Falls

Described by President William R. "Bill" Falls as "the union of three highly regarded collision repair centers," each facility specializes in different makes of vehicles, but "all are expert in the repair of every make and model.... It's what you get when a great idea collides with expertise and know-how!"

Falls began his automotive career washing cars in a body shop in Florida during high school. He served in the Air Force, then rented some floor space and started fixing cars. After moving to Las Vegas, he hooked up with Angelo Falconi, a Las Vegas Acura dealer, beginning the collision repair empire that eventually became ABG.

 

Michael Spears, now president of Green Valley Collision Center and partner in ABG, joined up with Bill Falls at Falconi's in 1991. Falconi's specializes in the repair of Japanese manufacturers such as Acura, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, Isuzu, Lexus and Infiniti.

Spears hails from the oil fields of Texas, where his late father worked as a driller. He attributes his strong moral and ethical fiber to his father's influence. Spears acquired his background in collision repair by studying auto body repair during his junior and senior years in high school. Coincidentally, his first job in the industry was washing cars - just like Falls.

Falconi's Collision Center

 

Falconi's Acura-Honda Collision Center is visible across the interstate from the Las Vegas strip.

Falls and Spears have a tremendous amount of respect for one another and work well as a team, as evidenced by the success of their partnership. When Spears joined up with Falls at Falconi's, the shop was turning about $275,000 per year. By 1999, the successful team grew sales to a stunning $725,000 a month.

A future woman partner

Another key to Falconi's success is 32- year-old Vickie Dessaints, the shop manager and future partner. This petite mother of two started in the collision repair business through a family friend. She has been with Bill Falls at Falconi's for seven years - exemplifying another strong relationship.

Dessaints is a certified welder and has all her I-CAR and ASE certificates on the wall. More than that, she has the industry 'savvy' which enables her to think on her feet and keep over $700,000 a month in collision repair moving in and out the door. The Mitchell ABS management system gives her the reports required to benchmark and monitor key performance indicators. She says that leads to increased business. "Farmers, for instance, likes to do business with us because we give them better cycle time and they know our quality is good," said Dessaints.

 

Next up: Green Valley

With Falconi's rolling along, the duo decided to partner and build a new collision center from the ground up - Green Valley Collision Center, located near an auto mall in the Las Vegas suburb of Green Valley.

At a Glance  Auto Body Group comprised of: Falconi's Acura-Honda Collision Center 5935 S. Polaris Avenue Las Vegas NV 89118 (702) 597-05723   Green Valley Collision Center 700 North Gibson Road Henderson, Nevada 89074 (702) 450-4822   Speedway Truck & Paint Center 6825 Speedway Boulevard, Suite B-106 Las Vegas, Nevada 89115 (702) 651-0083   Owners: William R. Falls, President and Partner of Auto Body Group Michael Spears, President of Green Valley Collision Center and partner in ABG Established: July 1991 Size: Falconi's: 44,000 sq. ft.; Green Valley: 41,000 sq. ft.; Speedway: 30,000 sq. ft. Employees: Falconi's: 42; Green Valley: 31; Speedway: 8 Paint Department: Blowtherm Ultra Downdraft booths with the smart cure baking system. 7 paint booths total with one at 66' long. Blowtherm prep stations with 3 mixing rooms Paint: Dupont Chromapremier & Standox Frame Racks: Car-O-Liner bench racks and Car-O-Tronic computerized measuring Alignment Racks: Hunter dsp 400 4 wheel alignment Welding equipment: Pro-Spot and Miller

The Green Valley shop is easy to find. A 30-foot tall sign with big red letters declaring "Body Shop" marks the spot, just like the sign at Falconi's.

"People know what a body shop is," stated Spears. "The sign brings the old and new together."

Green Valley is the division of ABG that is geared toward the repair of SUVs, vans, small trucks and European imports. "At Green Valley," said Spears, "we are expert in the repair of Porsches, BMWs, Mercedes, Volvos and Volkswagens."

The office at Green Valley could be the foyer to a Las Vegas casino - dramatic tall ceilings, lots of windows, arched doorways and a beehive of activity. The only sound missing is the clinking of coins from a slot machine. Some of the design elements were taken from Falconi's, which also has arched doorways and a wide-open feel. In planning the offices, Spears built cardboard scale models of desks and other furniture to create the optimal layout.

At Green Valley, Spears' operates out of the main office - no closed door here. He rolls up his sleeves and works shoulder- to-shoulder with his team.

Spears is the collision industry version of a renaissance man - he has a laid-back manner, yet drives an enormous amount of growth in this company. He is also the IT guy for all three businesses - he built the network and maintains all the technology, including the ABG web site.

Even with all this on his plate, Spears, with Falls support, spearheaded the effort to pass Nevada's new anti-steering legislation and organized the Nevada Collision Industry Association (NCIA). (See January 2004 ABN for story.)

Another cog in the wheel

Speedway Truck and Paint has the elegant curb appeal that is Bill Falls' trademark.

Once Green Valley was up and running, Falls pursued another business opportunity - Speedway Truck and Paint. From palatial motorhomes to 18-wheelers, Speedway is the shop many choose to repair these specialty rigs. Speedway is the manufacturer's recommended facility for most of the luxury coaches.

The 66-foot Blowtherm paint booth was custom built for this shop to accommodate the larger vehicles. This facility also handles the fleet customers, including the U.S. Army. Nearby Nellis Air Force Base uses Speedway service their fleet of fuel tankers.

Las Vegas native Gordon Bailey brings 30 years of collision repair experience to ABG as manager of Speedway Truck and Paint. "It is a new experience, very interesting and a lot of fun. There is a big difference between a Honda hood and a Freightliner hood," he laughed. The newly- built ultra clean facility is a selling point to customers bringing in their high end coaches, some worth over a million dollars.

High-end customers feel comfortable leaving their vehicles at Speedway, in part due to its spotless condition, explained Bailey.