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Dickerson's Collision Repair Service has been in business since 1939 and is the oldest collision repair business in Garland, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Owner Johnny Dickerson took over the family business in 1973 and at that time, the shop provided general repair, collision repair and towing services. Dickerson managed the shop and his mother was the office manager.

In 1975, Dickerson saw the advantages of specializing and determined it would be in the best interest of the shop to provide collision repair exclusively. Dickerson's mother retired and his wife, Mary, joined the staff to assist in the day-to-day operations. The business grew at a slow pace over the years, so to increase business, the Dickersons added a new paint shop two years ago. Increasing the size of the business, the new paint shop also immediately increased sales. Today, Dickerson's has doubled its sales from the early days.

Dickerson employs two body technicians, one painter, a painter's helper and a general helper. Johnny oversees the shop production, including sales, purchasing, training, quality control and counseling. Mary, as office manager, supervises sales and marketing, scheduling of jobs, as well as assists Johnny with other duties.

The Dickersons' two sons work in the business on a part-time basis. Kevin, 16, works as the painter's assistant and, according to Mary, is quite experienced for his age. He enjoys working in the collision repair industry and has used his knowledge to his benefit. "We purchased his first car when Kevin was 15. He restored and repainted the 1976 Nova for the next year and had it completed in time for his 16th birthday," said Mary.

The Dickersons' eldest son, Shawn, 21, attends college and occasionally works in the shop. "The advantage of having family work in the shop is that we all know the business is such an important part of our lives. However, there are disadvantages as well. When we close and go home, it is extremely difficult to leave the business behind mentally. We do realize that we must have the proper balance to maintain our marriage, our children and our health," said Johnny. The Dickersons maintain this balance by taking time away from the business to spend with themselves and their family.

Association involvement
Johnny's father became an association member in the 1960s. At that time ASA was known as the Independent Garageman's Association of Texas. Through the years, the Dickersons have supported ASA through their participation at various levels. Johnny served as ASA-Texas president in 1996. Also in 1996, Mary and Johnny were both the recipients of the Automotive Management Institute's (AMI) Emil Stanley Merit Award. The award provides recipients' travel, hotel, AMI tuition and registration to attend the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE).

Annually attending NACE offers the Dickersons the opportunity to meet with other professionals from the collision repair industry. The Dickersons have visited other couples they have met at NACE while vacationing. "We enjoy meeting people with so much in common with us," said Johnny. They have attended every NACE except for the first two.

The Dickersons remain active ASA members to advance the professionalism of the industry. "ASA is our industry's best form of networking. The knowledge I've gained from other members has been a valuable asset," said Mary.

Community and education participation
Johnny is a certified Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) instructor. He received the Instructor of the Year award for the Southwest Region in 1992 and 1994. To give back to the industry he also serves on the Texas State Technical College Advisory Committee and the Garland Independent School District's Automotive Advisory Committee. Johnny also earned his Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation from AMI in 1997. Mary earned an associates degree in business management from Richland College, located in Dallas, in 1996.

Dickerson's was awarded a Beautification Award this year from the City of Garland. The property surrounding the business has been professionally landscaped and flowers grow year-round to add to the image of the business. The business is a member of the Garland Chamber of Commerce.

Marketing
Dickerson's goal is to provide personalized customer service and extra attention that make customers feel appreciated when they enter the business. To keep in touch with customers, Mary uses a newsletter to inform customers of various services and activities offered. Sending the newsletter also helps Mary remember customer names which, she said, is very important to the business. "It makes people feel very special to walk into a business and someone actually calls them by name," said Mary. This is just one of the personal touches the Dickersons provide their customers.

In addition to the newsletter, Mary occasionally visits local insurance agents to discuss the services her business offers. According to Mary, it is vital to have your business known. She also makes calls on area mechanical repair businesses. Through these visits, she increases industry relations, as well as gains referrals to her business by mechanical repair shop owners and technicians.

The Dickersons say they plan to continue their success by delivering the highest quality collision repairs, making a profit and exceeding customer expectations.

Shop Stats

Name: Dickerson's Collision Repair Service
Location: Garland, Texas
Square Footage: 10,500 square feet
No. of Employees: 7
Square footage: 8,000
Work orders per week: 37
What do you enjoy most about your job?:“The satisfaction of knowing we can repair even major damage back to its pre-accident condition.” - Johnny Dickerson, AAM

City's Oldest Collision Repair Business Excels

Shop Stats