FIRMLY IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
COVID-19 MAY HAVE FORCED MANY BUSINESSES TO RETHINK THEIR OPERATIONS, OR EVEN HEAD FOR CLOSURE.
But David ‘Scott’ Trites, Fix Auto Saint John East in New Brunswick, believes that operational agility is key to business survival – in an interview with Auto and Trucking Atlantic.
Tough times call for tougher actions. We’ve all grown up listening to this inspirational quote. However, for some strongminded entrepreneurs, the secret to their survival lies in redefining their business operations with an eye on the future.
It is undeniable that Covid-19 has played havoc across the world over the past few months and the repercussions have affected small and medium businesses in a major way. Many names, big and small, in the business world have either shut down shop or curtailed their operations. Still others prefer to adopt a waitand-watch attitude till the situation improves. But, entrepreneurs such as David “Scott” Trites are made of tougher stock. The owner operator of Fix Auto Saint John East in New Brunswick has seen the ups and downs of the region’s automotive industry over the past 32 years and has managed to remain ahead of peers when it comes to keeping abreast of the latest automotive trends. Despite the challenging times, Scott remained determined towards completing the major facelift of his collision repair facility. The upgradation will boost its current repair capabilities by three times and will include high-performance technologies and systems designed to meet the huge demand for quality collision repairs in the region.
“The automotive industry is evolving faster than ever before, and today’s vehicles are increasingly incorporating sophisticated systems, components and materials to make them more efficient. It is therefore very important that our team stays on top of current trends,” says Scott. “While we have grown exponentially over the years, the latest expansion reflects our keenness to invest in technologies, training and processes that can meet the most demanding international repair standards.” Over the past few years, Fix Auto Saint John East has been witnessing an impressive yearon-year growth – a key factor of its rise as the latest New Brunswick success story. Scott says the upgradation of the facility was imperative and he was determined to push the boundaries to meet the increasing demand.
Previously spread over 5,000 square feet, Fix Auto Saint John East has now added a 13,000 square foot production facility, which includes an extended paint booth and double preparation station, 3M dustless sanders, Spanesi frame measuring unit, aluminum welder, resistance welder, silicon-bronze welder, fusion plastic welder and a chassis-liner frame machine.
A Fix Auto franchisee since 2012, Scott points out that the expansion will further underline his facility’s reputation as a onestop destination for advanced collision repairs and demonstrates his commitment to implement operational best practices.
Scott points out how aligning businesses with an established global network like Fix Auto can help independent repairers. “It is during challenging times such as these that you realize the power of the network,” he says. “From receiving operational support to training to deploying best practices in all your processes, we could elevate our game with the backing of Fix Network’s best-in-class support.”
Recently, Fix Auto Saint John East achieved recognition under the Canadian Collision Industry Accreditation Program (CCIAP). With the accreditation, the facility joins an elite group of Canadian collision repairers who are equipped with the necessary expertise, skills and equipment to properly and safely repair the latest vehicles. For Fix Auto Saint John East, earning the CCIAP certification means that they can now demonstrate to customers and insurance partners that the team has been trained to manage the most complex collision repair requirements and that the shop has the latest equipment to ensure all repairs and services completed on vehicles are to manufacturer specifications.
With such achievements under their belt, Scott and his team believe that they still have many more miles to go on. “As I always tell my customers, we’re just getting started,” he laughs.
