When you fix 175 to 180 vehicles every month, your paint department does not have the luxury of making mistakes, because comebacks can cripple you.
Dave Mungenast Collision Assistance Center
Location: St. Louis, MO
(314) 743-3998
www.davemungenastcollision.com
Facebook: @StLouisHonda
Twitter: @MungenastHonda
YouTube: @Mungenast St. Louis Honda
Company at a Glance…
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 26
In Business Since: 1966
Number of Locations: One
Production Space: 25,000 square feet
Years ago, the average consumer didn’t know the difference between solvent and waterborne. But now customers are savvier, and many know about waterborne products, like the Sikkens Autowave waterborne system by AkzoNobel. They’re aware of the fact their car was originally painted with a waterborne product and it’s better than solvent for the environment.
Manager Thor Burner at Dave Mungenast Collision Assistance Center is a former Platinum I-CAR technician who loves working for Dave Mungenast Jr., the shop’s owner.
“He has a passion for this industry, and it rubs off on all of us here,” Burner said. “I left here and worked for other shops over the years, but I always returned because I want to work for a company that cares about the customers and its employees.”
The painters at Dave Mungenast Collision Assistance Center get precise color matches using the AkzoNobel MIXIT color matching system.
Burner has always known he is only as good as the professionals he works with, and ongoing education and training is paramount.
“I was a tech for 25 years before entering management, so I know what my people are thinking and what keeps them motivated,” he said. “I want to know the most that I can in this industry, so that I can be as effective as possible. That’s why imparting my knowledge is a big deal. Proactively mentoring our junior techs is a priority here and everyone is willing to help, which is ideal.”
The Mungenast Automotive Family opened its first dealership in 1965, when the most popular cars on the market were Chevy Impalas and Ford Mustangs. To expand its service portfolio, in 1966, the company opened the Mungenast Automotive Family Collision Assistance Centers as a joint effort with Wayne's Auto Body.
In 1999, the Mungenast Automotive Family acquired Wayne's Auto Body, and changed its name to Dave Mungenast Collision Assistance Center. They built a cutting-edge 25,000-square foot facility that features all new tools and equipment, high-tech lighting and four paint booths. Burner’s paint crew consists of three painters and two helpers who are busy as soon as they hit the shop floor every weekday.
Fourteen years ago, when most of their competitors were still spraying solvent, Dave Mungenast Collision Assistance Center switched to the Sikkens Autowave waterborne system by AkzoNobel, a product that’s been praised for...