Nader Akbari, general manager and co-owner of Central Florida Collision Center in Orlando, FL, said — only half-jokingly — the shop has been a different business every year of its existence.
A Post-COVID Beginning
The center originally opened to support Akbari’s other business, large-quantity vehicle sales to dealerships, rental companies and used car dealers.
Nader Akbari.
“After COVID, with the shortage of cars, I had access to late model, low-mileage inventory, which was really rare at that time, and so that business really blew up,” he told Autobody News.
The shop began in 2021 to support that growth and immediately began moving 50 to 60 cars through a month. In 2022, the general public began trickling in, and the shop jumped into the DRP business model.
“We went from fixing 50 cars a month to fixing 250 cars a month,” Akbari explained. “We were a major DRP for some of the big-name insurance companies.”
Akbari began examining the numbers and realized the net income was around 5% for the work coming in and decided to shift toward OEM-certified work.
At the end of 2022, as fleet, wholesale and used car sales began to level and collision numbers started to normalize, the pivot made sense, and Akbari led the businesses in securing OEM certifications with a focus on electric vehicles. Tesla and Rivian were the first two major manufacturer certifications, and more mainstream brands like Ford and Mazda followed. The shop now advertises more than a dozen brand certifications on its website.
At this point, Akbari said, the shop handles about 70 cars a month, and he’s happy with the quality of repairs as an OEM certification-focused shop. The facility itself encompasses 35,000 square feet with another 15,000 square feet next door housing a calibration operation and some indoor storage.
“I think we're putting out a much better product that's just more in line with who we are as an organization. That's No. 1,” he said. “No 2: The margins are a lot better, and we've gotten to build some really good relationships with some local dealerships, too.”
Changes in Time and Pay
During this changeover, another significant change took place within the shop. In an effort to maximize value for employees and the business, Akbari began examining time and pay structures. His position as a collision industry newcomer helped him see areas where the shop could improve, and the fact the CFPAB leadership team grew from within meant its members were open to pivoting where necessary and beneficial.
“Not being from the industry, I was just always really looking at what we could do differently, what we could do better — not having any bad habits,” he said.
Talks of efficiency in work experience turned to implementation of a four-day workweek, accompanied by a shift away from flat-ray pay to hourly pay at the beginning of 2024, adding to the shop’s goal of innovation and OEM certified repairs.
“It was very difficult to have the culture that we wanted to have while we were on these flat rate pay plans,” Akbari said. “Their pay plans are tied into what they're producing, so it became difficult to implement the things that we wanted to do at times.”
The shop lost some technicians in the changeover, but leadership stayed the course in hopes that the overall outcome would support bigger goals.
“We understood who we were losing, and we were OK with that, because — bigger picture — we were really trying to build a culture,” Akbari said.
The new policies were mostly well received, and have ultimately added to the shop’s retention rate, he said.
“It was funny because at the beginning, everybody was a little bit hesitant as far as the staff goes, and I just remember that first Thursday, knowing that they had three days off — I've never seen everybody in such a good mood,” he said.
Elizabeth Green