Relationships are becoming increasingly important to operate an efficient, profitable shop, said Terry Brunk, fixed-operations manager for Markley Motors Inc., a Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Honda, and Saturn dealership, with a collision repair facility that works on all types of vehicles.

In the process of making the switch from solvent- to waterborne-based paint, Brunk said he and his crew discovered how much of an impact a supplier can have on the bottom line of a collision repair facility.

Brunk said that he, Painter Mike White, and Shop Manager J.R. Cirillo III were instrumental in helping make the switch and investigated the product as a team.  This process led the team to Akzo Nobel, which proved to be more than just a waterborne paint supplier.

"We discovered as a group how it would affect the dealership," Brunk said.  In what became a six-month project, he said they visited production facilities using waterborne paint, and Akzo Nobel's training facility in Orange County, Calif., to spray the product and closely inspect application.

"After the myths of waterborne were dispelled, it was obvious this was the right choice," he said.  After this discovery, the concept was presented to management, which included General Manager Roger Belisle and a collective decision was made to move forward.

One common myth about waterborne is that that it stays wet longer than solvent, which proved untrue, said White, who sprayed the basecoat for an hour.  He said that it was easy to spray, cured in about two to three minutes, and had good color match.  It also reduces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by nearly 40 percent, making the shop a much healthier environment, he noted.

When spraying waterborne, it looks like a rainbow on the car until the water evaporates, White said, adding that once cured, the true color of the basecoat reveals itself.

Because the base coat of the waterborne can't be seen when wet, it has to be sprayed out and cleared in order to evaluate color match, said Ray Williams, account manager for Akzo Nobel, who works closely with Markley Motors.

The waterborne is sprayed on top of a Sikkens Colorbuild Plus primer, a versatile surfacer/sealer and finished off with a Sikkens Autoclear Superior 250, a high-solid clear that emits fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Williams said.

"The primer matches the color of the basecoat," Cirillo added.  "So if the paint is chipped, you can't see the primer."

Once making the switch in July, Brunk said they abandoned solvent basecoat coat completely.  Before doing that, however, their two paint booths were retrofitted with Garmat Accele-Cure drying systems, purchased from Jurassic Equipment, he said, adding that they also purchased several Sata spray guns.

"It was as smooth a transition as you could possibly hope for," Brunk said.  The goal was to make White's environment healthier, bolster the bottom line of the business, and in the process create an environment for success, he said.

"We realized the product was good," Brunk said, after the research stage.  "The defining moment came with the support they brought to the business side.  They helped establish good, clear processes and set new standards in the shop."

A big part of that came in the form of Akzo Nobel's Vehicle Tracking System, Cirillo said, adding that it keeps track of the shop's repair orders (ROs), including the dates when cars are received.

"When you're looking at the production of 70-plus cars, things can get lost in the shuffle," Williams said.  "The tracker helps them stay on top of each RO."  The application was custom designed for Markley and integrates with its Reynolds & Reynolds system, he added.

Since a big part of Markley's collision work is fed from its dealerships in Fort Collins and Cheyenne, Wyo., Akzo helped the facility create a Rapid Repair Center for light hits and cosmetic repairs, Williams said.

"A huge portion of the business has shifted to customer pay," he said, adding that the center was designed to handle minor repairs that take three days or less.  That includes a lot of bumper fascia repairs, he added.

Since Akzo Nobel distributes its own product, application issues can be communicated directly with the manufacturer, not though a distributor, Williams said.  "When there's an issue, instead of a shop getting stuck between a supplier and jobber, we have no middleman."

Another benefit of doing business with Akzo Nobel is the use of paint and materials on a consignment basis, Williams said.
"We took a look at the dollars they had tied up in inventory, and it was substantial," he said.  The whole concept of consigned inventory is to not disrupt the work flow of painters and technicians with supply issues, he said, adding that he accesses used materials twice a week and bills them as they use them.

Another area that Brunk said Akzo helped out in was identifying taxable and nontaxable materials used to repair a vehicle.  "If it does not stay on the car, it's not taxable," Williams said, adding that the shop now saves on items such as sandpaper and masking tape.