Autobody News: Ham's Body Shop Saves 'Thousands in Labor Hours' With Rapid Tac Products

CARLSBAD, Calif., April 10, 2018 (Newswire.com) - NOTE: This October SPS profile was originally published in print in September 2017, and published online in October 2017.

Ham’s Body Shop has been serving Grants Pass, Oregon, for 51 years.

Rapid Tac has saved me thousands in labor hours. I remember putting decals on Firebirds and using Rapid Tac. I had other shops in town, even dealerships, bring vehicles to me because I got so good at putting decals on without destroying them, thanks to their products.

Dave Hamilton, Co-Owner, Ham's Body Shop

“We are the longest running family-owned-and-operated body shop in our town, and value our reputation,” said Dave Hamilton, who co-owns Ham’s Body Shop with his wife, Tina.

The shop has been using Rapid Tac since the products first hit the market in 1987.

Rapid Tac products were created for removing and installing vinyl graphics. The company manufactures vinyl application fluid, adhesive remover, wax and silicone remover for a multitude of industries, including collision repair. 

Their products include Rapid Tac Application Fluid, Rapid Tac II Application Fluid, Rapid Remover-Adhesive Remover, Rapid Prep-Wax, Silicone and Grease Remover, and Rapid Clear-Film and Polycarbonate Polish. The core difference between Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II is that the latter works with any type of film in temperature extremes ranging from 20°F to 140°F, compared to the original, which was designed for “premium cast” films.

“Rapid Tac is based in Grants Pass, so we were probably one of the first shops in the country to test it out,” said Hamilton.

Ham’s Body Shop was originally owned by Hamilton’s father, Charles, who went by the nickname “Ham.” Hamilton said his father knew the man who started Rapid Tac, Roger Bailey.

“He would come by and market the products,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton said Rapid Tac has saved him thousands in labor hours.

“I remember putting decals on Firebirds and using Rapid Tac,” he said. “I had other shops in town, even dealerships, bring vehicles to me because I got so good at putting decals on without destroying them, thanks to their products.”

Hamilton has used the Rapid Tac Application Fluid and Rapid Prep, as well as the Rapid Remover for “forever.” 

“We recently got a sample kit of their new products that I’m really excited to try — especially the pre-cleaner and Rapid Clear,” he said.

Hamilton said another source of success for the small, single-location shop is his dedicated employees.

“My guys truly care about Ham’s Body Shop because of the history of it,” he said. “They truly care about the customers, which is why we’ve had the same repeat customers for years.”

Hamilton stressed the importance of adding a “personal touch.”

“We do a lot of little things for people,” he said. “[If] it takes 10 minutes, I don’t charge them for it.”

Hamilton said doing so helps him get more word-of-mouth advertising than he’s ever gotten from social media.

“We have a Facebook, but that platform doesn’t compare to customers coming in and saying their neighbor told them they were happy with the work we did,” he said.

Hamilton added that he and his crew enjoy doing favors because it’s better for the customer.

Regarding concerns for his shop and the industry, Hamilton said finding employees, figuring out rates with insurance companies, and last but not least, the ever-changing technical world were at the top of his mind.

“It’s been a little bit difficult to find employees, especially quality ones who are I-CAR trained,” he said. “But now I have a pretty good team — I treat them right and they’re making really good money, [so] they don’t want to leave.”

Hamilton said mechanical shop employees are making almost double what his guys make because they don’t have the same pressure from insurance companies. He added that collision repair technicians have more strenuous training requirements as well.

“Other shops that don’t do as well as we do lose business when the insurance companies raise the rates, so it’s a little cut-throat,” Hamilton said. “My dad didn’t have nearly as hard of a time running the business, but I’m able to manage because I watch things closely.”

As far as technology goes, Hamilton said that in the last 10 years, everything has “gone crazy.”

“I send my guys to school to keep them up to date,” he said. “It’s ongoing; they need schooling every year, quite a few hours of it, to keep up to speed.”

Ham’s Body Shop also offers free estimates, car rental assistance, lifetime warranty on repairs, and is an I-CAR Gold Class certified shop.

Ham’s Body Shop
Grants Pass, OR
(541) 476-5155
hamsbodyshop.com

Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: Seven
In Business Since: 1987
Number of Locations: One
DRP Programs: Four
Combined Production Space: 6,000 square feet

Rapid Tac
186 Combs Drive
Merlin, OR 97532
800-350-7751
rapidtac.com

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Source: Autobody News