The Heat Is On
The use of heat to dry paint is a hot topic these days.
From Wreck to Right
It’s a dark stormy night. You realize that you’ve strayed from the main paved road and are now traveling down a gravel one. The road is soft. Your vehicle isn’t handling well. It’s raining so hard that the car’s windshield wipers can’t keep up, and the ditches on both sides of the road are very
Among the Elite
Name: Elite Auto Painting and Body Repair Location: Modesto, Calif. Owner: Moises Martinez Established: 1994 Square Footage: 18,000 Number of Employees: 16 Repair Volume: 120 to 140 vehicles per month Average Repair Ticket: $2,100 Making good decisions has become a habit for Moises Martinez. Start with the 34-year-old’s decision to open his own shop after
To Be Dust Free Or Not To Be
An investment in a dust extraction system
Aftermarket Crash Parts vs. OE
Some people view the aftermarket crash parts vs. OE parts debate as a war, with the sides being the collision repair industry (wearing the armor of the OEMs) battling the insurance
industry (sporting aftermarket armor).
Streets of Gold: Shurway AutoCenter Ltd.
Name: Shurway AutoCenter Ltd. Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. Owner: Giovanni "John" Scarfo Established: 1981 Square Footage: 17,500 Number of Employees: 20 Repair Volume: 150 cars per month When the first immigrants arrived at Ellis Island, they believed the streets of America were paved with gold. Obviously, they weren’t truly paved in a precious metal. But, to
Buffing and Polishing
Everywhere you turn, it seems another vendor has a “new and improved” solution to the art of polishing an automotive paint finish. However, buffing and polishing are
skills that can improve dramatically with plain old practice.
Will Bonding Endure a Crash
The use of “structural” adhesives to attach outer door skins, hoods, deck lids and body panels is nothing new. In fact, the vehicle manufacturers have been doing it for years.
A Well-Rounded Painter
If your customer-service index is high and your marketing efforts are giving your shop a healthy backlog of work, you know that what happens when vehicles reach your paint
department is critical to your continued success. And what goes on in your paint department is highly dependent upon the quality.
of painters you employ.
Strategic Partnerships
No business exists in a vacuum, least of all a collision repair shop.