Certain people you meet in life simply exude high energy. They seem to pull you along with their enthusiasm for pretty much anything and everything. Doug Kirk is just such a person. A Scotsman with a thick accent and slight build, Doug is ready for action and conversation at the drop of a hat. When I met him earlier this year he was picking me up at the Manchester Airport in the heart of England. At the time he was working for spray booth maker Junair, and it was his task to give me a two-day whirlwind tour of shops in England. The goal was to help shops in the U.S. understand what's ahead in terms of waterborne paint technology by talking to shop operators who have already converted to the greener products now being pushed in parts of America.
Anybody who has traveled to Europe is accustomed to feeling like a beaten dog the moment you land. East Coasters gain five hours hopping across the pond and transatlantic flights are usually not the best way to catch up on sleep. I'm terrible without sleep. So when I landed at 8 a.m. I was prepared for that groggy, sleep-deprived, mud feeling ... I wasn't prepared for Doug.
Within an hour of my landing I was standing with Doug in one of Karl Vella's shops, in the town of Skelmersdale, talking to General Manager Michael Cannon. As you'll read in our story, Karl Vella's facilities made the transition to waterborne seven years ago. They are high-volume DRP (110 vehicles per week) and the pace is quick to get repairs in and out.
And so my introduction to England's body shops began.
Doug dragged me through the day, from one spot to another. I couldn't tell if it was the short timeframe with which he had to show me the industry, or the fact that he was trying to keep me awake, but Doug never stopped talking. Right up until 10 p.m. when he ordered another pint at a local pub. I suspect he was pressing on to keep my eyelids open, but I've since realized he has a passion for what he's doing. He genuinely loves talking about the business of fixing cars and improving processes. Most importantly, he's always on the lookout for ways to raise the standards.
"Look at the blend on that door," he says, pointing at a passing vehicle along the A1 motorway. The mottled look of a bad blend was visible on the vehicle's passenger-side door panel. "Ooooh, that's not good."
People like Doug are contagious. They get you thinking about your day-to-day drive and your ability to raise standards. It's imperative to have people like him in the market because of their eagerness to see shops prosper. They never stop pressing forward, even when it appears the bar is set at its highest level. Satisfaction is not an option. If we quit thinking about the next phase of business, whatever that "phase" might involve, we've lost. And at this time, with so much change occurring, so much conflict in the market and so many shops on the brink of collapse, pressing on is vital. No matter how tired you may feel.
Michael Willins
