Tankards Panel Service
Awards 2002AAMI Autobody Repairer of the Year (Small Shop): Victoria & Tasmania
A key consideration when judging businesses for these awards is assessing the willingness of the owner to embrace change. Will Hood at Tankards Panel Service embodies this attitude.
Will Hood, managing director of Melbourne shop Tankards Panel Service, is one of a new generation of panel shop owners emerging in Australia. The 34-year-old was the manager of the business for six months before buying out the owner three and a half years ago. "The owner was not willing to invest in his business; the office looked bad and the general appearance was not good, but we saw the potential," he said. The last full financial year before Hood and his wife Monika took over, the shop turned over $350,000; last year that figure stood at $1.48 million.
Despite achieving a lot in such a small timeframe, Hood is still a man on the move. He has taken over the lease of a neighbouring factory and has moved the panel shop in there, using the existing facility as the paint shop. He is currently pursuing an additional factory to take over the lease of the building in between, thereby connecting both shops and expanding the business even further.
When judges visited, Hood was about to embark on yet more improvements: the already well-presented reception area was to go, to be replaced by an even better one; there will be a new production office on the first floor, as well as eventually a boardroom. Hood's credo is "Don't let your good stop you from being your best", and what he has done with his business so far is testament to this philosophy.
At present Tankards gains approximately 40 per cent of its work through AAMI with the bulk of the remainder; repeats and referrals. Hood has a marketing strategy laid out to approach the corporate market and sees this as a growth sector.
Tankards uses the BMS barcode-based staff management system as well as the PSC International planning system and Hood believes he would not be still in business 12 months from now without it. "We are no longer managing by judgement, we now manage by measurement," he said. The shop went from 78 per cent efficient to 110 per cent after implementing the performance tracking systems.
Hood, who worked for five years at last year's AAMI/AP&P Autobody Repairer of the Year, Blackburn Motor Body, believes education and training are the most fundamental factors for survival in this industry, not just for staff, but for managers and owners too.
He believes that having started his business amid the current tough environment has been of benefit: "It's good for us to have started in tough times. This is not doom and gloom for us; this is normal," he said.
Who: William Hood, managing director
7 productive staff, 1 detailer, 2 managers, 1 admin/reception
What: Car-O-Liner
Autorobot
Hirane spot welders
Festo & Hercules dustless sanding systems
BMS & PSC management systems
IRT 5000 infra-red rail system
Seetal spray booth
Lowbake paint mix room
PPG
Where: Ringwood, Melbourne
When: Since late 1998