AAMI Autobody Repairer of the Year (Large shop) WA
Awards 2003
The sign on Mirage's outside wall sets the tone of a fastidiously presented shop: 'recommended repairer BMW, authorised repairer Porsche and Ferrari'.
These are the cars that you'll mostly find inside, some in for accident repair, some for their owners love of perfection and some for restoration. This shop, owned by husband and wife partners Leo and Sev Caratti, is all about quality -- and that sometimes takes more time than insurers would like. But the quality and rarity of the cars creates some fexibility when negotiating assessments.
The emphasis on hand repair runs through to the company's costing system -- which is entirely manual. There are no individual time sheets or job costings -- largely because the cars don't lend themselves to hard-edged quoting systems. Instead, Leo Caratti relies on his experience when it comes to quotes.
Although Mirage will soon be in training to use the new BMW 5-series aluminium repair system, and curtaining off a special welding bay to accommodate it, aluminium repair is not new to the company. Porsche and Ferrari have been using aluminium body panels for many years.
"We are keen on training people from the beginning so they will work our way," Leo says. "Of our 13 employees, four are apprentices." Leo does a lot of the detailing himself -- which is checked against a long list before the car is returned to its owner. "It is important that I see the finished car the way the owner will see it," he says.
The company encourages strong work ethics through bonuses but doesn't believe its type of business would be served on a pure incentive system.
Recycling and waste management are other areas of concern to the company. Instead of throwing away used thinners, Mirage spent $13,000 on a Trisk recycler which is expected to pay for itself in the near future.
ABOUT THE SHOP
Who: Leo and Sev Caratti
What: 23 employees
(incl. 2 panel beaters
4 spray painters
4 apprentices)
Rupes, Glasurit, Car Bench
Auto Quote, Trisk, CAV
Where: Belmont, WA
When: Established 1977. At current site since 1983.