Mill Park and South Morang Smash Repairs
Eight years ago Mill Park and South Morang Smash Repairs was a germ of an idea for owner David Chwyla. Cows roamed the fields where the new workshop now sits.
Kangaroos sometimes still invade neighbouring fields so it’s hard to imagine the cows and kangaroos in the paddocks alongside the modern buildings now doted around South Morang. But as Chwyla says “we were here even before McDonalds”.
Seven years of bureaucracy and one year of construction made Chwyla’s workshop a reality. It’s a surprise in that although most new shops are well ordered and clean, they are sometimes not so well equipped unless they are particularly supported by a manufacturer.
Although South Morang does more than its fair share of Mercedes and BMWs, the bodyshop repairs a number of larger vehicles and different makes as well. As a Spies Hecker shop, Subaru preferred repairer and AARN member, the work is supported by a number of insurers including AAMI, CGU, QBE, Allianz, RACV and the Innovation Group among others.
Chwyla has spent 20 years in the South Morang and adjacent districts and is respected for the support he gives the Country Fire Association and other community work.
The shop itself is 10,000 square metres and employs 22 people including three spray painters and three apprentices, (first to third year) panel beaters and a third year apprentice. It has three mechanical assemblers, two estimators and two production managers. A detailer and ancillary staff make up the numbers.
The Superflow spray booths were built by Chris Lennon, a Melbourne based designer. Lennon also constructed the prep bays all equipped with Inhab transverse infra-red arches. Festool dust extraction and EARS recycle air throughout. Flexiquote is the quoting system of choice, supported by a Bodynet management system.
Because Victoria is still suffering water shortages, but not only for that reason, the bodyworks is fitted with 30,000 litre water tanks.
South Morang has a number of Atlas spot welders, three Atlas silicon-bronze welders working off 20amp instead of 15amp, as well as Car Benches, and a Car-O-Liner computer measuring system. Aluminium repairs are carried out in a dedicated prep bay.
The quality of the work and the organisation of the shop’s working procedures set this shop apart. That’s not to say that there aren’t others with similar attributes but on the outskirts of Melbourne, it would have been easy to restrict the size of the shop and attend to a smaller number of cars, just to get started. Chwyla didn’t do that. Instead, he went in boots and all with the benefit of a spray painter/panel beater’s experience under his belt.
That experience shows in management procedures Chwyla has adopted and tidy work allocation.
Having a tidy shop alone, despite what some critics might say, is not award making. But a tidy shop with good equipment, a skilled and steady workforce, good OH&S procedures and a good business plan combine to make winners. This is one of them.
Powell’s view
Almost country Victoria but a thriving shop all the same, and surprisingly busy and well equipped on a greenfields site. A big investment in building and equipment is paying off and business is thriving.