Longview, Wash.--Gene Teeters said he knew from his first job, detailing cars at a small body shop one summer during high school, that he wanted to make a career in the industry.
"I just fell in love with it right away and had a passion for it," said Teeters, who in 2005 opened GT Collision Center. "By the time I was 18 or 19 years old, I started telling myself that I wanted my own shop. I used to tell my older sister that my goal was to have my own shop by the time I was 30. I opened this shop at age 36. I like to say I was six years late for my goal, but I was right on time. Timing is everything. And 36 was just the perfect time."
After a decade as a technician and eight years of managing a shop, Teeters said, he found a 6,000-square-foot shop building available in what he calls "the best location in town for a body shop" and knew it was time to launch his own business. With his wife and co-owner, Michelle, who oversees the company's bookkeeping, he now has two estimators/customer service representatives and five production technicians.
"When we opened up, my goal was to get some direct repair programs," he said. "I called around and the insurers were basically not interested because they had their shops. That was a little nerve-racking. I'd built a shop (that I'd managed) up on DRPs and knew that was one way to go. On the other hand, now that I look back, I don't know if I'll ever go that route. I've built a business without them. And I like where it's going, I really do."
Teeters said he has done some radio advertising and distributed business cards to insurance agents and other automotive businesses to get his company's name out in the community. The company's location on a busy highway results in regular walk-in business, he said, and he's established some dealership and fleet accounts and referrals.
Although the building already had an Eagle Spray Booth paint booth, Teeters said he has invested in other equipment to help the business fulfill its slogan of "Achieving excellence in collision repair."
"The first thing I bought was a Chief EZ Liner frame rack. Shortly after that I added the Chief Velocity electronic measuring system," he said. "I also just bought a Techna resistance spot welder. I've heard overheating has been a problem with some welders, but this one is water-cooled and does a great job."
In the paint shop, Teeters said he has added a Uni-ram solvent recycler and chose DuPont paint based on his experience with it at other shops.
"My jobber, Evergreen Paint, has been a great supporter in everything I've done," he said. "Tom Sarysz, the owner, has been someone I can talk to and lean on for suggestions and ideas. They've been behind me 100 percent. I might be able to get some products cheaper down in Portland, but Evergreen has been loyal to me and I'm giving them loyalty back."
Teeters said he has also overhauled the shop's front office, which was little more than a desk and chair when he moved in. Three workstations are tied to a server with CCC's Pathways estimating system. This fall, he said, he added a Rome Technologies shop management system.
"I need to know where I'm making money and where I'm not," he said, explaining his reason for the new management system. "It's so hard to do that without having a tool."
Having good information affects virtually every aspect of the business, Teeters said, from estimating and negotiation to vendor relationships.
"This is a business you have to constantly stay on top of as far as getting paid for what you do," he said. "A lot of people get after their jobber and tell them they want lower prices. A lot of the time they are doing that because they're not getting paid for the materials they're using.
"One thing I've tried to do is train my guys," he said. "Life is about negotiation, whether it's with your kids or the insurance companies. Try to negotiate to get paid for what we do and use. The jobber needs to make money, too. If we can get paid for it, we're all going to make a better living on that job."
Teeters tends to talk a lot about his employees and the crucial role they have played in his business' first years. He said they have great attitudes and have been unselfish and committed to helping him work toward his vision for the business. He said he has tried to help them view themselves as professionals and to ensure they have what they need to succeed, including standard operating procedures and training.
Teeters said he is a volunteer on the local I-CAR committee and that his shop has achieved the I-CAR Gold Class designation.
"A good leader leads, and that's what I want to be," he said. "That's good both for my people and for me. If you get behind and follow a good leader, it will be good for you and the leader."
Teeters doesn't have to think long when asked what about the business keeps him up at night.
"Only thinking about what I could do next," he said. "What keeps me up is wanting to do something new, something to help build the business, reach the vision I have for it. That's the passion that drives me."
