Thanks to Virgin Airlines we arrived at Currumbin Paint & Smash as it was getting dark, but this shop was a beacon of light at the end of a very long day.
Firstly this WAs probably the cleanest shop that this judging panel has ever seen. Every piece of equipment looked brand new, there was not a speck of dust, oil or dirt of any kind to be seen anywhere.
The workshop is bright with totally white walls, the outside smart and beautifully maintained, the paint mixing room is immaculate. There are dust curtains across the arches that connect the panel shop and the paint shop to minimise any dust travel when sanding.
Paul Edwards and Michelle Neumann are one focussed team. They started the Gold Coast business fourteen years ago with the goal to own their building.
Now, not only do they own the building, which they have recently expanded, but they also own all the equipment inside it, and that includes the IR arch, a canny purchase by Paul. And all this way ahead of the schedule they had set for themselves.
The shop turns out around an impressive 15-20 car per week with a team of two contract panel beaters, one spray painter, a car detailer and a part time office person as well as Paul and Michelle.
Paul does all the quoting and parts ordering. The business also specialises in motorbike repairs and spoilers and bodykits.
The couple have invested heavily in the future of their business. The recent expansion of the workshop with an additional spraybooth complete with IR arch means that they have capacity to carry out double the amount of repairs they are currently undertaking.
As well as recycling everything they can, having watertanks, eco-efficient lighting, the Edwards have installed a 90 panel solar system on the roof to massively cut their energy bills and carbon footprint.
Paul managed to pick the IR arch up for a song from a shop that had gone out of business and it has made a significant improvement to throughput, cutting down on drying time and halving buffing time.
The business provides a comfortable customer lounge and high levels of customer service. The couple are in the process of overhauling their website, embracing Facebook as part of a marketing program that includes local leaflet drops.
This is an incredibly hardworking driven team with a clear vision for the future of the business they have developed so successfully. They have embraced change and are ready to take on a higher work volume.
Powell’s comments
This is a state of the art workshop both in appearance and standard of equipment which caters for a wide market from the everyday family vehicle to the prestige.