Darren Templeton took over the business with wife Monique when they were ‘young and green’. Now team Maddington is reinventing itself to secure its future.
Maddington Smash Repairs has a smart professional exterior with a huge eye-catching ‘wall mural’ in the car park. Inside the workshop it isn’t a ‘show shop’. It’s old and it’s plain but well organised with an efficient workflow. What isn’t old is the Maddington team attitude, with a genuine desire to be involved with the industry and to learn all the latest repair and business methodology.
Templeton agrees that it is a work in progress, but it is progressing well and in the right direction.
The business was established back in 1985 by Darren’s dad Murray and his friend Harry Robinson who he had met while they were apprentices.
The business grew quickly then came the computer era, which fortunately coincided with Darren’s return from an overseas working holiday after finishing his apprenticeship.
When Robinson retired it was a father and son show for several years before Darren and Monique had to learn to fly solo very quickly.
They made the sensible decision to take on mentors, repairer Peter Wills and Margot Paul who both had the business acumen to help guide them, shape the business and keep them sane.
The Templetons are proud of their whole team but especially of one who has been pivotal in growing, refreshing and running the business successfully - manager Paul Northcott who has been at Maddington for the last decade.
The business has grown significantly since the early days and today employs 16 staff including two apprentices. The shop has always been dedicated to bringing on the next generation by teaching apprentices.
Bread and butter comes from a mixture of fleet and insurance work. At a local level Maddington is involved in football clubs, associations and charities including Car Craft’s Wheel of Hope for disabled and disadvantaged families.
As well as being an active Car Craft member, Maddington has improved its processes through the AkzoNobel Acoat program
“Our future focus is in implementing some new bodyshop systems for processes, measurement and benchmarking in the workshop as well as teaming up with industry partners who will help us grow and expand.
“We truly believe in our industry, our people and our future,” Templeton says.