In the auto collision repair industry, there is no singular way to do things. Each shop operator brings his or her own approach to running a business, and many discover what works for them through a lot of trial and error. Although the method might differ, two key factors remain consistent with successful shop operators, their passion and genuine care for their employees and customers.
FenderBender sat down with Joe Rieger, operations manager at DeLuz Auto Body, Jayleen Ciaccio, collision shop manager at DeLuz Auto Body, and Randy Kuntz, collision center manager at Bennett Toyota, to learn more about their positive experiences with auto collision operations and how the knowledge they have gained has helped their shops flourish.
Young Talent Meets Industry
Ciaccio’s father started his first auto collision shop, DeLuz Auto Body in 1989, and 11 years later she was born. Even though she grew up in the auto collision industry, Ciaccio never took an interest. It wasn’t until 2021 that she became curious about her father’s shop in Waimea, Hawaii.
“My roommate and I lived right next to the shop,” Ciaccio says. “She worked there as an office manager, so I joined her, and that’s when I started getting into it. When my roommate left, I took over her role.”
Shortly after Ciaccio became office manager, DeLuz Auto Body hired Joe Rieger as their new operations manager.
“Rieger helped me to see a lot of value in doing what I do, especially in managing production,” Ciaccio says. “It's not just about giving the car keys back to the customer; it’s everything in between. The reason why I get up in the morning is not just for the customers, it's also the relationship I have with these employees. Our shop has a very happy atmosphere.”
At 24 years old, Ciaccio is the youngest employee at DeLuz Auto Body. But despite her age, the approach she took to her work as shop manager has helped it grow.
“I don't have that much experience,” Ciaccio says. “I had to tell the other employees that we're all learning with each other. I'm still getting into this. ‘If you could help me out, help me, help you. We can learn this together.’ There was a point in time when the Kona location had a lot of birth pains. But when I stepped in and took what Joe taught me and added a little Hawaiian vibe to it, we flourished.”
With Ciaccio’s assistance, Rieger’s vast experience in the auto collision industry has helped guide DeLuz Auto Body’s operations into a new era.
Bridging Culture in Collision Repair
Rieger started his career in 1989 working for Sterling Auto Body, eventually becoming district manager. From there he went on to work for Gerber and Service King and in 2019, took his skills to Hawaii. Rieger spent four years consulting with Auto Collision Shops on Oahu, Maui, and the big island , until he settled at DeLuz Auto Body.
“I learned that to run a successful shop, it’s about the process,” Rieger says. “Yes, we fix cars, but how do we get there?”
To “get there,” Rieger had to learn about his employees and how Hawaiian culture impacted the workplace at DeLuz Auto Body.
“There were a lot of growing pains in the beginning because Rieger is from Chicago and this is Hawaii,” Ciaccio says. “If something needed to be done, and I thought, 'I'm going to get to it in five minutes,’ his mindset was always, ‘No, I'm going to do it right now.’ We had to adjust and find that medium ground where both cultures — his culture and our culture — met in the middle.”
Another pain point for Rieger was the technicians' work schedule. The employees would often come and go as they pleased. As a “mainlander," Rieger did not understand this at first. It wasn’t until he did independent research about the culture of Hawaii and talked to others at the shop that he grew to understand the values placed on family. After he understood other perspectives, he was able to explain his expectations as a collision shop operator in a way that his employees valued.
“Rieger and I sat down with everyone in the shop and said, ‘Okay, your hours are from 8 to 4; here's the value behind it,’” Ciaccio said. “‘You're going to make this much. You can save for retirement when you’ll be able to spend all your time with family. So that was like the medium ground with Joe and the shop and the culture. We just had to talk to each other about it and just be humble and be balanced.”
Once Rieger and his team found the balance between work and play, he then moved on to changing how DeLuz Auto Body processed cars.
Rieger’s Assembly Line Innovation
Starting out, Rieger placed a huge emphasis on creating more of an assembly line process.
“DeLuz Auto Body presently uses an assembly line as part of its collision repair process,” Rieger said. “We build cars that way. Everybody in America, including big companies — whether you're building widgets or whether you're fixing cars — run a production line because in the 1930s it was proven to be efficient.”
Before Rieger, DeLuz Auto Body would get a car in and do a check in the front, pass it off to damage analysis, and then one technician would perform body, paint, parts hold, and reassembly. Because one technician was performing the last four parts of the process, the repair would take a long time.
“In the past, our technicians were used to taking their time,” Ciaccio said. “It would take a whole month for them to finish bodywork. But Rieger and I explained the value behind the new process, ‘You would be making this much money if you weren't taking so long on this car,’ and then nine months later, they were looking at their paycheck or year-to-date (YTD), and they understood.”
Presently, when a car gets dropped off at DeLuz Auto Body it immediately gets written in damage analysis. Then it goes on to have whatever bodywork needs to be done. From there, it goes into paint, and if parts are missing, the shop waits for them to come in. Once they do, they get painted. The parts then go to reassembly, which a new set of technicians handles. Then the car is put back together, a quality check is performed, and it goes on the road. With Rieger’s processes in place, at least seven people will touch the car before it is finished.
“The positive outcome of the new process was one of the things that we couldn't explain to them, they just had to see for themselves,” Ciaccio said. “It was a lot of patience on our part, but the team pulled through. They understood the value after they saw it for themselves. Especially seeing the cars move and not stay in our parking lot for months, and the growth of cars we receive because our turnaround time is so good.”
Under the guidance of Rieger and Ciaccio, DeLuz Auto Body has flourished. This year, it was able to open a second location in Kona, Hawaii, where Ciaccio runs production.
Dedicated to Excellence
Ciaccio and Rieger’s eagerness to learn from each other allowed them to create an unstoppable collision repair business in Hawaii. Their desire to listen to others created a shop culture that effectively blends Hawaiian tradition with “mainlander” workflow.
Just like Ciaccio and Rieger, Kuntz also faced his own set of challenges as a collision center manager.
Kuntz started his auto-body career out in detail at True2form Collision in Pittsburgh. From there, he worked his way into production and eventually became an employee at Bennett Toyota located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 2014.
In 2022, Kuntz took the reins from the previous collision center manager at Bennett Toyota. As the new collision center manager of a 4-time award-winning Toyota Certified Collision Center of the year, Kuntz had big shoes to fill.
This national award — given out by Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) — is based on a 12-month evaluation of collision center sales growth, employee training, facility and equipment standards, and achieving benchmark profit objectives, and under his leadership, the center in 2023 received the distinction for the fifth time.
“Toyota wants you to feel confident that the shop has the proper equipment, the latest equipment, and that the staff is trained,” Kuntz says.
To maintain these high standards, Kuntz has had to discover how to continue to move his collision center into the future.
Staying Current with Training
Since becoming manager, Kuntz’ center has put a lot of focus on employee training. Everyone on his team has taken classes on the integral parts of their job.
“I’m always cramming down training,” Kuntz says. “That’s what Toyota looks at, so my staff is trained, from my estimator to myself. Our focus is always on doing what’s right for the vehicle and the customer.”
Presently, Kuntz’ entire team is either in the process of becoming ASE-certified or already certified. In addition to ASE certification, Kuntz also puts a lot of emphasis on Toyota training programs.
“At the beginning of the new year, Toyota will send out the requirements of what classes are due for each individual,” Kuntz says. “And then I’ll look at the requirements and tell my guys, ‘Here are your required classes, and here are your self-paced modules that we can work on ourselves at home or at work.’”
By encouraging training, Kuntz ensures that his team is always staying on top of new trends in the industry and that his customers are receiving quality service. Another thing Kuntz invests his time in is the education of future technicians.
Building Future Talent
To ensure that prospective technicians are properly trained, Kuntz volunteers in two schools within Carbon County. Instructing at these schools often leads to Bennett Toyota receiving students for apprenticeships.
Although the apprenticeship program at Bennett Toyota is an investment, Kuntz believes that the return on it makes it worth it.
“As far as the investment goes, I do pay our apprentice technician, Jesus Rodriguez, an additional per month,” Kuntz says. “We get a huge return as a result. Our production manager, Jacob Swartley, will make sure that there's an extra car or two for Rodriguez to process, the return end is, it's another vehicle in the shop, and with the help of our mentor, Juan Colon, the vehicle assists in training as well. Rodriguez started as a shop helper and has evolved into someone that we can give a car to without really worrying about what he's doing.”
The apprenticeship program at Bennett Toyota is a team effort, but Kuntz credits its success and the success of his collision center to the team culture at his shop.
“I’m very fortunate as a manager here, I'm very fortunate to have these guys in place,” Kuntz says. “Even when I leave for vacation or training, I have no worries about the shop because Swartley is overseeing it. So, my hat’s off to him. We do what we have to do per month in, day in and day out. My team does a good job, and I'm super proud of everyone that's employed here.”
With the help of his team, Kuntz looks forward to continuing the legacy of Bennett Toyota’s Collision Center and furthering the progression of his apprenticeship program.
Fostering Team-Centric Values
Although there is no set way to run a collision repair shop, DeLuz Auto Body and Bennett Toyota have found what works best for them.
The management styles of Rieger, Ciaccio, and Kuntz exemplify the importance of care for employees and continuous improvement. Although they went about it in different ways, each of them discovered the significance of instilling a positive team culture that strives to better one another. By sharing their own knowledge with their community and their team, they continue to foster growth and elevate the standards of their shops.
