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For many years the body shop at Norwalk Toyota was a neglected part of the giant, privately owned dealership founded in 1964. Today, with 55 body tech stalls, four paint booths, and covering 3½ acres, it is an important contributor to the dealership's bottom line.
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The entrance isn't exactly high profile, but the body shop is a big contributor to the bottom line at Norwalk Toyota.
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| Norwalk chose Chisum Frame equipment for price and performance |
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| Norwalk Collision Center covers 3.5 acres. |
"I guess a lot of the change started six years ago when the general Manager, Gary Russo, hired me to clean up the operation," said body shop manager Steve Burroughs. "There was really not much business to speak of, and the equipment was antiquated."
Burroughs, 50, has been in the auto body business since he swept floors at his dad's shops. "Our family has owned body shops since 1927, back in Oklahoma." He came to Norwalk after a partnership split at his own shop.
Burroughs, who has served on the California Autobody Association Board of Directors, had some qualms about working for a dealership. "I didn't want to go with a dealer who just wants to sell cars. Gary Russo and our owners, Orval and Steve Paul (father and son), believe there's more to a dealership being profitable than just moving cars off the lot. They told me the body shop had always been a thorn in their side, but that they were ready to invest in the collision business if we could turn it around."
Building on people
And turn it around they did - into a $6 million business. Burroughs started with the staff, weeding out those who didn't care or wouldn't learn. "You have to surround yourself with good people to grow."
The shop has a staff of 39 all of the techs are I-CAR certified. While much of the industry complains about a technician shortage, Burroughs reports "no problem" in finding technicians when he needs them. To build its apprentice base and support education, Norwalk Toyota participates in the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Work Ability project.
In Norwalk, a working-class suburb ten miles south of Los Angeles, the dealership is known as "a good place to work" and the staff enjoys a full benefits program as well as competitive pay. "Our body men and painters earn in the mid 50's," Burroughs calculated. He feels, however, that it's not just money and benefits that make people loyal. "It's how you treat them day in and day out."
Reaches out for DRPs
The shop has moved far beyond just working on Toyotas for customers of the dealership. To ensure a steady flow of work, the shop has entered into numerous DRP relationships. "I've been in this business for thirty years," said Burroughs. "In my heart, I still wish the little guys out there could compete with the consolidators and larger shops based on personal service and quality work. But the reality is, they can't. The insurance company programs are necessary today,"
Norwalk Collison Center has DRP programs with Allstate, Farmers, AAA and State Farm which account for 80% of the shop's volume. The insurer relationships, far from being contentious, are characterized by Burroughs as "for the most part, friendly."
To nurture existing relationships and forge new ones, the shop has a full-time outside salesperson, Andrea Bruttig. "She's out there calling on the insurance agents and companies five days a week."
In addition to collision repair, the dealership promotes its complete professional detail department - "It helps to familiarize people with the body shop before they need us."
Chose Chisum frame rack
Among the other standout equipment is the spot welding gear from ProSpot. "It allows us to deliver a real OEM-quality weld, and it's a lot faster."
The quiet giant
While the growth at Norwalk Toyota Collision Center has been significant, the owners and Burroughs want more. "We call this place the 'quiet giant,' and we want to make it the largest Toyota dealer body shop in the country," said Burroughs, "And then I want to retire."
Earlier this year, the Collision Center needed a new frame rack. "I was ready to sign the contract for ...well, let's just say a top name brand." But Burroughs recalls seeing a newspaper ad for Chisum's new frame rack, and noticed that the price was about half of what he was going to pay. "It looked a lot like the rack I was planning to buy. I picked up the phone and called Chisum because I didn't believe the price. They flew me out to see their equipment. I liked it, and I bought it on the spot." Did Chisum deliver? "They did everything as promised. We're completely satisfied."
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