Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes held its A-Plus Network Vision Group Conference Dec. 10-12 at the Naples Grande Resort in Naples, Fla., and 75 collision repair facility owners enjoyed a mix of sun, fun and learning via workshops and special presentations.
After a golf outing at the Naples Grande Golf Course on Wednesday, Greg Eisenhardt, Sherwin-Williams A-Plus Network marketing manager, and Elainna Sachire of Square One Systems kicked things off the following morning bright and early with a welcome and introductions.
Next up was the keynote speaker, G.B. Outlaw of G.B. Outlaw & Associates, who, through a mix of humor, storytelling and hardcore data, provided advice on how to successfully climb the “performance mountain.”
After lunch, Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute, gave a presentation on the “Future Technology of Repairs,” showing the importance of putting vehicles back into a crashworthy state.
Closing out the day was a presentation on what the “best body shop” looks like by the Sherwin-Williams consulting team of:
- Steve Feltovich
- Lee Rush
- Judy Lynch
- Ted Williams
- Dave Dewalt
The premise of the talk was, if there existed a “perfect shop,” what would its processes, segmentation areas and team systems look like?
“How many of you have a process before the tech puts his hands on a vehicle?” asked Feltovich. “If you don’t have damage analysis in place, you’re setting yourself up for huge liability.”
At an evening reception, Feltovich was honored for 15 years of service to Sherwin-Williams. Also, a trophy was handed out to the first annual Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Vision Group Sales Champion Group for shops that averaged better than a double-figure sales increase in 2014. Members of the group included:
- Champions Collision Center – Brandon Gary and Dennis Alston
- Fairbanks Collision Services – Scott and Carol Tompkins
- Barry’s Paint Shop – Barry and Elaine Burkholder
- Collision Works – Jake Nossaman
- Laney’s Collision Center – Lane Griffen
- Cascade Collision Repair – Russ, Dan, Brian Nichols
- Tedesco Auto Body – Ralph Tedesco
- Jay Walton Automotive – Randy and Sandi Luce
- Kev’s Kars – Kevin and Lorena Goitia
- Collision Experts – Maryann and Ben Bowman
- Roberts Auto Body – Fran and Mark Roberts
