But eventually he turned things around. The three staff members who stayed at Billion were joined by three more body techs, two painters, two preppers and one detailer as well as new office staff.
"As things picked up and business started to flow to the doors, it was easy to bring new people in," he says. "In all fairness, we've accrued other employees from other local repair facilities just because they saw the whole picture. We pulled in people with foresight."
Stone also set to work updating the shop with the latest technology. "We didn't have a car liner before," he says. "We were measuring with old gauges." So he brought in a car liner and spearheaded a $500,000 renovation on the building that consisted of a new addition featuring new downdraft paint booths with center mix rooms and new compressors.
He also stepped up training so the body techs would know their way around the new equipment — and be prepared to handle any job that came through the doors. "I don't want to have someone get their car wrecked in Yellowstone and have to tow their car to Salt Lake City," Stone says. "I wanted everything you can find in bigger markets — technology, equipment, everything's here."
But winning over the local customer base required more than just new technology. It required an understanding of local Montana values that came over time as he got to know his neighbors — as well as his new collision repair shop.
Today the motto of Billion Auto Body is "hometown values with high-tech results." Stone says the motto was the result of listening to the needs of his clients and being an active member of the community. "Here we do business on a handshake and a word, and those values are something you just don't find anywhere," he says.
After a shaky start with steep turnover, he's also managed to turn around staff morale. Stone believes he's earned his staff's respect by working side by side with them on the shop floor — even if that means switching roles when necessary, wearing a tie to work one day and a flannel shirt and Levis the next.
"I won't ask anything of them that I wouldn't do myself," he says. "If you sit up here and try to run everything and just push the buttons, it doesn't work."
SNAPSHOP
SHOP NAME: Billion Auto Body
LOCATION: Bozeman, Mont.
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 23
NUMBER OF SHOPS: 1
NUMBER OF BAYS: 35
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 18,700
EMPLOYEES: 16
VOLUME: 163 vehicles per month
AVERAGE REPAIR COST: $2,170
ANNUAL GROSS SALES: $2.4 million
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
A view from the top
W ith Keith Stone behind the wheel as shop manager, Billion Auto Body has gained recognition. In 2005 the shop was nominated for the CARQUEST Automotive Refinish Supply Excellence Award, an honor that recognizes the top independent automotive refinish supply business that, through the course of everyday service excellence, exemplifies the professionalism necessary to build public understanding and respect for people working in the auto service industry.
Just being nominated was a honor for Stone, who was surprised that his shop could even compete on a national level. So in 2006, Stone was even more surprised when Billion Auto Body was again nominated for the honor — and won.
"What made it really special for us was being in the top 10 from [2005]," says Stone. "It really didn't matter to me if we won or lost because we already had won just being [nominated]."
According to CARQUEST, one factor that placed Billion Auto Body in the top spot is the shop's mission statement: "Provide our customers with a shopping, buying, service and ownership experience that consistently satisfies each individual's needs and exceeds their expectations in a comfortable, supportive environment!"