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Auto Repair Shop Hits 15-Year Mark

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By LAURA FRAZIER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 10, 2007

Updated: 11/08/2007 06:22 pm

BRANDON - In 1995, Barrett Smith recalls, an insurance agent told him if he didn't register his auto body repair shop as a preferred provider - one the insurance company would refer its clients to for collision repairs in exchange for discounts and other favors - he would be out of business within a year.

Smith and Ron Glass, co-owners of Brandon Paint & Body on Robertson Street, also were approached at the time by other major insurers who said the same thing. No doubt the program would bring customers in by droves, Smith said. But he added that he and Glass believed the insurance companies' mandated use of aftermarket parts, meaning those not made by the auto manufacturers, and repair standards set by insurers rather than auto repair experts, would work against the best interests of consumers.

They declined to strike a deal.

"I can't serve two masters," Smith said. "We decided to support the Brandon community that enabled us to be in business, and not the insurance industry."

The decision to forgo preferred provider agreements costs his shop about $2 million a year in business, Smith said. But it's a loss he can live with. Despite the sacrifice, business has been good.

This month, the shop is celebrating its 15th year in business. It has a loyal customer base and is a past finalist for Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year awards. Brandon Paint & Body also was a 2007 semifinalist for the Tampa Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award.

Smith said he "grew up in an auto shop" his father owned when the family lived in Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska. After serving in the Air Force, he settled in Tampa in the 1970s and went to work as an insurance adjuster for five years before opening his first auto repair shop.

He said most body shops, good and bad, partner with insurance companies out of a perceived necessity.

"Most are run by body men, not businessmen. As a result, a lot of them start out as preferred providers to get that customer traffic flowing, but they grow to rely on it. Then they wind up being stuck in a situation where they're almost forced to provide inferior parts and service to save the insurer money."

"We believe it's in the consumer's best interest to ensure a proper and thorough repair of their vehicle and fair and competitive pricing backed by an unsurpassed lifetime warranty on workmanship."

Smith said he doesn't want to bash the insurance industry and he's not anti-insurance. Just as he won't let insurance companies take advantage of his customers, he won't allow customers to take advantage of insurers, he said.

"I'm pro-fairness."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Brandon Paint & Body auto paint and body repair shop

WHERE: 134A W. Robertson St., Brandon

HOURS: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday

INFO: (813) 681-3734 or www.brandonpaintandbody .com

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 657-4523 or lfrazier@tampatrib.com.

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