As more collision repair shops convert to waterborne paint, upgrade to energy-efficient equipment and lighting, and look for other ways to make their shops more efficient, reduce VOC emissions and comply with state and federal environmental regulations, many have begun touting their new “green business” status in their marketing materials.
But what is the value of marketing a shop’s environmental practices to customers, particularly when bottom-line-focused insurance companies drive so much of the collision business? And how can shops let their customers know that their green practices aren’t just puffed up marketing jargon?
Shop owner Jacques Andres first started thinking about his business’s environmental impact after driving home in a newly painted car. Dust and particles from the paint job had lodged in the carpet and interior, making him sick every time he drove it.
“After I drove it for 15 minutes, I’d have a runny nose, watery eyes and swollen glands, almost like I was coming down with the flu,” Andres says. “Through closer inspection of the car I found there was primer dust, sanding dust and paint dust in the rugs and the heating and air vents. I realized there are a lot of processes around hazmat that aren’t really being controlled.”
Not long afterward, he rebranded the body shop side of his Oakland-based Baybridge Motors business as Clean Green Collision in 2004, and redesigned the shop with new collection and filtration systems to reduce emissions. Andres switched to waterborne paints and a UV curing system that eliminates the need for solvents. He also designed a dust filter that recirculates and captures sanding and paint emissions, and added new ceiling dust filters. He also takes care to seal off the windows, doors and ventilation systems in the vehicles his staff repairs to prevent any pollution inside the car.
Clean Green services medium to higher-end clients, and gains most of its business through word-of-mouth or walk-in customers. Environmental marketing doesn’t necessarily bring clients in the door, but Andres says it does make an impact on customers.
“There is support, mostly once customers come in to get an estimate and they see what we’re doing,” Andres says. “It’s a good selling tool at that point.”
Marketing a green shop to high-end customers in California is one thing, but what about other parts of the country where waterborne hasn’t been mandated yet, and customers aren’t necessarily worried about body shop emissions? Shops in other states also have taken a proactive position on waterborne, and hope to use their environmentally friendly shop practices to gain new business.
When owners Jacki and Jay Givens moved Givens Collision Repair Center to its new $3.2 million, 17,000-square-foot digs in Frederick, Md., they knew they wanted to “grow green,” as Jacki Givens puts it.
Givens switched to waterborne (Akzo Nobel Sikkens), added larger windows and skylights to increase the natural lighting in the shop, instituted a recycling program, installed zoned and timed heating and air conditioning systems, and a pricey ($200,000) storm water management system that cleans and filters groundwater before it leaves the facility. Garmat spray booth mechanicals, an Accele-Cure drying system, and a screw-type Kaeser compressor also help cut down on utility costs, she said.
“Both of us are very concerned about the environment,” says Jacki Givens. “We figured we were moving into a new building, we wanted to build it right and be progressive, and meet the 2012 standard today.”
Those investments have paid off in lower utility bills. “The bills in our new building are less than we had at the old facility, even though we’re twice the size,” says Jay Givens.
The shop has been covered in all of the local papers, which helped bring 300 to 400 people to the grand opening, and boost business in a down economy. That is particularly important, given that 90 percent of the shop’s business comes through referrals and agreements with local dealerships.
“People read about us in the paper, and then tell us they stand behind what we’re doing,” Jacki Givens says. “Because we’re the newest, greenest facility in Frederick, we are one of the busiest shops in town. It gives us a marketing advantage over our competitors in the area.”
Dan’s Auto Body in Cape May Courthouse, N.J., wears its green messaging on the company’s Web site and on the company truck, which bears the slogan “Dan’s Auto Body has gone green. Call and see what we mean.”
Owner Dan Rusco made the switch to waterborne paint (the Glasurit 90 Line) to reduce VOCs, has instituted a recycling program, and has been approved for a grant to help him install a solar panel system to help cut down on electricity usage.
“I switched to waterborne for two reasons,” Rusco says. “Number one, it’s better for our health and better for our environment. Number two, I wanted to stay ahead of the curve.”
He explains all of this to customers when they call asking about the message on the truck – and a surprising number of people do call, just to find out what the shop is doing about the environment.
“I’ve had people call just because they saw the truck driving by,” Rusco says. “We’ve had a lot of local praise for it. People are looking for businesses that are doing something positive for the environment.”
While waterborne paint is more expensive, Rusco has seen some hard dollar benefits from making the switch, including cutting his hazardous waste removal by more than half for the year.
He feels his green advertising campaign has paid off in customer good will. “We’re not a DRP facility, so customer service and doing the right things, promoting programs in the community – that’s what drives this facility.”
There are a variety of ways to sell a shop’s environmental programs beyond traditional advertising. Several state and local environmental improvement programs offer certification programs that provide visibility to green businesses.
The California Autobody Association (CAA), for example, recently announced an agreement with GRC-Pirk Management to help members to meet Certified Green Investment (CGI) requirements, which verify that a business is environmentally efficient. Members that meet the qualifications receive certification posters that include EPA, California and municipal green partnership seals.
The California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) also has teamed up with the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control on the Green Station Recognition Program, a voluntary program that awards certification to auto repair shops that have met certain environmental impact requirements.
“In California the consumer is maybe a little more aware of the environment, and I think marketing like this does have a role to play,” says David McClune, executive director. “Moving forward, we’ll see more legislation that will force shops to operate at a certain level, and these practices will be more of the standard in the industry.”
Environmental marketing may be more beneficial for shops in attracting walk-in business than insurance company business. However, many of these green initiatives directly impact a shop’s efficiency and operating overhead, which might eventually help sell the shop to insurers.
Whatever the goals of the marketing program, there has to be some “meat” behind the message. Consumers can typically see through over-inflated green operating claims.
Andres walks clients through the shop to show off his filtration systems and explain the benefits to the customer of not having their vehicles filled with dust and paint residue. “They like the way the shop is super clean, and all of the efforts we’ve put into those measures,” he says. Clean Green should be certified by the county as a green business later this year.
At Givens Collision Repair, customers can peruse literature on waterborne paint products in the office area, and staff members explain the benefits of the environmental programs to clients. “When you explain that the manufacturers are using waterborne, they get a better grasp of it,” Jay Givens says. “They want to know if water-based paint will wash off the car when it rains. But the end result is that you get a better quality finish from waterborne, and you’re not doing any damage to Mother Nature.”
“We think this gives us an added advantage,” Jacki Givens adds. “We will continue to move in a progressive fashion, because that’s where the industry is heading. If you don’t start now, you will get left behind.”
