Issaquah, Wash.--After Jeff Schoonover heard all the discussion about "lean processing" at NACE last November in Las Vegas, he thought about the actions he's taken since becoming manager of Evergreen Auto Body.
"Working toward 'lean processing' is something we've been doing; we just didn't call it that," Schoonover said. "We're real big on structure, on process and on organization, systems and cleanliness, which is all part of 'lean.' The result is that our efficiency has improved, our costs have gone down, mistakes are fewer, quality has improved, and our volume has increased tremendously. We're so much busier now than it was a year and a half ago when I was hired, and I think all those things have really helped."
Schoonover said that when he signed on with Evergreen Ford in mid-2006 to manage its off-site body shop, the shop had about 10 employees and monthly sales of about $165,000. He said he now has a staff of 15 and, thanks in part to some additional direct repair agreements, monthly sales of about $225,000.
"We've gone through some growing pains," he conceded. "The sales got ahead of our staff, particularly last winter. But for the most part it's all been good."
If Schoonover's name seems familiar, it may be because his father, Dick Schoonover, was nationally active with the Automotive Service Association as the owner of a Minnesota-based collision repair business. Jeff Schoonover's brother, Mike, currently serves on ASA's Collision Division Operations Committee.
Jeff Schoonover, hoping to escape the Minnesota winters, said he moved to the Seattle area in 2002, and worked for several collision repair businesses before joining Evergreen Auto Body.
"One of my estimators reminds me every once in a while: 'Do you realize the benefits and advantages you have that other people don't have? You can pick up the phone and call your brother. You can pick up the phone and call your dad,'" Schoonover said.
In addition to that family network, Schoonover said the dealership's ownership has supported his efforts to get the staff, training, and equipment needed to improve the shop's performance. When Evergreen Ford opened the 11,000-square-foot off-site collision shop in 2004, he said, it was well-equipped with new Car-O-Liner frame racks, a Global Finishing Solutions downdraft spraybooth and side-by-side Global prep stations.
This past year, Schoonover said he wanted to improve the speed and quality of the shop's welding capabilities and brought in three-phase electrical service to power a new Pro-Spot welder.
He also wanted to amp up the shop's ability to monitor and improve its overall performance by adding a shop management system, he said.
"We went with the CCC Pathways Professional Advantage system because I was familiar with it and liked it and knew it would be easy to implement here," Schoonover said. "We've done a lot of good things that have added to our ability to grow here. The addition of the welder and management system, along with the addition of some direct repair programs, some of which have turned out to be far better than we expected, have been key."
Although he hopes to expand the shop's office and make some other layout changes to improve efficiency, Schoonover said a hoist is probably the only other large equipment purchase he sees on the horizon.
A quick walk through the shop makes it apparent that Evergreen Auto Body does far more than just referral, warranty, or accessory work for the dealership. Schoonover said that only about one-third of the shop's business is on Ford vehicles, with Toyota and Honda vehicles accounting for about half.
The shop sprays DuPont paint products, and Schoonover said one area in which the shop has been able to save some money is through the use of plastic disposable spraygun paint cups that reduce materials needed for gun cleaning.
"We don't have to use a thinner recycler any longer," he said of the change. "Yeah, we spend money on the cups, but we save a heck of a lot more on the disposal of the thinner."
Schoonover said that although there was a good core group of employees at the shop when he arrived, one of his biggest challenges has been making sure he has the right team in place as the business has grown.
"I think that's probably the most significant thing out of everything we've done is getting the right people," he said. "You know that expression: Getting the right people on the bus. I think now we have the right people on the bus, and in the right seats on the bus."
Keeping that team in place, he said, comes down to creating the right type of climate.
"This can be kind of a cut-throat business, and I don't like that," he said. "People need to feel somewhat secure about their jobs. Treat people with respect and be good to them and honest. You're on the same team. Work with each other instead of against each other. I think if it's a well-run, organized place, people want to stay. I don't think we have a lot of stress around here. Why does there have to be? I think many body shops insist on stress. I don't see that that's necessary. That's just from disorganization as far as I'm concerned."
Schoonover said he believes he has helped the dealership gain a better understanding of how a body shop differs from a service department and has been able to successfully implement some of what he's learned throughout his career at independently owned collision shops.
"When I got here, I treated this just like any other body shop," he said. "It just happened to be owned by a dealership. But to me, this is a body shop. And I think that's what they were looking for from me anyway."