Shop Profile: D's Paint and Body Shop

With expansion plans in play amid two existing collision repair centers serving “America’s Heartland,” D’s Paint and Body Shop in Peoria, Ill. is an operation that embraces the industry’s most modern technological advances while maintaining an old-time-style friendly atmosphere that motivates the staff and attracts an increasing array of satisfied customers.

“We treat our employees like family; they are not just a number like in most other body shops,” says owner Denny Boulton. “They are treated like the professionals they are. We cater lunches as we meet and exceed our goals, and we also provide a great benefit package,” he reports, adding that these approaches have netted considerable success.

The company is on track to ring up $4 million in sales this year, representing a 13 percent uptick over 2012’s tally.

“Since we opened our second location in 2009 we have more than doubled the size of our business and employees,” Boulton points out.

He goes on to explain that “people don’t see what goes on behind the scenes – they only see the results of our efforts. In business, just like in sports, there are those who excel at what they do. We have learned to play the game through relationships.”

Leveraging the learning experiences gained through active participation in a Dupont 20 Group and seeking advice from a lineup of industry mentors that includes Jimmy Lefler, Dave Dunn and Aaron Marshall, Boulton’s strategy is to “take what has worked for others, tweak it a bit and make it work for your environment.”

Established in 1979, D’s started out as a detailing shop in Boulton’s two-car garage. After a few forays into doing body work on the used cars being brought in, Boulton soon discovered that collision repair was a more lucrative pursuit, and he set about to obtain the necessary skills, education and business acumen.

“Not having to unlearn bad habits, Denny was open to new ways and new technology, which is his philosophy even today,” says Dwayne Bayer, manager of the 10,000-square-foot Pioneer Park location. “Denny is always pushing the envelope to improve procedures to make things better and faster – which makes it good for the customer,” he notes.

“We are not afraid to spend money on equipment,” according to Bayer. “We do a study on cost verses how much we can speed up the process of repair.”

Among the latest acquisitions is a 10-ton frame machine to service a growing amount of 4-door trucks coming through the bay doors.

Boulton is particularly proud of the operation’s painting abilities.

“Whether you want your vehicle to stand out from the crowd with graphics or you need lettering for your company car, we have certified auto paint specialists who will do the job right,” says Boulton, noting that painter Kelly Riggs has been with D’s for 24 years. As word of their specialty paint prowess has spread, the company’s flare for custom finishes, flames and designs is also applied to motorcycles, antique tractor parts, steel doors, refrigerators, furniture and numerous other items.

The Pioneer Park location carries an overall I-CAR Gold designation. Peoria Heights is in the process of qualifying its newer staff members. Having previously picked up the costs incurred with the I-CAR training programs, the company is shifting to a policy that requires a recipient to agree to stay on for at least a year. “In the past we paid for all of their training, which actually makes them targets for other body shops to steal and take advantage of all the time and money spent on them,” Bayer says.

“We have implemented a department called repair planning, which includes a 100 percent tear down that creates an actual blueprint of the job,” he continues. “It is a very detailed department looking for the small pieces often missed during the repair process. It’s not the hoods, fenders or other large parts that give you trouble,” says Bayer, “ it’s the small headlamp plugs, washer nozzles or circuit breakers that give you trouble. I call it part of the 90/10 rule: 10 percent of the parts create 90 percent of the problems.”

Staffers are continually encouraged to offer their insights into how operations can be improved.

“Most of the good ideas come from the employees themselves,” Bayer says. “We all get together and ask the question, ‘how can we do this better?’ It’s amazing what kind of input they have. They live it every day, so who better to come up with ideas?”

“We do consider our facilities to be ‘lean,’” Bayer tells ABRN, “although you never arrive at being ‘lean’ because it is an ongoing process.”

“We have a great relationship with our parts vendors. They work really hard to get us the right parts as soon as possible. They know we are a ‘make-it-happen’ type of shop, so accuracy and speed is important to us,” says Bayer.

“You should see the look on their faces when we take them cookies,” Bayer continues. “They say they should be bringing us the cookies for doing business with them.”

Bayer observes that “the biggest challenge is used parts, or I should say getting good used parts. We consistently have to return them.” Thus the business now strives to obtain new aftermarket components that are absent any signs of rock chips, gouges or rust that require additional efforts to meet customer expectations.

“All that being said,” Bayer adds, “we do have respect for the adjusters we work with; we know they have a job to do and to follow orders from above. Inevitably, we do get the job done for the customer. Our goal is to build relationships with the insurance companies because if you have that relationship you’re not going to take advantage of them and hopefully they won’t take advantage of you.”

In addition to gaining customers through word-of-mouth referrals, advertisements are placed on the Internet and in the Yellow Pages along with running a series of spots on the area’s television and radio stations.

In addition, D’s recently received a car from an insurance company that it is in the process of repairing so it can be given away to a local family in need of a vehicle.