"Manufacturers ' networks can take market share in bodywork"

André Courtois dirige la société Weinmann, bien connue pour ses cabines de peinture. Loin de se contenter de ces instal<strong style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001842;">lations, le responsable a orienté son entreprise vers la conception complète d’ateliers, notamment pour les groupes de distribution. Des acteurs qu’il juge bien placés pour prendre des parts de marché sur le secteur de la carrosserie.</span></span></span></strong>

<strong style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Auto Infos : Quel est le rôle d’un fabricant de cabines de peinture comme Weinmann aujourd’hui ?</span></span></strong>

André Courtois: we always manufacture quality cabins but we can no longer simply supply equipment. Today we intervene in the design of The workshop as a whole. The best example is that of centralized bodies. This model is found in the distribution groups and in the independent actors of significant size. The aim is to collect all the vehicles which require a body repair in order to industrialize the operations. Today we offer a service of design and organization of Bodyworks.

Auto Info: How does this model unfold today at distributors?

André Courtois: More and more distribution groups are organizing their body business around an already existing or totally new main workshop. Not all of these players can open such an establishment for geographical or traffic reasons, but we are building more and more for distributors who understood that they had to harness the technological evolution of vehicles for Regain market share in the body. Indeed, the electric and the hybrid develop, special steels, aluminium and carbon are increasingly present on the new models. It will be difficult for the independents to follow this technological evolution. Manufacturers ' networks are best placed to take market share in bodywork. It's time or never.

Auto Info: How is a centralized body?

André Courtois: Centralized bodywork does not necessarily mean oversized workshop. It is the material and the organization of the work that characterizes this type of bodywork. You have to learn to work differently, with a standardized vehicle traffic and well defined methods depending on the type of repair. These workshops also vary depending on the type of work carried out on the spot. Some customers also use this tool to process their VO. Others prefer to reserve this facility for collision repair.

Auto Info: You also propose a concept called "one Day repair". What exactly is it?

André Courtois: This is a body shop without paint booth. It allows to treat small interventions, which represent a large part of the shocks. The level of productivity of these structures is particularly high. These facilities also make cosmetic repairs, which represent a significant potential. On this point too, the network manufacturers are well placed and must take advantage of their strengths!

Frédéric Marty – Interview with André Courtois – excerpt from the Strategy & Development Workshop: Centralized bodies # CONNECT Distribution