Shipstone Accident Repair
AWARDS 2006 AAMIAAMI/AP&P AUTOBODY REPAIRER OF THE YEAR REGIONAL WINNER (LARGE SHOP) QLD.
Shipstone Accident Repair
Scott Donnelly shares the belief of many leading repairers that the future of the smash repair business is very much tied up with recommended and approved by car makers.
Shipston, which Donnelly acquired full control of a year ago, is now a recommended repairer for Porsche, Aujdi, VW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Subaru, with a couple of exotic marques in the offing. The shop is therefore well stocked with these makes, although Donnelly is the first to admit he still needs a percentage of family cars to keep the shop balanced and busy. His business comes from leading. insurers but is owner driven.
With a staff of 38, Shipsone turns out between 50 and 60 cars a week. That kind of activity can only be achieved by concentrated application by the technicians which, in turn, is achieved by the BMS system and its incentives. Some of Shipstone's technicians make exceptional money, about which Donnelly says: "the more they make the more I like it because it making money for me too."
Scott Donnelly is a classical example of a gifted manager working on his business rather than in it. He continually analyses performance. He can tell you, for instance, that out of the 70 cars on site waiting to be started that 58 per cent of them come from car maker recommendations, that 40 per cent of his staff are in the category of 'non-productive', or that his massive expenditure on an Audi repair booth is more than paying for itself. Shipstone gets the lion's share of Audi reapairs in Queensland and, under an agreement with Audi, supplies an A4 V^ Quattro as a loan car.
Another of Donnelly's innovations is in the way he encourages his employees to keep up effort and concentration just prior to going on holiday ? a problem many shops have. Since their pay is incentive based Donnelly offers them holiday pay as an average of their earnings over the six weeks before leave. The effect is highly profitable for both sides.
For the record, Shipston runs a Celette Griffin and Auto Robot for alignment, computer measurement, Low bake spray booths (one with an IRT arch)and a third to be installed soon, advanced inverter welders that come as part of the Audi and Jaguar package, and Rupes dustless dry sanding ? although some rarer prestige cars require wet rubbing still.
The company is facing the critical future of water in Queensland by soon installing a massive underground tank which will be fed from roof water and will recycle the water is uses as well. This will enable car washing even it becomes illegal to wash at car in town water.
POWELL'S COMMENT
Wow, what a dynamic business! It is equipped to repair virtually any car to perfection. At the same time Scott Donnelly his eye on the future to make sure his shop is ahead of the game.