Autobody News: Reliable Automotive Equipment Helps Fantastic Finishes Stay Ahead of the Competition With Industry's Best Products
Carlsbad, CA, April 17, 2018 (Newswire.com) - NOTE: This October SPS profile was originally published in print in September 2017, and published online in October 2017.
As a shop specializing in high-end vehicles, it is imperative that Fantastic Finishes in West Palm Beach, FL, be equipped with the best available products and equipment to meet their customers’ needs.
With our constant upgrades in equipment, the employees are able to process each repair much more efficiently, so both the technician and the company are more productive and profitable. Every year, the products from Reliable Automotive Equipment change and get better. If you want to stay on top of the other operators, you need to constantly invest in new technologies and materials.
Russ Swift, Owner of Fantastic Finishes
According to Russ Swift, owner of Fantastic Finishes, “We only use the best equipment, products, parts and materials to consistently produce high-quality repairs since our very first day in business. This attention to excellence has earned us a reputation for never shortchanging repairs on any vehicle.”
Fantastic Finishes opened in 1986 as a one-man operation with Swift completing all facets of the repair process by himself. Swift’s passion for the collision repair industry originated early on.
He recalls, “I’ve always had a desire to get into this business. Ever since I was a kid watching my next-door neighbor restore old muscle cars. Now I get to live my childhood dream every day.”
As Swift’s client base grew, he gradually hired staff and expanded his building, but these developments intensified the need to invest in better equipment to streamline his team’s processes. More than two decades ago, he started purchasing his welders, specialty hand tools, rivet guns, and fume and weld extractors from Reliable Automotive Equipment.
Swift explains, “Reliable Automotive Equipment carries all the best equipment and, as a result, is the distributor for most of our OEM certifications which include Porsche, Audi, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini and Tesla. The industry has been exerting more influence through their repair programs. Of course, that’s designed to ensure a proper repair on their vehicles, and parts restrictions on some models lead to these repairs being driven to the shops that are qualified to perform the repairs correctly. These specialty repairs require the use of specialty equipment, which Reliable Automotive Equipment provides. By utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, we deliver the best repair possible to our customers.”
Most recently, Fantastic Finishes invested in five ProWo Tech Aluminum Repair Bays from Reliable Automotive Equipment. These bays are equipped to fulfill the requirements of each job with maximum efficiency and in minimal time.
“With our constant upgrades in equipment, the employees are able to process each repair much more efficiently, so both the technician and the company are more productive and profitable,” Swift says. “Every year, the products from Reliable Automotive Equipment change and get better. If you want to stay on top of the other operators, you need to constantly invest in new technologies and materials. If you are not moving forward, you are moving backward. Fantastic Finishes has a different culture than most shops because we believe that quality starts at the very beginning of the repair process and follows through to the end.”
Reliable Automotive Equipment shares Swift’s strategy in providing superior customer service.
Swift explains, “Reliable Automotive Equipment services our account annually, and whenever there is an equipment issue, they are spot-on with support.”
Since being founded in 1987, Reliable Automotive Equipment has developed a first-class presence in the automotive aftermarket arena by focusing on a superior customer service experience. Because the company recognizes that technology is constantly changing, they strive to support new technology and to supply customers with the proper resources to consistently repair vehicles according to manufacturers’ recommendations.
Fantastic Finishes’ 17 employees utilize the 12,500-square foot facility to repair an average of 45 vehicles each month, and the shop participates in five DRPs. The shop is environmentally conscientious, recycling cardboard, steel, aluminum, plastic, hazardous waste, oil, refrigerant and coolant. They also stay involved with the community by supporting the American Cancer Society, Special Olympics and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County.
Fantastic Finishes sprays with BASF’s 90-line paint system, allowing painters to perform factory warranty paint repairs on all of their OEM-certified car brands. All of the luxury collision repair center’s technicians have achieved I-CAR’s Platinum status, plus they have all acquired a Master Collision Repair certification from Automotive Service Excellence. Fantastic Finishes guarantees all performed repairs against defects in workmanship and materials for as long as the customer owns the vehicle.
One of the recent problems Swift has experienced in the collision repair industry is parts availability with certain manufacturers.
He elaborates, “Clients’ expectations are higher now, and sometimes, their expectations are not realistic due to the parts ordering and procurement process. Additionally, some OEMs want a complete teardown prior to any parts being ordered, yet many insurance companies still will not support this.”
Looking to the industry’s future, Swift predicts an increase in electric and autonomous vehicles with a reduction in the frequency of collisions as a result of more sophisticated accident prevention systems in these vehicles.
Fantastic Finishes
West Palm Beach, FL
(561) 790-4090
ffpalmbeach.com
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 17
In Business Since: 1986
DRP Programs: Five
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 12,500 square feet
Reliable Automotive Equipment
800-328-7855
raeservice.com
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Source: Autobody News
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