There are many reasons that West Perth Panel & Paint has been a regular winner of the Paint and Panel awards over the last 20 or so years. This small U-shaped shop is a shrine to cleanliness and organisation. The workshop floor and paint mixing room are spotless, it’s like an operating theatre for cars and this team are automotive surgeons. A few years ago many boutique shops started to struggle as insurers looked to engage with larger businesses with fast turnarounds. Francesca was one of them and knew he couldn’t compete with this model and set out to become a factory-approved repairer. The Peugeot badge was a great start but Francesca had his eye on becoming an Audi repairer too. It took a long time and there were many hoops to jump through but he persisted and now has a thriving workshop where he and his team can repair cars to their exacting standards for a manufacturer and customers that can appreciate this high level of skill and effort. Boutique shops in most states really have to have carved out a niche in order to thrive in the current landscape and that’s what Carl, Joanne and sons, David and Mark, have achieved. Carl could have given up when the going was tough but David and Mark, both qualified technicians, also love the industry and working in their own business. Being tenacious paid off and the future is looking good. There are plans to secure another manufacturer badge and if that happens then the Francescas may consider looking for larger premises. For now they utilise every centimetre of space with utlra-neat wall storage and carefully designed work bay areas. They have a neat, curtained aluminium workstation with the Audi required VAS Car-O-Liner and all the equipment needed for undertaking repairs laid out cleverly in this small space which doesn’t look remotely cramped. West Perth Panel & Paint applies perfectionism to every aspect of the business – OH&S, equipment maintenance, training and local community involvement. A very worthy winner.
