This shop owner keeps involved with other shops to look, listen and learn — and keep his own shop's identity
That approach certainly seems to have worked for Auto Body Hawaii, which now earns $5 million in annual revenues, having grown dramatically since its start in 1973 when the Taylors were the only employees. "When we started it was me and my wife," says Taylor. "She sanded and I painted."
One of the first ways Taylor began to associate with winners was through his involvement in industry events and associations. In seeking ideas and advice for his company, Taylor looked far beyond Kona — the "Big Island" of Hawaii — which at the time was a small isolated community. "In the early years, I recognized the value of travel and spending money to go to industry events and visit other shops, taking ideas from others," Taylor says.
"Visiting other shops allows you to see what processes are used," he continues. Processes to look at, says Taylor, include parts management, how the information that comes out of a company's management program is utilized, and "what processes do they follow with the same insurance companies we do work for." He also looks closely at where shops gain production efficiencies, what benefits they offer to personnel and at their mentor programs. He adds, though, "One thing I did learn through these many years of visiting other facilities — I can never be them and they could never be us. Look, listen and learn, but don't try to be someone else."
Taylor says he hasn't missed an International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) show since that event's inception. He was also a charter member of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and is currently on the board of directors. A large part of Taylor's involvement with SCRS pertains to technical issues. For example, he recently helped organize an independent test of seven different types of welding equipment.
From its earliest days, Auto Body Hawaii has been an early adopter of advances in technology. After renting their first two shops, the Taylors built a 15,000-sq.-ft. shop of their own in 1979, initially occupying only half of the shop, but eventually consuming the entire building. That shop, says Taylor, was "considered modern for those days." In 2003, the Taylors moved into the 40,000-sq.-ft. facility that they occupy today. "We're very much on the cutting edge of equipment technology," says Taylor. "Other shops who come to visit are amazed and leave with lots of information they would like to apply in their stores."Being innovative in the use of technology is one of the factors that have enabled Taylor to associate with winners. His modern facility was one of the key factors that attracted several luxury car dealers to approach him about their certification programs. After obtaining specialized technician training from the manufacturers, Auto Body Hawaii is now the only facility in the state of Hawaii that is certified by Mercedes, Jaguar and Volvo for collision work, and the only BMW-certified collision facility on the Big Island. And both BMW and Lexus use Auto Body Hawaii for mechanical as well as collision work.
Trucks and Asian cars are still Auto Body Hawaii's "bread and butter," Taylor says. But he adds that the luxury car programs "created a new repair culture with the technicians," who feel honored by their participation. Taylor includes some of those employees among the winners with whom he associates. Chief operations officer Dale Matsumoto, Taylor says, is "the brains behind this place." Matsumoto, like several other key managers, came up through the ranks. "This is the only company he ever worked for," Taylor notes.
Auto Body Hawaii is on three insurance company direct repair programs. There, too, Taylor has avoided associating with companies he does not consider to be winners. Recently, for example, he parted ways with several insurance companies whose cost squeezing he felt prevented him from paying technicians adequately (see sidebar).The Taylors now have three grown children. Their two daughters — Tiffiny and Tracey Jo — help out in the business. In the late 1990s and the early part of this decade, their son, March, who goes by the name Tiger, also worked in the business, working closely in the office with Matsumoto. But Tiger's hobby — building racing canoes — began to consume more and more of his time and by the late 1990s, his work was so in demand that he moved to California to pursue a career in canoe building.
During the period that Tiger was involved with Auto Body Hawaii, his father spent nearly a year working a construction job and also briefly pursued commercial fishing. March gave up fishing, however, after he nearly capsized in 50-foot seas when he lost the rudder and steering while bringing a fishing boat from the mainland U.S. to Hawaii. "It made me realize that fixing cars was maybe what I should be doing," he jokes.
Beginning in 1993, March came back to Auto Body Hawaii "full force," he says, but adds that the time away gave him a new perspective. Today, he says, "I participate in some meetings but my primary role is feedback. There's always some level of micro-management, but less here than in other businesses."
Today, other body shop owners are just as likely to visit him as he is to visit them. "In my early days I went to others and cherry-picked what I thought would work," he says. "Now others come to us to pull ideas and information."