Autobody News: Great Neck Collision Enjoys Mix of Classic Values, Modern Technology With Accudraft Italia Booth

CARLSBAD, Calif., June 12, 2018 (Newswire.com) - NOTE: This June SPS profile was originally published in print in June 2018 and online in May 2018.

Great Neck Collision has been located in the incorporated village of Great Neck, NY, since 1993, but both the owner and the shop itself have much more extensive histories in the collision repair industry.

The Accudraft Italia booth allows us to cut out all the wet sanding and polishing, saving us at least two hours on the average job, but it's important to bring the car in clean for optimal improvements and performance. We also save labor costs because of the time savings.

Anthony Marchetti, Owner of Great Neck Collision

Anthony Marchetti, the owner of Great Neck Collision, has been repairing cars for more than 50 years—since he was just 17 years old. His shop originated as part of Lamont Cadillac in 1927, according to Marchetti.

Marchetti’s father managed a shop in Jamaica. 

Marchetti recalled, “As a kid, I didn’t want to go to high school—I wanted to work. So my dad took me to the shop, introduced me to his two tough managers, and told them to teach me the business from the bottom. They started me out cleaning the bathroom.” 

As an adult, Marchetti worked at his brother’s shop, Carriage House Collision, in Flushing, but dreamed of owning his own shop. In fact, he once stood on the corner of Middle Neck Road and Elm Street, thinking he’d “love to own this shop,” he said. 

“That was in the 1970s, 20 years before it was available for sale. When the opportunity for this shop came up, I pounced on it!”  

Great Neck Collision is a small 6,500-square-foot shop that employs six collision repair professionals and repairs an average of 40 vehicles each month. They spray with Spies Hecker and utilize a variety of equipment, including an Accudraft Italia downdraft spray booth. 

With all the changes in technology, Marchetti realized he needed to upgrade his paint booth five years ago.  

“Before, we had an antique booth from the 1960s,” he said. “It wasn’t even heated. We shopped around and found that the Accudraft booth offered the best value for the money. It’s a high-quality booth and there’s just no comparison. We saw a huge improvement right away; it was like night and day.

“The Accudraft Italia booth allows us to cut out all the wet sanding and polishing, saving us at least two hours on the average job, but it’s important to bring the car in clean for optimal improvements and performance. We also save labor costs because of the time savings. The booth also recycles the heat, so it saves a lot of energy and is ridiculously reasonable to run cost-wise. At the height of winter, we spend no more than $300 in gas for the booth.” 

Training was not really necessary for the booth because it’s so easy to use.

“It’s very simple,” Marchetti said. “You just hit a button for each function, but if you have a problem, support is just a phone call away. We actually bought the booth from a distributor but started using Accudraft North America directly because their client service is so excellent. I was really impressed when they recalled a defective part a year after I bought it. I hadn’t had any problems yet, and they made sure to replace it before I did!” 

Marchetti recommends buying filters from Accudraft directly because “the aftermarket filters don’t fit right and are only cents cheaper. Also, we booth-wrap twice a year to keep things cleaner, and it’s important to remember that a quality installation is imperative.” 

Founded in 1977 by Guy Pippa, family-owned-and-operated Accudraft boasts a strong reputation for durability, performance and product support. The organization is now run by Pippa’s three children: Guido Pippa, Giovanna Helton, and Lorena Markov. With manufacturing in New Jersey and Italy, Accudraft paint booths use extraction fans and specialized ventilation systems to remove chemical fumes, dust particles, overspray and other contamination while simultaneously regulating temperature and humidity for proper paint application. 

Marchetti’s shop, which employs Marchetti’s two sons, also recognizes the value of family.  

“We say we treat people like family, and we mean it!” he said. “We’ll do whatever is necessary for our customers. You need to love what you do to be good at it. There’s more to this industry than just money; it’s all about attitude. You have to be passionate about repairing cars and keeping customers safe.” 

Marchetti noted how rapidly vehicle technology is changing.

“When I was 45, a friend said God is wise in only letting man live on Earth for 100 years, because we couldn’t handle all the changes we’d see in 300 years,” he said. “I didn’t get it then, but I sure do now! In addition to the multitude of technological advancements, prices for parts and materials have increased exponentially, while labor rates have not. Insurance companies aren’t keeping up with rising costs.”  

Great Neck Collision is I-CAR Gold-Certified and is certified by Honda/Acura. The shop offers towing for customers and has had a DRP relationship with AllState for the past 20 years. 

Marchetti is also heavily involved with the local community, donating turkeys to the Chamber of Commerce during the holidays and contributing to Handful of Keys.  

Laughing, he said, “I like this small town. Everyone is nicer here. I was born in Brooklyn so this is like the country to me.”

Great Neck Collision
Location: Great Neck, NY
(516) 829-9499
greatneckcollision.com

Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Six
In Business Since: 1993
Number of Locations: One
DRP Programs: One
Combined Production Space: 6,500 square feet

Accudraft
961 Rt 10 E, Ste 2K
Randolph, NJ 07869
800-524-0340 x112
[email protected]
www.accudraftpaintbooths.com

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Source: Autobody News