Business Spotlight: Body shop offers more than three decades of quality

Larry Lillich, co-owner of Hammer's Autoworks, has a picture of former Rep. Mel Hancock hanging on the wall in his office. The inscription on the picture reads, "Thanks for the great paint job on my pickup."

Since opening in 1963, Hammer's Autoworks, which specializes in collision repair, auto body repair, and painting, has built up an excellent reputation in the region, according to Lillich. In fact, nearly 90 percent of the shop's business comes through referrals from former customers.

Lillich and brother-in-law Perrie Stone purchased the shop 20 years ago from the Hammer family. Since that time, they've continued to the tradition of running a family-owned and operated business.

Lillich's son Nathan is the shop's estimator, and his wife Connie is the bookkeeper. Stone handles production, and his wife Susan helps out in the office.

Hammer's Autoworks also employs more than 20 people, many of who have completed certification programs held by major automobile manufacturers.

According to Lillich, getting employees certified to work on vehicles made by Lexus and BMW, or having them complete the Ford Body Shop 2000 program gives the shop a competitive edge and assures customers that the repair and paint work they'll receive adheres to the highest standards.

The shop's commitment to employee training and high quality is reflected by the many awards it has received. Since 1993, Hammer's Autoworks has been named as a gold-class shop by the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, a group that recognizes auto repair shops that maintain a high level of ongoing employee training.

"A lot of collision repair places like being a direct repair provider because it allows them to maintain a certain level of business," Lillich said. "We like being independent, although it does have its drawbacks, but most of the work done at the shop is covered under an auto insurance policy. We work with a lot of different insurance companies, which can be time consuming. You also have to work a little harder to maintain good communication between three parties the customer, the insurance company, and the person out on the floor who's doing the work."

Most of the collision repair, auto body, and paintwork done at Hammer's Autoworks is on late-model cars. These vehicles usually have a unibody design, and much of the work is computerized.

Each of the unibody repair racks in the shop cost $50,000, while the specialized clamps needed to repair vehicles run into the thousands.

Then, there's the computerized paint booth that cost $60,000, and the paint prep area, which cost another $15,000. Conforming to the regulations established by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regarding paint and oil products also can be costly but well worth it when compared to the safety and environmental issues, according to Lillich.

"People always wonder why it costs so much to get their car fixed," Lillich said. "It's because the equipment and parts are so expensive. I'd say every 10 to 15 years or so, we have to replace everything that's in our shop just so we can keep up with what the auto manufacturers are doing."

Although running a high overhead business can be difficult, using state-of-the-art equipment has helped Hammer's Autoworks stand out among other shops in the area, according to Stone. Still, Stone believes the business' greatest asset is its employees.

"We're known for our quality work, but what we're really selling is trust," Stone said. "You can have the best equipment in the world, but what it really comes down to is an employee who takes the time to do things right. Our employees take pride in their work, and it shows."

Hammer's Autoworks also believes in customer convenience. Customers who need to drop off their vehicle can use the shop's free shuttle service to get where they need to go. Those who work also can call ahead to make special arrangements if they can't drop off or pick up their vehicle between the normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"We hope you never have an auto accident and have to come see us," Lillich said. "But if you do, we'll try to make it as painless as possible."