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Successful expansion is often a test for any business and Graeme Hull Smash Repairs passed with flying colours after expanding to Young.
“It’s just gone from strength to strength and is still expanding rapidly,” Graeme Hull Smash Repairs owner Brett Hull said.
“We realised there was a business need there and we went with it.”
In July 2016 he purchased Reynolds Smash Repairs and changed the name to Graeme Hull Smash Repairs Young.
The previous owner, Tony Reynolds, stayed on as manager and more staff have been employed, making it a team of 10 with more staff needed to keep up with demand.
“We are looking to expand further as the success of this business has surpassed all expectations,” Mr Hull said.
“The shop has adopted all of the preferred insurance brands that our Wagga shop has and has quickly taken over as the premier repairer in the region, thanks mainly to the dedicated staff we have and the people of Young and surrounding districts accepting our service into the community with open arms.”
This support along with the backing of the Wagga shop has resulted in a strong start for this business meaning they can handle a large number of claims at any time.
A major hail storm in Young saw more than 500 claims processed through the shop at one point.
With a hail technician in Wagga the business was able complete the work in a timely manner.
“They’re linked directly to us here in Wagga,” Mr Hull said.
“We can send work between the two shops to make sure all jobs are done on time and to the highest standard.”
The small and talented team at Young includes a few staff members who were originally from Wagga, who moved to Young to work in the new shop.
The Young shop is already a prefered repaired for all the same insurance companies as Wagga and can also complete self-assess repairs.
This relationship with the insurance companies means the shops can assess and repairs vehicles without waiting for an insurance assessor to approve the quote. This streamlines the process and gets cars back to customers sooner.
This trust and relationship with the insurance companies is thanks to the talented staff employed at both the Young and Wagga shop but more staff are needed, not just in the shops but across the industry.
“We’re working hard to train new staff, we can’t employ qualified staff – they just don’t exist, there’s a shortage across the industry,” Mr Hull said.
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