Paint and Panel: The Edge Paint and Panel

This week’s key takeaway:
The journey of I-CAR Australia and the importance of training in 2024 and beyond -
 
Episode intro:
We’ve got a real big hitter on the show this week - a man who has over 40 years of experience in the industry. Richard Pratt is the Board Chairman of I-CAR Australia, who are doing a great job at training up the industry.
 
You’ve probably heard of I-CAR, and maybe you’ve already benefited from their training, but it’s worth being reminded of what they have to offer. Our industry is evolving at breakneck speed - just look at the rise of EVs in recent years - so make sure you listen to Richard to find out how you and your team can upskill and keep up with the latest trends.
 
In this week’s episode you will learn:
How Richard got started
What inspired Richard to build up I-CAR
How I-CAR rode out difficult times in the beginning
What I-CAR can do for you
Is TAFE training adequate?
How OEMs are helping to school the industry
The future of apprenticeships
Will there be more key roles in bodyshops?
Show links:
** For more information, go to https://i-car.com.au/
** Find Richard on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-pratt-111618b/?originalSubdomain=au
** Nominations for the The Paint & Panel Awards are now open! Go to: https://bodyshopawards.com.au/
** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: samstreet@yaffa.com.au
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week’s key takeaway:
Using systems and tech to scale your business - with Lachlan Smith
 
Episode intro:
If you haven’t automated your business with software, it’s high time you do. Our guest this week, Lachlan Smith, tells us how the 1QX package he pioneered transformed his business, and how it could transform yours.
 
If you want your business to run more smoothly and scale, Lachlan’s software might just be the game changer you need.
 
In this week’s episode you will learn:
Lachlan’s industry background
Why you should know your numbers
How Lachlan’s software empowered his staff to take over the management of the shop
How 1Q1 can improve communication with customers
What we can learn from McDonald’s
The customisation options in the software
The difference between 1QX and 1Q1
How 1Q1 can help you train estimators
The power of consistency
Show links:
** Find Lachlan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lachlan-smith-6750652b9/
** Email 1QX: info@1qx.com.au
** Nominations for the The Paint & Panel Awards are now open! Go to: https://bodyshopawards.com.au/
** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: samstreet@yaffa.com.au
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week’s key takeaway:
Ultra 9K and how anyone can accurately mix paint - with Mark Lyall and Brad Franklin
 
Episode intro:
We’re doing another site visit to our friends at Sherwin Williams. This time we’re giving you the headsup on their new water-based paint product and mixing machine.
 
We speak to Mark Lyall (Australian Technical Manager) and Brad Franklin (National Technical Training Manager) who tell us how their products can give your painters more valuable time on the gun.
 
In this week’s episode you will learn:
Why you should come to the Paint & Panel Awards this year
How the Pronto mixing machine works
Why Ultra 9K is easy to apply
The accuracy of the machine
How the painter can be freed up to do their job better
How Sherwin Williams is training people
Show links:
** Find Brad on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-franklin-32491787/?originalSubdomain=au
** Nominations for the The Paint & Panel Awards are now open! Go to: https://bodyshopawards.com.au/
** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: samstreet@yaffa.com.au
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week’s key takeaway:
Pulling back the curtain on Sherwin-Williams ANZ with Richard Reneman
 
Episode intro:
Something a bit different this week, as Ben takes a trip out of the studio to a top-of-the-range facility and speaks to Richard Reneman: director of Sherwin-Williams ANZ.
 
Based down in Kincumber, the Sherwin-Williams site boasts a state-of-the art paint-mixing room and some top training and manufacturing facilities. Ben picked Richard’s brains about the success of the business, and why now is the time for Sherwin-Williams to announce themselves to the world.
 
In this week’s episode you will learn:
How Sherwin-Williams got a foothold in Australia
What Richard learned as a distributor
The sub-brands in the Sherwin-Williams family
Why core values are more important than products
Sherwin-Williams’ new products that require no prior industry knowledge to operate
How to make employees feel part of something rather than simply being ‘workers’
Why every employee should be viewed as equally important
Where Sherwin-Williams is going next
Show links:
** Find Richard on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-reneman-61a71a92/?originalSubdomain=au
** Nominations for the The Paint & Panel Awards are now open! Go to: https://bodyshopawards.com.au/
** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: samstreet@yaffa.com.au
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

This week’s key takeaway:
How to diversify into detailing in your collision repair business
 
Episode intro:
In this episode we’re going to take a deep dive into detailing. You never know, this might just be the up-sell that transforms your business!
 
Our deep-diving instructor is Matt Gibb, founder of Matt’s Magic Detail. This man is a serious big-hitter! He’s been running his own detailing businesses for well over a decade, and he managed to build up one of the most successful detailing facilities in the north-west of the USA in a matter of three years.
 
Detailing is efficient and profitable, and Matt’s going to tell you how you can build up an offering that keeps your customers coming back. Get this right and you won’t have to rely on crashes for your customers.
 
In this week’s episode you will learn:
How Matt got started
The range of services included in ‘detailing’
The wash technology you should use
Why you should treat after-market paint differently to OEM
How to prevent re-soiling
The difference between ‘waterless’ and ‘rinseless’
How long it should take for external detailing
The price of key consumables
How the process has improved in recent years
How much you should be charging for detailing
How to up-sell detailing
The importance of dust extractors
Show links:
** Find Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-gibb-801650142/?originalSubdomain=au
** Matt’s Magic Detail Tech website: https://www.mattsmagic.com.au/
** If you want business advice from Ben, email him here: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au 
** Nominations for the The Paint & Panel Awards are now open! Go to: https://bodyshopawards.com.au/
** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: samstreet@yaffa.com.au
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.

Episode intro:
 
 




What a fantastic event this was! Very well attended and full of buzz. We ran out of magazines to hand out by Saturday morning. Lots of new products and services at the show here are some interviews about them from the show stands.





 
In this episode, we hear from some of the movers and shakers at the event, and Editor Sam is joined by P&P National Sales Manager, Lynette Rochford, to discuss some of the highlights.
 
In this week’s episode you will learn:
How successful this year’s event was
The Sagola 4600 spray gun
The latest from United Chemicals
A new Juice product to prevent ghosting marks
A solution to fix dents of any size from Keco
An end-to-end software platform for estimating and part pricing from 1QX
A solution for real-time pricing of vehicles with AutoGrab
A foolproof wheel-repair machine that anyone can use with just two hours of training from Wheel Restore
Show links:
** Nominations for the The Paint & Panel Awards are now open! Go to: https://bodyshopawards.com.au/
** Do you have something unique you want to share with us? Contact Paint & Panel editor Sam Street at: samstreet@yaffa.com.au
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au to sign up for our weekly E-newsletter
** Go to www.paintandpanel.com.au/podcast to catch up on past shows and access show notes from every episode.