Continental quality

Jan. 1, 2020
  The phrase “German engineering” is equated with high-tech, high performance, precision machines. And to maintain these machines takes precise, talented technicians. 

It’s generally acknowledged that the phrase “German engineering” is equated with high-tech, high performance, precision machines. And to maintain these machines takes precise, talented technicians. Delving into the minutiae of these cars takes special aptitude, something Steve Brotherton shared with a German expatriate named Walter Bodendorf.

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The two met while working at a Mercedes Benz dealership in Florida. Their shared passion for Teutonic technology led them in 1978 to start Continental Imports near downtown Gainesville, the largest city in North Central Florida.

Independent import shops at this time and place would have been terribly scarce, but word of mouth soon put the partners on the map. Others didn’t fare so well. A BMW/Porsche shop down the street had to close its doors, but one of the owners, Alan Rhodes, brought his considerable experience with the Bavarian brand to Continental. By 1985 they were running two stores, but in 1990 the opportunity arose to buy a five-acre location, so they consolidated their operations within an 18,000-square foot shop, still retaining a Main Street address.

During this period their reputation had grown to the point of attracting the attention of Bosch. The German appliance and auto parts behemoth was in the process of setting up the Bosch Service Center program throughout the U.S. Being judged one of the top 10 shops in the Southeast, Continental Imports was one of only a handful of facilities certified at the time. Through this Bosch network, they were able to extend their 2 year warranty on service and repairs (except on engine and transmission units) nationwide. Continental is also an authorized dealer for Dinan Engineering, which makes aftermarket speed parts for BMW.

Sadly Walter Bodendorf passed away about six years ago (his widow Hannelore is now co-owner as well as office manager), but the business continues to thrive, now including nearly all the German
makes, Scandinavian and British marques, as well as some Japanese cars. To cover all of these different brands requires training--a lot of training. Core to the shop’s success are the in-house courses Brotherton conducts.

“As an Industry Advisor at Santa Fe College and Loften Center,” the graduate engineer explains, “I am involved with training curriculum and training participation. We have four past graduates of the College’s cooperative education program working currently.”

Supplementing Brotherton’s shop syllabus are classes sponsored by longtime affiliates, including Bosch, the International Automotive Technicians Network (iATN), Independent BMW Service Professionals (BIMRS), Luxury Motor Vehicle Industries (LMVind), and Euro diagnostics.

With Brotherton as team leader, technicians work in teams of two and three. Each team has the factory OE tool to deal with the one or sometimes two product lines they are assigned. With the Team Leader coordinating the effort as one big team, bonuses are award for productivity on top of hourly wages.

“The incentive is…long term employment and better than local average pay scale,” says Brotherton. Also, all employee and dependent health care is covered.

Family members of the shop’s two founders are in key positions, managing customer service, technical performance, and business administration, as well as two more whom are service writers. The latter “are young, eager to please, strict on shop outcomes, and are not paid incentives,” explains Brotherton. “They will one day own the business and that is the incentive that makes our service special.”

Of course training is no good without tools. Continental has factory diagnostic computers for each of the eight brands they handle, genuine Mercedes and BMW factory tools, and “an LSID for SDRM access which is especially useful when programming VW and Audi with our VAS5052A,” says the acronym-prone Brotherton. The shop also has the top Hunter Hawkeye Target alignment machine, Hunter Road Force balancer, Hunter TC3500 tire mounting equipment, and an eddy current “Virtual Test Track” 500hp Clayton diagnostic dyno. 

Brotherton also has compelling views on parts supply, with a pricing policy designed to matrix off the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Keeping their pricing below the local dealers’ matrix, Continental’s products are competitive in both price and quality. 

“By not matrixing off cost we have the highest incentive to buy right. Those who matrix off cost make more parts profit by buying wrong, but have no position in the market on pricing. Our direct market competition is dealers, and pricing right in the market has been a strong ally to our technical competence,” he states.

“We minimize our vendors and expect service and pricing advantage as a result of volume purchasing,” Brotherton continues. Good relations are maintained with local dealers by minimizing returns; if installed, a part will not get returned unless defective. “We keep about $100,000 of productive rotating stock to allow the vendor minimization and pricing position.”

While Continental’s sterling reputation has been their best marketing by far, they are experimenting with social networks like Facebook, utilized in conjunction with their website, which in turn has been redesigned for search engine optimization. “We are minimally involved with targeted, vehicle specific search engine programs such as BimmerShops and MercedesShops,” says Brotherton, as well as Customerlink in a Google-directed approach. His participation on DYI websites has also increased their visibility online and regionally.

Today they are the largest independent BMW repair facility in North Florida. “Our recognition over the years has come from investing in tooling and training to maintain a unique independent service product with virtually no technical competition,” he concludes, “except theoretically from dealers.”

And that might even apply on two continents.

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