2008 AAMI/AP&P AUTOBODY REPAIRER OF THE YEAR REGIONAL WINNER (NEW SHOP) VIC.
Wantirna Body Works
YOU MAY ASK the question: how do you reduce the number of bodyshops in your network but still have the same turnover? The fact is that Victorian entity, Chisley Holdings, has done just that. It’s a stunning achievement, the result of good management and excellent staffing and equipment levels.
A decade ago, Chisley owned 10 bodyshops and now it’s five, but through good planning and management, turnover is the same.
Key to this result is progress through renewal and construction of the likes of the Wantirna premises in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
This new bodyshop is something special. Chisley GM is Martin Risely, whose father Kevin opened a shop at Wantirna in l972. Kevin was a panel beater who started the trade in Abbotsford and became a foreman at age 22. He left to begin his own business with the aim of a new bodyshop every year. After 10 shops he called a halt. As part of the expansion there has always been a family bodyshop in Wantirna. Kevin started off replacing windscreens, which were not laminated then, so trade was brisk. According to Martin, his father, initially, made more money from windscreens than panel beating.
Wantirna’s recently opened new premises is steadily building up to its average working peak as all the equipment comes on line.
The 35-strong staff - that include panel beaters, spray painters, office staff, estimators and assemblers - have begun to settle down into a smooth workflow.
Business is brisk and with 23 tow truck licences the bodyshop benefits from a very wide allocation area.
The reception is a surprise. Apart from the usual coffee and comfortable furniture, there is a magnificent Model T-Ford and a beautiful early turbo charged MGY MKII Sports, both very valuable models that do not double as courtesy cars.
These classics juxtapose with the very latest equipment in the workshop that include four extra large Lowbake prep bays that utilise an eightplace park. Here vehicles can be dried in six minutes (fully cured) by banks of infra-red lamps.
The booths are fully downdrafted and fired by natural gas. The shop’s preferred paint supplier is Glasurit.
For measuring and alignment, Wantirna uses Car-O-Vision that connects, via an electronic arm measuring system, for readout.
They have two Car-O-Liner speed benches and several re-alignment and scissor lifts. To deal with four wheel drives, the body shop has two four wheel drive Car-OLiner bench racks and two Mark5 Car-O-Liner measuring and realignment
systems.
For welding Wantirna utilises Car-O-Liner spot welders and FAN silicon/bronze MIGs.
Management systems for the two estimators are DNS Quote Plus and the company uses the Daytona Shop Management system for management to assign work to staff. The Planet system is used to estimate the capacity of each section of the production process.
Training is strictly supervised with Martin holding quarterly meetings for training that must include estimators and management. Welding and paint training are also fully catered for. Training for the four apprentices on
site is carried out within the total group.
OzSafe is used for OH&S and staff regularly undergo risk assessments that comprise monthly tasks.
Martin sees the challenge as obtaining the right amount of money for quality repair with no short cuts. He wants to continue to grow the business so the next generation will improve on what he has done with shops like Wantirna.
In these times of skills shortage Martin says they are lining up to work at the bodyshop. This says much about the equipment, working conditions and the planned process of repairing cars.
Powell's view
A grand shop built on well thought out plans. New technical and mechanical equipment just right for the modern bodyshop. Wantirna has fast track and big hit repairs working in tandem without disruption.