Autobody News: Third-Generation Shop Smiling Ear-to-Ear With ChemSpec USA

CARLSBAD, Calif., August 7, 2018 (Newswire.com) - NOTE: This June SPS profile was originally published in print in June 2018 and online in May 2018.

Josh Walsh, 34, has been working at Walsh’s Auto Body & Sales, the family shop since he was 19. As a combination technician, he can do it all.

The support we've received from ChemSpec USA® and our jobber, Rainbow Supplies in Cranston, has been very good. I make a list of what we need and I send it to them and, in most cases, I get my order that same day. The people from ChemSpec USA® came here to the shop and helped me install the Metalux ® system. They suited up, jumped in the booth and sprayed the product with me. It helped me a lot.

Josh Walsh, Owner, Walsh's Auto Body & Sales

Operating as a family-run business since 1964, he prides himself on doing exactly that as he continues the Walsh legacy at the third-generation body shop in Providence, RI. Josh works with his father, Mark, and his aunt, Kim, at the busy shop, which repairs an average of 100 vehicles monthly.   

Walsh’s is excelling and doing it all without a single DRP by targeting fleet businesses such as Enterprise, Brink’s and local high-tech companies, which have been a good source of business for many years.  Fleet repairs require quicker turn-around times than standard insurance work to limit downtime and avoid idle vehicles—an expense their business cannot afford. By stressing efficiency and looking for the best methods to repair fleet vehicles in a fast-paced production environment, Walsh’s is always looking for top-tier tools and products to make its numbers.  

Roughly two years ago, Walsh’s began spraying ChemSpec USA’s Metalux® polyester basecoat to improve processes and maximize productivity while producing a quality product each and every time. 

After using the product for just a short time, Josh discovered that the Metalux® system provides him with a precise match on thousands of colors.  

“The color matching with the Metalux® has been very good, and they’re definitely on the money with all of the GM cars,” he said. “Every once in a while, we might need to do a spray-out or possibly do a little blending, but overall, the color matches we’re getting with this product are outstanding. ChemSpec USA® has now been added to the Axalta system, which means we’ll be getting a camera to do an even better job at matching those tricky non-factory colors very soon.”  

Formulated with the highest-quality range of lightfast pigments to meet OEM color standards, the Metalux® basecoat guarantees excellent coverage and flow, according to Josh.

“The system does not come with a lot of different toners, which makes things a lot easier,” he said. “We don’t have to carry a lot of products, which is also nice. With our fleet work, we want to be able to move quickly, so getting full coverage the first time through is a big plus. When I get a bunch of bumpers, I need to spray and move on, and I can do that with the Metalux®.” 

The Metalux® line features a full complement of hardeners, primers, specialized toners, clearcoats, solvents, and accessories—all of which are backed 100 percent by ChemSpec USA’s exclusive 4Life™ quality guarantee, giving Walsh’s that much-needed peace of mind.  

“The support we’ve received from ChemSpec USA® and our jobber, Rainbow Supplies in Cranston, has been very good,” Josh said. “I make a list of what we need, and I send it to them and, in most cases, I get my order that same day. The people from ChemSpec USA® came here to the shop and helped me install the Metalux® system. They suited up, jumped in the booth and sprayed the product with me. It helped me a lot.”  

ChemSpec USA® began in 1976 when Pete Peterson founded Montana Products, Inc., a manufacturer, and distributor of value-branded automotive coatings, in rural Burbank, OH, per the company’s website. He strongly believed that if he could make a quality product that was affordable for body shops of all sizes, he could succeed. So, with the help of his family, Peterson began formulating and selling new paint products as part of his vision to improve the automotive refinish market.

Initially, Pete and his family manufactured their products on a small farm in Ohio, loading the truck each evening for next-day deliveries. However, Peterson’s dedication to providing on-time deliveries and personal support quickly helped the company flourish. As more people came to recognize Montana Products as a premier automotive refinish paint manufacturer, the company was able to grow significantly over the next two decades and establish a strong reputation for quality and service. 

In 2005, a partnership was formed between Montana Products and Chemical Specialties, Ltd., a South African coatings manufacturer of automotive, industrial, fleet and architectural coatings. In 2006, the company officially launched its Metalux® Automotive Refinish System at the NACE show in Las Vegas, NV.  

Today, as part of the Axalta Coating Systems family of brands, ChemSpec USA® provides refinish paint systems for the automotive refinish, fleet, OEM and industrial markets.  The company features a wide range of basecoats, single stage, pre-metal treatment, primers, toners, clears, solvents and specialty products under the brand names of Metalux®, Montana®, and Metacryl®.  The company continues to work on innovative ranges of quality products for now and generations to come.

Is there going to be a fourth generation to take over the reins at Walsh’s Auto Body & Sales when the time comes?  

“Well, my 6-year-old daughter has been coming to the shop for almost three years now, and she has shown some interest,” Josh said. “I put food coloring and water in my spray gun and let her spray, so maybe she will be a great painter one day. Who knows?”

Walsh's Auto Body & Sales 
Location: Providence, RI
(401) 785-3560 

Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 5
In Business Since: 1964
Number of Locations: One
Combined Production Space: 5,000 square feet

ChemSpec USA
9287 Smucker Road
Orrville, OH 44667
(800) 328-4892
chemspecpaint.com

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Source: Autobody News