Barloworld Motor Autobody

 

AAMI/AP&P AUTOBODY REPAIRER OF THE YEAR REGIONAL WINNER (NEW SHOP) VIC

Kevin Robinson has been involved with Mercedes Benz since 1985, so it was only natural he would jump at the chance to head up a repair shop located inside a Three Point Star dealership.

Robinson is the general manager of Barloworld Motor Autobody, a purpose-built collision repair shop inside the Moorabbin-based Barloworld Mercedes Benz dealership.

The collision repair centre is part of Barloworld’s plan to provide a complete service for Benz owners – to buy, service and repair their Mercedes at the dealership.

Robinson says the company started setting up the shop in early December last year and opened for business in February this year.

Part of the establishment process included a trip to Sydney with SAPE’s Terry Feehan just before Christmas, where he looked at authorised Mercedes Benz repair shops.

This meant Robinson was able to see the equipment he would need to buy, already set up and working.

From that, Barloworld Motor Autobody has set up a state-of-the-art shop with much of the equipment supplied through SAPE.

Equipment includes Wielander and Schill welding equipment, Cellete benches, Festool mobile dust extraction, CAV ducted dust extraction, IRT infrared and Cartar lift.
Lowbake has supplied the booth, prep bay and mixing and cleaning room and the workshop uses Glasurit paints.

Part of the set-up process gave Robinson the ability to select his own crew of seven to staff the workshop, including an apprentice panelbeater. He also plans to engage an apprentice spray painter later in the year.

Being located inside a dealership means parts, data and repair methodology is readily at hand. All the methods are on-line from Mercedes, giving technicians detailed information about dismantling, repairing and replacing parts. A computer can be wheeled out into the work bay so the technician can access the required information on the spot.