Byers Auto Group began in Columbus, OH, in 1897 and has expanded to 15 dealerships with 13 brands. The Byers family owns the franchise, including Byers Collision Center, which opened in 1985.
Over the years, Byers Collision Center has expanded to 60,000 square feet on 16 acres of land.
Byers Collision Center
Columbus, OH
614-914-6720
www.byerscollision.com
Email: andrewgallo5@yahoo.com
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 25
In Business Since: 1985
Number of Locations: One
Production Space: 60,000 square feet
Autobody News asked Andrew Gallo, an automotive refinishing technician who has been with the company for 13 years, what makes the automotive business stand out.
“They still operate as a family-owned dealer and body shop, which is hard to find nowadays,” he said. “The company is very easy to relate to, as far as interactions with the family go, and they treat us very well.”
Gallo added the GM-certified collision center is new and in excellent condition. “We have some of the best equipment out there currently,” he said. “It’s an all-around easygoing, good workplace that moves a lot of volume.”
The Byers family started the Byers Auto Group in 1897 and still owns and operates the business today.
Autobody News asked what products have helped the I-CAR Gold Class body shop find success.
Gallo said they began using 3D Alpha Ceramic Alumina (ACA) polishes, compounds and spider pads from 3D International about five years ago.
“When I started as a technician, we were using a lot of the older-style compounds and pads from a competitor company, which, in my opinion, made a heck of a mess,” he explained. “It was very messy for the car and the cleanup process.”
Gallo said Tom Payne, 3D International’s national sales director, came to them with a demo, and he “fell in love” with the products.
“I love that the 3D ACA polishes and compounds work; it cuts very well,” he explained. “It doesn’t make a mess on the vehicle and comes off very easily.”
Gallo added that from what he has seen, no fillers are involved in the compounds and polishes.
“What you see is what you get,” he said.
Gallo said he likes the 3D International spider pads because they don’t break down quickly.
“You get quite a bit of use out of the pad itself,” he said. “But the main reason I wanted to switch and use these products is that they cut and do the job extremely well, and there is minimal cleanup with the compound.”
Andrew Gallo, automotive refinishing technician at Byers Collision Center, said 3D International products “do the job extremely well” and require “minimal cleanup.”
Gallo said the 3D ACA “doesn’t sling a lot” and “doesn’t break down and throw crumbs across the hood of the car.
“It’s a good, clean product,” he said. “You don’t need a ton of compound to do what you’re doing.”
Gallo added the 3D ACA and spider pads also save time.
“With the correct sanding procedures, the denibbing process takes minimal time to polish up the spot you denib,” he explained.
Gallo said Byers Collision Center tried many other compounds, and after a wash or two, “a lot of the sanding scratches from the denibbing would come back,” which is not the case with the 3D ACA.
“We have greatly reduced our comebacks since using 3D and our customers are happier,” Gallo said.
“So far, I have not found anything I like better than the 3D International products,” he said. “They’re what I use on my vehicles daily.”
Gallo said he has referred many people to these products because of what customers get for the price point.
“It’s unbeatable,” he added.
Gallo said Byers Collision Center has an “awesome” relationship with its 3D International rep.
“Anytime I reach out to anybody I need to speak to, I normally either get an answer or a call back in a timely fashion,” he said. “The training is good, and if you ever have any problems, Tom is normally right out there to assess anything that might be happening.”
Autobody News reached out to Payne about his experience with Byers Collision Center.
“Byers has always been and will continue to be an exceptional organization to work with,” said Payne. “The complete Byers Collision staff has been outstanding, and the paint team has been very professional!”
Payne added 3D International’s overall goal is to help auto body shops reduce comebacks and improve customer satisfaction.
“Secondly, we want shops to realize the savings by getting to a finished product with less product and less time,” he concluded.
3D International, LLC
661-250-2020
Todd Mason, VP of Marketing
3dproducts.com
Facebook: @3dproducts
Instagram: @3dcarcare
YouTube: @3DCarCare
To read more auto body shop profiles in the June 2024 Shop and Product Showcase, click here.
