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| The Rinella family has owned the 7,300 sq. ft. shop in San Jose since 1968. |
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| ICI Autocolor is the preferred finish at City Body Repairs |
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| Spraybake prep stations |
City Body specializes in heavy hits - $15,000 jobs are not unusual. "It's a real challenge," said Rinella. "We really have to stay on top of supplements and all aspects of quality control to ensure both a happy customer and a strong bottom line."
"English cars are 80% of our work. Mostly Jaguars and Land Rovers," said Rinella. "Six months ago we repaired a new Bentley." The 2000 Bentley, which cost about $200,000, was wrecked when the owner's gardener tried to move it but accidentally popped the car into reverse. Another gardener jumped in the moving car to try and regain control but it went down a hill, through a chain link fence and onto a tennis court, coming to rest straddling a retaining wall - severely damaging the frame. "When we were through, the invoice was $62,000. That's our record."
Rinella does not depend on insurers' DRP programs for his business. He prefers to maintain his longstanding relationships with high-end auto dealers.
"When our typical customer has an accident, he calls the dealer and asks where to take the car. They're primarily interested in maintaining the value of their investment in the car or protecting their lease agreement. They expect you to 'handle it' for them."
Advocate for the insured
The shops's web site boasts that City Body Repairs "caters to the discerning customer." For this reason, Rinella is careful when looking at direct insurance programs. "We must be certain we can maintain our status as an advocate for the rights of the insured."
As an advocate for the insured, Rinella recalls the adjuster who wanted him to reglue a piece of slightly kinked molding on a late model Land Rover and the other one who wanted him to fix floor panels instead of replacing them. "We just can't do that stuff here. It won't work."
Ready to take it easy - Not!
Having joined the family business in the late 70's after college and a stint as a sales manager for a national chemical company, Rinella not long ago found himself "ready to let things coast." He then found out "it doesn't work. You can't just 'maintain' in business. You're either growing, or going the other way."
While his head body man, has been at City Body Repairs for 20 years and another top body man has been there 14 years, Rinella still experiences a lot of turnover at the entry level, especially in the paint department.
With recruiting and training painters and preppers such a nagging problem, Rinella was ready to listen when jobber Don's Supply of Santa Clara proposed that he switch to ICI Autocolor, a top European brand that only recently had been introduced to California.
ICI Autocolor was attractive because it offered a high level of product quality, faster production times, jobber support, excellent training at the ICI tech center and an additional bonus - a highly skilled, temporary painter to fill in while his staff is away at training. "That solved a big problem - how do you train people and keep up production," said Rinella. In addition to its classroom facilities, ICI also does on-going in-shop training to keep "production up and waste down."
One day in and out
Rinella especially likes the UV speed primer. "With its two minute cure time it enables us to do fast turn around of small jobs and same day delivery.
"Overall, the ICI line is less money than the paint we were using, coverage is good and matching is excellent. With commitment from the people at ICI, it's working."
Switching paint brands is a big deal Rinella agreed, but "anytime you can get a paint company like ICI to join ranks with you, it's worthwhile to make a switch."
His frame equipment includes a Car-O-Liner frame rack, two additional drive-on racks and a Car-O-Liner electronic measuring system. He's planning to add two more Car-O-Liner racks. "It's fast, accurate equipment and it keeps getting more and more OEM approvals, like the recent BMW approval."
Rinella is considering a proposal to mount the Car-O-Liner equipment on hoists that will raise them to a working height of 6 feet.
The shop will also be getting an overhead trolley system to move around its Pro Spot welding systems. "We have both the Pro Spot MIG and spot welding gear, and putting it on the trolley will make it even more efficient," said Rinella.
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| At a glance |
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City Body Repairs 1127 Auzerais Ave. San Jose, CA 95126 408-292-4868 Wes Rinella, President Volume: $2 million annually, 80 vehicles a month Employees: 13 Shop Size: 7,300 sq ft production area Paint: ICI Autocolor |
