Newell’s Auto Body improves with addition of new UniCure paint booth

“We go way back with UniCure,” says Todd Newell, the shop’s president and CEO.

In 1998 two UniCure 24-foot side draft booths were installed. “And now just last fall it was time to redo our paint department. After much discussion with other major booth companies we felt UniCure was the best fit for us once again,” Newell recounts. “So in two different phases they installed two 28-foot full downdraft drive-thru paint booths with a connecting mixing room and vestibule.”

They are equipped with air movers to accommodate waterborne paint, and all the components cycle through the main control panel.

“The increased size of the spray zone has been very effective at eliminating dirt and other debris. Buffing has been reduced significantly in our detail department and has had a positive impact on reducing paint material costs as well as labor costs,” says Newell.

“The drive-thru feature is nice also, as our shop WIP numbers (tracking and managing Work In Progress) increase. It is so much more efficient to drive the cured vehicle out and around the back of the building to the staging area for reassembly,” he reports. “This allows the detail techs to have new prepped vehicles ready to enter the booth without moving them.”

Newell is exceptionally pleased with the entire purchasing and operational process, complimenting and recommending the performance of the company’s personnel. “Their sales staff, installers and technical support was -- and has been – outstanding. Over the years any downtime that we have experienced has been handled quickly over the phone or they have rushed support help to us from Nashville the following day,” he says.

Based in Nashville and established by the now-retired Ken Jenkins in 1980, UniCure and parent-firm Interstate Marketing Corp. (IMC) is a second-generation family business currently helmed by son Allen Jenkins, the company’s president who has a mechanical engineering degree.

Newell has much admiration for what the Jenkins family has accomplished and how well their system has aided his shop. “The paint finish is the most scrutinized part of the repair as the consumer does their initial inspection of your repair,” he points out “Why wouldn't you want to have the best painting environment while using the best chemicals?”

Streamlined repairs

Newell’s fixation on effectively and efficiently fixing each vehicle to perfection is a driving factor throughout the facility, which is situated among three different buildings. Attention to detail is solidified by extensive training and an ongoing commitment to continuing education.

“Our team process is what separates us from other shops. By putting our techs in a situation where they have a specific role on each repair we are putting them in a position to succeed. Our commitment to a team atmosphere not only helps us streamline our repairs, but the techs are more focused and trained on the specific tasks they are asked to perform,” he explains.

“We have a streamlined process all the way through the repair. We work as a team on all the vehicles, not as individuals.”

With each repair “the technicians become more familiar with repetitiveness and exposure to the different models. If you are a body tech versus a reassembly tech our training focus is specific to the tasks required in that department,” says Newell, “so we can tailor our training regimens to the specific positions.”

This strategy is deemed desirable because it is not necessary to train all the hands-on staff on all the different procedures, such as frame straightening, panel sectioning, wheel alignment, diagnostics, painting and reassembly.

“Also,” says Newell, “the customer’s vehicle continues through the process regardless if a technician is on vacation. All of these enhancements to our process are geared towards adding value and putting the customer first. We have spent significant hours and real dollars to get organized and train each employee on our process. The facility is very clean and everything is labeled accordingly.”

Advanced repair processes and high quality standards to improve the customer repair experience are applied, according to Newell. “As a result, we are able to repair vehicles in less than half the amount of the industry average repair time.”

Formulating a repair plan speeds things along. “In the old traditional model of a body shop repair, the shop would provide a written sheet with what the estimator thought would be necessary to fix the car and a good faith cost estimate. The vehicle would come in for repairs and the work would stop each time the technician came across an additional needed part, then the insurance company would be called to gain approval. This cycle could repeat itself several times on the same repair. The stop-and-start nature of working from an estimate results and more time required to repair your vehicle.”

Newell’s does it differently. “We create a complete repair plan that expedites your vehicle through the repair process. A repair plan is an exact, step-by-step process that includes all necessary parts, repair operations, and approvals required to correctly repair your vehicle.”

The repair plan is implemented upon the vehicle’s arrival. The damaged area is completely disassembled by the repair planning team. “All parts and operations needed to repair your vehicle are identified at this time. Parts are ordered and approvals gained now instead of throughout the repair. Simply stated, once repairs began, they continue without interruption, saving time and money” for the customer and insurance carrier, says Newell, summarizing the accrued benefits for the clientele:

• You know a more accurate cost of the repair before it is completed
• You know when the vehicle will be ready for delivery
• Reduces possible delays during the repair process
• You know the repair is done right the first time

“And, because of our unique repair planning process, you will know exactly what to expect -- a first-class repair completed on time,” he says.

“We are an I-CAR Gold Shop for the seventh straight year,” Newell notes. “We offer two continuing education classes a year for insurance agents, and we participate in several community events. We have two country clubs in our town, and I have been a member of both clubs; these members all have nice vehicles and even fleet vehicles” in need of collision repairs.

Sponsoring golf outings is another method for connecting with customers, as is the shop’s support of the town’s festive Decatur Celebration.

In keeping with the community-mindedness endeavors, dealing with insurance providers follows a similar client-centric philosophy. “Some insurance companies try to compromise repairs, and we stand up for the customer and their rights,” Newell says, although the situation can create challenges. “It’s tough because they change personnel and procedures so frequently, but we treat them with respect -- and we need their cooperation to satisfy our customer.”

Newell further urges his industry colleagues to take a forceful negotiating stance. “Shops have to stand up to the insurance companies and demand payment for the required operations they perform, and they are also warranted rate increases for cost-of-living changes,” he asserts. “If the OEs want shops to be certified to repair their vehicles, then they need to support those shops exclusively with part-purchasing privileges and repair specifications.”

Return to Decatur

It was in 1958 when Mike Newell, Todd’s father, began repairing vehicles in a two-bay garage off of Jasper Street just behind the Mellow Cream donut shop. “He quickly developed a reputation for being a pioneer in custom repairs and refinishing. Everyone in town wanted him to fix or restore their car.”

In 1959 Mike Newell completed a sheet metal repair program at the General Motors training center in St. Louis, and in 1963 he built a small, three-bay shop on West Harrison, where Newell’s Auto Body still resides today. At that time he had only three employees.

Newell’s completed construction of a 12,000 sq.-ft. state-of-the-art building in 1998, with the staff having grown to encompass 25 employees.

“I grew up around the shop and then left town to go to college and study business,” Todd recalls. “After that I was vice president of operations at a wholesale crash parts supplier for 10 years. At that point it was implementing a merger with a bigger firm, “and my father wanted help growing the family business,” spurring Newell’s 1996 return to Decatur.

“We always had steady growth the first 30 years, and then I started courting the insurance industry and we grew faster,” says Todd. “Basically our volume speaks for itself.”