Greeted by one of the most cheerful receptionists I’ve met, Faye Blenkinsop welcomes each and every Bodywork Direct customer with the kind of smile that tells you this is a great place to work, and that’s the lasting impression I have of this bodyshop.

The rest of the team are equally welcoming and eager to kick start a tour of the 25,000 sq ft site. David Blenkinsop owns Bodywork Direct, a business he’s successfully grown over the past 15 years. He served in the Royal Navy, during his time he completed a body repair course whilst in Germany. After leaving the Navy, in the late 1980s, David joined a bodyshop in Germany as a painter. David liked the German approach to repairing damaged vehicles… ‘Performance and Efficiency, squeaky clean working environment, state-of-the-art equipment and the best people to do the job,’ he said. When he returned to the UK, David rented space at a Ford repairer to set up his own workshop, and the rest is history. He grew the business, hiring ‘good people who were naturally quick’. David’s business has gone from strength to strength through sheer hard work and determination to match the exacting standards he learnt in Germany.

Over the past 12 months, a significant part of the bodyshop’s growth is thanks to a number of new approvals won by the shop, and that’s down to Peter Finn, Business Development Manager. Peter joined the business a little over a year ago, bringing a wealth of mechanical repair and dealership knowledge with him. He was brought into the business to grow the list of VM approvals at the shop. In fact, Peter’s target for his first year in the business was to win five new approvals. He smashed it – and secured 17 instead.

The list of VM approvals is staggering: Mazda, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, Nissan, Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Proton, Lotus, Subaru, Isuzu, Daihatsu, Mitsubishi, MG and TVR (owners club).

For 2011, there are three more badges this business is targeting: Mercedes-Benz, VW Group and the JLR Program, which would sit nicely alongside the other brands.

‘We really are brand champions,’ said Peter, ‘and we’re rightly proud of our partnership with vehicle manufacturers. As a business we’ve invested heavily to train our technicians to exacting VM standards and subscribe to repair methods and technical portals. We value our relationships with local dealerships and win warranty work as a result.’

Stephen Bailey, general manager, controls the busy shop and has a firm grasp of what needs to be done. And he gets it done. Together with David – who’s the ultimate hands-on owner – they are also the most camera shy managers I’ve met in this industry.

The team at Bodywork Direct are a testament to David’s commitment to investing in training and equipment ‘to get the job done right’. The customer experience is as hassle free as possible, with a current CSI score of 99.61%.  Alongside vehicle manufacturer-specific courses – which includes sending technicians to Europe – the bodyshop has a good relationship with Thatcham and ‘cannot speak highly enough’ of Gateshead College’s Auto Skills Centre, which opened last September.

In the past six months, the bodyshop has revolutionised the way it works after significant investment in Symach paint drying technology. Symach’s Flydry and Robodry equipment have completely changed the way the business works, according to Stephen.

‘Since installing the Robodry and Flydry Systems the results have been fantastic,’ said Stephen. ‘The paint shop is now far more efficient: 80% less paint application time, 70/80% less paint drying time and 80% less power consumption. With the systems installed the paintshop technician can complete twelve paint and dry jobs in a working day of eight hours.’

Insurance work is equally important. Approvals include major insurance providers. Bodywork Direct was an early adopter of PAS 125 standards and has been Kitemark approved for three years.

If you’re looking for inspiration to make your own bodyshop more retail-friendly, Bodywork Direct is a great example of how to do it. There’s a dedicated ‘While U Wait’ area for customers to relax, enjoy free tea and coffee, catch up on work or emails using free WiFi, while the bodyshops completes up-to-four-panel repairs.

And it’s not just retail customers who like the efficient turnaround, Bodywork Direct has been trialing its fast track system for a number of clients including insurers and major lease companies. This focus on reducing cycle times has had a knock-on effect on the shop’s courtesy car costs – a positive one – costs have reduced significantly, particularly as Bodywork Direct owns the entire fleet of courtesy cars that it runs.

Like many other bodyshops, Bodywork Direct saw an opportunity to turn waste from a cost to an opportunity. ‘Instead of paying to have stuff taken away, we are recycling cardboard and thinners and managing tyre disposal more efficiently,’ said Stephen.

Rather than complain about tight profit margins in body repair, the team invested in people and equipment to expand the services offered to include MOT and servicing, diagnostics and four-wheel alignment, and air conditioning maintenance and repairs. But perhaps the most successful (and profitable) move for David was the result of a Saturday morning spent online. Part of Bodywork Direct, Car-Go Direct is a car transportation company, a rapidly expanding business. From David buying a car transporter from an online auction site 18 months ago, Car-Go Direct (pictured above) now operates 12 car transporters moving 500-600 cars per week, spending a massive £10,000 per week on diesel. Clients include BCA, which has a contract to auction end of life fleet vehicles for customers such as Motability.

This year is an exciting one for Bodywork Direct; marketing is top priority and includes teaming up with Regional Owners clubs, organising track days and sponsoring local football teams. After seven years at the site, the bodyshop is due a ‘reface’ and David has expansion plans, too.