Family Shop is All-in with Power Trio: LKQ, Keystone and Axalta

Anyone who has been in the body shop business for any period of time has likely ordered recycled parts from LKQ or aftermarket parts from Keystone Automotive Industries, and maybe even sprayed Axalta waterborne at one point. Under the same umbrella, these three companies are leaders in their own right, but together their nationwide coverage and deep inventories are unparalleled.

LKQ and Keystone merged into an industry goliath in 2008, becoming North America’s leading distributor of aftermarket and recycled parts. And Axalta—distributed by LKQ/Keystone—has 150 years of experience in the coatings industry and serves more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries.

Second-generation owner Rick Worley at Rick Worley & Son in Ringgold, GA, has been able to thrive in a tiny town of 3,500 people. He learned the trade from his father, Alvin, working at the family shop starting at an early age.

“This is the only industry I’ve ever worked in, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” Worley said. “I tell people that I was born into this business; when I was 10, I painted my first car, a 1969 International pickup—and then I was hooked!”

After working for another company restoring vehicles for a few years, Worley opened a modest shop with 1,000 square feet of space and started with one employee—himself.

“It was a one-man show and the shop was so small, I had to work on one vehicle at a time,” Worley said. “Now we repair 80 to 100 cars every month in a 20,000-squarefoot facility and 15 employees.”

2011 was a memorable year for the Worleys on several levels.

“We hit $1 million in sales that year and went through an expansion,” Worley said. “Things were progressing nicely, and a lot of the good things we were doing were paying off.”

But on April 27, 2011, an EF4 tornado touched down on Ringgold and changed Worley’s world in an instant.

“It destroyed 70% of our town, but it also brought in a ton of work,” Worley said. “We had no power for a week, so we used generators and worked 60-plus hours every week to get it done. Other shops in our area could not handle the workload, but we excelled under pressure. I believe we established a reputation for being a top shop during that storm because we stepped up and served the community.”

Worley knows his shop needs top vendors to provide the right parts and products needed on a daily basis to repair 80 to 100 vehicles every month.

“We’ve been able to build great alliances with our vendors, the insurance companies, car rental companies and the community,” Worley said. “The Worley name is well-known here because my family has been associated with collision repair for the past 50 years.”

To stay on top, Worley works closely with Ralph Hairsine, general manager at Keystone Automotive Industries, Inc., in Chattanooga, TN, and Keystone paint representatives Jonathon Tipton and Jeff Graham; together, they’ve established a long and fruitful partnership, Worley said.

“We were ordering parts from Keystone and then when they merged with LKQ, we began working with them too,” he said. “If we need a part fast, LKQ/Keystone is reliable and they back the quality 100 percent.”

Worley said he is continually impressed with LKQ’s guarantee and Promise of Protection. Essentially, LKQ indemnifies licensed auto repair shops that purchase and install any LKQ recycled OEM, aftermarket or remanufactured product on private passenger vehicles and light trucks.

“If the insurance company wants to use LKQ, we are confident that they will find something that everyone will be happy with,” Worley said. “In many cases, when the part arrives, we can’t even tell the difference between an LKQ part and an OE part. And with their Promise of Protection, we know they always have our back.”

By using Axalta, Worley is tapping into the power of the trio.

“We tried at least 10 paint companies, but there was nothing that came even close,” he said. “Their color matching is excellent and the cars look amazing right out of the booth.”

When it comes to customer service and follow-through, Worley praised LKQ, Axalta and Keystone across the board.

“I have three separate reps and they are always available to us,” he said. “They aren’t just salespeople; they are more like business consultants. When you work with these companies, you also get all of the other great things that come with it, including product knowledge and industry experience.”

Now doing more than $3 million in sales annually, Worley hopes that one day his young son will take over the business and help it to grow. “I can see he’s already showing some interest, so the future looks bright with blue skies and no tornadoes in sight,” he said.