Leadership has its rewards

Jan. 1, 2020
Nagy and others like him are at the forefront of these changes. They've smartly positioned themselves to be the survivors, when plenty of others haven't.

Thirty thousand feet in the air, Ohio shop owner Ron Nagy pours over documents related to the Automotive Service Association (ASA) Collision Division Operations Committee, a group he’s been part of for two years. Nagy has just completed two days in Dallas attending meetings as a first-year member of the NACE Attendee Advisory Committee in preparation for November’s show in Las Vegas. When he returns home he’ll have conference calls with committee members to follow up on decisions made in Texas. And there will be more travel and more meetings thanks to his ASA involvement. In short, Nagy’s busy—growing his shop, not just running it.

Nagy is a second-generation shop owner who feels an obligation to help the industry. However, the networking opportunities he receives by being involved make his job as a shop owner that much easier. He can pick the brains of more experienced shop operators, and he’s willing to get involved to gain that knowledge. Before boarding his plane home, Nagy spends 30 minutes talking shop with fellow ASA leader Darrell Amberson, a collision repair center operator in Bloomington, Minn. Nagy just wants to get a better handle on how Amberson runs five Lehman’s Garage locations. After Amberson departs, Nagy weighs the conversation. “I can talk to him all day long. He’s such a smart guy.” In the grand scheme of things, the conversation wasn’t lengthy, not even structured. Just a quick Q-and-A session that serves as a piece of the puzzle as Nagy continues to improve his business. It’s this type of exchange that keeps him active on the local, state and national levels. “How can you get somebody to understand that?” he asks shaking his head, speaking of less-involved peers.

It’s easy to complain that others, be they information providers, insurers, competitors, regulators or your local jobbers/WDs, are causing your shop’s problems. But can you look in the mirror and say you’ve done everything you can to make your business, your industry a better place? A recent survey on our Web site, www.abrn.com, asked respondents if they participate in their local collision repair association. Fifty-three percent responded “Yes,” while 47 percent stated “No.” That tells me not everyone is holding up their end of the bargain.

As new technologies develop, as new processes are created (such as the new operational methods stressed by Michael Giarrizzo, Jr., in our cover story about his new venture, DCR Systems), the industry will continue to get more efficient. Cycle times and overall shop profitability must and will improve. Forward thinkers like Nagy are finding ways to make this happen in their business today. Attending conferences, seminars, workshops, training sessions and being part of industry committees place Nagy and others like him at the forefront of these changes. They’ve smartly positioned themselves to be the survivors, when plenty of others haven’t.

What’s amazing is that so many others haven’t, given that the rewards are so obvious.

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