Turning nominations into winners
AWARDS 2007 AAMITurning nominations into winners
The AAMI/Paint & Panel Autobody repairer of the year is now in its 12th year. It began as a single award for the best 'panel beater' but, as the industry became more sophisticated and 'tradesmen' became 'technicians' it has been necessary to upgrade our awards.
We divided them into three categories: the best small shop (12 or less employees), the best large shop (more than 12 employees) and the best new shop (built or substantially re-built within the last 18 months). We also wrote a scoring criteria which covered everything we could think of that would define excellence in a panel shop.
In judging the awards this for 2007, we looked at presentation to the customers and the employees, the levels of equipment, the service offered to work providers, training, OH&S compliance, business and shop management, work flow and suitability for the market it was servicing.
There is no perfect shop just as there is no perfect person; in fact, every shop is markedly different. Flaws and triumphs are all to do with the owner's personality and his or hers unique opinion on what a panel shop should be.
But, having said that, when you see over 50 shops in a short time, differences between the good and the ordinary become more much obvious. And of course, there are the shockers, usually kept in business because they are cheap.
This year there were more nominations than we've ever had before, eclipsing last year's record. Our judges travelled around Australia and visited those with the most nominations and selected the best of them as regional winners. Did they get it right? Probably not, in all cases anyway, because so often they found themselves trying to compare apples with quarter panels.
Because a shop appearing on the accompanying list of nominations was not a winner it does not indicate its worthiness or otherwise. Some excellent shops declined to be judged, some were just too far away for our judges to make a visit while others did not receive sufficient nominations to make the regional finals ? even though they are outstanding shops. Where nomination were equal, we favoured visiting the lesser known shops and giving them chance to be publicised.
OUR JUDGES
In past years the initial Paint and Panel judging has been carried out by the editor accompanied by one TAFE teacher and together visited the finalist nominee shops in each region.
However, this year, while the editor has remained constant, there have been several
TAFE teachers involved. Their comments appear at the bottom of each regional winner's announcement page.
For the Queensland region, editor Fraser McEwing was accompanied by Cecil Wright, a teacher with more than 30 years experience with the Brisbane TAFE.
2007 nominations NSW Vision Auto Smash Repairs Benny's Grafton Smash Repairs Double J Auto Repairs Batkin & Damme Smash Repairs Midwest Accident Repairs S&R Auto Action Car Repairs Arizona Smash Repairs Vehicle Colour Design Centre Farronato Autobody Repairs Bellert & Bennett Smash Repairs Cessnock Smash Repairs Enterprise Collision Centre Ken Shafer Smash Repairs
Luton Smash Repairs BF Panels CNR Auto Body Scientific ACT Craig Hall Bodyworks
QLD Bayer Smash Repairs Planet Smash Repairs Civic Panel Beating Les Kelly Panel & Paint Favero Motors Daniel Hey Samsh Repairs Matts PerformancePaint Shop Prodent Repairs Shipstones Bignell Panel Repairs Airport Smash Repairs Swains Motor Bodyworks Highlands Smash Repairs Weatherall Prestige Auto Body Hadwen's Prestige Collision Repairs Smashcare Dom Roy Prestige Auto H. Harvey & Co Miami Smash Repairs Mark McHugh Bodyworks Eastern Collision Facility Sommerville Smash Repairs Kits Crash Repairs Caboolture Crash Repairs Stephen Goodall Grand Motors Prestige Burleigh Accident Repair Centre Wells Smash Repairs Eurobody Eastside Collision Facility Smashcare
SA SA Crash Auto Body Repairs Adrian Brien Panelshop Dynamic Paint N Panel Silvers Motor Bodies Eagle Paint & Panel Smithfield Smash Repairs Alpine Crash Repairs Prescott Automotive
Butch Bennett Crash Repairs Gilbert Motor Bodies WA Hawchar Panel & Paint Suburban Smash Repairs Alpha 1 Panel & Paint Damage Control Bunbury Automotive Spraypainters Rabor Smash Len Baker PanelBeaters Delaportes Auto Body Repairs McCarthy Panel & Paint Wayne Phipps Smash Repairs Kustom Panel & Paint Perth Autobody Refinish Malaga Auto Body Works Bussleton Panel & Paint Brashes Spraypainting VIC Shaen Panel Services Hawthorn Body Works Ultrafinish Accident Repair Centre Massaro Motors Morwell Panel Works AAA Bodyworks Complete Body Craft O'Dell Panels Caar-Pac Smash Repairs Dennis Panels Sanick Motor Body Works New Gisborne Panels North Williamstown Motor Body Works Mr Gloss Blackburn Moptor Body Works B&M Refinishers Correct Accident Repairs Heidelberg Accident Repair Armstrong & Son TAS Wells Body Works