For more than 25 years, Dalton Collision has been serving the greater Knoxville, Tennessee, area with high-quality collision repair services since 1991. To serve their customers faster while upholding their finishes to the highest standard, Dalton Collision opened a second location in January 2019.
This shop — located in the heart of Knoxville — is specialized for quick lane repairs, a service model that accommodates smaller repairs of four panels or less. Specializing their new shop with a quick lane model allows Dalton Collision to improve key-to-key time and keep their shop operations running smoothly. It also allows them to position their best technicians to work on the most challenging repairs.
With a nationwide shortage of qualified technicians, the shop specialization model enables shops to maximize productivity and better utilize the skill sets of their technicians. When a technician specializes in performing certain types of repairs, they become more skilled and efficient at that type of repair. Multiple technicians may combine skill sets to complete repairs, rather than a single technician having to repair a vehicle from start to finish.
An I-Car Gold Class Shop since 1998, Dalton Collision holds that accolade longer than any shop in Tennessee. They are also a Certified Repair Provider (CRP) for many vehicle manufacturers — including Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia and Nissan. As a CRP, Dalton Collision strictly follows the mandated repair procedures, which require skilled technicians to operate the latest in high-tech collision equipment.
Last year, Dalton Collision partnered with Pat O’Neill, a consultant for GFS and REVO Accelerated Curing Systems, for body shop workflow consulting services. According to O’Neill, REVO Systems are a great start, but to get “the biggest bang for your buck,” you also need to implement the best processes around that equipment.
Side-load systems are rapidly becoming a must-have for shops looking to improve productivity and maximize shop space. A side-load system trims 15 to 30 minutes off each booth cycle, as all masking is completed outside the booth. Then, the prepped vehicle can be easily moved into the next booth on an integrated track and dolly system.
Realizing the potential of time and money savings, Dalton Collision installed a Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS) Side-Load Finishing System, complete with an Ultra® XR Paint Booth with REVO Speed and an Excel Workstation, along with mobile REVO units, sold and installed by Professional Maintenance & Equipment. With four stalls available for repairs, these pieces of quality equipment will be essential for performing quick lane express repairs to get cars back to customers in only one to two days.
Shops using accelerated infrared curing systems have an opportunity to distinguish themselves from their competitors. REVO Accelerated Curing Systems from GFS provide a chance to increase profit without having to increase shop footprint. Using short wave electric infrared curing technology, filler and coatings cure quickly from the inside out.
REVO Systems reduce curing time to only minutes. Instead of priming at the end of the day and leaving vehicles to dry overnight, you can sand immediately after using REVO Systems, so vehicles are ready to be reassembled quicker.
The implementation of quick lanes for a shop is ideal for surface repairs, like fixing small scratches, dings and dents. Quick lanes accommodate about 60 to 70 percent of all jobs. Coupled with the addition of short wave electric infrared curing technology, like REVO Systems, painting six to 10 vehicles per day is attainable in a body shop with quick lanes.
Taking into account the average U.S. work order is around $3,000 and average gross profit is 40 percent, processing just one more car per day translates to $1,200 more in gross profit per day. This can add up to $288,000 of additional gross profit per year.
Shops can’t afford not to start buying into Side-Load Finishing Systems with REVO Accelerated Curing Systems. For Dalton Collision, their new equipment and changes to their processes will lead to significant time and cost savings, setting them up for future growth and success.
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