Autobody News: Father and Son Shop Operators Agree That Lusid Technologies is a Triple Win
Carlsbad, CA, February 13, 2018 (Newswire.com) - NOTE: This October SPS profile was originally published in print in September 2017, and published online in October 2017.
When you’re in the very competitive market of collision repair, you have to find a way to separate yourself from the other shops down the street.
We get a fair amount of high-end cars here, and that is when we really need to be able to accurately color match these colors on these newer vehicles. Our library of chips is extensive and the digital camera system that Lusid Technologies gave us is a great tool.
Brad Kelly , Owner, Brendan's Collision
One way of doing that is by using a superior paint. Of course, you need to apply it correctly and learn the nuances of the product, but if you can find a reliable paint that is easy to use, it can make your life a whole lot easier.
These are the thoughts of Brad Kelly and his father, Gene, who operate Brendan’s Collision in Havertown, PA, in a small market where there are multiple shops on every block. By refining their processes and striving to be a better shop, they stay busy while repairing 50-75 cars monthly.
One product that the shop embraced roughly a year ago is GenRock, a European polyester resin paint system manufactured by Lusid Technologies. By switching over to GenRock, they are winning in three ways: by getting better color matches, saving significant amounts of money and using less paint overall.
Kelly, 42, worked in the shop for nearly 15 years as a technician before officially taking over the business from his father in 2015.
“I wanted to learn the other side of the business, so one day I just changed hats and went into the front office, writing estimates, dealing with the insurance companies and customers and everything else involved,” he said. “Since I feel more comfortable working with computers, it was a good move and one that I am happy I made.”
One thing that both Brad and Gene are most concerned about is keeping their operational costs down without affecting repair quality or cycle time.
“It seems like the prices of everything are always going up, so we have to stay on top of all the costs and where the money is going,” Kelly said. “With our former paint provider, we were running into some technical support issues and a few color match problems while their prices were going up. So, we reached out to our jobber and began the process of looking around for a better solution.”
The jobber that Kelly is referring to is Black Horse Auto Body Supply of West Chester, PA, a company that represents Lusid Technologies throughout Delaware County. Vice President John DiMino, Jr. helped Brendan’s Collision by providing them with a detailed price comparison involving all of the major paint companies available.
“When Brad and Gene saw the numbers, they could see the advantages of using Lusid Technologies,” DiMino said. “They are saving at least 30 percent while getting precise color matches, and the coverage is exceptional.”
With more than 70,000 unique formulations available, Brendan’s Collision is able to achieve superior color matches with Lusid’s 4-Angle Spectrophotometer that they could not accomplish with their former brand.
“We get a fair amount of high-end cars here, and that is when we really need to be able to accurately color match these colors on these newer vehicles,” Kelly said. “Our library of chips is extensive and the digital camera system that Lusid Technologies gave us is a great tool.”
When Kelly shows his customers their newly painted vehicles, he and his crew are anxious to see their happy faces and in some cases, shocked expressions.
“The finished product is pretty amazing,” Brad Kelly said. “We don’t need to polish the cars a lot, which saves us time and helps us when we’re jammed and pushing to get the cars out on a busy Friday.”
Once they agreed to make Lusid Technologies their new paint provider, the training and support that the shop received through Black Horse Auto Body Supply was quite helpful, according to Kelly.
“John Panto, our Lusid technical rep, came down to the shop to train our crew and demo the product line on several vehicles that were all ready to be painted. They worked closely with our painters and showed them the ins and outs of the product, and within 1-2 days it was like old hat already,” he said.
Gene Kelly, 68, is a 30-year veteran technician and has been a shop owner since 1999, so he has seen the collision industry long before the existence of DRPs or low VOC paints. He didn’t dance around any topics he was asked, including about his new paint and its capabilities.
“Yes, the industry has changed in a lot of ways, but by stressing customer service and working with good vendors such as Lusid Technologies, we have been able to keep our customers and the insurance companies happy. When they come to pick up their vehicles and we see their reactions, it reinforces our decision to work with Lusid,” he said.
Brendan's Collision
Havertown, PA
(610) 446-4744
brendanscollision.com
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Seven
In Business Since: 1999
Number of Locations: One
DRP Programs: Six
Combined Production Space: 7,500 square feet
Lusid Technologies
(801) 966-5300
http://lusid.biz/
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Source: Autobody News
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