“I’ve not seen a better color match in the industry,” he said. “The ease of application is incredible---the product is forgiving and easy to repair on the fly. The gloss and the shine of the clear products is showstopping.”
While transitioning to a new product can be difficult, Dawson rated AkzoNobel’s training as second-to-none, and said his employees are thrilled with the results that they get when working with the products.
“They’re prideful on it. We like the product that we put out there. They’re very happy with the amount of time it takes to color match, to blend, to clear. It is a time-saving product.”
Three years since Dawson’s arrival, things have changed significantly at Campbell Ford, even though the area continues to be a crowded collision repair market.
“I now have five body guys, a painter, a prepper and two estimators,” he said. “I have a fully certified team of collision repair professionals, and we’re doing very, very well actually.”
Dawson credits the turnaround to a shift in culture at the shop.
“What I think COVID has done is it made us realize that people just didn’t want to go back to work for a paycheck. They wanted to go back to work in a place where they felt truly appreciated, truly recognized, and where things are done right---or they weren’t going back.”
Going forward, Dawson sees growth in business happening organically, from the word-of-mouth recommendations that result when you take care of customers, rather than “breaking his neck” looking for direct repairs.
The company has a strong relationship with local Enterprise car rental branches, and owner Doug Campbell has taken the step of building the first EV charging station in Niles.
It’s clear that, at Campbell Ford, service is the key to growth.
“We’re supporting the EV industry and our local community here,” said Dawson. “My service manager and I sit on the board for three different high schools’ CTE programs. To us, everything’s about our brand and it’s about community. We’re a very proud store."
AkzoNobel Coatings
800-618-1010
www.SikkensVR.com/us-en
Facebook: @AkzoNobelNARefinish
Twitter: @AkzoNobel_AACNA
Instagram: @AkzoNobelRefinish
LinkedIn: @AkzoNobel
YouTube: @AkzoNobel Refinish
To read more auto body shop profiles in the October 2023 Shop and Product Showcase, click here.
Abby Andrews