Years spent working in a multiple-shop operation and making procedure a part of the routine put Josh Jewett ahead of the curve in streamlining operations at his recent acquisition, Lazarro’s Autobody in Green Island, New York. He found paper trails and cardboard boxes all over the office and quickly converted those to online records. He found employees with a desire for more structure, and he put systems in place that they quickly latched on to.
But he had to do all of this in a way that allowed him to retain valuable workers without making them feel steamrolled. Here’s how Jewett kept a legacy in place even while updating procedures and guidelines.
The leap to ownership
Josh Jewett, owner of Lazarro's AutobodyJewett began his autobody career after college with a desire to be a technician. He found himself ascending the management ladder, however, and he helped build a decent size shop into seven locations. He took the leap from there to owning his own shop.
Lazarro’s had already been in operation for 50 years when Jewett bought it. He knew from being in management positions at an MSO for much of his career that legacy and reputation meant something. That’s why he kept the name and was intent on retaining employees who were already in place.
When Jewett took over, Lazarro’s was doing about $100,000 in sales a month. A year later, that number jumped to $300,000. Simplification, he said, gave him the bandwidth to increase the numbers. He taught the employees to track invoices using CCC Intelligent Solutions software; they also use the system for parts invoicing.
As in so many shops, the paper system previously in place meant tickets disappeared into folders and, if they weren’t looked over before an insurance company came into play, chances for acquiring parts at a lower cost often slipped away. Jewett was clear that he doesn’t fault owners who follow these systems — it’s an easy thing to fall into, but it often makes for “missed opportunities.”
Keeping a calendar for estimate and repair appointments also makes a big difference for Jewett.
“Of course, we try to work within what works for them to get them in the door,” he said of customers. “But we look at the calendar to try to make a specific time for them, so that way, when they come, we can give them undivided attention (and be) ready to help them.”
That attention, Jewett contended, allows employees to avoid the inevitable mistakes that come with multitasking.
“You're basically inventing your own errors,” he said. “You're in the middle of a task, and you're trying to dial things in and then the door opens, and now you're off to something else. And then you have to get back on task. And a lot of times that's difficult.”
Key takeaway: Putting solid systems in place like estimate and repair appointment calendars and software for parts invoicing can allow for quicker growth in sales simply by allowing employees bandwidth they can dedicate to quicker turnaround.
Conversations and open doors
The conversion to more streamlined operations went so well that Jewett secured another shop in August 2025 in Saratoga Springs, New York. It belonged to a dealership but was located offsite.
Again, he found this shop operating without a system in place for capturing data. He said the techs drank in the changes like an elixir.
“They had work; they just didn't have a process, and they didn't have good ways of capturing their data,” he recalled. “With switching things over immediately, it was, even for the technicians that were there, almost like an ‘Aha’ moment;like they finally could see the light.”
These changes didn’t come without strategy, though. Jewett understood that enacting process on a staff instead of bringing them on board would likely have resulted in alienation. The Green Island store houses about a dozen employees and churns out around 100 cars a month. The Saratoga Springs store is currently operating with eight employees and completing around 50 cars each month. He’s managed to retain most of the employees that came with both locations. Because of his willingness to meet the Saratoga Springs team where they were at, he experienced easy buy-in — sometimes excitement — when he brought up new processes.
He found that posing introspective questions worked: “Knowing that these guys had been there for so long and doing it in such a way, coming in and just saying, ‘Hey, have you ever thought about it from this perspective or doing it this way?’” was a positive approach, he said. “They were like, ‘Well, not really, but let's try it.’ Or, ‘It can't hurt.’”
Through working alongside employees to put new plans in play, from body techs to front office staff, he found teams willing to change up procedure in the name of better work overall. He also made sure his door was open for feedback.
“If there were questions or anything, I was, easily accessible,” he said. “They could come to me and talk to me.”
Making changes at the second location has been a little more challenging, simply because Jewett is one person helming two stores now. Still, at that location, he found a staff eager to soak in the expertise he brought.
“It was kind of really strange. It was almost like they wanted what I wanted before they even knew me,” he said.
That attitude squared with is a personal outlook for striving in an industry undergoing a lot of change.
“I think everybody should always strive to continue to try to do better,” he said. “I think that no one comes in on a daily basis and wants to do a terrible job.”
Key takeaway: Employees might be more willing than you think to absorb new procedures, but it helps to make them a part of the process through accepting feedback and keeping the opportunity for conversation open.
Moving forward with growth
At this point, Jewett is open to acquiring more locations. He sees shifts in the industry like single shops selling out as an opportunity for business owners with his mindset.
“I think, on a national level, especially with the older guys looking to retire or sell their legacies to start to slow down in life, that this is an opportunity for many shops out there to do the same thing that I'm doing,” he said.
But with that type of growth, he emphasized, is the need for some kind of concrete plan and system that works.
“What I feel would be a strength for any shop would be to really get organized and streamlined in the office because it's a downstream effect.” he said. “If the office is on top of their game and has everything orderly and in place, you can absolutely do a lot more volume. Your cycle times will improve, and your staff will be happier because they're not doing the same thing three, four or five times. I think that that's something that as I, or as anyone, looks to take over a business that's got to be priority No. 1 — get in there and really dial in a solid process.”
Key takeaway: There is likely an opportunity for business owners looking to own multiple shops as the collision industry consolidates. Having systems in place is crucial to controlled, successful growth.
Josh Jewett’s top tips on streamlining existing staff:
- Keeping legacy constructs like business names in place allows customers to more easily make a change to new ownership.
- Acknowledging that older systems in place at the time of a business sale aren’t necessarily bad helps with owner and employee mentality when making updates.
- Implementing tried and true systems often involves the use of well-established software.
- Bringing staff in on conversations regarding streamlining can result in easier acceptance of change, as can managers keeping an “open door” mentality.
Elizabeth Green