Bumper-to-bumper rewards

Bumpers Online launched its services to the smash repair trade on 6 June, starting within the Sydney market with plans to expanding nationally. The company will offer pickups on unwanted plastic bumpers from bodyshops on-call or on set dates. Smash repair shops will be given ‘eco dollars’ in return for these bumpers and plastic components, which can be redeemed for a variety of gift vouchers or as credit against reconditioned bumpers.
Mario Dimovski is the green-fingered hand behind this large-scale recycling and reconditioning venture. “There’s a growing demand for reconditioned bumpers, but the quality in the marketplace hasn’t always been there, which has turned many smash repairers and the industry off the product,” Dimovski said. “We are collecting huge quantities of bumpers so we can filter out only the very best for reconditioning. The rest – about 87 per cent – are shredded and we are looking at creating new products such as landscaping materials.”
Dimovski began welding plastics as a 17-year-old apprentice, and worked his way up to be a head trainer in plastic bumper bar repairs. In 1998, at 22, he started his first business specialising in the repair of bumpers and plastic components. It has always been his vision to found a super recycling and reconditioning centre and, after 12 months of planning he is realising his ambition. “The scale of this operation is beyond anything the industry has seen,” he said. “We are looking at a national networking of hubs, turning over close to 2000 bumpers bars per day of which just 10 per cent are likely to be reconditioned. A team of 200 is set to participate in the program.

Quality conditioning

The company aims to produce reconditioned bumpers of the highest quality and Dimovski is prepared to put his money where his mouth is by offering a full five year warranty on the product. Bumpers Online plans to stock over 3000 bumpers for sale, all of which will be prepared and finished using PPG products. The company even uses custom-made, biodegradable plastic wrapping for the bumpers.
“We use the latest technologies, tools and repair methods to ensure our reconditioned bumpers are the best,” said Dimovski. “I have been involved in the supply chain industry all my working life, and I know panel beaters can’t afford the downtime caused by rejecting poor-quality reconditioned bumpers.”
AP&P visited the NSW depot and office in Wetherill Park, and there’s also a purpose-built facility in Brisbane. Melbourne is next. The NSW operations hub is the first automotive plastics remanufacturing plant to be Green Stamp-accredited in Australia.
More information on: 1300 BUMPERS.