AAMI/AP&P Autobody Repairer of the Year 2000: QLD Winner

AAMI/AP&P Autobody Repairer of the Year 2000.

It was always going to be tough to beat the 1999 Queensland State Winner and 1998 National Winner Weatherall Prestige Autobody. However, Hadwen's Prestige Collision Repairs last year invested in a million dollar-plus purpose-built facility and was able to edge out Weatherall due to the simplicity of its design. Both shops are superb examples of how to run a high quality prestige facility -- the standards of cleanliness and equipment investment are second to none in Queensland.

State Winner: Hadwen's Prestige Collision Repairs

The purpose-built Hadwen's facility is a lesson in simplicity of design. Customer vehicles enter at the front of the shop from an undercover quoting area. Four downdraft paint preparation bays sit immediately inside the entrance. In between the paint and panel areas are two oversize double-ended down-draft spray booths allowing cars to enter from the paint shop and exit straight into the panel shop which is equipped with two auto relining robots and air-operated dent pullers.

The computerised paint mix room sits between the two booths. A separate wash and detailing area adjoins the panel shop and the vehicles exit from the opposite side of the building to be presented in the large customer car park. Simple.
"I built this shop to function and work smoothly, it was designed by a panel beater, not an architect," says director, Don Hadwen.

The business has been operating in the same area of Brisbane for 70 years and the present shop is the result of a need for better presentation and size. Don purchased a large warehouse and divided it into five units, keeping the largest for himself. He leases out the other four units to automotive-related businesses, including an RACQ Rapid Parts outlet and a mechanical repair shop. The million dollar-plus repair shop facility was completed last year after a comprehensive refurbishment of the building.

Don likes cleanliness, "I'm very fussy", he says, and it shows throughout the workshop. So confident of the condition of his shop is he, that Don installed a large glass wall in the customer reception area. Even the spray booths have large windows. "We have had an unbelievable response to the glass wall, especially from lady customers," says Don.

Hadwen's is the only Lexus approved repairer in Brisbane and the ethos of the prestige car maker extends to the facility, where presentation is kept to a very high standard. "We wanted to do something a bit different, we're not hiding anything, and we want the customer to be as comfortable with the service we provide as they can," Don explains.

The business is environmentally-friendly, utilising an oily water separator and a dust-free tooling system. Ninety per cent of the paint used in the shop is PPG Aquabase and the business must be one of the oldest PPG/Dulux customers in Australia; having started with Dulux in 1930 and stayed with the brand to the present day under PPG.

The workshop, although divided into paint, panel and detailing, is open-plan and is well-lit by natural light from substantial skylights. Large windows in the upper and downstairs management offices allow for an open relationship between the management and workshop staff. "They can see us and we can see them; it makes for a good relationship," says Don. The management team consists of Don, his son Tyden and general manager Gerry Raverty.
Don encourages staff to participate in management decisions. "The business is only as good as the manager and the employees," he says, "we have what is called 'a dream, a scheme and a team' approach -- ideas are brought up, discussed by the management and then it is the team who put it into practice." Management-staff relationships are cemented each month with a staff barbeque. "It is important to have a happy environment and management you can talk to; I am here every day and believe in the hands-on approach," says Don.

The company has recently become Quality Assured and Don believes it has enabled him to keep better track of developments on cars in the workshop and has made staff more responsible. Don and his management team believe in producing high standards of work, "We want our employees to think it's their car they're working on, all the time, and that's why we have such high quality repairs."

Who: Don, Lynne & Tyden Hadwen

What: * 1900 sq m workshop
* 17 staff
* 160 cars repaired/month

Where: Bowen Hills, Brisbane

When: since 1930

Highly commended: Weatherall Prestige Autobody

Weatherall Prestige Autobody was the 1998 National Winner and took out the Queensland award last year. David Weatherall and his team have again presented an immaculate shop. No expense has been spared to create a top-class facility, only edged out in the end by Hadwen's simpler design.

David is installing two new Low Bake ovens to replace his older booths. One has an infra-red drying system, the other is oversized as the shop repairs a lot of ambulances and larger-sized vehicles. Because of the limited site size, several years ago a second level was added to the building and cars are taken up via an elevator. The new position of the ovens means a sliding platform will take cars into either of the ovens.

Investment on the site totals $2.74 million over the years and is testament to David's commitment to the repair industry, one he believes in passionately. "It's our passion for this industry that sets us apart, we repair to a standard, not to a price," he says. "I love doing what I do -- I have a point to prove -- repairers can be successful."

The presentation both of the exterior and interior of the Weatherall facility is outstanding and the business' commitment to the environment is proved by the fact that it has won the Business Achievers Award for the Environment from Quest Newspapers two years running.

David is an innovator in the industry -- features such as a lift between the ground floor and the overhead parts storage as well as air hose wall attachments for securing power tools were designed and built in-house. Considering the limitations on site size, the shop has been extremely well designed and each new addition is obviously carefully thought out in terms of the impact on movement and efficiency.

Restoring the vehicle back to the original manufacturer's specifications or better is the focus at Weatherall, especially as it increases the prestige side of the business. "We try and maintain the manufacturer's integrity," says David. "We have moral obligations to the customer and to the work provider and our principles are very, very important to us. We simply do not compromise our standards."

Runner-up: Toombul Road Paint & Panel

Mark and Linda McDonnell started their Northgate, Brisbane business just six years ago with one other partner and since then have expanded to their present workforce of 14. A building adjoining their property was acquired last year and turned into a separate panel shop. Further expansions plans are afoot for this young business -- Mark and Linda want to purchase another adjoining property and plan to add a second level to their office block in the near future.

The business uses DuPont paint systems and has a Seetal spray booth, with plans for another in the near future. This up-and-coming company already has the ability to be a winner in today's tough business environment and if it continues to grow at the rate it has for the first few years of its development, it is destined to become a highly competitive operator. Located on a main arterial road into Brisbane, there are no shortage of neighbouring bodyshops, however the McDonnells are well-positioned to continue the growth of the first six years.