Having gone from repairing vehicles decades ago in a small barn behind his mother’s house to a 12,000-square-foot body shop, Chris Carter knew exactly what he wanted in his next paint booth. Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS) and local distributor Platinum Equipment made customization seem routine for Carter’s Collision in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, with a dual-bay Ultra® XD Closed-Top Open-Front (CTOF) Booth featuring doors, additional lighting and a vertical SpaceSaver® heat system.
Please tell us your story and introduce your business.
“My dad had a 1972 Chevy truck. He started doing body work on it. He got about half done and had a heart attack and passed away. I always wanted to finish the truck. When I graduated high school, I worked at a meat plant for a year and saved some money so I could go to school for auto body. I was able to finish the truck, and my brother ended up with it.
“Our previous shop was about 7,500 square feet, and we outgrew it. I added on to that shop four times, and I didn’t want to add on a fifth time. The production is way better now. The way the shop is set up and designed for performance, the flow is so much better. Guys have a lot more room. When you’re stacked on top of each other, everybody can get a little crabby. Now that we have more room, the guys are loving it.”

How did you decide on GFS equipment?
“After owning a Performer booth at our old shop, there was no other option. I was going to buy my next booth from GFS. I did shop around and did a little bit of homework, but there was no comparison. It was a night and day difference, just the overall maintenance of the booth. And other shops that had non-GFS booths, I found that they struggled getting service.”

What do you like most about your GFS equipment?
“I thought the other booth was great for performance until I got this one. This one is amazing. When my painter was on vacation, I had six different colors in there, spraying all at the same time. You can have a white paint next to a black paint, and the amount of airflow that’s coming through the booth, you really can get some productivity out of this booth.”

How has your GFS equipment benefited your business?
“I wanted the booth the way I wanted it, and GFS absolutely came through. I’m glad I went with GFS, just for that reason — to be able to change and add stuff and take stuff out that I didn’t want. You can have the biggest shop, but if you don’t have the equipment to be able to do the repair right, it’s going to be tough on technicians and it’s going to be tough as an owner.”

What is the plan for the future of your business?
“I’d like for someone to keep the shop going when I want to walk away. I’m really proud of what my wife, Erin, and I have done with this. Having technicians that actually care and want to be here is huge. If you do good, quality work and you’re nice to customers, they will be back.”