Unique Auto Body is a multi-site family business that has been serving the Salt Lake County area since 1983. The business is currently owned by Jeremy Weller, whose father founded the first shop. Weller said he initially wanted to pursue a career elsewhere — and at first, he wasn’t thrilled about being back in the family shop. However, he found he could build a solid business serving the area he had grown up in.
Unique Auto Body American
Fork, UT
801-492-5000
uniqueautobody.com
Facebook:@UniqueAutoBodyUtah
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 120
In Business Since: 1983
Number of Locations: Five
Combined Production Space: 119,000 square feet
Since taking over ownership, Weller and his brothers have grown the business to five locations across the Salt Lake and Utah County areas, employing 120 people and repairing around 1,100 cars per month. According to Weller, the secret to the success of Unique Auto Body comes down to the basic principle of putting customers first.
“I think our business is like everywhere else that has a lot of big companies moving in — but we’ve been able to weather the storm by just treating people fairly and honestly,” said Weller.
Jeremy Weller said the superior airflow of USI Italia paint booths means they work well with waterborne paints.
Weller said the family has deep roots in the area, and those relationships have gone a long way to helping their business retain a solid customer base.
“You know, my brothers and I all grew up here, so a lot of people know us. I think you still have a lot of people in today’s world that want to go somewhere where they’re known and people take care of them,” Weller said.
When Weller was in the market for a painting booth for the shop back in the early 2000s, he was looking to replace a problematic booth which, in his words, was “a total maintenance nightmare.” Not knowing much at the time about painting booths, he went to the NACE convention to look into his options. Weller said from his first encounter with the USI Italia painting booth, he could tell it was in another class altogether.
“The construction of the USI booth seemed far superior. I remember running my hand down the side of the paint booth and it was smooth all the way down,” Weller said. “With most paint booths, you can’t do that or you’d cut your hand off. There weren’t any bolts or any loose ends on the outside, so I figured the inside was as good as the outside.”
He decided to take a leap and purchase the USI Italia painting booth, despite qualms that buying from an Italian company might complicate matters like ordering parts. He has never regretted that decision, and to date, the business has purchased five USI Italia painting booths and four prep stations. They are currently in the process of purchasing four more USI Italia painting booths, attesting to their confidence in the brand.
So what is it that makes the USI Italia equipment stand out? Weller said one of the biggest advantages is “these booths just don’t break down.”
“I’m amazed they run all day, every day. They are rock solid. With the paint booths we have from other manufacturers, we have doors falling off, hinges breaking, door handles breaking. I don’t think we’ve ever replaced a door handle or hinge on those USI booths in 20 years of usage,” said Weller.
Unique Auto Body depends on the quality of USI Italia paint booths to keep business running smoothly.
The quality of the finished product also stands out from the other painting booths Unique Auto Body has used. In particular, Weller mentioned the quality of the airflow in a USI Italia painting booth.
“A big part of what you need with a spray booth is good airflow. If you don’t have good airflow, then you have to manually dry the new waterborne paints, and the USI booths have great airflow. We don’t have to use auxiliary fans,” Weller said.
The list of other advantages Unique Auto Body has experienced speaks to the overall quality and attention to detail that is the trademark of USI Italia. According to Weller, “Bake times are consistent. The paint booths are large inside. They feel spacious. They’re well-lit. They’re easy to clean and maintain, which is a big deal — they don’t have any weird cracks and crevices.”
Weller also noted his company has experienced a high level of customer service over the decades of working with USI Italia and the company is quick to respond and resolve any problems they might encounter.
Weller said he’s never regretted the purchase of his USI Italia painting booth 20 years ago, and he sees USI Italia equipment as an asset for Unique Auto Body.
“We don’t make money if the painting booths aren’t running, or if the doors are breaking or things like that. With USI Italia, we just don’t have those issues.”
USI of North America
201-405-7760
Company Contact: Stefano Moretto
s.moretto@usius.com
www.usius.com
Facebook: @USI-of-North-America
Instagram: @usiitalia
To read more auto body shop profiles in the October 2024 Shop and Product Showcase, click here.
