Starting Over
Russ Manley and his father, Ron, have run Manley and Son Auto Body and Paint in Forsyth, Mo., for 34 years. In the early years, custom work was the bread and butter for the shop, but because of poor work conditions, paint jobs that went wrong were as prevalent as the ones that went right.
Need Money? Renovations
When running a successful business, a shop owner will – at some point – utter the word “renovations”. In his next breath, he’ll shake his head and utter the words “need money”.
Partnering With A Paint Company
With so many paint-company partnership programs in the marketplace, making a decision which – if any – to join can be a confusing and time-consuming decision.
Bankers Don’t Bite
I’m convinced that most small-business owners are scared to death of bankers. They view loan officers as stiff-lipped stuffed-shirts who exist only for the pleasure of foreclosing on little old ladies on Christmas Eve.
Room to Grow
Name: American Auto Body Location: Akron, Ohio Owner: Joe and Rocky Piscazzi Established: 1976 Square Footage: 20,000 Number of Employees: 10 Repair Volume: 60 cars per month Rocky Piscazzi recently learned that relocating to a new body shop can trigger Murphy’s Law of moving – everything costs more than expected. “Even though I’ve learned that
Seeds of Success: Redfield Collision Center
Name: Redfield Collision Center Location: Festus, Mo. Owner: Greg Redfield Established: 1976 Square Footage: 18,200 Number of Employees: 27 Repair Volume: 116 cars per month Average Repair Cost: $1,640 The first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was made entirely by hand by four men in a backyard shed. Although it started out simple, the now-mass-produced Iron Horse ended
Masking Methods
Masking a vehicle in preparation for painting typically takes more time than does the actual painting – which means a good masking technique is one of the real secrets of the professional-refinisher’s trade.
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Pennsylvania College of Technology has one of the oldest automotive programs in the nation, dating back to 1920 when the institution – then a local technical institute – served to educate World War I veterans in servicing automobiles.