With 10 cars lined up waiting to be painted, Jordan Yule knew his Wisconsin body shop was not operating at peak efficiency. Repairs were taking longer than he liked, which meant money was being left on the table.
Rather than invest in a second paint booth, which would have required another shop expansion, Yule opted to add an Air Make-Up Unit (AMU) to heat his Performer ES Paint Booth from Global Finishing Solutions (GFS). The addition of an AMU has opened the door to new profit opportunities.
“With the AMU, we have the capability to do more. We can get through two or three more cars a day now,” said Yule, owner of JY Collision Center in Fall Creek, Wisconsin.
In 2019, Yule completed a 3,200-square-foot expansion of JY Collision that included the installation of the Performer ES Paint Booth, as well as an Aluminum Repair Station from GFS. It was a significant step forward for JY Collision, which was founded in 2016 — with Yule performing repair work at his house — and moved to a permanent location in 2017.
Still, even with six technicians and Yule painting as well, JY Collision hit a ceiling at about 35 repair jobs a month. For his business to grow the way he wanted, he needed to cut down on the backlogs and get cars back in the hands of customers faster.
Adding an AMU in 2020 was a financial investment for JY Collision and resulted in the shop being shut down for three days for installation and electrical work. Doing the math on the ROI — and considering the immediate and long-term needs of his shop — it was an easy decision for Yule.
“We were pulling in shop air, so it was making the shop cold, and the paint jobs were dirtier,” Yule said. “Now that we have pressurized the paint booth, we are pulling in outside air and heating the booth with the AMU. The paint jobs are a lot cleaner, and we can get a lot more cars through.”
Within the next five years, Yule wants to add a second expansion to give his shop three or four more work bays and one or two more prep decks. For now, Yule is focused on trying to capitalize on the increased throughput made possible by his new AMU.
Yule’s advice to body shop owners debating the addition of an AMU: “If you have the money up front to do it, I would definitely do it up front. If you are getting your feet wet with your business and want to see where life is going to take you, I would wait. I feel I did it the smart way for my business by waiting. But I’m really glad I have the AMU now.”
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