Page 16 - Australasian Paint & Panel Magazine Jan-Feb 2019

2018 PAINT & PANEL BODYSHOP AWARDS
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PAINT&PANEL JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
HERE’S THE PROFILE OF OUR BEST DEALER OWNED SHOP AWARD WINNER, WHICH WAS SQUEEZED OUT OF THE NOVEMBER EDITION.
BEST DEALER OWNED SHOP
MACARTHUR PRESTIGE BODYSHOP
Y
AWARD SPONSORED BY
OU EXPECT MORE FROM A
dealer-owned bodyshop, es- pecially one that services customers who like their pres- tige vehicles. Yet Macarthur Prestige Bodyshop in Smeaton Grange still man-
ages to exceed expectations.
It is owned by Pro Auto Group which
consists of Steve Drane and Mario Kor- dovolos who both own dealerships and Glenn O’Donnell who is the managing director.
O’Donnell has a great deal of prestige experience having set up Alto BMW Ar- tarmon and Pennant Hills Bodyshops as well as North Shore Collision Centre, in Artarmon. The building used to be a
BMW showroom and has retained the great showroom floor tiles and, blissful- ly, for the painters, the air conditioning in what is now the paint shop.
Macarthur Prestige has factory ap- provals from BMW, Lexus, Toyota , VW and Tesla. The business partners identi- fied a lack of resource in the area for prestige customers and business has been brisk since the premises opened in September 2017, with the team repairing between 30-40 vehicles per week.
The reception retains the dealership feel – chic and understated with excel- lent customer facilities. It also contains 2018 Women in Collision award win- ner, office manager Kazna Lewis.
We love the 'theatre style' repair shops where you can see the cars being repaired from reception. Here, two large windows give customers the paint shop vista. Not only does this allow you to show your expert technicians at work, but it also showcases how clean the shop is – all very confidence inspiring for customers.
The paint shop is a clever Lowbake de- sign with excellent lighting and lots of glass making it feel very spacious, despite being relatively small.
The spotlessly clean panel shop is beautifully organised. It has shelves especially designed for the Cellette benches to tuck underneath to maxim- ise floor space and keep the place tidy. There is also an aluminium/carbon fi- bre repair booth. The generous wash bay is in the large, secure yard at the side of the shop.
What was a joy and, sadly, an all too rare sight, was to see all of the techni- cians using the appropriate PPE gear for the tasks they were undertaking. The business also has a good digital pres- ence, with a glossy website and a regu- larly updated Facebook page.
All in all, Macarthur Prestige is a prime example of a business opportunity identi- fied, in a rapidly growing locale, that has been perfectly executed.
LEFT: The paint shop is well lit and well maintained.
TOP: Dealer-style exterior
ABOVE: Glen O’Donnel