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A Commitment to Quality
Bernhard Rubbert hasbrought German engineering to Vancouver.
b y J i m C o g g i n s

lwouldface," 661t l'd knownthe challenges Bernhard Rubbert says of hisdecision to I I Ibuy a collision repair shopin Vancouver "1 in 2006, mighthavethoughttwice or maybe

the largest chemical company paint (shopownershad in the world. BASF water-based WhenEuropean auto manufacturers politely began listened but shownlittlerealinterest), paintsin the late 1980s, andhe hadvacationed usingwater-based in therewith hisfamily productsfor BASF developedwater-based 2004.|n2006, when Rubbert that discovered eventhreetimes." refinishers. WhenCalifornia and then states False CreekCollision in downtownVancouver T h e c h a l l e n g e si n c l u d e d i s s u e s on the USeastcoastbeganrequiring water- wasfor sale, he decidedto buy it. with suppliers paints a n d c u s t o m e r sc , h a n g e s based aswell,BASF sawanopportunity. in technologyand in the industry, and a Rubbert wassentto the USto promotethe forcedmoveto a differentmunicipality. product.Based But useof BASF water-based in Rubbert hashandled the challenges with a Michigan, he spentmore than threeyears commitment to innovation and quality and travelling NorthAmerica. across hasbecomea significant figure in the local When he returnedto Germany, BASF This wasnot asbig a change asmightbe collision repair industry. couldn't provide Rubbertwith the type of thought. Rubbertalready knew a lot about positionhe was interested operations in,so German Engineer refinishing. In the course of hiswork,he had he decided to try something different. He had beenin hundreds Rubbertdid not setouttoruna collision repair of body shopsaroundthe way world,and he hadlearned shop. Hetrained asa chemical engineer in his fallen"in lovewith the North American a bit aboutwhat it life." He visited promote of had Vancouverto native Germany and beganworkingfor BASF, tookto makeone successful. Hethoughtthe challenge would be interesting. At the time, he didn't know how interesting. Moverand Shaker When he took over the shop,RUbbert d i s c o v e r e dh e h a d t o r e b u i l d s t r a i n e d relationships withsuppliers andalso buildup a steady clientele. Thingsweredifficultat first, but aftertwo years the shopwasdoing well. Thenthe Cityof Vancouver droppeda bombshell. False wason land Creek Collision leased from the citythat the city hadowned for halfa century. In 2010, the city informed Rubbert that it was planning to put a park on the land and he had 12 monthsto find a new location.In fact,as the city seemed to be encouraging suchas repair industries shops to relocateelsewhere, the closest locationRubbertcould find was several miles awayin Burnaby.Thiswas stillinGreater Vancouver but a long way from Rubbert's downtownclientele. Thenewswasnot allbad.The shopthat Rubbert but boughtin Burnabywas smaller moremodern Butthe andverywellequipped. clientele from that shopmostlytransferred to
BernardRubbert,owner of False CreekCollision and hisstaff.

"False Creek isthefirst Collision shop inCanada to offer completely water-based ing finish !'

a sister shop,and the clientele from the old

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full conversion to waterborne. celebrated theshop's Collision False Creek On March2,2013, attendedthe brief openingceremony, and hiswife,MLAMrs.KathyCorrigan, Mr. DerekCorrigan, TheMayor of Burnaby,

in driving shop were mostlynot interested had to out to Burnaby. Rubbert essentially start over.

"Since change isinevitable,

paint.Not Theseare not the only changeissues to usewater-based determined Rubberthaswrestledwith. Sincemoving, but only wasit betterfor the environment, that the number of betterforhisemployees' h e h a s d i s c o v e r e d it wassubstantially it wasthe way jobs handledby his shop hasdeclinedby and he wasconvinced health, which is in line with an basecoatswere about 30 percent, of the future.Water-based not being available but generally readily primer was harderto used.Water-based of BCreport that it Insurance Corporation is receiving about 30 percentfewer claims. Rubberthasalsofound that the However, jobs cominginto hisshopare bigger. He is and isan industrytrend not sure whetherthis aregettingmajorrepairs if peoplegenerally with cosmetic done but are not bothering makeup B0percent Accident repairs damage.

must constantly be shops

improving." innovating and

a p p l y a n d r e q u i r e da d a p t i n gt h e s h o p ' s processes, but Rubbert introducedthat characteristic Rubbert responded with well. as False He kept the innovation and flexibility. The most recent innovation is waterCreek nameeventhoughthe shopwasnow learned his coat. WhenRubbert clear based Vancouver. area of miles fromthe False Creek water-based PPG, was developing supplier, if would not Healsodecided that customers come to him, he would haveto go to the Hewould Hesetup a valetservice. customers. the client's home or take a courtesycar to paperwork, and five minutes of business, do car backto his shop. then takethe client's he would take When the car was repaired, pick up the and it back to the customer

of hisbusiness. to let him try PPG he convinced clearcoats, usingthe new producton an experimental had company, PPG a NorthAmerican basis. g o n e t o E u r o p et o a c q u i r e deliberately PPGis among the European technology. first in the world to developwater-based clearcoats. The new clearcoatsrequirechanges processes. More bakingtime is required, in and Rubbertadmitsthere is some lossin are"really productivity, but he says the results

"Rubbert's goal istoofferthe products, technicians, thebest best

the best service." and

using new With auto manufacturers plastics and new safetysystems, metalsand repairs are often becomingmore complex. noticed thatdealerships seem Rubbert hasalso in doingrepairs themselves moreinterested areexperimenting and auto manufacturers panels that replacement with prefinished

courtesy car. n downtown B u s yb u s i n e s s p e o p lie want to taketime off Vancouver who didn't go loved the new work to to a body shop, young mothers with children. promising" isfantastic." service. Sodid itself and"theproduct year Rubbert first was tough, but The is the first shop False CreekCollision and the marketed the service, aggressively s h o pi sd o i n gw e l l a g a i n . Pioneer Rubbertwas When he cameto Vancouver,

water-based maycut intocollision repair shops'business. to offer completely in Canada "Thisindustryis very conservative and hasan audacious In fact,Rubbert finishing. "People Rubbert says. fromhisshop traditionally based," goalof reducing theemissions to zero.
continued on page 42 il+

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continued frompoge 41n+ "l don't regret leavingthe security of notjustbeingwilling to learn newtechniques. the corporate world to be a self-employed They haveto sharethe vision."Partof this entrepreneur," Rubbert says. Infact,to some innovating and improving. is being willing to experimentwith new extent,he thinks it would havebeen easier productssuchaswaterborne paints. to takethe plungeat a younger ageand he Entrepreneur Rubbert has a very high profile for would havehad longerto reapthe benefits. Oneadvantage Rubbert hadishisbackground. somebody who has only been in the The attractionis not freedomor being Somecustomers havea built-inrespect for industry-or even the country-for only a his own bossexactly, repair sincea collision "German just engineering." ForRubbert, that fewyears. He has learned howto makegood shop owner has many bosses-he has to means hehas a commitment to 'quality above use of the media. There are two aspects to satisfy customers, insurance companies, all."Hisgoalisto offerthebestproducts, the this, Rubbertsays. One is that he usesit as and governmentregulators. lt is more the besttechnicians, and the bestservice. a marketing tool-"ln a competitiveworld, abilityto makedecisions without havingto you haveto stand out." The other is more convince anybodybut himself, workingwith "l do not want to stay in outward-looking. a teamto achieve a commongoal,and being a very smallworld," he says. Wherehe has responsible for everything in the business. and knowledge(such Whilehe hasexperienced This does not end with waterborne positiveexperiences morechallenges d o n ' t l i k e c h a n g e .T h e y w a n t t o s t i c k with what they know."But sincechange is inevitable,shops must constantlybe "lt's to work with them as a team,"he says.

"lnacompetitive world, you have tostand out."

paintandthe valetservice. Rubbert hasalso implemented leanmanagement, andhe has workedat offeringcustomers soundadvice on insurance issues. In addition, Rubbert hasput a strong emphasis "l want on hiringthe rightpeople.

as his knowledgeof waterbornepaints), he wants to sharethem with others,"to be a spearhead for change." Not everyone hasthe mentalityto run a collision repairshop."lt requires certain "Noteveryone capabilities," hesays. cando it."

thanheexpected, it waspartly the challenges that drew Rubbertinto the business. Jim Cogginscoggins.ca is a writer ond editor fromAbbotsford, B.C.I

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