Coming Up Corvettes
Name: Jerry’s Custom Paint & Collision Center Location: Gresham, Ore. Owners: Jerry and Lori Geiszler Established: 1979 Square Footage: 10,000 Number of Employees: Nine Repair Volume: 60 cars per month (25 percent restoration) Average Repair Cost: $2,000 – collision $12,000 to $15,000 – body and paint restoration Jerry Geiszler has restored so many "American Dream
Constructing Solid Supplier Relationships
The notion of building a partnership with someone who is selling you something is foreign to a lot of people.
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.
Working Smarter Not Harder
Name: Jerry’s Body Shop Location: DeLand, Fla. Owner: Jerry Doyle Established: 1976 Square Footage: 10,000 Number of Employees: 11 Repair Volume: 60 cars per month Average Repair Cost: $1,500 After 40 years in the collision-repair industry, you’d think a bright guy like Jerry Doyle would’ve learned not to help his competitors. Yet, several evenings a
The Tale of One Shop Continues…
Another visit with Paul and Teresa Slate
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
Shedding Light on Infrared
For a shop owner, not getting vehicles done on time results in upset vehicle owners, unhappy insurance adjusters and frantic times in your business.
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.
Creative Recruitment
Your right arm. How important is it to you? An independent body shop owner recently said he would give his to find one good technician. If people are willing to give up body parts, you know things are bad!
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.