Page 16 - Australasian Paint & Panel Jan-Feb 2020

16
News • In Focus
PAINT&PANEL JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
TWO NEW SHOPS FOR SYDNEY
SAM STREET VISITED TWO NEW SHOPS IN SYDNEY, ONE WHO AIMS TO ATTRACT MORE OEMS AND ONE SET UP FOR 'OUT OF SCOPE' WORK.
OHAMED AND JOANNE DAN-
dan won best new shop in
New South Wales in the 2019 Bodyshop Awards for the excellent and innovative Quest Collision Centre in Hornsby. Now they have opened another shop, rela- tively near by, in Castle Hill. You have to admire their energy and business nous. Large units in this suburb are hard to find, however Mohamed se- cured this huge facility, previously
used to store baby formula.
In just six weeks from taking the
keys, Q-West is up and running. I vis- ited the day after the first car arrived for repair. The Dandans saw an oppor- tunity to service the Suncorp and IAG out of scope work in the suburb, in which there is also a RepairHub operat- ing. Their next step is to set up a me- chanical section and a state of the art laser wheel agligment system. The paint shop, by MN Spraybooths, wasn't quite up and running as the panel beat- ers had just picked up their tools. It's so vast that the front of the building is go- ing to be leased out to a gym. In case they run out of space though, there is an option to build a large mezzanine floor for parts and equipment storage.
A 'BADGE-WORTHY' FACILITY
Callaghan Collision Centre is already finding out the benefits of a 'purpose built' facility. Director Jason Hornby has been with the 25 year old business for 22 years and became a majority
shareholder eight years ago, eventually owning 100 percent. The business has a great reputation for quality and has OEM approvals for Lexus, Toyota and Subaru and operates from Sydney's Shire in Miranda.
The previous premises presented an awkward layout on different levels, which meant a dawn start to move cars around. The new shop had only been up and running for two months when I visited and was already re- pairing 15 cars more per week. The large, modern building has a huge, luxurious reception, a meeting room,
a boardroom, lunch room and work- shop management office.
In the workshop large bays, and lots of them, are neatly laid out. The new paint shop is by R&I Zambesi includes a large alumunium booth with a flex- ible layout.
Hornby has his sights set on another couple of OEM approvals and this new shop with its excellent customer facili- ties, kerb appeal and high specification workshop equipment should make this goal easily achievable.
Both great contenders for this year's Paint & Panel Bodyshop awards.
M
BELOW: Customer viewing area is becoming a ‘signature’ feature for Mohamed and Joanna Dandan.
BOTTOM: Jason Hornby at Callaghan Collision.