Virginia shop builds on dealer ties for strong growth, new business initiatives
One body shop that has parlayed its dealer affiliation into something even stronger is Greenbrier Collision Center, a Chesapeake, Va., -based shop that has experienced strong growth and recently moved into a new 42,000-sq.-ft. facility that collision center Director Marc Cooper hopes will enable it to grow even more. "Currently we do six million dollars a year in sales," says Cooper. "We designed the shop to do seven-and-a-half to eight million a year."
Greenbrier Collision is part of Southern Hospitality Automotive Group, which got its start in 1977 with a single Chrysler-Plymouth dealership. Over the years, the company has acquired eight additional automotive franchises and now operates a total of nine dealerships in the area, representing a range of auto manufacturers.
In the 1990s, three of the company's dealerships had their own body shops. Cooper joined the organization in 1994 as manager of one of them. At the time, he had 10 years experience in collision repair, including management positions with other dealerships. "I started as an apprentice and worked my way up," says Cooper. "Coming up through the ranks has helped me a lot; I've done every job in the shop."
In 1998, Southern Hospitality Automotive Group closed one of its body shops and combined two of the operations into one. In 2002, another of the shops was closed, leaving the company with a single collision repair facility at an Oldsmobile/Pontiac dealership in Chesapeake, which Cooper was put in charge of. "The company had grown so much that at most of the locations, the body shop was getting squeezed out," Cooper explains. "They needed more room and didn't have it."
Once the change was made, the company found that it provided other benefits. "By having one collision repair facility instead of three, we have better equipment and resources," notes Cooper. "By keeping it all under one roof, we can afford to have a mechanic, which meant that our cycle time could be reduced. It's helping out all around."
Today, Greenbrier Collision gets about 60 percent of its work through affiliated dealers, with the balance coming from outside customers. The company is on five insurance company direct repair programs, which benefit the customer by speeding up the repair process, Cooper believes.
Moving forward, Greenbrier Collision is likely to get even more of its business from outside customers. In late 2006, the business moved into its new facility on a four-acre site just a quarter-mile down the road from its previous location — and the extra space has enabled the company to pursue several new initiatives.
For example, the new facility has several bays reserved for use by estimators, which should enable the company to grow its insurance work. "It allows the insurance company to have a drive-in facility here," comments Cooper. "We also put in two offices for adjusters."
The new facility also includes an office for a rental car company, which should provide an extra level of convenience that will attract more customers. As of late November, the shop was still in the process of selecting a rental car company.
Another new initiative that should help generate more business is medium- and light-duty truck repair. The new facility has several bays large enough to accommodate such vehicles — and the company recently added a part-time salesperson to talk to businesses in the area that have their own trucks, with the goal of signing them up for fleet repair programs.
Other features of the new facility should help the company better serve its traditional customer base. "In the old shop, technicians had to walk a long way to do things," explains Cooper. "It wasn't drive-through. You had to pull every car in and out of the bays." Now, with drive-through paint booths, cars "come in one door and out the other door painted." Another improvement was to put the frame equipment in the middle of the shop where everyone could get to it. The net result of such changes is that cycle time has been improved, although after just a month in the new location, Cooper was unable to provide specifics.
Another new initiative that is helping reduce cycle time is what Cooper calls a "fast track repair process." The process involves pre-painting parts and having them ready when a customer comes in. In one case, Cooper says, the company pre-painted a customer's bumper and replaced it while the customer waited. "In the computer system, we designed a system where the part could come in automatically and get painted," Cooper explains, adding that the new shop includes a designated area for that process. Cooper expects the fast track repair process to appeal to insurance companies, who will view it as a means of saving money on rental cars.
Cooper's shop also is leveraging its dealer affiliation to help in fueling another new line of business — custom work. The shop does about one custom paint job a month for new Volkswagen Beetles, for example. Lambo doors are also popular, Cooper says, adding that the margins on custom jobs are better than on the shop's traditional work.
Greenbrier Collision seems to have made a good start toward its goal of increasing revenues between 20 percent and 25 percent. After just a month in the new location, Cooper says, "We probably have 10 percent of it already just by opening our doors."
SNAPSHOP
SHOP NAME: Greenbrier Collision Center
LOCATION: Chesapeake, Va.
SHOP SIZE: 42,000 square feet
EMPLOYEES: 43
ANNUAL REVENUES: $6 million
SHOP TRAINING
Apprentice program provides ready supply of qualified employees
Many collision repair shops complain about how hard it is to find good employees. But that hasn't been a problem for Greenbrier Collision Center a Chesapeake, Va., -based body shop.
"We normally have six to eight apprentices at all times," notes Greenbrier Collision Center Director Marc Cooper. "When we need a body man, we usually don't have to go outside; we promote one up."
Apprentices typically are hired out of vocational school and are matched up with a technician who mentors them. "If they have the desire and the attitude, I'll be happy to train them," Cooper says, adding that the training process can take three to four years.
Greenbrier has adopted a similar approach in the front office, too. There, the company has created a position Cooper calls "advisor," which is a stepping-stone to an estimator position. Advisors deal with the public and schedule work in and out. Some of them also can write estimates, but others are dedicated only to interfacing with customers. There is also one senior estimator who only writes estimates.
"I found that if all advisors write their own estimates, someone may be outside writing a tow-in and there's nobody to answer the phone," Cooper says. With the system that is in place now, "the estimator can talk to the customer while the advisor answers the phone."
In addition to offering employees a career path through the organization, Greenbrier also has a number of benefits in place aimed at retaining good employees. "Once someone is here seven years, they get four weeks vacation," Cooper notes. "They also get their birthday off with pay. We do a lot of little things like that, which a lot of people don't offer." As a result, most Greenbrier techs have been with the shop more than seven years.
Greenbrier Collision also spends a minimum of $5,000 a year on employee training. "We want everyone to be I-CAR Gold and ASE-trained," Cooper adds.