Dorn said as a result of using KECO, it has changed their complete repair process, not only with paintless dent repair but on larger- to smaller-scale jobs. As a result, it’s required less paintwork, less priming and less intrusion.
Dorn made the decision to switch to KECO because the shop wanted a cleaner, more efficient repair using GPR.
According to KECO, GPR works by gluing specially designed tabs to the exterior panels of a vehicle and pulling the dent out with varying tools. This method of damage removal offers significant advantages over traditional collision repair techniques, as it does not remove e-coatings and corrosion protection applied to the panel by the vehicle manufacturer, yielding a simpler, cleaner repair that can significantly reduce the amount of body fillers and/or paint to finish. Additionally, GPR can also be performed on EVs without powering down the vehicle.
Another benefit to KECO is in the billing process. In charging consumables to repairs, the KECO system contains tangible items that can be invoiced in the form of tabs and glue, which helps with tracking spend and ultimately increases a shop’s profitability.
Shrinking the repair size is another advantage to the KECO GPR system. Reducing the size of the repair, it results in directly proportional savings in filler, primer and paint. Leaving the paint intact and beginning to straighten the panel with glue tabs---while using knockdown tools---reduces the repair area immediately. How much it shrinks is related to the dent location, shape, depth and skill set of the technician.
Dorn appreciates KECO products for another reason.
“There are also some OEMs that are very limited in what they will allow a shop to do during a repair, such as not allowing the use of anything but soft push tools or glue,” he said. Therefore, using KECO makes it easier to meet OEM compliance standards.
Dorn is grateful for partners such as KECO Body Repair Products because it helps the shop build strong operations for today, as well as position it for strong growth in the future.
“Using KECO GPR today is like having the future now,” Dorn said. “In the future, estimating systems, insurance adjusters and other companies will know the value of glue pull repair. So it is possible that charging for glue pull kits, using less filler/primer/paint than allowed by the system, and labor unit ratio gains will no longer be a given with GPR in the same way they are today.
“How quickly shops can adapt to GPR and reap the benefits before the system changes will be key,” he said. “That adoption speed will determine their profitability threshold. Once the future is here, shops operating in the past will not be able to keep up.”
KECO Body Repair Products
Company Contact: Scott Stayton
(405) 694-5161
KECOTabs.com
Facebook: @KECOBodyRepairProducts
Instagram: @kecodentrepair
YouTube: KECO Body Repair Products
TikTok: @kecogpr
To read more auto body shop profiles from the October 2022 Shop and Product Showcase, click here.
Abby Andrews