Autobody News: Shop Owner Invests in Chief Equipment With an Eye on Expansion

CARLSBAD, Calif., January 2, 2018 (Newswire.com) - NOTE: This October SPS profile was originally published in print in September 2017, and published online in October 2017.

To say that Edward Peña, owner of North Texas Collision Center, is driven to be one of the best operators in the state of Texas would be a major understatement.

With the technology changing all the time, we want to be cutting-edge, and Chief is going to help us to get there.

Edward Peña, Owner of North Texas Collision Center

Just 34 years old and already the owner of two locations, Peña is not afraid to invest his profits in new equipment and training, and has plans of expanding even further.

A consummate salesman, Peña entered the automotive industry from the accessory side in 2006 when a friend of his asked him to do sales for his customization shop that sold primarily tires, wheels, stereos and custom paint on high-end cars.

“There was a body shop in the same location, so I started seeing what they were doing there and decided that was something I wanted to try,” Peña said. “After that, I worked at a couple shops in the Dallas area to learn the business from several different perspectives, and that’s when I decided to go out on my own.” 

In the beginning, North Texas Collision Center had two employees working out of a 4,000 square-foot facility, but by working 70-plus hours weekly, the shop was repairing roughly 100 vehicles every month. Within just 18 months, Peña outgrew his current location and moved into a 15,000-square-foot shop. Now, he fixes 500 cars monthly and has 43 employees between his two locations.

Recently, the business celebrated its 10,000th repair, a shocking number when considering the company is only four years old. It has been a wonderful journey, Peña said, but bigger plans are ahead. 

“This is a huge market in the Dallas area, and we believe that we can expand as long as we do it the right way,” Peña said. “We opened our second shop in January of this year and are gearing up to add two more before the end of 2017. It’s an exciting time and if we can expand strategically, the sky is the limit.”

Peña knows that to successfully build his business, he needs to acquire the proper equipment to repair today’s vehicles, which is why he ventured to Las Vegas last year to hit the SEMA show with a definite goal in mind.

“I met with all of the equipment companies and got bids and proposals from each of them,” he said. “I know that if I want to be considered a top shop, I have to have the best equipment out there to return these vehicles back to their OEM standards. So, I did my research and decided to go with Chief. We made a significant investment with Chief and couldn’t be more pleased with the equipment, as well as the training and support that we’re getting from them.” 

Through his distributor Professional Collision Equipment (PCE) and Chief itself, Peña purchased equipment and accessories that included two computerized measuring systems with collet kits, rivet guns, spot welders and an aluminum repair station. Although he has had the equipment for less than a year, Peña said that his investment has already paid for itself, especially when it comes to the aluminum repair tools.

“We received training through Chief and are currently pursuing an I-CAR aluminum certification as well,” he said. “We are already doing a lot of aluminum work on Fords, Hondas and Dodges, so we know it’s a viable market and something we will continually pursue. Some shops invest in the equipment and then let it sit in the corner of the shop collecting dust, but our Chief aluminum equipment became a big part of our production the same day we got it.”

Another valuable thing that Peña and his crew received when they signed on the dotted line with Chief was the company’s world-class training and support, Peña explained.

“The service from Guadalupe Hererra at PCE is hands-on and amazing, without a doubt,” he said. “If we need any additional training or have any questions about any of our Chief equipment, they respond on the drop of a dime. For a smaller MSO like me, support and training are what I’m focusing on, and that is why we went with Chief. The service is unbelievable and the initial training was excellent. They came to us at the shops and now every one of my technicians can operate the equipment. Chief equipment is user-friendly and the techs picked up on it quickly, so it was easy to plug it into our production system right away.”

With a bright future ahead at North Texas Collision Center, what are Peña’s long-term goals? 

“I have three sons and another child on the way, so hopefully one or more of them will want to take over this business, because it is a good industry with a lot of opportunity,” he said. “With the technology changing all the time, we want to be cutting-edge, and Chief is going to help us to get there.”​

North Texas Collision Center
Arlington, TX
(682) 276-3307
ntxcollisioncenter.com 

Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 43
In Business Since: 2013
Number of Locations: Two
Combined Production Space: 40,000 square feet

Chief
996 Industrial Drive
Madison, IN 47250
(800) 445-9262
chiefautomotive.com

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Source: Autobody News