Megan and Dan Leishman are two of the hardest workers we’ve come across and they keep going from strength to strength.
When we caught up with Megan the shop was insanely busy and had been for some time. The couple moved into the original workshop in December 2017 having outgrown their previous premises. When the gym next door closed down they nervously rented it so that they had room to grow. Just four years later they are bursting at the seams and looking for another unit.
They didn’t plan an extensive remodel – yes the paintshop was on the list but a leak last March that started after everyone had gone home wreaked havoc with the entire workshop with 4cm of water and the in ground Car-O-Liner submerged. It was the first lockdown and work had quietened down but they decided to take the plunge. The insurance company took their time and of course the tradies said there was a long wait. So, like they did when they first moved into the shop they decided to roll up their sleeves and do a lot of the work themselves. This meant weekends of tearing down the diving wall, ripping out plumbing – we’re talking 22 skips – and an extensive remodel.
Gone is the preposterously large reception area they inherited, what remains is still very roomy and very nice. There’s a viewing window into a new detailing/inspection bay with megawatt lighting which is a much better use of space. By moving walls they have managed to bring the customer toilet inside to reception so people don’t have to walk through the workshop.
The shop has become Tesla accredited since we last visited and already about 30% of their work comes from the Tesla stable. Outside in the full car park the old gates which opened inwards have been replaced by electric sliding gates and the outside has been freshly painted.
This once tiny boutique shop is now firmly in the medium category repairing around 30 cars per week. Because floor space is limited they have built upwards with high storage racks for parts.
Now heavy hits are formalised along the side of the panel shop as you go in. There’s a new hoist and the bays in the centre are fit up bays. The two workshops were separated by a wall previously which has been taken down. There’s a new down draft preparation bay and an extra, new booth and paint mixing room which sits between the two booths. There’s more storage on top of the paint.
The business used to undertake restorations and as insurance work picked up they created a separate work area for this. They have made the decision to stop restorations and have converted the area into a mixed materials bay that also has a Tesla charger – there’s another EV charger in the car park. It’s air conditioned so very popular with the team.
Gold Coast Collision also specialised in motorhomes but they are too bulky and take too long if there’s serious damage so they tend not to do them anymore. Having said that they have a long standing contract with a luxury motorhome company to paint the new vehicle. They book them in every six weeks over a weekend and it’s well worthwhile everyone working at the weekend.
While they aren’t aligned to any insurance company they aren’t short of work with a mix of ‘overflow’ repairs, lots of fleet and lots of word of mouth. “We have different avenues of consistent work,” says Megan, which let’s face it is the ideal.
While Megan doesn’t think they’ve outgrown this shop (I’d say it’s borderline) they have been looking for another unit to start doing all of the things they sub out. They now do their own air-con but there’s ADAS, mechanical, wheel repairs and wheel alignment all of which they could do in-house and enjoy better cycle times. Gold Coast real estate has blown up since Covid but the couple are on the hunt. I’m thinking next time we visit they might even slip into the large category.