provides convenience for ourcustomers who want all three: qual-ity, delivery and price.”

The founder and owner ofCervini’s Auto Designs is DannyCervini, who owned a body shopwith his brother for many years,Frie said. “Danny has always beena big fan of the Mustang Mach 1and very connected to the Mustangcommunity. He owns a 1988 Mus-tang GT convertible. One day,Danny thought that a 1971 hoodfrom a Mach 1 would look reallygood on his ‘88, so he decided tocut up a hood, fabricate it and graftit onto the vehicle. He took it to afew different swap meets and carshows where people started askinghim, ‘Where did you get that?’ andhe told them ‘I made it’, and that’swhere it all began.”

Cervini’s Auto Designs wasfounded in 1991 by Danny Cervini,who took the company from threeemployees in a small facility to an in-dustry leader that is well-known forhigh-quality styled hoods and bodycomponents. In 2006, Cervini’s AutoDesigns reinvented itself to becomea true turnkey Mustang and Ford F-150 Conversion company. Today thecompany makes approximately 3,000products and sells them online. Theymanufacture hoods, bumpers, sideand rare scoops, upper and lowergrilles, side exhaust packages, rearspoilers, diffusers and related partsfor Camaros, Fords, Dodges, Chal-lengers and GMC muscle cars andnow dabbles in the imports marketas well.

Three main reasons for thecompany’s success are fast deliv-ery, convenience and accuracy, Friesaid. “People are now in that Ama-zon mentality where they want it

now, so everything we do has to bethere within 2–3 days max, includ-ing the paint. If we can pre-paintthat hood or bumper for the cus-tomer, all they have to do is install itwithout having to take it to a bodyshop to be painted. To do the jobright, we know that our color accu-racy has to be dead-on because wecan’t obviously look at the vehicleprior to painting the part. We take alot of pride in being able to color-match our products, and our policyhere is to get the paint right everytime. We’re known for matching fac-tory colors because we make it apriority here.”

It takes a lot of research anddevelopment to find a precisematch. “We have great relation-ships with all of the car companies,so we know what colors the new2020 Mustangs will be painted inbefore they come out. We accumu-late a lot of data to create a masterformula that we can rely on. It maytake a day or 2-3 weeks, depend-ing on how many spray outs wehave to do and what adjustmentswe need to make. After we have themaster formula, the PPG PAINT-MANAGER® software will follow thatexact same formula with each color.Their software is ideal for us, be-cause it allows us to mix paint per-fectly every time.”

Two months ago, Cervini’sdropped their former paint vendorof 12 years and began sprayingPPG’s Envirobase High Perform-ance waterborne basecoat system.“Being environmentally friendly is a

big deal here in New Jersey be-cause we have some of the tough-est VOC emissions laws in thecountry,” Frie said. “The use of wa-terborne isn’t mandated here, butbeing ahead of the curve was wherewe wanted to be, and that’s whywe’re very happy with PPG’s water-borne paint.”

There are many significant ad-vantages for Cervini’s switch toPPG’s Envirobase waterborne prod-uct, Frie said. “We are being moreefficient, getting great color matchesand creating a better product aswell. It has allowed us to fit in al-most another full cycle every day,which means that we’ve been ableto increase our overall productivityby 50 percent, which is substan-tial.”

With solid training and an awe-some relationship with its local job-ber, Cervini’s gets the whole packagefrom PPG. “PPG came here and dida phenomenal job training our guys,”he said. “They were here in ourshop, and our two painters wereup and running quickly. Our jobberis Bill Flannery Automotive inBensalem, PA, and their excellentknowledge and customer serviceis one of the reasons why we chosePPG.”

Within the next five years,Cervini’s wants to expand into othermarkets, including more musclecars and off-road vehicles made be-tween 2020 and 2024. PPG is anew member of the crew at Cervini’sAuto Designs, so the future looksbright and the colors are right.

Cervini’s is being more efficientand getting dead-on color matcheswith PPG’s Envirobase waterbornepaint system.

Cervini’s recently dropped their former paint vendor of 12 years tobegin spraying PPG’s Envirobase High Performance, and is thrilledwith the results.

With PPG Envirobase High Per-formance waterborne basecoatsystem, Cervini’s is getting greatcolor matches and creating a bet-ter product while fitting in almostanother full cycle every day.

by Autobody News Staff Cervini’s Auto DesignsLocation: Vineland, NJ (800) 488-6057 www.cervinis.com


Type: Collision Aftermarket





PPGCathy Rusnak (440) [email protected] www.ppgrefinish.com


After False Conviction, Veteran Painter WowsNew Boss with his SATA guns

A random event can change ourlives in a millisecond. If you don’tbelieve it, just ask Steve Jones, aveteran painter whose work hasbeen praised ever since he enteredthe collision repair industry back in1995.

Well-known for his ability to cre-ate a fantastic finished product everytime by using his beloved SATA sprayguns, Jones was making big bucksand living the good life until Oct. 2,2014.

Jones’ nightmare began whenthe mailman came to his door witha package that he signed for. Beforehe could even open the small box,the local police stormed into hishouse and accused him of drug traf-ficking.

“The package contained a pairof shoes with four bags of MDMAinside (also known as ecstasy),”Jones said. “The return address onthe package was from somewherein Amsterdam and was fake. I wentinto shock as I was arrested andtaken to jail.”

Jones discovered this is a com-mon occurrence. Many other peo-ple are victimized by this scam thesame way, he said.

“Drug traffickers find someone’sname and address and then sendthem the drugs, hoping that they’renot home when the package is de-livered. Then they grab it withoutassuming any of the risks,” he said.

After sitting in a jail cell at theHall County Jail in Gainesville, GA,for 45 days, Jones was able to postbail to the tune of $50,000. That’swhen everything went sideways.

“I hired a highly regarded at-torney who fumbled my case frombeginning to end,” he said. “Theyharassed my family and said ifsomeone didn’t take responsibilityfor it, they would all end up in jail.After a trial, I was found guilty andsentenced to 10 years in prison fol-lowed by 20 years on probation. Iwas taken into custody immediatelyand spent the next 10 months inWare State Prison in Waycross, GA.”

After hiring a new lawyer, Joneswent through the appeal processwhile sitting in prison.

“When we finally got back infront of the same judge, she recog-

nized that it was an improper pros-ecution and that the cops and theprosecutor screwed up big-time,”he said. “I think that once theycharged me, they were going to doanything they could to convict me,whether I was guilty or not. Theywere devious and my lawyer wasjust plain incompetent, so it was atoxic combination for me.”

The judge took two months tomake her decision while Jones satin his cell, but in August 2018, hewas released from prison.

“I started looking for a job oneweek after I got out,” Jones said. “Ittook me a while to acclimate to thereal world because when you’re inthere, you’re more like a caged an-imal than a human being.”

With top references and a solidwork record, Jones landed a job atGerber Collision & Glass after 10days of asking around. Once hired,he hit the ground running. He puthis 26 SATA guns right to work, andhis employers were quickly blownaway by his volume and efficiency.

“I’m the only painter here, but al-most immediately, I was logging 375hours every two weeks while paint-ing 40 vehicles. I had been awayfrom my SATA guns for a long time,but the minute I picked them up, itwas like riding a bike. When I joinedthe crew, their profit margin wasroughly 48 percent, but it’s now al-

most 68 percent, and my manageris obviously pleased,” he said.

Additionally, his wife, Cindy, washired as his prepper.

“She wants me to succeed andhas pride in her work,” he said. “Wehave minimized comebacks andrarely have to re-paint anything. It’sa great relationship both personallyand professionally, and we also getto spend more time with each otherafter being apart for so long.”

One of the first things Jones didafter being released was purchasetwo new SATA guns.

“I bought two of their new SA-TAjet X 5500 guns, one RP and oneHVLP,” he said. “They provide ex-ceptional coverage and use lessmaterial, plus I can work faster to hitmy numbers.

“I can never get that lost timeback, but I’m fairly confident that I willbe compensated for the mistakes thatwere made. I’ve learned that 20 per-cent of all the people in our prisonsright now were wrongly convicted,and only 7 percent of those get ap-peals. I’m making good money now,and I’d like to thank everyone whosupported me through this ordeal, in-cluding my wife, my family and eventhe people at SATA, especially Dan-Am’s director of sales and marketing,Tony Larimer. You truly find out whoyour friends are when you have to gothrough something like this.”

Jones owns 26 SATA guns andis always looking to add to hiscollection.

Steve Jones is heralded for his painting skills and an eye for detailwhile always using his beloved SATA spray guns.

Jones’s wife Cindy is his prepperat Gerber Collision & Glass inDuluth, GA.

by Autobody News Staff Gerber Collision & Glass Location: Duluth, GA(770) 654-5281www.gerbercollision.com





Number of Locations: 400+


Dan-Am CompanyOne Sata Drive P.O. Box 46Spring Valley, MN 55973(800) 633-7282www.sata.com


Head Painter at Thriving MSO Loves Ultra7000®for All the Right Reasons

By using the Ultra7000® AutomotiveRefinish System, Schaefer AutobodyCenters, located in the St. Louis, MO,area, is saving time and getting su-perior coverage and color matches.Additionally, the MSO is loving theextra support from Sherwin-Williams®

Automotive Finishes.Schaefer Autobody Centers

owner/president Scott Schaefer,39, is a second-generation operatorwho works every day to improve hisbusiness, which is why he switchedto the Ultra7000 solvent system adecade ago. His company repairsroughly 1,200 cars out of its 10 loca-tions every month and steadfastly ad-heres to its motto, “Turn whoops intowow right now!”

Schaefer credits much of hiscompany’s growth and success tohis father, Steve.

“My dad was a mechanic bytrade and worked for a Cadillac deal-ership until he decided to go out onhis own,” Schaefer said. “Eventually,he bought a body shop and ran bothbusinesses until 1999 when he de-cided to shed the mechanical shopto concentrate 100 percent on theautobody side. He said it was easierfor him to build a faithful customerbase in collision repair, so that’s whyhe pursued it. We haven’t lookedback since.”

By providing a wide range ofservices, including fleet work, glassrepair, PDR and towing, Schaefer isa one-stop company that wants todo it all. Everyone in Missouri is fa-miliar with the shop’s signature “NeverHappened” approach to doing busi-ness, a slogan it has been using in allof its advertising since 2000, Schaefersaid.

“We take care of every aspectof the collision repair process fromstart to finish, and all the customerhas to do is give us their keys. Wecoordinate everything, including carrental, estimate and interaction withthe insurance company and enablethem to check the status on ourOnline Collision Tracker to see ourprogress. The next time the cus-tomer hears from us, it’s to tell themthat their car is ready to pick up. Wemake it look like it never happened,and it’s become something we’reknown for.”

The shop is also well-known forthe quality of its paint work, as illus-trated by the company’s five-star re-views. When it comes to being abetter company, Schaefer is not afraidto pursue goals such as OE certifica-tions and top training, as well as theuse of cutting-edge tools and equip-ment. All of his shops have earned I-CAR Gold status; one of its locationsis a Tesla repair center, and anotheris adept at performing aluminum re-pairs on Ford F-150s.

For the past 15 years, Schaeferhas been spraying Ultra7000 bySherwin-Williams Automotive Fin-ishes after using two to three otherbrands for several years. Headpainter Jahn Wimpee has beenspraying the Sherwin-Williams Auto-motive Finishes refinish system for adecade and values the product onmany levels.

“First off, it saves us a ton of time,especially when curing the vehicles,”Wimpee said. “With other brands I’veused in the past, the drying timeswere around 45 minutes, but withUltra7000, we’ve cut that in half. Inaddition, when we spray wet on wet,it always stays glossy, unlike otherbrands that will pinch back.”

With superior coverage, Wim-pee is applying significantly lessbasecoat on every job, particularlywhen applying whites, he said.

“It’s so noticeable and reallymakes a difference. We’re able tocut our base application time downsignificantly on most of the vehicleswe paint when compared to any-thing else out there. The two mainfactors that stand out to me with

Ultra7000 are its speed and glossretention,” he said.

When color-matching, Schae-fer’s paint crew is able to access theenormous chip deck provided bySherwin-Williams Automotive Fin-ishes, which is crucial for any MSO.

“We use their PROSPECTOR®

Color Reference System, and itsaves us a lot of time,” Wimpeesaid. “Our guys can see the actualcolor that they will be spraying be-fore they spray it, and they havemore than 8,500 sprayed chips thatcan be used for matching solid andmetallic colors. Everything is in-dexed, and in most cases, we havemultiple chips of each color that allof our locations can refer to. When-ever I make a custom color formula,all of our painters can see it throughthe network, which really helps us.”

Company support is also cru-cial, which is why Schaefer lovesthe no-hassle approach he receivesfrom Sherwin-Williams AutomotiveFinishes, he said.

“We have one sales person andone person for technical support,which makes it so much easier,” hesaid. “They often meet with ourpainters and visit all of our locationsevery month. They review our per-formance and track our usage, sothat we never order too much prod-uct, and they’re willing to answer allof our questions promptly.”

By using Ultra7000, SchaeferAutobody Centers is able to providea superior finished product to itscustomers and adhere to its “NeverHappened” promise at all 10 of itslocations.

Wimpee and the entire paintingcrew at Schaefer AutobodyCenters use the Sherwin-WilliamsUltra7000® PROSPECTOR ColorReference System for dead-oncolor matches.

Schaefer Autobody’s Head Painter Jahn Wimpee has been sprayingUltra7000 solvent system by Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishesfor 10 years with amazing results.

Scott Schaefer is the forward-thinking, second-generationowner/president of the 10-locationSchaefer Autobody Centers.

by Autobody News Staff Schaefer Autobody CentersLocation: St. Louis, MO(636) 305-8288www.schaeferautobody.com






DRP Programs: 12


Sherwin-Williams® Automotive Finishes4440 Warrensville Center Rd.Warrensville Hts., OH 44124(800) 798-5872www.sherwin-automotive.comFacebook.com/sherwin-williamsautomotivefinishesYoutube.com/SWAFCInstagram.com/swrefinishLinkedIn.com/Sherwin-WilliamsAutomotiveFinishes


Fix Auto Chicago Stays Modern With InnovativeEquipment From Spanesi Americas

To stay competitive in their market,Fix Auto Chicago’s general man-ager, Peter Reszczynski, knows it’simperative to stay up-to-date withthe most innovative and modernequipment available.

That’s why his shop invested inthe 14500A Spanesi Spot Welder,Touch Electronic Measuring Sys-tem, and Spanesi Q5.2 Mig Welderfrom Spanesi Americas.

He shared, “As cars becamemore sophisticated and with the in-creasing need to invest in OE certifi-cations, we saw a need to update andmodernize our tools and equipment.”

Fix Auto Chicago is a busy 9,000-square-foot location in Chicago, IL,that employs 20 automotive repairindustry professionals who repairan average of 100 vehicles eachmonth, performing both collisionand mechanical repairs. In addi-tion to participating in five DRP pro-grams, the shop has acquired OEMcertifications from Honda, Nissan,Infinity, KIA, Hyundai and FCA.

According to Reszczynski, “It wasvery important to us that Spanesiwas recognized and approved bythe car brands we were interested incertifying with. Currently, we’re usingSpanesi’s 14500A spot welder, meas-uring system and Q5.2 MIG welder,and we also plan to purchase two oftheir frame racks to replace ouraging structural equipment as wellas a suite of tools for a Ford alu-minum certification we’re working to-wards.”

Transitioning from their old toolsto the innovative equipment manu-factured by Spanesi was simple forFix Auto Chicago. The company alsosupports the shop with superior cus-tomer service and training.

“With direct personal assistancefrom Tim Morgan, installing and im-plementing our Spanesi equipmentwas a seamless transition, and when-ever we need assistance, Spanesi isalways there. For instance, when ourtechnician damaged one of the armson the spot welder, Spanesi imme-diately delivered a replacement thefollowing day. When we hire newtechs, Spanesi trainers are avail-able to assist us with onboardingand training.”

Technicians at Fix Auto Chicagolove the tools from Spanesi Americas.

Reszczynski said, “Spanesiequipment is intuitively designedwith the technician in mind. Techsadapt to it quickly and truly like using

Spanesi equipment.”Reszczynski and his partner, An-

drew Pulaski, founded their shop in1984, originally named Import AutoInc. Both men were born in Poland,where they learned to repair carsaccording to European standards.Beginning by renting two stalls ina local body shop, Reszczynskiand Pulaski were able to move intoa 5,500-square-foot shop beforelong, attracting customers throughReszczynski’s sales efforts and main-taining them by delivering high-qualityrepairs.

In 2014, Reszczynski and Pu-laski decided to join Fix Auto afteranalyzing the marketplace and de-termining their independent shopwould be safer under the franchise.They also felt it would be easier todeal with insurers and technologicaladvances as part of a larger organi-zation.

Reszczynski pointed out, “Let’stalk about the future of the industry;collision repair is an $8 billion indus-try, and change is accelerating geo-metrically. If you are a shop owner,do not get left behind.

“The severity of claims is risingwhile the frequency is decreasing.Meanwhile, repairability of carshas grown in difficulty with the ac-celerated implementation of ADASin newer vehicles and virtually con-nected cars.”

Spanesi’s Touch Electronic Meas-uring System provides a quick, easydiagnostic evaluation of damagedvehicles that is simple to understandand to print out for the shop’s repairfile. The system’s database containsall main points of chassis and sus-pension parts and can be used withany lift, straightening bench or rack.

In addition to offering shops the abil-ity to create a personalized database,the Touch measures all disassem-bled and assembled parts in order todiagnose every component of the ve-hicle.

Spanesi spot welders areequipped with LCD control panelswith a reduced number of buttonsand simple images to aid userwelder operation, and setup is easy.The machine’s suspension systemhelps support the weight of the gun,making it even easier to use for ex-tended periods of time. Spanesi’sQ5.2 boasts a three-torch synergicinverter MIG/MAG welder, providingthe capability of welding steel, sili-con bronze and aluminum in thesame machine. The machine is alsoconfigured to automatically recog-nize which torch is being used andselect the correct preset welding pa-rameters for the technician.

Ensuring OE-required proce-dures and dealing with the increasingchallenges presented by advancingtechnology may be difficult, but FixAuto Chicago is rising to the chal-lenge with the help of Spanesi equip-ment.

Reszczynski praised the prod-ucts, saying, “Spanesi’s 14500ASpot Welder and the Spanesi Q5.2MIG Welder are quicker and morereliable than other welders availableon the market. The Touch measur-ing system allows efficient structuralmeasuring during our blueprintingand repair process. Overall, Spanesiequipment is much more technolog-ically advanced than our previousequipment, and that gives us bettercontrol of the repair process, ensur-ing the safe, high-quality repair thatour customers expect and deserve.”

General Manager Peter Reszczynskipraises Spanesi equipment forbeing quick to use and reliable onsophisticated repairs. (Pictured:Fernando Barraza, Repair PlanningTechnician)

Fix Auto Chicago uses the 14500A Spanesi Spot Welder, Touch ElectronicMeasuring System, and Spanesi Q5.2 MIG welder from Spanesi Americasand plans to invest in more equipment from Spanesi Americas in the nearfuture. (Pictured: Fernando Barraza, Sr. Repair Planning Technician &Quentin Hacker, Jr. Repair Planning Technician)

Reszczynski shared, “Spanesiequipment is intuitively designedwith the technician in mind.”(Pictured: Mark Pituch, StructuralTechnician

by Autobody News Staff Fix Auto ChicagoLocation: Chicago, IL773-342-6363www.fixautousa.com/Chicago






DRP Programs: Five


Spanesi AmericasTimothy W. Morgan (COO/Managing Director)(224)-SPANESI (224-772-6374) www.spanesi.com


Mike’s Auto Body Happily Inherits USI Boothat New Location

When Mike’s Auto Body, a North-ern California MSO with 16 loca-tions, purchased an existing shopin Alameda, they were delighted.

When they discovered that theshop was already using a USIChronotech spray booth, they wereeven more excited.

Mikes’ Auto Body founder MikeRose and his family, who havebeen repairing damaged vehiclessince 1972, have built a companythat is well-known for being an out-standing business partner in everycity it serves.

Mike’s Auto Body acquired whatwas formerly known as AlamedaClassic Collision Center, a restora-tion/collision shop that was openedin 2007 by CJ Miller, earlier thisyear. Taking over a body shop andinstituting their company culture isnot always an easy task, but Mike’sAuto Body has been doing exactlythat for many years. By stressingquality and retaining many of the ex-isting employees at each location,the company has succeeded withevery acquisition.

Having the right tools and equip-ment is critical to the process,which is why the shop’s manager,Lester Branson, values the shop’sChronotech paint booth, manufac-tured by USI North America.

“We’ve been pleasantly sur-prised by how this booth per-forms and what it has enabled usto achieve,” he said. “Its design ispretty amazing, and the technol-ogy is second-to-none. When ourpainter starts the job, he knows thespray time and the curing time ex-actly, and that has really helped ourproduction and the shop’s flow. Wecame in here, started using thebooth immediately and haven’tstopped since. We have had zerocomebacks and have been ableto adhere to our company motto,‘Where Quality Counts!’”

With 13 employees operatingout of a 13,000-square-foot facility,Mike’s Auto Body in Alameda is re-pairing approximately 100 vehiclesmonthly as Branson learns the areaand the market.

“We anticipate growing everymonth, so we need to be able to ac-commodate the increased volume,”

he said. “That means we need torely on the booth to hit those num-bers month after month. It’s goingto be asked to perform without anyissues on a daily basis, and we’reconfident that it’s going to handlethe load because it’s well-built anddesigned to withstand heavy use.”

Branson sees a great futurefor the new location and their USIChronotech.

“You just punch the parametersinto the computer, and it spells every-thing out for the painter,” he said. “Asour volume increases, we know thatwe can handle the work without sac-rificing any of the quality we’re knownfor. When it comes to a booth, youjust want to let it do its job becausethere are so many other things goingon here all the time. As our painterlearns more about the booth and be-comes even more comfortable usingit on a daily basis, he will be evenmore effective and a valuable mem-ber of the team.”

Head painter Ismael Acosta is anew hire at Mike’s Auto Body buthas a total of 15 years of experi-ence in the collision repair industry.He has used a wide range of paintbooths over the years, and USI is atthe very top of his list, he said.

“This booth has made my life alot easier in many ways, so that I canspend more time concentrating onother things,” Acosta said. “I have

only been using it for a short time,and I’m learning more about it everyday. The application process and thecuring process are totally different,and they’re saving us time.”

Curing the cars with their USIpaint booth has allowed Mike’s AutoBody to save significant time andhelped cut down on their cycle time.

“The car comes out of the booth,and we go right to reassembly,” Bran-son said. “We never have to useblowers because the air movement inthat booth is incredible. With otherbooths I’ve worked with in thepast, we would sometimes have towait a full day for the car to drycompletely, but with the USI booth,we’re able to start working on it im-mediately. We haven’t had to polisha car since day one, and that’s prettyincredible.”

Miller is happy to know his busi-ness is in good hands—partly thanksto the USI booth he purchased in2017.

“I’m so happy that Mike’s ac-quired Alameda Classic Collision,and my employees feel the same,”he said. “I’ve been in this businesssince I was 16 and washing cars formy father, so it’s been a great jour-ney, and now I am looking for my nextopportunity. I’m confident that theshop will succeed because they havethe right people, tools and equipmentto get it done.”

Branson, an industry veteran, islauding his USI North Americabooth for its efficiency and theoverall quality of its impact onthe finished product.

(l to r) Head painter Ismael Acosta, painter’s helper/prepper Jose Vasquezand manager Lester Branson at Mike’s Auto Body in Alameda, CA.

Acosta relies on USI’s patentedEPS, which gives him all of theparameters he needs to paintevery car.

by Autobody News Staff Mike’s Auto BodyLocation: Concord, CA(925) 689-1739www.mikesautobody.com



Facility Employees: 200+




USI of North AmericaCompany Contact: Stefano [email protected](201) 405-7760www.usius.com

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