AUTOINC. ONLINE - Shop Profile

Brenda and Jim Addison, owners of Addison Auto Center.

Henry Ford once said, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." And although Ford said these words a century ago, his philosophy is incorporated today in the business practices and community outreach efforts of Jim and Brenda Addision, owners of Addison Auto Center in Denver.

In business since 1982, Addison Auto Center is a full-service collision and mechanical repair facility incorporating 14,400 square feet. Touted as a "One-Stop Auto Shop," the collision facility handles about 13 repairs per week, while the mechanical side services approximately 55 vehicles a week. The shop began as a mechanical shop, specializing in Saab repairs. But soon, the need for a collision shop on the premises was apparent. And although the shop's versatility in repairs makes the facility unique to the area, the Addisons treat each sector as its own entity.

Front of new Addison Auto Center. Inset: The Addisons' first shop in 1982.

"From what I've seen, I don't believe there are many of us who start as a full-service mechanical shop and then add body repair," Jim said. "Usually it's the other way around. A body shop, over time, finds they can utilize a mechanic. We don't have to ask our body techs to double as mechanical technicians. The two jobs don't cross over."

Since 1982, the specialization of the shop has evolved dramatically from the "Saab-only" forte. In 1987, the shop began working on Volvos. Ten years later, all Japanese vehicles were serviced in the shop. The workflow reached an apex in 1999 when the shop added domestic vehicles to its repertoire. The Addisons also built a new facility that year.

Now that Jim and Brenda have branched out their business by adding a collision shop, their projected sales volume encompasses $1.8 million on the body shop side and $1.1 million on the mechanical side. Shop personnel has also grown - from only Jim in 1982 to today's 21 and counting. "Two things got us started in the collision repair business. The first was we were buying salvage cars for parts and rebuilders and then hiring out the bodywork. The second was that we saw a fair share of bodywork on our customers' cars that was of poor quality," Jim said. "It wasn't until we built our new shop that the collision side started to grow."

The two divisions of Addison Auto come together. Mechanical technician Ken Ryan (left) and body shop technician Brad Lowederback (right), examine a customer's car.

Family is a priority for the Addisons. Their three daughters have grown up in the automotive repair industry. When the shop first opened, Brenda would help out for short periods of time. However, she realized that the couple's young daughters needed a lot of care and attention. "They used to groan when I mentioned stopping to help dad," Brenda said. "Jim worked long, hard hours and had to be away from the kids for long stretches. Anyone who has started his or her own business knows exactly what I'm talking about. You give up a lot."

The Addisons' commitment to the automotive industry goes well beyond the day-to-day operations of the repair shop. Their community outreach efforts are commendable. They recently began working with Marc Veldhuizen, supplying donated vehicles to appropriate candidates in the Colorado area. The Addisons supply short-term vehicles and car repair for Veldhuizen's program. The reconditioned vehicles the shop supplies are intended to give the candidates two or three years worth of usage; time they need to get back on their feet.

Murals depict each specialty of Addison Auto Center.

"Our Car Placement Program needs technicians to make a once-a-month commitment for six months to do mechanical repairs, a parts specialist coordinator who knows the parts business, a piece of property to store cars, someone willing to do title work with the Motor Vehicle Department, and donated cars and funds," Jim said. Veldhuizen would someday like to make this outreach effort a job-training program.

But the Addisons' community efforts do not stop in Colorado. While attending the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) last December, the Addisons joined the Rev. Rip - a member of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas who has been ministering daily on the streets of the city for 10 years - to deliver much-needed coats, gloves, food, bibles and other necessities to the homeless. The group personally visited the homeless on the streets. "The biggest part of the ministry is interpersonal. Half of the people who visit are not there to pass out food or clothing, but to listen to the problems of the people or ask how their day went," Brenda said.

The Addisons' realm of knowledge about the automotive repair industry continues to grow. During the same visit to Dallas, the Addisons were invited to visit the Sewell Lexus shop, a body shop designed by taking ideas from all over the world. "The invitation excited us because we had already read Mr. Sewell's 'Customers for Life' customer service book. It continues to be the best book on customer service available," Brenda said. "What I learned was that a business is always evolving."

Betty Hunt "keeps score" on the shop's scoreboard. Each month, the shop writes the month's sales goal at the bottom of the scoreboard and then keeps track of sales for each day.

Brenda said the 3-year-old Sewell shop is continually changing both the facility and systems, improving quality and production to better serve customers. "My strongly held belief that you should think through something carefully, get all the information, then make a decision about how and where to place or build doesn't always work," Brenda continued. "Here were the smart guys saying so. Sometimes things have to be moved, remodeled, enlarged or knocked down to suit current needs."

Ongoing training is paramount for Addison Auto Center's success. The Addisons continually attend technical and management training in both mechanical and collision specialties. In addition, the Addisons have invited instructors into the shop to train their staff on technician time management, service adviser skills, and operations and employee management. They have also hired a local consultant specializing in staff issues to facilitate meetings amongst the staff. "These meetings helped us get to know each other better," Jim said.

The Addisons regularly attend NACE, the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS), and ASA-Colorado's Automotive Trade Expo. "We value training and maintain a large training budget for management, support and technical people," Jim said. "In addition, we are perpetually in the process of adding and upgrading ASE certifications."

Addison Auto Center has been an ASA member since it opened. Jim is currently on the ASA-Colorado legislative committee, which was instrumental in introducing a recent anti-steering bill in the Colorado legislature.

The Addisons are committed to making their automotive repair business successful through leadership, training, community outreach and branching out. "A business can't miss being successful if owners train themselves in all the important aspects, hold on to the best people but aren't afraid to let go of people who are not performing to company standards," Brenda said. "A successful business fosters a spirit of hospitality, focuses on keeping people moving and seeing to it workers have what they need to be productive and efficient."

Shop Stats

Name: Addison Auto Center
Location: Denver
Square Footage: 14,400
No. of Employees: 21
On the future of the business: “Our future is only as good as our people. We try to choose the best people, get them trained and hold them accountable to our company's standards. We plan to carry on being the very best that we can be.” - Jim Addison

Ongoing Training, Leadership, Community Outreach Still Paramount at Denver Business

Shop Stats