First Wave - Collision Repair Magazine

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Volume 6

Issue 1

First Wave

Written by Mike Davey

Tuesday, 31 July 2007

Larry DeFrance pulls up to Don Valley Volkswagen at 6:30 a.m. He’s early, but two of his employees are already at work. He takes a minute to look over his shop: quiet, immaculate from last night’s clean up, and he feels proud. He has good reason. The shop has recently converted to environmentally friendly low-VOC paint. Larry smiles because of his shop’s reduced environmental footprint. He takes one last look and then heads to his office to get to work.

A dedicated family man, Larry DeFrance manages Don Valley Volkswagen’s collision centre, checks in on the dealership end of the business, and still finds time to spend with his wife Veronica, and their son Keegan, 22 and daughter Kalee, 20.

In the case of Keegan, Larry can spend time with him in one of his favourite places, the shop. Keegan, employed at Don Valley Volkswagen as a painter, employed at Don Valley Volkswagen as a painter, had just returned from waterborne t raining the day this issue went to press.

“The training is great. You spend one day in class and then go straight into the shop,” Keegan says. He points out that experienced painters have nothing to fear from the new base coats. “I’d say it’s actually easier to spray. You don’t have to worry about holding down the gun. It almost does it itself.”

Larry knows that no matter what else may come to pass for Canada’s collision repair industry, solvent borne base coats won’t be part of it.

REDUCE
According to some estimates, over 5 kilotonnes of VOCs are emitted each year from coatings and surface cleaners used in automotive refinishing operations in Canada. The proposed regulations would reduce annual VOC emissions by approximately 40%.

The proposed regulations would set mandatory limits on the VOC content of automotive refinish coatings, and this would apply to the manufacture, import, and sale of these products in Canada. The regulations could apply as soon as January 1, 2009.

Although 2009 may seem like a long way many progressive repairers aren’t waiting to convert their paint systems. The first wave of waterborne conversions is cresting now, as operators realize the dangers of waiting too long.

CONSISTENT GROWTH
Larry manages Don Valley Auto Collision, a division of Don Valley Volkswagen, the dealership he co-owns with Michael Martan. The two purchased the operation twelve years ago. In that time, they’ve gone from one booth and one prep station to two booths and four prep stations and 17 employees.

“Good employees are the key to success,” says Larry. “I wouldn’t have the success I do if not for them. Our goal is to constantly invest in employees.”

It’s a strategy that has paid off. In an industry plagued by high turnover, most of the staff has been with the shop for more than a decade. Larry says that the decision to convert now was spurred in part by a desire to “get all the bugs out” well in advance.

“If everyone waits until the last minute there aren’t going to be enough personnel to train everybody,” Larry says. “With that said, there really isn’t any cause to worry as long you’re a halfway decently equipped shop to begin with. If you’ve got a good spray booth the problem is 90 per cent solved.”

Larry has a reputation as an early adopter of technology, as long it truly does add value. No one knows this better than Dan Dominato, President of Paint Circuit. “He has always done his research when it comes to what’s new on the market, and then gone for it if it seemed right,” Dan says. “It’s a philosophy that has helped to keep him and his staff ahead of the curve.”

INNOVATION
The atmosphere of change and innovation made switching to waterborne a simple process at Don Valley Volkswagen. His team is used to adapting and have become quite good at it. But adapting to new materials and processes is a little like giving birth: there’s just no way to do it completely painlessly. Paint Circuit helped the process along.

“Paint Circuit arranged for two Standox reps from DuPont to come in and guide us through the transition,” Larry says. “Once you’re through the learning curve it works just fine.”

It’s a dead cinch that eventually there will be a rush on for these conversions. Converting a shop to waterborne is quick, but training staff is limited and there’s only so much time left. As demand for conversions increase, will the industry be able to handle the load?

“As a shop owner, converting to waterborne is something that you have to plan for,” Larry says. “But as long as you do your research, have a great team backing you, and great partners, you can’t go wrong.”

Larry’s staff is in by 8 a.m. and the first car goes into the booth about fifteen minutes after that. The car is prepped, painted and dried by 9 a.m. It’s a vibrant red with all the lustre of a solvent-based paint and only a third of the VOC output.

“The industry is getting more complex,” says Larry. “You have to adopt new technologies as early as possible if you want to stay ahead of the curve.”

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