With just 18 employees, a number that has doubled since General Manager Bob Overbey joined the shop two years ago, the one-stop operation, family-owned by Tom Perkins, appears on the fast track to boost that number again within the next six months.
"We strive to be really fair with our employees — we don't play any games," Overbey says. "As expected, we have some incentives in place. Basically our view is if you do the work right the first time, you can expect to be compensated and receive bonuses."
Apparently, the strategy is working, as several of the company's current employees are longstanding, some with more than a decade of service. In addition, most have received I-CAR training, an option that remains available to new and established employees.For Overbey, who's been in the auto business for years now, it all began with a paint job when he was 18. Soon, he landed a gig in Colorado running a GMC, Buick, Dodge, and Jeep dealership for 10 years. Next he ran a new Cadillac, Chevy and Toyota dealership. He never left the body shop business.
"Once I learned how to write estimates, I never turned back," says Overbey, who has received I-CAR and DuPont training. However, he added that if, for some reason, the body shop business let him down, you could find him, "driving a truck, running heavy equipment," he says half jokingly.
Meanwhile, the company, which specializes in servicing all makes and models, has never skimped on investing in the appropriate equipment to meet the shop's needs. It currently operates with two frame machines, a measuring system, paint booths and welders."We have all the necessary machinery, but we're constantly updating. There's a good deal of new equipment we'd like to own in the near future. In the meantime, we'd like to stay as progressive as possible," Overbey says.
The progressive edge extends to customers. The shop wants to continue to roll out the red carpet as much as possible to keep them coming back, offering rental cars as an option, among other services.
But such options are not enough to starve the competition, which is "stiff" locally, according to Overbey."As a result, we rely a lot on direct repair programs, of which we currently work with seven. We also count on the dealership for advertising, along with word-of-mouth," he says.
Additionally, the shop has recently completed a new addition and remodeling to keep up with competition, according to Overbey. "We want to continue our growth," he notes.
Currently, the shop maintains an active Web presence, affiliated with the main Perkins Motor City site at www.perkinsdodge.com. On the site, potential customers can drill down to the service arm of the site to learn that Perkins Auto Body guarantees workmanship "for as long as you own the car," lives by the motto that "no repair is too big or too small," and will work on all makes and models, among several other key features.Along the way, Overbey says the most important lesson he's learned in this business is to take care of the customer.
"I'd also strongly encourage shop managers and owners to start small," he says. "Really learn the business. Understand the benefits and obstacles with direct repairs when they come into play. And, I'd recommend that owners stay involved in the industry."
It's also important to give back to charities you believe in, he said.
