For the first time since the Sustainability Awards began Paint & Panel couldn’t decide between two exceptional shops and so decided to make Musico Smash from Sydney and Welland Crash Repairs from Adelaide joint 2013 winners.
Each shop has dedicated a great deal of time and resource to ensuring the future viability of their business.
Joining winners Tony and Maria Musico and Marianna and Carlos Varricchio were Paint & Panel editor Sam Street and publisher Helen Davies, Owen Streatfeild and Fadi Saada from award sponsors Axalta, Connie Comber from Reimagine Business and Andrew Borg from Eclipse Environmental.
ReImagine
Connie Comber:
“ReImagine Business examines how to do business differently in a way that helps businesses sustain or endure into the future.
So it’s about being aware of the way the business has to relate to its environment, not just its carbon footprint, but the society around it and the people within it and its customers.
Nowadays it’s really clear that, unless a business has good relationships with all the people that matter to it, it’s not likely to be sustainable over a long period of time.
Where I then start to look especially is the culture of the organisation – the way you communicate with your staff, the way you communicate with your customers, your local council, all those sorts of things – whether they fully understand the mission and the message of the business.
You must be socially relevant, socially connected and socially beneficial – and those are messages within your business.
If you are socially relevant, if you are caring that your customers get back on the road that’s just being relevant.
Socially connected can be things surrounding social media, obviously, and the way you market in a way that’s connected to your environment.
It may be connected to your community – it might be sponsoring an Under 12s cricket team.
It’s interesting to think that that’s generous, and yes it is, but it is also part of sustainability now because the social environment around your business does expect that of a business now – it’s part of your tools of trade.
Businesses can help the community fairly routinely, but they didn’t think to tell the story.
And certainly when it comes to smash repair businesses that are surrounded by a community, it is really important to tell that story – because that’s part of your collateral, it’s part of your capital investment in the community around you, which is a sort of social investment.
If you are involved in any of the things that local kids do, or PCYC or whatever, you really need to be telling that story, as well as the story that you’re using the right kind of paints.
Local is ‘back’, big business doesn’t have the same connection and feel. That you are part of the local economy matters to people now."
Axalta
Owen Streatfeild - Market strategy and development manager:
“We’re very proud to sponsor the Sustainability Awards with Paint & Panel. We’re obviously keen to work with the industry to develop its sustainability because it needs to be that way.
Axalta needs to lead and to educate our customers. We need to challenge the current status quo that exists within the industry. Through our support of this award we recognise those people who have made a difference to our industry.”
Fadi Saada - Performance services consultant:
“The performance services team covers everything except the paint. We come in for the customers who we believe actually do think about sustainability and working more efficiently and work with the business owners achieve just that.
It’s all about working smarter, not working harder, and getting bodyshop owners to start thinking like businessmen, that their numbers actually do matter and that their numbers can paint a big picture. Numbers always tell the truth.
So sustainability is basically my role at Axalta, it’s at the centre of everything that we do. It’s the umbrella term for what we try to achieve.”
Eclipse Environmental
Andrew Ball:
Andrew Ball from Eclipse Environmental which specialises in trade waste management and supporting motoring related businesses from everything, including waste water treatment, right through to energy management and a whole range of things to do with sustainability.
“Rather than simply pushing boxes out we deal with the issues you deal with. It makes a difference if we can plan something from the outset.
Forward thinking companies get you in along with the architect – it’s cheaper and more efficient to design the building to include waste management and energy saving equipment than have to work around existing structure.
Sustainability shouldn’t be an afterthought. However, we can still work around existing structures and it’s never too late to invest in equipment that will save you money, sharpen your business credentials and protect future profits. ”
Musico Smash Repairs
Tony Musico:
“We sponsor a soccer team and Relay for Life. All that’s good, but people want to be somebody when they come in, they want to be reassured that they are being guided through their repair by people who care about them and are knowledgeable.
We go further than an extra mile for our customers and they come back to us and tell others about our quality and customer service.
Looking after staff and educating them is important too – the place is clean, organised and environmentally friendly, they look after it and keep it that way.”
Welland Crash Repairs
Marianna Varricchio:
“I believe in doing things more efficiently and effectively to save time and money. We’ve installed 140 solar panels which
will reduce our energy bill and protect the business from future price increases.
So that’s what we’ve done to make our business greener. We do all the right things, we recycle all our waste – even cans of Coke go down to the local recycling.”
Carlos Varricchio:
“Also people like coming to us, they like the small friendly, quality shop environment. Some customers just come back
for a coffee.”
Paint & Panel
Sam Street:
“Over the four years that we’ve been we've been judging this award, I think we’ve really redefined what sustainability in business is.
Four years ago, Green Stamp while not in its infancy, did not have nearly as many people signed up to the programme.
Now, when we go out to shops, it’s almost a given – it’s hard to find a shop that doesn’t think about its environmental footprint in some way or another.
So, just doing the ‘green thing’ is not where we’re at with sustainability. We’re trying to judge it in terms of investing in staff, of being efficient, and all the things that are going to help shops be around for the future and be able to compete against larger organisations and all the ‘dark forces’ that independents have to overcome.”
What makes a winner?
Below are some of the key features which all contribute to ensuring a successful and profitable future for our winning businesses.
Welland Crash Repairs SA:
- 140 solar panels on roof (which also cools the workshop)
- 33 three metre lengths of clear sky lights in factories
- Two 7000 litre water tanks
- Energy saving culture established among staff
- Energy efficient equipment
- Full recycling
- Bumper bars and headlights repaired
- Factories are mopped once a day and all equipment shelving offices dusted twice a week, driveways air blown three times a week.
- Staff training programme and apprentices
- Marketing: Facebook, fridge magnets, excellent leaflets, promotion of green initiatives
- Stringent OH&S procedures
- High levels of organisation to minimise staff down time
- High levels of customer service
- Support and involvement with MTA
- Green Stamp level 3
- Involvement in the community/sport team sponsorships
Musico Smash Repairs NSW:
- Family business, succession in place
- Green Stamp level three
- Clean working environment
- Facebook and local marketing
- High levels of customer service
- Big emphasis on repair over replace with skilled bumper and headlight repair.
- Diversification: In house tyre service and wheel balancing, mechanical as well as a licence to fit infant seats.
- High levels of organisation minimises staff down time
- Staff communication and care for employees
- Support and involvement with MTA
- I-Car training, cert IV in business for front of house staff, plus apprentices.
- Involvement in the community/sports team sponsorship