AAMI/AP&P Autobody Repairer of the Year 2000: WA & NT Winner
AAMI/AP&P Autobody Repairer of the Year 2000.
The choice of John Hughes as the WA/NT winner was not an easy one to make. Competing against three independent companies, John Hughes' Automotive Body Repairers is part of the large John Hughes car dealership group. However, this award is not given on size alone, and the judges felt that John Hughes' commitment to the industry and its professionalism, made it stand out in what was a high-standard final.
State Winner: John Hughes' Automotive Body Repairers
The first thing a customer sees when they walk into the John Hughes spacious reception is half a car attached to the side wall containing a Sony Playstation for the use of restless kids (and young-at-heart parents).This is an example of the attention to detail that characterises the shop, and is one of the reasons it is named as the WA & NT Autobody Repairer of the Year for the second time (the company won the award in 1997 and was runner-up in 1998).
As close as you can get to a 'vertically integrated' car sales and repair operation, the John Hughes facility enjoys the benefits of being part of the John Hughes car dealership group. Behind the paint and panel shop and on the same site is the John Hughes' Skipper Service Centre (mechanical repair) and the Skipper Spare Parts Division, one of the largest privately-owned spare parts divisions in WA, and with a dedicated staffed counter solely to service the mechanical and panel repair divisions.
The John Hughes repair division claims to be the largest paint and panel shop in Western Australia and employs 18 paint shop and 17 panel shop technicians as well as a full-time fleet consultant and two full-time assessors.
Size is not everything however, and John Hughes is not a faceless corporate entity. The image of the owner, John Hughes smiles down on the workshop over his company philosophy: "That of a friendly and efficient company, trading with integrity and determined to give its customers the very best of service".
General manager Rob Chant, believes customer expectations are forever growing, but it is the company's job to exceed that expectation. "We are forever looking to improve our turnaround times and generate better customer service -- new technology and equipment can be bought, clients can't."
That doesn't mean John Hughes skimps on capital investment however -- last year the company spent $100,000 on a new prep bay, will spend $100,000 this year on a new computer system and is looking to install a $250,000 dust extraction system throughout the 3,500 square metre workshop in the near future. The most recent addition to the John Hughes workshop has been two Genesis and Chief EZ Liner Systems.
John Hughes operates five mobile repair units utilising paintless dent repair technology. Fully-undercover drive-in quoting bays are situated at the front of the site. The workshop contains a fully floor-ducted spray area and an infra-red drying system mounted on overhead tracks. Two portable infra-red dryers are also used. The paint shop has three full down-draught baking ovens, one with infra-red.
In the panel shop overhead Pro-Spot welding equipment is used and a number two hoist has been installed to give better access to vehicles under assessment and repair.
John Hughes is a recommended repairer for Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Daiwoo and is a preferred repairer for many Federal and State Government Departments and corporate fleets. Approximately 85 per cent of its business is insurance work, with 15 per cent internal work.
It is difficult to compare a large dealership-owned repairer with smaller independent shops, and it is easy to think that biggest must be best. This of course is not necessarily the case, so other factors than size have to come into play when judging the merits of a large company over a small one. There is no doubt that the standalone repairer has a tougher time than a shop that is part of a larger organisation. However, the John Hughes repair division is efficient and professional enough to be considered an important part of the whole company. The attitude to the customer, the attention to detail and the reputation of the repairer amongst suppliers and work providers means it is a worthy winner.
Who: John Hughes
What: * 4500 sq m site, 3500 sq m workshop
* 51 staff
* 800 cars repaired/month
Where: Belmont, Perth
When: since 1990
Highly commended: Stokes & Renk Panel & Paint
Partners Eddie Fitzgerald and Rob Collins have invested $600,000 in the past three years to upgrade their Subiaco, Perth-based bodyshop. Stokes & Renk has been operating since 1962 on the same site but over the years has encroached on neighbours to its present 1600 sq m size. The company now employs 20 people full-time. Plans for a new panel shop and upgrade from one to two baking ovens are also afoot.
The company has recently been approved by Jeep Australia and thanks to its location in Subiaco, quite a well-to-do area of West Perth, specialises in prestige cars. Eddie Fitzgerald believes "customers come first" and that attitude is mirrored in the immaculate presentation of the bodyshop, the exterior of the building and the well-laid out reception area.
The company offers a lifetime warranty on all repairs as standard and follows up each job with a letter to the customer to ensure everything went smoothly. The company uses the Standox paint system and the Auto Quote estimating system.
The company also carries out mechanical servicing in its 1200 sq m workshop as part of what Eddie calls "all-round service".
Runner-up: Rabor Smash Repairs
John Borich, owner of Rabor Smash Repairs, calls himself a "frustrated inventor". His innovative approach to the collision repair business is evident in the workshop systems he has set up at his Kelmscott, Perth site. His shop has six computer terminals and his paint mix room is fully computerised. John operates a basic website but wants to upgrade it with links to the QVR site and a virtual tour through his bodyshop. He takes digital photos of every aspect of a repair and even wants to install a camera in a spray booth.
It is obvious the local boy cares about the business he is in, and this is reflected in the bodyshop he runs. "We do 1200 cars a year, multiply that by 20 years and I reckon I've done damn near every car in the Armadale and Kelmscott area and so we have to do a good job because we have to look these people in the eye every day of the year," he says.
Runner-up: West Perth Panel & Paint
Carl Francesca moved to bigger premises around the corner from his present shop but eventually moved back in order to keep better control of the quality of his workmanship. Because he works smarter, not bigger, he estimates he is making as much from his smaller site than the larger premises. He says he tries hard to do a lot for the industry behind the scenes and is continually looking to upgrade his facilities and look for new opportunities in the sector.
West Perth Panel & Paint became ISO 9002 Quality Assured in 1997 and Carl believes the system has allowed him to keep track of work flow-through much more easily. Only between 25 and 30 per cent of the work at the shop is insurance work and it is testament to Carl's commitment to quality and service that his shop can prosper on such terms.
State-of-the-art equipment, including a Chief computerised chassis aligner capable of simultaneous five-arm pulling and a computerised PPG paint mix room, mean West Perth turns out workmanship of the highest quality while maintaining efficiency and speed.