Morrie’s Automotive Group is a new and used car dealer in Minnesota and Wisconsin, known for their Buy Happy® promise. Morrie’s aims to provide the best automotive experience possible from start to finish. They ensure commission-free salespeople, seven-day return policy and a lifetime of free car washes for every vehicle sold.
Beyond the sale, Morrie’s offers comprehensive service at many of their locations, including two dedicated service centers. Morrie’s Auto Body and Glass has provided collision repair services to happy customers for over 20 years.
Morrie’s Relocates and Remodels Body Shop in Minnesota
In Minnesota, Morrie’s recently relocated their Long Lake body shop to Plymouth. They remodeled the building to become their new, high-performing body shop.
“Our old facility had GFS paint booths,” said Brian Ripley-Boysen, manager of body shop operations. “We decided to install all-new automotive paint booths versus buying used or moving our existing spray booths. We wanted newer technology and to become faster in what we do, as well as put out a better-quality product.”
During their search, their paint vendor, Blue Rock, advised them to tour Global Finishing Solutions’ Center for Excellence training facility in Osseo, Wisconsin. The visit allowed them to meet with their local distributor, Chassis Liner Supply, and test out top-of-the-line automotive paint booths, as well as electric short wave infrared REVO Systems firsthand.
“I did research in the market and checked out other spray booth manufacturers,” Brian said. “Being able to visit GFS’ facility to see how their equipment is made was huge for us. And with the support staff being local, it was a no-brainer. We also have had great luck with GFS equipment at our old facility.”
GFS Paint Booths & REVO Systems Allow for More and Quicker Repairs
Plymouth Auto Body opened April 1, and they have already put through 250 to 300 vehicles in the first month. A new Ultra® XD Paint Booth, Ultra XL Paint Booth and dual-bay Ultra XS CTOF Booth allow them to repair sprinter vans and larger vehicles more quickly.
Production has also increased, thanks to their REVO Speed and another dual-bay Ultra XS CTOF Booth. By integrating REVO into the finishing environment, vehicles are filled, primed, sealed, painted and rapidly cured in one location. The setup is a part of a Side-Load Finishing System, which moves vehicles quickly and easily between work bays on an integrated track and dolly system.
“Our new GFS paint booths, prep environments and REVO Speed unit have made our cycle times a lot faster,” Brian explained. “Being able to constantly have cars being shot and painted has helped us keep the process moving faster. Because of REVO Systems, we are able to set up a nice assembly line and keep jobs moving through the shop.”
With this new setup, they are able to service more customers and types of vehicles than they did before.
“From a cycle time standpoint, we’re able to get more cars through the door,” Brian said. “Now, we have the ability to take on larger vehicles. If we want to do fleet vehicles, we can handle that with our Ultra XL Paint Booth. In our old facility, it wasn’t really an option to take on large-scale fleet vehicles.”
Setting Up for the Future
As for the future of Morrie’s Plymouth, they hope to increase business in their new location and to expand to different parts of the Twin Cities.
“We are changing how body shops operate. From changing what our body shop looks like, to setting a higher standard of quality. We want to increase to other locations to service all of our customers,” Brian said. “All of that is possible now with GFS paint booths and REVO Systems.”