APRIL 2020 · 2020. 3. 31. · MAACO CUP W INNERS SHARE ADVICE The winners of the Maaco Cup, which...
24
The industry must create clearly defined, structured paths of opportunity to help recruitment APRIL 2020 VOL. 59, NO. 1 // ABRN.COM SHOP PROFILE: LOOKING INWARD BEFORE PUSHING OUTWARD FIGHTING THE PULL OF OPPOSING FORCES Different entities have different priorities, but we must find a way to all work together ARE YOU READY TO GROW? How to evaluate if you are ready to take the next step with your business 14 6 OFFERING CAREER PATHS 8 17
Transcript of APRIL 2020 · 2020. 3. 31. · MAACO CUP W INNERS SHARE ADVICE The winners of the Maaco Cup, which...
The industry must create clearly defi ned, structured paths of opportunity to help recruitment
APRIL 2020VOL. 59, NO. 1 // ABRN.COM
SHOP PROFILE:
LOOKING INWARD
BEFORE PUSHING
OUTWARD
FIGHTING THE PULL OF
OPPOSING FORCESDifferent entities have different priorities, but
we must fi nd a way to all work together
ARE YOU READY
TO GROW?How to evaluate if you are ready to take the
next step with your business
14
6
OFFERING
CAREER PATHS
8
17
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SEARCHAUTOPARTS.COM VOL .59 1
OPERATIONS 14
8
8 OFFERING CAREER PATHSThe industry must create clearly defi ned, structured paths of
opportunity to help recruitment
DARRELL AMBERSON // Contributing Editor
17 LOOKING INWARD BEFORE PUSHING OUTWARD Positioned for continued growth, family-owned Schaefer Autobody Centers pauses expansions to bolster internal processes and divisions
JAY SICHT // Contributing Editor
17
14 ARE YOU READY TO GROW?How to evaluate if you are ready to take the next step
with your business
JAMES WHITE // Contributing Editor
THE VOICETHE VOICE OF THE COLLISION REPAIR INDUSTRYOF THE COLLISION REPAIR INDUSTRY
Talk Shop Anytime
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MSO OUTLOOK
6 FIGHTING THE PULL OF
OPPOSING FORCES
IN THE INDUSTRY Different entities have different
priorities, but we must fi nd a way to
all work together
DARRELL AMBERSON //
Contributing Editor
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BREAKING
NEWS
TRENDING
INDUSTRY NEWS
COLORS ON PARADE
OPENS NEW
FRANCHISES
Colors On Parade announced the opening of two new franchises in the Dallas, Texas area, both located in Tarrant County, with owners Michael Rivard and Zachary Everton.ABRN.COM/TARRANT
CLASSIC COLLISION
EXPANDS INTO SOUTH
FLORIDA
Classic Collision Inc. has acquired Carolina Auto Body, which serves the southeast Florida area since 2014 with seven locations, bring the company to 34 shops.ABRN.COM/CAROLINA
FIVE COLLEGE
PROGRAMS GET $5,000
Service King awarded $25,000 of grant funding — $5,000 to fi ve college repair programs to enhance student experiences, through the Collision Repair Education FoundationABRN.COM/FUNDING
MAACO CUP WINNERS
SHARE ADVICE
The winners of the Maaco Cup, which recognizes franchise owners who exemplify operation success each year, speak out to share coaching tips and support functions that can lead to success.ABRN.COM/MAACOCUP
PERFORMANCE GROUP
HOLDS NATIONAL
MEETING
The CARSTAR proprietary EDGE Performance Group began 2020 with a national meeting in Atlanta for franchise partners, store managers and CARSTAR corporate team members.ABRN.COM/EDGEMEET
>> MAACO CONTINUES ON PAGE 5
MAACO CERTIFICATION
PROGRAM PREPARES
FOR TECHNOLOGYMaaco Collision Repair and
Auto Painting, the leader in
the $43 billion automotive paint and
collision industry, and part of the
Driven Brands family of automo-
tive brands, one year ago began a
network-wide process of certifi ca-
tion for its nearly 500 painting and
repair centers.
Throughout 2019, Maaco loca-
tions nationwide participated in a
robust certifi cation program that
included technician training and
certifi cation, facility and equipment
evaluation and updates and opera-
tional improvements to service the
more technically complex vehicles on
the roads today.
The goal of the certifi cation
process is to improve the customer
experience, ensure that each center
is equipped with the right tools and
technology, and to ensure that tech-
nicians are prepared to service their
specifi c type of business.
“Maaco is a unique business
model,” said Dave Gross, VP of cer-
tifi cation and strategic development
CERTIFICATIONS
WOMEN OF CARSTAR BLAZE A
TRAIL FOR FUTURE GENERATIONSABRN WIRE REPORTS //
In honor of International Wom-
en’s Day last month, CARSTAR,
North America’s premier network of in-
dependently owned collision repair fa-
cilities, salutes the women who work on
the front lines in its more than 700 loca-
tions. Th ese women work as estimators,
managers, technicians and operations
counselors, all focused on getting cus-
tomers back on the road in an expertly
repaired vehicle.
For Katherine Hahn and Lisa Ray,
both customer service representatives at
CARSTAR Metcalf in Stilwell, KS, working
in a family business is an environment
that offers growth for women.
“The industry has definitely changed.
It’s not like it was several years ago. There
are plenty of successful women in the in-
dustry now,” said Hahn. “For women who
want to get in the collision repair industry,
I recommend that you try and learn as
much as possible. There are a ton of roles
you can play on a daily basis. There are
women in this industry who are manag-
ers and owners. You have to keep an open
mind about the opportunities.”
“CARSTAR really is a family that fosters
growth,” said Ray. “It’s great being part of a
close-knit team with everyone working to-
ward a common goal. They support me by
giving me the tools I need to succeed. And,
they lend a helping hand when needed
and put procedures in place to make sure
things go smoothly.”
Katelynn Woychyshyn, assistant man-
ager at CARSTAR Oakville East, never
predicted her future in the trades.
“I just assumed I would go to Univer-
sity and get a job after that,” said Woy-
chyshyn. “I spent some time there but
>> WOMEN CONTINUES ON PAGE 5
FOR KATIE HARIG, head detailer at CAR-
STAR Impact of Cascade, being “one of the
guys” contributes to her success.
INDUSTRY NEWS
SEARCHAUTOPARTS.COM VOL .59 5
was unsure what I wanted to do, so I
returned home. To make some money
in the interim, I applied for a posting as
a customer service administrator at a
collision repair facility and gained some
decent experience.
“Eventually, I decided to transfer to a
different University in Ontario and took
political science. I applied for a part-time
job in a collision repair facility. This facil-
ity actually elevated my role even more,
teaching me estimating and things I had
not yet learned. At this point, I could not
justify spending money to continue Uni-
versity when I already found a job that
paid well and that I liked.”
A colleague of hers moved to CAR-
STAR Oakville East and shortly thereafter,
she went along as well.
“I honestly just love it. I was doing
administrative work half the time and
estimating as well for a while and then
full-time estimating and then managing
production. Every day is a little differ-
ent; it is fast-paced, and there is always
something new to learn. I feel like people
still have an image of a dirty body shop
when they think of my work, but in real-
ity, there is so much technology involved,
high safety standards and mandates for
clean facilities. Even my parents some-
times can’t believe what I’m doing. I am
sure they are glad they do not have to pay
tuition, but I know they are surprised be-
cause I grew up cheerleading and figure
skating — not even interested in cars.”
Even now, Woychyshyn still catches
herself thinking if she needs to go back to
school but said she feels like this is what
she is supposed to do. Her advice to par-
ents? Make sure to let your kids know all
of the opportunities out there. And her
advice for current high school students?
Explore every option out there!
For Katie Harig, head detailer at CAR-
STAR Impact of Cascade, being “one of
the guys” contributes to her success.
“I enjoy working in a male-dominated
industry,” she said. “It is a great feeling
coming into work every day knowing I
can do the same things a typical male
could do. Personally, I consider myself
one of the guys. I have three brothers, so
I am certainly used to being around guys
and how they work. We are all the same at
the core I believe — we all want to make
a living and go on with our lives. Granted,
you don’t need to get along with everyone;
however, it certainly does help to get along
with all your co-workers regardless of gen-
der. As a body shop, we are kind of like a
train, everyone does their part, and that’s
how we keep chugging along. Sometimes
things go wrong, but that is a part of life,
and we just have to work through it.
“Most of the male workers I have been
around in my two and a half years as a
detailer in this industry have been great
to work with. We are all a team, regardless
of being a female or male,” Harig noted.
“With working at this shop, the team al-
ways works for quality, getting cars out in
a timely manner and leaving the custom-
ers happy. They always say to tackle the
day. Everyday, come in, put in the work,
do things right and know your potential.
Harig encouraged women trying to
start or succeed in this industry to always
put their game face on and focus on the
good things rather than the negatives.
“The only person who will hold your-
self back is you,” she said. “The good
thing about this industry is everything,
in the end, comes down to you. If you
find yourself wanting to move, there will
always be a job somewhere. The grass
isn’t always greener, but it isn’t always
just as grey.”
Sarah Hamilton is the office man-
ager for CARSTAR Troy in Troy, OH,
and bookkeeper for two other locations,
CARSTAR Sidney Body in Sidney, OH,
and CARSTAR Piqua in Piqua, OH.
“Most days are quite normal, but there
are definitely some interesting days that
most women don’t get to experience,”
Hamilton said. Continue reading at
ABRN.com/women.
>> WOMEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
for Maaco. “There are three potential
revenue streams; consumer-paid work
for cosmetic painting and collision
repair, insurance-paid collision repair,
and revenue from national fl eet con-
tract work, which is provided through
Maaco’s participation in the Driven Fleet
program. These three revenue streams
provide a consistent fl ow of business for
Maaco franchisees and helps to make
the model very recession resistant.”
The combination of business op-
portunities a franchisee wants to pursue
determines which level of certifi cation
they will require. There are three levels
in Maaco’s certifi cation program: Dia-
mond, Platinum and Gold, which each
set standards and requirements needed
to service the various segments of the
business opportunity. A Gold Certifi ed
Maaco center delivers on all the brand
standards set by Maaco and is primarily
serving the traditional retail customer
who needs their vehicle painted with
minor cosmetic repairs. Platinum certi-
fi cation is the next level and is required
when a center wants to participate in
the Driven Fleet program to service
national fl eet accounts and perform
insurance work. Diamond certifi ca-
tion is a premier level of achievement,
meaning that a Diamond center has all
requirements previously mentioned and
the necessary training and equipment
to participate in an insurance company
DRP (Direct Repair Program).
“National fl eet and insurance-paid
collision work requires an investment in
equipment, technology and training to
repair today’s vehicles,” said Gross. “Our
Platinum and Diamond centers have
made that commitment so that they can
service customers at the level required
to stay ahead in today’s environment.”
>> MAACO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
6 APRIL 2020 ABRN.COM
At the recent MSO Symposium, indus-
try expert and analyst Vincent Ro-
mans spoke about a power struggle
within our industry over our posture
on how to repair vehicles. He cited various entities
including trade associations such as the Automo-
tive Service Association and the Society of Colli-
sion Repair Specialists endorsing strict adherence
to OEM repair procedures. He also included the
Collision Industry Conference, as the gist of many
presentations and discussions in recent meetings
have emphasized the importance of safe and
proper repairs and using manufacturer proce-
dures. CIC Chairman Jeff Peevy has even placed
an empty chair on the stage to illustrate the person
not in attendance, the vehicle owner/driver, who
should be of primary concern when discussing
repairs and repair procedure policies.
Similarly, in some recent presentations, Sean Carey, also an in-
dustry expert and consultant, brought forth the same issue. He said,
“Despite the seemingly obvious imperative to repair the vehicle as
per the OEM recommendations, insurers are using the full might
of their political and legal lobbying efforts to refute the need. Citing
premium increases and an anti-competitive repairer ecosystem,
they are more skilled at lobbying in this area than the OEMs.”
I appreciate this candor. I regularly witness examples of this
power struggle and see it as a significant detriment to the prog-
ress of our industry. We need resolution.
And now to top it off, we are seeing examples of salvage parts
companies and trade associations in opposition to various state
legislative efforts to promote the use of manufacturer repair pro-
cedures. The controversy and friction heighten.
Our industry is changing more and at a faster rate than ever
before. New substrates and fastening technologies are com-
pletely different than in the past. Our vehicles have become
“computers on wheels” with a staggering amount of capacity
and complexity. Tolerances are tighter than ever. Many of us
were taught generic repair methods where techs used basic
principles to create repair solutions including heating, shrinking,
pulling, filling, shimming, welding and brazing to get panels and
rails to pre-loss appearance and fit. While safety
was a consideration, vehicles had little in terms of
crash technology other than mass. Today, various
brands, components, substrates, materials, fasten-
ing methodologies and other technological aspects
are vastly different from each other. We have no
choice but to be obliged to use manufacturer repair
procedures. To vary from them is to become an
amateur engineer, creating our own repair solu-
tions with no verification on how it will behave in
the next crash. This opens us up to potential injury
risks and the following litigation.
I hear the cries over how vehicle manufactur-
ers are presumably over extending their policies
with a selfish interest in selling parts. I see the
anxiety of the salvage industry that manufactur-
ers will squeeze them out of the marketplace. I
understand the fear over increased costs and the
potential change in the makeup of the parts we use.
But at the same time, we have more than 35,000 people dying
in vehicle crashes in our country each year — 1.25 million deaths
in the world. Over 2.5 million injuries in the U.S. A great deal of
the increased complexity of vehicles is about safety. Statistics
show that people are paying more attention to crash ratings and
vehicle safety than ever before when choosing their vehicles.
Vehicles can and are being made to be better at avoiding
accidents. They are being made better at offering safety when
an accident occurs. Technology is the key.
Let us not be like yellow-page salesman as they promoted
their dying product and philosophies. Instead, let us pull to-
gether as an industry and find solutions. Yes, costs will increase.
Yes, the complexion of the industry will look different. Yes, we
may be suspicious of the motives of others. But instead of being
a detriment to the progress of safe repairs, let us instead focus on
how we can put safety first. I believe we owe it to each other.
MSO OUTLOOK
DARRELL AMBERSON is the president of operations for
LaMettry’s Collision, which has eight locations in the Minneapolis
and St. Paull area. He is a board member for the Automotive Service
Association, and he has more than 40 years of collision industry
experience. [email protected]
WE HAVE NO
CHOICE BUT TO BE
OBLIGED TO USE
MANUFACTURER
REPAIR
PROCEDURES.
Fighting the pull of opposing
forces in the industryDifferent entities have different priorities, but we must find a way to all work together
8 APRIL 2020 ABRN.COM
The issue of auto collision re-
pair staff shortages has been
discussed and publicized ex-
tensively in recent years. It’s
a painful situation for most of us. I can
recall the darkest days of the recession
10-12 years ago when it seemed anxious
job seekers were dropping off resumes
every week. I had a stack on my desk and
when a hiring need arose I could simply
review them and start making calls. Fast
forward to today and the opposite exists.
It’s common that we place ads on the
most popular sites and responses are few
and far between. Many that do respond
lack experience or even the most basic
attributes to be considered. Th e pipeline
of people coming into our industry, espe-
cially through the typical paths such as
technical colleges, has been reduced for
many reasons. Many active people in and
around our industry are working hard to
change the trend by bringing attention to
the values of technical colleges vs. four-
plus year colleges, the values of careers
in the trades and by seeking innovative
ways to attract new people. Yet with rare
exceptions, there are no new ideas that
fi x the issue — certainly none that cure
the issue for the industry overall. Instead
we fi nd ourselves rolling up our sleeves
and working harder than ever to bring
attention to our industry and individual
OPERATIONS // RECRUITMENT
OFFERING
CAREER
PATHS
The industry must create clearly defi ned, structured paths of opportunity to help recruitment
DARRELL AMBERSON // Contributing Editor
PHOTO: OLM26250/GETTYIMAGES.COM
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OPERATIONS RECRU ITMENT
businesses. We provide off erings, such
as signing bonuses and better benefi ts.
We use talking points, such as job stabil-
ity and income possibilities and minimal
student loan debt, all to cause new peo-
ple to join us.
The concept of offering career paths
is not a new one. The military has used
it for hundreds of years. Especially in
the mechanical world, internship and
apprenticeship programs have been
around for decades, even more so in
places like Europe. Close to our industry,
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has been a leader
in hiring college graduates and offering
a tiered path of advancement through
various levels of location management,
regional management, followed by cor-
porate management.
While there has always been an im-
plication of potential advancement in
our industry, I believe we haven’t done
a good job of offering a clearly defined,
structured path of new opportunity. At
this time of staff shortages, structured
career paths are a tool that MSOs can
utilize in harmony with their size and
resources to get people and, perhaps
even more importantly, to keep people.
We know that common traits among the
younger generations include less incli-
nation to stay at the same job for a long
time. They are more inclined to see a job
as a stepping stone and they have less al-
legiance to companies, probably due to
seeing past generations’ jobs eliminated
through cut backs, outsourcing and new
technologies. It is up to us as employers
to give them a reason to stay.
Structure
Having a true career path should in-
clude a structure that can be provided
to an employee or potential employee
that gives clarity in terms of what oppor-
tunities are available and what steps are
required to advance. It should include
documents, paper or electronic, that
describe the company’s staff /leadership
structure, job descriptions (or profi les
if you prefer) that describe the nature
and tasks of the position, experience re-
quirements, training/education require-
ments, necessary skillsets and compen-
sation ranges. It should also be made
clear with whom the individual would
work and contact regarding questions
and to express a desire for advance-
ment. Th ose working on advancement
should be provided a key contact per-
son to help with coaching and monitor-
ing progress.
Company structure/
organization chart
A typical organizational chart is a help-
ful tool to help our entry-level people
understand what positions there are and
how they rank in pecking order. It’s a nice
visual to understand company structure,
pecking order and potential career op-
portunities.
Job descriptions/profi les
As part of structure it is one thing to
understand the organization chart, but
quite another to understand the full
meaning of each of the positions within
the chart. Job titles only go so far. Th ere-
fore, having a formal job description, or
profi le, gives specifi c insight into specifi c
responsibilities, education requirements,
experience expectations and what at-
tributes are required (or at least helpful).
Here is an example for an assistant shop
manager position:
Assistant Shop Manager Profi le
Supervisory Responsibility
Employee Responsibilities
• Responsible to assist the Shop Man-
ager to increase employees eff ective-
ness by training, coaching, motivat-
ing, redirecting and praising good
performance
• Guide and coach employees, along-
side the Shop Manager, to achieve
goals and enforce action plans based
on company goals
• Communicating values, strategies
and objectives
• Employee development and train-
ing by maintaining professional and
technical knowledge, attending edu-
cational training and attending SOP
training
• Follow, enforce and promote com-
pany policies, SOPs and corporate vi-
sion values consistent with company
culture
• Create and maintain an atmosphere
in which employees willingly produce
at maximum capacity
• Assist the Shop Manager in staff disci-
pline with written warnings
Process Responsibilities
• Ability to prepare and conduct re-
quired meetings
• Assist Shop Manager to complete and
administer yearly employee reviews
for all staff
• Assist Shop Manager with billing in-
quires to get all ROs billed when the
vehicle is complete
• Assist Shop Manager with billing in-
quires in order to close all ROs within
24 hours of vehicle completion
• Assist with miscellaneous daily,
weekly, monthly reports to audit and
manage in order to achieve company
goals
Customer Loyalty
• Ensure all customers receive courte-
ous and effi cient service from all em-
ployees
• Promote, including by example, out-
standing customer service
• Assist Shop Manager with CSI and
unresolved customer satisfaction
issues
• Assist Shop Manager with customer
complaints and customer warranty
repairs
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Versatile leadership abilities with the
ability to avoid staff indiff erence
• Ability to take over Shop Manager
supervision responsibilities when the
To every collision shop in the industry,
For the past 30 years I’ve worked in the collision industry, and like many of you, I have experienced a
lot of change. Over this time, I’ve been lucky enough to have worked for or with almost all the major
stakeholders in our industry. Throughout my entire career one thing has never changed; body shops are
the epicenter of the collision industry. I’ve always admired body shops for handling it from all angles –
the owner, the insurer, the OEM, and oh yeah, running a profitable business.
Truth be told, I’m a recovering insurance adjuster. I will admit, in my estimate writing days, I knew nothing
about repairing cars, and you did. I was not about to tell you how to fix the car. However, I did know
enough to ask questions and trust you. Through the years one of the most valuable lessons I learned was
just to listen.
Over the past year, that is just what we did. We knew if we were going to make changes, we needed your
input. In 2019, we spent over 578 hours (that’s like watching Talladega Nights 390 times) researching what
collision shops want and need out of a parts ordering system.
If you’re a CollisionLink Shop user, I want to personally thank you. Based on all the feedback we
received, we now have a vision to make 2020 and beyond easier for you to do your job.
I’m excited to introduce Collision Vision, our initiative to make the tool you use all the time – CollisionLink
Shop – better than ever. We have quite a few enhancements in the works so stay tuned for some exciting
new features. Here are a few highlights of what’s to come.
Enhance
Coming early this year your ordering experience will improve. You’ll see OEM promotional part prices,
upfront, inside CollisionLink Shop. No need to go back and forth with your dealer on pricing for certain
parts – you’ll see the part price immediately.
Differentiate
Later in the year, we’re really stepping it up. This includes flagging parts you
add to your estimate that do not fit the VIN of the vehicle you’re working on,
which prevents you from ordering the wrong part.
CollisionLink will also help you save time by sending you notifications of
parts not in stock. We will also provide you, and this is a big one, complete
OEM catalog access. See the parts you need, with accurate data only the
OEMs – and CollisionLink Shop – can give you.
Lead
Next year, CollisionLink Shop will undoubtedly be your go-to source. These plans are under wraps, but I
can confidently say these plans will be unprecedented in the industry.
I know you work incredibly hard for every customer you serve. I can positively say for 2020 and beyond,
it’s not just business as usual for CollisionLink Shop, and we’re working hard for every customer we serve.
Join our journey at OEConnection.com/CollisionVision.
Thanks,
Bill Lopez and the CollisionLink team
12 APRIL 2020 ABRN.COM
OPERATIONS
Shop Manager is absent
• Ability to contribute to developing and
improving process, including SOPs
• Problem solve and have confl ict man-
agement skills
• Work independently without direct
supervision
• Ability to work well with all levels of
management and employees; includ-
ing corporate leadership, subordi-
nate management and business line
departments
• Ability to negotiate
Profi tability and Sales
• Provide continuous support, at the
direction of the Shop Manger, to
achieve sales goals
• Provide continuous support to
achieve gross profi t goals
Vendor Relations and Performance
• Develop and maintain relationship
with our parts and sublet vendors to
maintain the preferred vendor pro-
grams
• Monitor parts/sublet performance
• Develop and maintain dealership re-
lationships to increase volume
• Develop and maintain relationships
with additional departments to in-
crease utilization, efficiencies and
increase sales
Safety and Maintenance
• Conduct safety meeting to maintain
compliance
• Report, document, and manage all
safety related incidents
Education and Experience
• I-CAR training required
• Vo-tech college formal training is
an asset
• Any accreditation from I-CAR, AMi or
vo-tech is an asset
• Experience in estimating is required
• Experience in parts dept. is an asset
• Experience in production manage-
ment is an asset
Of course, profiles for other positions
such as parts manager or production
manager should be structured in a simi-
lar fashion for reasons of consistency and
comparison.
Coaching
Anyone who interviews, hires, and/or ad-
ministers periodic performance reviews
should be familiar with potential career
paths within the company. But beyond
that, it may be helpful to assign responsi-
bility for coaching to a specifi c person who
can help those who express a desire to ad-
vance themselves on a career path. The
coach may be a shop manager or assistant
manager. It may also be someone from up-
per management. Th e key would be hav-
ing someone with intimate knowledge of
the company and industry. It should be a
person with patience and understanding
who is willing to listen and help develop a
plan based on the individual’s desires and
attributes. Th e coach should be honest and
candid in describing what it takes to suc-
ceed in various positions. Gaining trust is a
critical component in helping create a ca-
reer path. With adequate trust going both
ways, it is helpful to give some insight in
terms of compensation ranges for various
positions. Th e coach should be someone
who is expected to be accessible in the
long term. They should also proactively
follow up periodically with the individual
on the career path.
Summary
Developing career paths doesn’t have to
be diffi cult, but to do it well it does require
setting up and adhering to a structure.
Discipline, persistence, patience and un-
derstanding are required. It is also help-
ful to think outside of the box at times.
One example of a success story comes
to my mind. In my role as president of
operations for LaMettry’s Collision, I re-
ceived an application for a detailer posi-
tion about fi ve years ago. Th e applicant
had virtually no automotive experience.
Based on her application she was edu-
cated and owned her own small business.
In a phone interview she came across as
bright and energetic. In a face-to-face in-
terview, she indicated she was becoming
disillusioned with her business due to
extensive administrative and regulatory
requirements. She said that she wanted
more physical activity, including working
with her hands, at this point in her career.
Due to her attributes, and despite her lack
of experience, we elected to take a chance
and offered the job. She accepted. She
learned quickly and soon excelled. Since
then she advanced through positions in
one of our parts departments and entry-
level estimating. She has since learned
blueprinting and has managed some
DRPs. I asked her for a brief statement and
this is what she said:
“I’ve been with LaMettry’s Collision
for five years, and I started with no back-
ground in the auto industry. I came out
of a four-year university with a kinesiol-
ogy degree and after a while of working in
that industry, I decided to change careers.
I found a detailer position at LaMettry’s
and I’ve had four promotions since start-
ing. I would not have been able to suc-
ceed without the ongoing training to stay
on top of the ever-changing industry and
technology, as well as having a mentor to
guide me along the way.”
While not every effort will result in
such a great success, when they come
along, it is rewarding for all involved
and proves the value of creating career
paths. It’s obviously well worth the effort
for the company. And frankly, as a man-
ager I find there are few rewards greater
than helping people advance themselves
within our industry.
RECRU ITMENT
DARRELL AMBERSON
is the president of
operations for LaMettry’s
Collision, which has eight
locations in the Minneapolis
and St. Paull area. He is
a board member for the Automotive Service
Association, and he has more than 40 years
of collision industry experience.
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14 APRIL 2020 ABRN.COM
As a collision repair facility
owner, you spend most of
your time focused on the
day-to-day operations, keep-
ing customers happy, managing team
members, working with suppliers and
communicating with insurance carriers.
But, you have to make the time to think
about your future. Do you want — or
need — to expand your location? Do you
dream of a new location with the most
advanced equipment and technology?
Knowing if you’re ready to grow is
tough. Honestly, in my opinion, if you
wait until you are ready you may never
be. In this industry, changes happen
every day. Every time I think we are on
top of it, something happens. My ultimate
goal is to own five to seven locations, and
that takes a lot of planning and prepara-
tion to expand strategically. Once I pay
off one location, then I begin to look for
another one.
Research and plan for your
next step
Th e process that I like to use for growth is
based on history. I look for locations that
have been in business for years under the
same family. I research their community
appearance and stature, making sure
they have a strong name.
It is important to do your research
when planning for a new location. I look
at potential insurance carriers in the mar-
ket, and I talk with the local chambers
about economic growth in the area. You
have to look at what is coming several
years from now so you can grow with
the community.
Staffi ng for success
One of the biggest challenges is staffi ng
outside of your company. Once I made
the decision to purchase another loca-
OPERATIONS // EXPANSION
ARE YOU READY TO GROW?How to evaluate if you are ready to take the next step with your business
JAMES WHITE // Contributing Editor
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OPERATIONS EXPANSION
tion, I began to talk with some
key people that were already
in my business. I met with
them numerous times and let
them know I wanted them to
advance and move to a differ-
ent position at another location.
Doing so created a huge buy-in
from them. It also allowed me
to hire their replacements and
have them to train the new em-
ployees. Th e current employees
were eager to train the new team
members since they knew what
their reward was going to be.
Map your equipment
against your goals
Outfi tting your new location is
more than just buying equip-
ment; it’s an opportunity to plan
for your goals. When I look to
equip a new location, I look at
what my goals are for that shop.
I evaluate the kinds of cars that
I see on the road in that area,
since that’s what I’ll be repair-
ing. I look at the OEMs with
whom I want to be certified.
This helps ensure we have the proper
tools to complete all repairs based on
procedures. And it helps us achieve the
OEM certifi cations. Also, I like to ask the
technicians what tools they would like
and allow them to demo all equipment.
Balance your time and
your family
Managing my time is probably my big-
gest struggle. I am a type of person who
likes to be hands-on and work IN the
business as well as ON the business. Th e
problem with that is with multiple loca-
tions, there really is no time for working
IN the business. You must delegate that
to a great team. Longer hours have also
become a normal way of life as I work to
juggle the needs for all three locations.
A great resource I lean on is my fam-
ily. I took over the business from them,
and they are still very involved. My dad
is the shop manager and my cousin is
the office manager. With the two of them
there, I do not have to worry about the
day-to-day business. I am able to com-
municate with them through emails and
focus on the financials.
Apply your key learnings
There are several things I’ve learned
along the way.
• One, always be prepared for the
unexpected. Just when you think you
have a handle on everything, a new chal-
lenge pops up.
• Two, be aware of shop culture in a
new location — you need to understand
the existing culture to be able to blend
them into your shop culture.
• Three, gain the trust of the com-
munity — any time a new business
enters a community, people want to
hear from their friends and neighbors
how their experience went. That is why
customer surveys and reviews are so
important!
• Finally, understand that there is
only one of you – you can’t do every-
thing and need a strong team to whom
you can delegate.
JAMES WHITE is the
owner of three CARSTAR
locations in North Georgia
– CARSTAR Ken’s North,
CARSTAR Ken’s and
CARSTAR Universal of
Ft. Oglethorpe. He is the
2019 CARSTAR Franchisee of the Year.
After studying business administration at
Dalton State College, he owned White’s
Construction, building and remodeling
homes. He then joined his family’s collision
repair business and the organization has
grown tremendously under his leadership.
SHOP PROFILE
SEARCHAUTOPARTS.COM VOL .59 17
JAY SICHT // Contributing Editor
With its recent pace of expansions, one might have ex-
pected regional MSO Schaefer Autobody Centers to add
another location by the end of 2019. After all, between 2014
and 2018, the company had added three new shops, including
one in Columbia, Mo., expanding its footprint to 11 locations.
Th e company serves mostly a customer base in the St. Louis
metro area — with a population of about three million — and
was founded in 1985 by Steve Schaefer in the St. Louis suburb
of Webster Groves.
But rather than push outward in 2019, Schaefer’s son, Presi-
dent/Owner Scott Schaefer, decided to prepare for future growth
by focusing inward on the company’s internal core processes.
He led the company in redefining job roles, continuing to adapt
to vehicle technology and bolstering its training to prepare for
future growth.
“We’ve been focusing on developing and training our leader-
ship team, our managers and our technicians and focusing on
strengthening our processes and operations before we pursue
more growth,” he says. “I expect that we are now already at a
point where we can handle more expansion.”
One structural change was to redefine the role of the estima-
tor, which required some new processes and training for the
consolidated service writer role.
“Having a CSR, a sales estimator, a back-office A+ estimator
[blueprinter] and an additional person ordering parts created a
lot of opportunities for details to go unchecked,” Schaefer says.
“We felt that in order to create a higher level of accountability for
the employee, we empower them to ‘own the job’ from ‘cradle to
grave.’ When the job is completed and the customer is happy,
the service writer can take pride in his or her work. And when
something goes wrong or the customer has an issue, there’s no
one to point the finger to.”
There are still personnel who assist with parts ordering and
receiving.
“However, we’ve seen that when the service writer is respon-
sible for the ordering of their own parts, and they know that the
quality and timeliness of the parts may affect their customer’s
satisfaction, they actually prefer having more control of this pro-
cess. Part of how the service writer is compensated is based on
CSI scoring. I can say without a doubt this has improved our CSI
companywide and has led to great reviews online, too.”
With such an adjustment to the daily routine, the change was
rolled out carefully to focus on retraining approximately two
stores per quarter.
“Some people who were more customer-focused have had to
learn more of the technical side of writing the estimate,” Schae-
Looking inward before pushing outwardPositioned for continued growth, family-owned Schaefer Autobody Centers pauses expansions to bolster internal processes and divisions
PHOTOS: SCHAEFER AUTOBODY CENTERS
Scott SchaeferOwner
10No. of shops
35Years in business
230No. of employees
Sherwin-WilliamsPaint Supplier
2Markets served
CCC ONEEstimating software platform
NexsyisManagement system
$42 millionAnnual gross revenue
SCHAEFER AUTOBODY CENTERS
St. Louis, Mo. // www.schaeferautobody.com
18 APRIL 2020 ABRN.COM
SHOP PROFILE
fer says. “At the same time, some of our
people who are very good on the back
end with blueprinting have been given
customer service training and salesman-
ship training to work with customers.”
Facility expands for training
center addition
Planning for this change, beginning in late
2018 Schaefer nearly doubled the size of
its Creve Coeur facility, which is almost
70,000 square feet with the acquisition
of adjacent space previously leased to
a storage company. Fifteen thousand
square feet of that is devoted to the com-
pany’s training department. Two full-time
trainers are joined by two employees who
work part-time in auditing processes,
while one of the operations managers,
who oversees five locations, was previ-
ously the training manager. Th e expansion
also accommodates in-house training to
complement I-CAR and various training
required for OEM-certifi cation programs.
Schaefer Autobody Centers is currently
certified under Subaru, Chrysler, Ford,
GM, Honda/Acura and Nissan/Infiniti.
Schaefer says the company is in the fi nal
stages of becoming BMW-certifi ed at two
of its locations. One of those locations was
already a BMW dealer-owned shop that
Schaefer acquired.
“It’s just part of building that healthy
foundation so that when the opportu-
nity presents itself for us to scale out, we
have our core processes dialed in and fol-
lowed. We have a strong bench of talent
we can move into nearby locations and it
just gives us a more repeatable, scalable
business model.”
SOS answers the call for
ADAS calibration
About six months ago, Schaefer formed
SOS Auto Glass and Calibrations, mar-
keted as SOS Auto Glass for short. Th e
“SOS” stands for “Schaefer Optimal So-
lutions,” the winner of a naming contest
among employees. The distinct name
for the new division avoids the optics
of having a Schaefer-branded service
vehicle on another shop’s lot. Last year,
SOS, which now has a staff of three, per-
formed only in-house glass work and
calibrations that were related to the col-
lision repair process.
“In 2020, we are now working with
customers outside of our company, in-
cluding dealerships and insurance refer-
ral work,” Schaefer says.
The 20,000-square-foot calibration
center at the Creve Coeur facility pro-
vides ample room for static calibrations.
The equipment used is a mixture of OEM
and aftermarket scan tools and OEM
targets, and SOS is currently trained and
tooled-up to serve the most popular 80
percent of the vehicle population, or 90
percent of the vehicles the company sees
for repair work.
“We’ve had to create awareness and
offer training to our estimators and man-
agers at our stores,” Schaefer says. “There
are different definitions for different
types of calibrations. Even though they’re
very similar, they might use different lan-
guage to describe them. And it’s impor-
tant you keep that fairly consistent. We
communicate back-and-forth between
calibrations, because they have to know
what was done to the car, what needs to
be done and what needs to be checked
in order to ensure they’re doing a full and
complete calibration on every vehicle.”
Schaefer said the company is in the
beginning phase of offering its calibration
center service to body shops outside of
the company.
“I expect this to gradually increase
throughout the year as we hire and train
more staff to operate the calibration cen-
ter,” he says. “We want to make sure that
we are offering the best service to our
customers and not taking on too much
business before we have the capacity to
handle it. With ADAS and AEB [auto-
matic emergency braking] compliance
increasing at such a fast pace, I antici-
pate the calibration center will become
a much larger component of our overall
business model as we continue to ex-
pand into new markets.”
Operational consistency and
local touch can coexist
Schaefer Autobody Centers has long
used a centralized call center at its cor-
porate headquarters, which moved last
year from Fenton, Mo., to its latest facility
in south St. Louis County.
CCC ONE is the company’s main
estimating platform, and it is also used
to receive assignments, including at the
call center. The other major estimating
systems are used based on DRP and
OEM certification compliance, Schaefer
said, while Nexsyis Collision is the man-
agement system used. Call center repre-
sentatives treat the initial call as a triage.
During that call, the car’s repair needs
can be assessed, including if it needs to
go to one of the company’s OEM-certified
facilities, including the aluminum repair
center in Crestwood. Repair capacity of
the company’s shops will also be assessed
to see if load-leveling is appropriate.
The various shops are a combination
of consistent core processes and unique
personalities and capabilities.
“Our core processes, for the most part,
are consistent location to location, and
that’s important to ensure customer sat-
isfaction, quality of repair and adherence
and compliance to specific guidelines
that we have to follow,” Schaefer says.
“The more consistent you can be from
store to store, the easier it is to manage
that and scale it out. But you don’t want it
20 APRIL 2020 ABRN.COM
SHOP PROFILE
to be so cookie cutter that the store loses
its personality or what makes it special
and successful in its location.”
Variables include different dealership
relationships and shop sizes.
“You’ve got to be flexible and be able to
kind of manage the differences between
those stores, as long as they don’t detract
from the overall performance. But just like
how each municipality has unique things
about it, each store’s going to have unique
things about it that cause it to operate just
a little bit differently. It could be the de-
mographics of the population, what types
of vehicles are most popular, or what key
accounts that location has.
“Some shops have accounts that get a
lot of lighter work referred to them, and
so some of their processes and the way
the shop’s laid out are a little different
than some of the shops that have more
hard-hit, higher severity work. We’re able
to put the right people in the right seats
at that location who work really well with
that community.”
Acquire a competitor or
break ground?
In looking for expansion possibilities,
Schaefer said the company has em-
ployed a mixture of greenfi eld construc-
tion and acquisitions, and he expects that
to continue in the future. Shops that are
attractive to Schaefer for possible acqui-
sition have a desirable location, updated
equipmen, and a solid foundation of
trained employees. But those opportu-
nities are infrequent, he says.
“Acquisitions are certainly a much
faster way to break even than a greenfield
is. Although, when we got Columbia up
and running, that place did really well by
the end of its first year; it was profitable
and pretty successful. But you have to
have a lot of things line up just right for
that to happen. You have to be assured
that you have a strong customer base;
the market’s underserved, so there’s high
demand; and if possible, you’d like to get
some accounts set up, or at least some
assurance that you’ll have accounts set
up once you open a store.”
Without such assurances, it can take
a lot longer for a store to break even or
eventually become profitable, he notes.
Training for future technicians
Th e availability of talented technicians has
gotten scarce, Schaefer says, so he’d like
to develop qualifi ed personnel in-house.
His vision for 2020 is to make the training
center fully functional and complete with
its own paint, welding and frame depart-
ments, so those operations can be taught
outside of a production environment.
“There are a lot of people who show
great aptitude, passion and drive. But
they just don’t have the training or the
skills developed yet, and if we can offer
that to them and keep them in the com-
pany and keep promoting them, I think
that that’s a good, sustainable model.
The demand only gets higher and higher
each year, so at some point you have to
take it upon yourself to put together a
program and do it.”
Creating a winning culture
Th e best lessons are often hard-won, and
Schaefer admits to placing too much em-
phasis in the past on strategy over com-
pany culture.
“Company culture eats strategy’s
lunch every day of the week,” he says. “If
you can build a culture of people who are
motivated to win and succeed and be-
lieve in what the company does in their
mission, it’s like any great sports team,
you know? The team is really what has
to come first. You can have the best coach
in the world with the best game plan, but
if the team culture isn’t there, the team
that has the better culture is gonna win.”
Personality tests or culture indices
can be useful tools, and Schaefer does
employ them. But they can’t identify an
applicant’s skill level or integrity.
“In the past, we’ve made the mistake
of relying too much on those, and we’ve
maybe overlooked how well the employee
represented the company’s core values.
When you hire somebody, you’re placing
a bet — you don’t know how they’re going
to work out. You have to do the best you
can in the screening process and the inter-
viewing process. But ultimately, you don’t
know until they’ve been in the company
long enough and you can see how they
operate and how they affect the culture.”
Firing an employee who may be a
high-productivity or revenue-producer,
even one with a bad attitude, may seem
counter-intuitive.
“But if you have the courage to do
that, what you’ll often find is once they’re
out of the picture, everybody else’s game
improves. You start getting more out of
everybody else, and people enjoy their
work life more.”
Company-hosted family picnics,
bowling nights and outings to the go-
cart track help foster relationships with
people who work together or work at
separate locations.
“But you have to make sure you have
the right people in the right seats first. be-
cause if you don’t, then all that other stuff
you do is kind of for nothing.”
It’s to what Schaefer attributes much
of his success.
“Developing a culture of people who
are passionate about what they do in the
company is the best investment you can
make, and it always pays you back.”
JAY SICHT has worked
in a number of roles in the
automotive aftermarket for
more than 25 years. Based
in Columbia, Mo., he has
covered all industry segments
of the business as a writer and editor for 15
of those years. [email protected]
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