Hot products for your shop in 2014

March 19, 2014
Top shops weigh in on the newest tools, equipment and supplies that may be worth your investment this year.

Among the more popular subjects discussed by the winners of the 2013 Top Shops contest was their investment in new tools, equipment and supplies for 2014. Since many of these shops are among the most financially successful in the nation, conventional wisdom might conclude that no expense would be too great and that these businesses would invest in the latest (and supposedly greatest) shop accessories to hit the market without a second thought.

Conventional wisdom would be wrong here.

Successful shops, like any other successful business operating in this economy, are more cautious than ever when it comes to making purchases – large and small. They want more immediate returns on their investments. When it comes to the latest innovations, they demand compelling evidence they’ll receive sufficient ROI in a time range they’re comfortable with.

Along with financial reimbursement, they also look for other benefits – for example, products they believe allow them to push out a better product or that provide them with certain marketing or branding advantages.

Let’s take a look at some purchases your shop might want to consider in the coming year based on input from recent Top Shops winners, a repairer gunning to be a Top Shop and an industry expert. Here are seven potential purchases for your wish list – everything from new luxury items to products you use or order regularly.

The Matrix Wand, which locates hidden damage and can check repair specs, has plenty of fans in the industry. Some shops might find the cost prohibitive. Courtesy Matrix Electronic Measuring, Inc.

Digital measuring
A little over a year ago, ABRN Editorial Advisory Board member and industry advocate Toby Chess introduced readers to a product called the Matrix Wand, which uses photogrammetry technology to take digital images. It then uses these images to measure objects.

The Matrix Wand includes a special damage analysis software program that examines these images and the measurements to help shops uncover hidden damage during the estimating process.

Most shops do not write to setup and measure a vehicle unless their experience “sees” something that doesn’t look right. Modern vehicles are being manufactured with more energy-absorbing materials like high strength steels, carbon fiber and aluminum to name a few.  In the event of a collision, these vehicles do not move as much as mild steel vehicles, making panel distortion and frame damage more difficult to spot. 

With the Matrix Wand, Chess was able to locate damage missed by an insurance adjuster and noted that the Wand offers benefits beyond helping shops write more accurate estimates. It also helps verify repair quality, since post-repair use determines if a vehicle has been returned back to specifications.

Chess noted that the wand is capable of quickly producing other common shop measurements, such as:

•Vehicle width, length and height

•Under hood and bottom of the vehicle

•Point-to-point measurements that can be compared to data from an information provider

•Door openings and "B" pillar positions

•Strut, knuckle, spindle and lower control arm

Wand measurements also can determine if a sub frame has shifted, permitting the estimate time for this repair work to be added during the original estimate and not later when the vehicle goes to the alignment shop.

With Chess’s seal of approval, the Matrix Wand could be on lots of shops’ wish lists, but industry consultant Roland Hillman says the Wand’s cost, which can exceed $40,000, may make its purchase prohibitive.

“It really is a great tool. A lot of us were amazed that it really works,” says Hillman. “But if I’m a shop owner and looking at its cost, I’m going to see if my business has serious problem with missing damage and quality control.”

He adds, “If I don’t, I’ll pass on it now.”

The product’s manufacturer retorts with numbers showing the Wand can pay for itself in one year (based on figures that show shops miss a potential $675 of billable hours per week without the Wand).

At the carwash
When Fabricante Auto Body, named a 2013 ABRN Top Shop, opened its doors three years ago, manager (and future owner) Eric Gates upgraded its detailing department with an indoor carwash station designed to be as green as possible. Instead of draining contaminants to the ocean or any other water sources, the system includes a filtering unit that removes all toxins before the water is released. Contaminants remained trapped and are safely disposed of later. The water leaving the system is as clean as the water that enters.

Gates says the carwash was a great addition and is a powerful marketing tool in the shop’s home state of California, where being green is often a key part of attracting customers.

Thanks to new carwash systems, shops can add similar green wash areas to their operations. The systems typically utilize a drainage unit that collects used water and separates contaminates.

Hillman says these units are growing in popularity and provide shops with benefits other than helping keep their communities stay green and attracting environmentally-conscious customers.

“They’ve shown their worth in cutting sewer bills, and they can stave off potential compliance and clean water issues with the EPA,” says Hillman.

Water world
On the subject of water, Auburn Collision, another 2013 ABRN Top Shop, uses a similar water recycling system, to go along with green efforts such as its use of solar power and material recycling programs. When asked what product they were most excited about for the New Year, manager Johnnie McGillvray declared it to be waterborne paints, which the shop switched to years ago.

Why the excitement?

McGilvray reported that the finishes produced by the paints have continued improving, and have outstripped their predecessors in quality and cost.

Waterborne paints remain a hot item for 2014 for several reasons. Many shops still need to transition to them. Those that have made the move can get more out of the waterborne products they’re using.

“Paint companies have done a tremendous job of improving these products every year,” says Hillman. “Shops would be wise to take a second look at what they’re using and get some help from their vendors in properly mixing and spraying them.”

Nitrogen welders have been on the market for several years. Their ability to repair plastic parts often damaged in collisions, at costs below replacements, is catching the attention of insurers. Courtesy of ProSpot

Plastic welding
Several Top Shops reported investing in nitrogen welders to repair plastics, most notably bumper covers. Like waterborne paints, these welders have been available for several years. Why the interest now?

Hillman explains that insurers have gradually become convinced of their value, especially when these welders have the potential to cut repair costs by repairing plastic parts that might otherwise need to be replaced. Recently, a lot of vehicle technology has found its way into the bumper covers. Parking sensors, keyless remote antennas, adaptive cruise/collision avoidance optics and cameras, radar units are some of the systems that can be found in a bumper cover.  Research of the OEM data can reveal that the thickness of the plastics or millage of the paint can affect how these systems work.

The Top Shops that have purchased them are moving gradually to train employees and incorporate them in their operations. Hillman predicts that after this slow period, he expects plastic repairs to take off.

“Shops are testing the water right now,” he says. “They don’t want to buy in until the technology proves its worth as an everyday solution and not just a tool for quick repairs. From there, the DRPS will have a huge say in the matter.”  

With aluminum parts becoming more prevalent now might be the time to invest in aluminum repair tools to grab this work. Courtesy of ProSpot

Aluminum answers
Mayfield Collision Centers is one of the 2013 ABRN Top Shops that invested in a nitrogen welder. It also is the third Top Shop in three years to express an interest in investing in tools for aluminum repairs.

The decision for the Bedford-Hts., Ohio, shop is significant since it represents a departure from shops owned by dealerships interested in this technology. Like many of the other tools here, aluminum repair equipment has been around for a while, but typically has been relegated to shops performing OEM repairs on luxury vehicles.

Mayfield’s interest, says Hillman, is a sign that aluminum’s time may have finally come. He notes that so many vehicles are incorporating the material and that vehicles with aluminum frames have been in the market for so long, that independent shops will – at least gradually – need to begin performing aluminum repairs.  

Shops will want to do their homework on what specific tools and processes the OEM wants in regards to the repair of their aluminum vehicles. Estimatics training is essential to insure an ROI on the decision to repair aluminum vehicles, as well.

Spray booths
In August, ABRN described Tony Wise’s efforts to refit the odd-shaped shop he had purchased in Charlotte, NC. With a modest investment and a little work, Wise was able to open up additional space that allowed the shop to churn out nearly $6000 additional dollars in revenue each month.

A new spraybooth can help cut cycle times. Owner Tony Wise invested in two to deal with a significant increase in business. Courtesy of Collision Repair Experts

Since then, he’s devoted himself to transforming his shop through a series of small changes that improve throughput and cut waste.

“My team’s goal is to come up with one great idea a day to economically make the business better,” says Wise. “In 2014, our plan is to remake the shop and become a Top Shop winner.”

The shop’s most recent change involved a huge departure from Wise’s “small change” philosophy. He invested in two new spray booths. Wise made the purchase based on input from his paint vendor who was confident the shop could recoup its investment in under 24 months.

“We were getting so good at pushing through cars at the beginning of our operation that we ended up with a bottleneck in the paint departments,” explains Wise. “We looked at every other possibility, but spending the money made the most sense.”

He adds, “We’re looking to grow, and we’re not going to do that if we have cars just sitting at any one point in our process.”

Personnel management
Sometimes lost in the discussion of equipment for shops are the tools available for repairers to improve their single greatest asset – their people. Shops, like most small businesses, have at their disposal any number of programs and training capsules they can incorporate in their businesses to sharpen the skills of their workers.

For 2014, Mayfield Collision Centers is formally implementing a “Zap or Sap” performance management program that it’s been trying out at one of its locations. Much like a coach gives immediate feedback to a team member during a game, the program involves Mayfield management providing feedback to employees in the moment that either Zaps (corrects a behavior) or Saps (recognizes positive behavior).

Mayfield owner Tom Griffin is a big believer is such programs and says they have the potential to improve work at a shop as much as, and perhaps more, than more conventional tools. He could very well be onto something. Not only is his business a Top Shop, its two locations generate more than $8 million annually.

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