CollisionCast

As millennials slowly overtake the workforce from baby boomers, shop owners will likely need to shift their management styles to accommodate the succeeding generation. Zac and Matt Ciaschini, owners of the $1.9 million Full Tilt Auto Body in Easthampton, Mass., manage a staff largely comprised of millennials, and are in a unique position to offer some advice. From leadership style to in-shop technology to creating a career path for employees, here is their blueprint for managing millennial employees.

Representatives from Garmat and Filter Works USA sit down for the latest episode of CollisionCast to discuss how to properly maintain a paint booth to increase its longevity and improve your shop's bottom line.

The California Autobody Association opposes Assembly Bill 2276—a labor rate survey bill—in its current amended form, as it throws out the previous bill's provisions that could have insurers using large areas to define a market and reusing old labor rates. Don Feeley, interim executive director for the association, spoke with FenderBender to explain the ins and outs of the bill, how the trend could spread to other states, and what individual shop owners can do to help combat the issue.

FenderBender begins its How I Did It series, which features stories from the industry’s brightest leaders, and how they built the businesses we’ve come to admire.

The inaugural episode kicks off with Tiffany Menefee, who took over Pronto Body Shop in El Paso, Texas, three years ago and rose annual revenue from around $250,000 to $1 million with a focus on insurance relationships and customer appreciation. As a former employee of the insurance industry, she brings a unique perspective to how shops can grow in any community.

Several years ago, gas catalytic drying technology was introduced. The equipment is designed to dramatically reduce paint drying time by drying vehicles within minutes instead of hours. Now, Tim Beal, owner of Beal's Auto Body & Paint, has developed his own technology, called the Phoenix. He spoke with FenderBender about why he entered into the robotic paint drying arena and how his technology works.

Is a franchise right for you? That's the question Jerald Stiele, owner of Hopkins Auto Body 1, had to ask himself before joining the 1Collision Network. And now that he's settled into his new model, he's ready to talk about the process of joining a franchise and in what ways it changed his business model.

Sheryl Driggers has been in the collision repair business for a long time, and she's come to understand that it's not enough to be a leader in your shop—you have train your employees to be better at what they do individually. And that means being a coach to your employees and providing an environment where everyone is constantly learning and improving. 

In this episode, Driggers discusses how she's built a culture of continuous success for her employees, and how she empowers them to strengthen their leadership roles individually.

For this episode of CollisionCast, shop owner Carl Garcia will be discussing how to create space for training in your shop, and how to build a culture of training amongst your employees.

In its 2015 Q3 Industry Trends Report, Mitchell published the top 10 parts involved in collisions, and 68 percent was represented by bumper covers. However, 72 percent of bumper covers are being replaced as opposed to being repaired.

The repair vs. replace issue carries into 2018. At the 2017 FenderBender Management Conference, Kurt Lammon and Mike Anderson spoke about repairing vs. replacing plastic parts. 

For this episode of CollisionCast, Lammon, the president of Polyvance, speaks with FenderBender about the issue, and the time and costs associated with plastic repair training.

For this Disrupt edition of CollisionCast, Jeff and Rick Feasel, owner and general manager of Feasel's Frame and Collision Inc., are going to be discussing something that every shop owner strives to do—but, as I’m sure any of them would acknowledge, can sometimes be very difficult: keeping your staff happy and motivated. From payment to incentives to team outings to everyday interactions, here's a rounded approach to building a culture of motivated, happy employees.