Page 76 - Australasian Paint & Panel Magazine Sep-Oct 2018

SHOP STATS
Size: 2850m2 workshop 1700m2
Type of repairs: Mainly heavy structural
Number of cars per week: 45 Staff: 15
Sharp and modern, the Andrews team are constantly training to ensure they have the latest skills and techniques for heavy structural repair.
NSW BEST NEW
ANDREWS COLLISION AUTO REPAIRS
This is the second facility for Andrews, who have purpose built this site to specialise in heavy structural repairs.
THERE ARE THREE Pastalis brothers, however Andrews Collision Auto Repairs is the baby, albeit a big baby, of Michael. He’s been in charge right from the start when they bought the 3,000m2 block of land.
The contemporary build gives a good street presence. Reception is also ultra modern with good customer facilities. There’s even a lovely little Zen garden area for customers to have a coffee outside if they have to wait. Like their Moorebank facility, they have a covered customer collection/ inspection area and this also has a cosy waiting space.
For a new build we would prefer to see a more spacious workshop area with bigger bays – and so would Michael. The plus of moving into a suburb that’s in a growth boom is lots of custom. The minus side is dealing with the council who were extremely prescriptive about the size of the workshop in proportion to the land parcel.
On the other hand, as the vast majority of their work is heavy structural, once a car is placed in a bay it doesn’t move until it’s fixed, so the marked driveways and ample flow allowance that driveable and mixed damage shops need doesn’t apply so much here.
Andrews is another winning shop that’s really serious about training. Yes, they train with I-CAR and their paint company
8 PAINT&PANEL September / October 2018
but they also hold an internal training session every week. They invite representatives from equipment suppliers to show staff the best and most effective methods with a particular product or piece of equipment. They also have group discussions where each person is able to talk about the way they carry out certain procedures and why they think it is the most effective method to repair or paint.
“Our staff pick up different methods from each other which make them better tradesmen,” Michael said. Efficient they certainly seem to be with an average key to key time of just 4.2 days.
We are encountering more repairers who see the current and future landscape as exciting and full of opportunity, Michael and his brothers included. Buying the land and building this second site shows confidence in the future, assisted by securing a five-year contract for heavy structural repairs with IAG.
The Pastalis brothers are second-generation repairers who have both learned from the past but have their eyes firmly fixed on the future. Once they are 100 per cent comfortable running the two sites, they will be looking for number three and running four locations is within their five-year plan.
POWELL’S COMMENTS
This compact and well-equipped repair center is capable of producing a high rate of quality repairs to meet the fast growing demands of the location.
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2018 REGIONAL WINNER NEW SOUTH WALES