Awards 2006: How repairers become award winners

AWARDS 2006

How repairers become award winners

The AAMI/Paint & Panel Autobody repairer of the year is now in its 11th year. It began as a single award for the best 'panel beater' but, as the industry became more sophisticated and 'tradesmen' became 'technicians' it was necessary to upgrade our awards.
We divided them into three categories: the best small shop, the best large shop and the best new shop. We also wrote a scoring criteria which covered everything we could think of that would define excellence in a panel shop. That is how we judged the awards this year.
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. What we could never know was how profitable a shop was, so our findings were made only what we saw, and what the managers told us.
These were not easy criteria to evaluate. There is no perfect shop just as there is no perfect person; in fact, every shop is markedly different and has blind spots that are all to do with the owner's personality.
But, having said that, when you see over 50 shops in a short time, the good and the ordinary becomes more much obvious.
This year there were more nominations than we've ever had before. 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 a city prestige repairer with a regional family car shop.
Many repairers who didn't win can justly claim that under different judges they might have fared better. True, but the indisputable point is that our winners are all shops of whom the Australian smash repair industry can be proud.

NSW Bodyshop Rigoli Smash Repairs ABS Smash Repairs ALG Smash Repairs CK Smash Repairs CNR Auto Body Dee Why Smash Repairs David Smash Repairs Regatta Motor Body Executive Smash Repairs Greystanes Smash Repairs J&Z Smash Repairs Kareena Rd Smash Repairs Milperra Rd Smash Repairs Precision Body Repairs Richmand Prestige Smash Senator Smash Sunnyholt Smash Repairs The Smash Repair Centre Barbanera's Prestige Smash Repairs Fuda Bros. Southern Rod & Custom Coulsons Body Repairs Bowen Smash Repairs Exclusive Bodywerx Vehicle Colour & Design Scientific Motor Body Works Bellert & Bennett Smash Duncans Auto Body & Paint Bodyshop Novocastrian Smash Repairs P&J Ward Smash Repairs PJ Wilson Smash Repairs Redlion Smash Repairs The Repair Wizard Northshore Classic Smithfield Smash Repairs Wales Truck Repairs O'Briens Auto Body Blaas Autocraft Lee's Smash Repair Nathan's Smash Repair Parramatta Smash Repair Mark Stewart Smash Repiars Embassy Smash Repair Bodyline NR Autobody Smashco Mudgee Bears Auto Hospital Inner City Smash Repairs Vehicle Colour Design Centre Power Smash Repairs Lee Smash Repairs CNR Kara's Smash Repairs Graham Hill Smash Repairs Scientific Auto Smash Repairs Craig Hall Bodyworks

QLD Bodyshop Bayer Paint & Panel Bears Body Works CF & B McDonald Daytona Panel & Paint Rowan's Body Works Wilshere Smash Repair Dysart Panel & Paint Pacific Body Works Matt's Performance Paint Shop Eagle Farm Panel & Paint Smash Care Strathpine Wells Smash Repairs Pialba Smash Sureline Body Repairs Soldens Paint & Panel Cooroy Smash Repairs North Shore Panel & Paint Kingaroy Body Works Rosemount Smash Repairs Bissells Panel & Paint Morse Panelworks Caboolture Crash Repairs Brahims Bodyworks Gabba Smash Repairs Kingstones Panelbeaters Planet Smash Repairs B-M Smash Repairs Shipstone Accident The Exclusive Auto Centre Grove Body Works Kassulkes Smash Sowerby's Crash Wippells Autos Ryans Smash Repairs B&I Panel & Paint Bissells Panel & Paint Caloundra Body Works Nambour Smash Repairs Swains Motor Bodyworks Woodriffe Smash Repairs Gosneys Panel Beating Domroys Prestige Airport Smash Repairs Cairns Accident Repair AAA Body Repairs Currumbin Paint & Smash Repairs Wells Smash Repairs Darwens Crash

SA Bodyshop Unley Motor Bodies Cafasso Motor Bodyshop Hower Crash Plaza Crash Gilbert Motors Highlander Crash Repairs Champion Crash Repairs Australian Crash Repairs Smithfield Smash Repairs St Mary's Collision Caddle Crash Silver Motor Bodies Pro Piant & Panel Lockleys Eagle Paint & Panel Hower Crash Repairs South East Collision GroupSt Marys Collision Repair Centre

WA Precision Panel & Paint H&M Malaga Smash Nu Az Smash Repairs T & R Prestige Advantage Panel & Paint Osborne Smash Repairs Platinum Collision Repair Peter Wilkingson & Co Platinum Collision Repair

VIC Bodyshop Classic Panels Majic Finish Altona North Smash Repairs Nurlendi Panels Des Coltish Panels Ron Mace Panel Works Bob O'Dell Smash Bellanne Smash Repairs Traralgan Accident Repair Centre Navarone Brighton Panel Cranbourne Bodyworks Geelong Accident Repair PW Panels Spencer Panels Parsons Body Works Pomroy Panels Mercedes Benz of Melbourne Fawkner Body Repairs (FBP Prestige) Rugold Motor Bodyworks Correct Accident Auto Innovations Cathcart Smash Repairs Montrose Panel Beating Boronia Panels Target Collision Fowles Auction Group Hume Collision North Williamstown Motor Body Works Circular Head Bodyworks Wells Body Works Gary Presnell Smash Scorta Bodyworks Bocchino