Matt Radman’s early memories of his mother Marina’s body shop in Mesa, AZ, include taking apart an electric motor and a motorcycle engine as a child. Marina opened Coach Works Auto Body in 1986.
“Instead of daycare, my siblings and I were at the shop,” Radman recalled. “Marina is not only a fantastic industry leader but one of few women body shop owners taking the reins and passing them on.”
Since they were teens, Radman and his sister, Nicole, the office manager, have worked at the facility. As shop manager, Radman wears multiple hats. “I have done everything from sweeping floors to the removal and replacement of a full rear quarter frame rail, to being a post-repair inspection expert to battling insurance companies,” he said.
The family business prides itself on offering personalized customer service. “We’re like a custom-tailored suit,” described Radman. “We address customers on an individual basis and meet the needs that suit them.”
Radman said the team guarantees everything will be done so correctly on a customer’s vehicle that he would put his mother, sister, wife or daughter in that vehicle.
Six years ago, Radman researched structural measuring equipment and realized its critical role in evaluating and diagnosing damage. With vehicle technology, he said it’s essential to scan a car and structurally measure it with OEM-approved equipment. However, he found the cost of some equipment steep to afford.
While attending SEMA, he learned about the Spanesi Touch electronic measuring system and met Tim Morgan, Spanesi Americas’ COO. “When customers are worried about investing in equipment due to cost, you need to show the business case of the typical ROI (return on investment) and ROTI (return on time investment) as how many hours you can add or recover by utilizing equipment,” said Morgan.
The shop demoed the Touch, which assesses frame and structural items, mechanical parts, wheel and tire alignment and suspension parts. In addition, it offers post-repair documents to return the vehicle to OEM specifications.
Radman said it is extremely user-friendly. “My daughter, Georgia, who was 5 at the time, used it to structurally measure the front end of a 2019 Ford F-250 Platinum after a few minutes of learning what to do,” said Radman.“She used a line at the end of a video I took of her, saying, ‘It’s so easy, it’s Spanesi.’”
Radman said the Touch is an exceptional and respected measuring system and has since utilized additional Spanesi equipment. These include the 14,500A Smart Inverter Spot Welder and the Q5.2 Inverter multi-function welding machine with three torches: steel, silicon bronze and aluminum.
Coach Works added the 106 EXT Structural Straightening Bench for large and commercial vehicles. The 106EXT provides approvals for almost all OEM certification programs. Coach Works also added the Spanesi PULL UP! repair system, capable of pulling up to five tons while performing light-, medium- and heavy-damage glue-based repairs.
Radman said one of their employees, Jeff, is very bright and learned to use Spanesi products quickly, especially the 106 EXT bench.
“He never worked on a frame machine or a bench before and picked it up easily,” said Radman. “He told me that it was like playing with LEGOs or an Erector set.” Radman has been impressed with the company’s support, which is part of Spanesi’s 360 Degree Concept of providing shops with training, connecting with vendors and setting up production processes as well as coaching them on accountability documentation and charging for repairs.
“I have become a coach, taking companies off the bench and putting them into the game,” said Morgan. “Tim is the biggest help,” said Radman. “What he has done to support businesses to get this critical equipment so we can succeed and fix vehicles safely and properly is amazing. He is a true advocate of a safe and proper repair.”
Spanesi also has an online portal with information for shops. Radman said repairs have become more complicated. “You cannot deviate with anything being off even a millimeter,” he said. “It needs to be perfect just as designed. The point is to return the vehicle to its pre-loss condition. There are no excuses.”
Marina said Spanesi equipment has allowed them to repair vehicles to the manufacturers’ standards. “It’s fulfilling as a mom and business owner to watch your children and employees take the business to another level with these great Spanesi products that are putting a safe vehicle back on the road,” said Marina.
“We sleep well at night because we know repairs are being done properly.” “Having Spanesi’s top-ofthe- line equipment allows Coach Works to properly repair a vehicle we can be proud of,” said Radman.
