For a small, country workshop, hours from the nearest city, JVS Bodyworks has done well to establish itself as a respected, quality repairer. Part of that success is making a positive impact within the community and collision repair industry.
A country repairer with a community driven spirit, JVS Bodyworks in Renmark, South Australia, has a reputation that belies their modest size.
In a rural location that has all the hallmarks of country generosity, JVS Bodyworks is a collision repair workshop that has cemented itself within the community.
The JVS Bodyworks team comprises of eight staff, with two administration staff and six people on the workshop floor.
Prepped to repair between 10-15 vehicles per week where collisions on the vast open country roads can often be severe.
Originally from Sydney, Renmark has been home to Jason and his family since his primary school years, and the community feel has made it hard to leave.
JVS Bodyworks first opened nine years ago in 2015. Starting completely from scratch with an empty shed, Jason and his wife, Tracey, built it up to what it is today. With a dual qualification in paint and panel, Jason has the knowledge and experience to build the best team around him.
“We saw the vision for the workshop and ran with it,” Jason says.
With a proactive attitude and a mentality of ‘act or it won’t happen’, Jason has created a workshop with a reputation that travels beyond the tight-knit town of Renmark. With work coming from locations, hours away in Adelaide and Murray Bridge, or from border towns in New South Wales, and Mildura, Victoria, JVS Bodyworks has established a wider footprint.
When the business first opened, Tracey initially worked part time in the business, but as the workshop started taking off, she jumped on board full time managing the administration and invoicing work.
“To get a business up off the ground and running you need to put in the hard yards,” Jason says.
“As soon as we knew the direction we wanted to head in, we knew buying an existing business wasn’t on the cards, so building a workshop from scratch was where it all began.”
Operating in the country
With a population of around 10,000, the town of Renmark is built upon community values.
“Rural people support one another. You walk down the street and everyone knows everybody,” Jason says.
“When you help someone out, they appreciate it. They will buy you a coffee, or buy you a drink at the bar just for fixing their car.”
Creating a friendly and welcoming environment for clients is part of the fabric at JVS Bodyworks. Collision repair often occurs after an unpleasant experience, and offering a service that will not only look after the vehicle, but the person behind the wheel is the reason why Jason and his team are held in high regard.
“Being in a collision is a traumatic experience for some people, and clients really appreciate it when you go that extra mile for them,” Jason says.
“That is the rewarding side of the job, we make sure you are not just a
number that goes through the shop. There is a face, a family, the kids go to school together, it is a community.”
Community involvement
JVS Bodyworks is an active member of their community, whether that be visiting schools during their careers and business weeks, sponsoring sporting teams, helping out at working bees, or the end of year Christmas pageants.
“We are embedded among our community. We get a loyal following which is great to see,” Jason says.
“We have a close-knit town and we are happy to be part of it anyway we can.”
In alignment with the socially and community minded values, JVS Bodyworks also offers a child restraint service. The only nationally accredited child restraint service in the region, the team at JVS Bodyworks keeps up to date on the latest legislation and fitting requirements.
Jason highlighted how the move to include child restraint services was to increase the safety for children and families on the road.
“It is another way we give back to the community,” Jason says.
“We get a lot of first-time mums and dads coming to us as there are few fitters in our area.”
“We have seen a lot of poorly installed car seats when we repair on cars after a collision. We try to help out the community in any way we can, and the fundamentals of starting to do car restraint safety was a community minded decision.”
Aiding the next generation
In an effort to build the next generation of talent in the north eastern rural towns of South Australia, JVS Bodyworks is an active recruiter of apprentices.
“We are big on having apprentices. We’ve always made it a priority to have them, and we are always training,” Jason says.
“The industry needs apprentices. It is one way to keep the industry alive and growing.”
To ensure that apprentices get the most out of their training at JVS Bodyworks, Jason limits the number of apprentices in the shop to give the existing staff the capacity to correctly train and teach.
“We have found the happy balance when an apprentice reaches their third year, we employ a first-year apprentice,” Jason says.
We find that it keeps a happy medium where the head panel technicians don’t get overwhelmed with the workload. We make sure they are here to learn and progress, not just sweep floors and wash cars.”
In the recent MTA SA Apprentice awards night, JVS Bodyworks was awarded the “Industry Employer of the Year” award for 2024. Recognising their commitment and drive to training and upskilling apprentices.
Currently on the lookout for their next apprentice, JVS Bodyworks will be welcoming a new apprentice in the new year.
“We are looking forward to welcoming a new member of the team,” Jason says.
Everyone on the same page
Jason identifies the team at JVS Bodyworks as the main strength and foundation of the workshop. Jason ensures that his team are maximising their potential while remaining united by the same end goal.
“We try and keep the team happy and feeling fulfilled,” Jason says.
“We make sure everyone is on the same page and enjoys coming to work.”
To keep the workshop moving forward, fine tuning the day-to-day procedures has been instrumental in improving the quality of work and time efficiency.
“We have implemented a lot of new procedures in our parts distribution and traceability systems,” Jason says.
“We have a lot of ‘stop, go” programmes on the floor. So, we have a red, yellow, and green system that helps the team through visual cues as to where a car is in the repair stage.”
JVS Bodyworks have also implemented the ‘stop, go’ programme with their parts management system. Jason explained that when a job has all the required parts, the system turns green so everyone is aware of the new status of the vehicle. The efficient system has allowed the team to work effectively together, but also as individuals.
“The system has made a massive improvement. Each guy is owning the job they are doing, not relying on others to do the job for them. They can each make their own decisions and the workflow moves well,” Jason says.
“The system has definitely paid the dividends at the end of the day. Everyone is moving together in one direction.”
Keeping up to date in the country
More than aware of how quickly the repair industry changes, Jason aims to keep up to date with the latest technologies, equipment and advancements in the industry.
“The industry has changed so much, even from when we first opened nine years ago,” Jason says.
In particular, Jason keeps his team up to date with EV and ADAS training.
JVS Bodyworks has a strong focus on maintaining pace in an evolving industry. They were one of the very first collision repairers in South Australia to have a full, in-house ADAS calibrating capabilities and trained technicians. This was a significant financial investment, that allowed JVS Bodyworks to be at the forefront of changing technology and best practice.
“Two months ago, we upskilled one of our head panel technicians for EV repair at MTA SA’s brand new training facility,” Jason says.
“His next training will be a step further and that will focus on the repair of EV batteries.”
The training isn’t just for his heads of department but are also for the apprentices coming through the ranks.
“We have two other guys completing their introduction to EV Training. Hopefully after the EV battery module is complete, our apprentice can move into that space too,” Jason says.
In Renmark, as well as numerous other regional and rural communities in Australia, EVs are not a common sight on the road. Jason however, believes it is important to be ready and equipped for the future, despite the slow uptake of EVs in his community.
“We see what’s happening in the city, and there are more EVs and Hybrids each year. It will eventually flow into the regional areas, and when that happens, we will be prepared,” Jason says.
New EV equipment is also on the cards for JVS Bodyworks to ensure the team’s safety when repairing on EVs.
“We have a new EV hoist coming before Christmas too. We run every tech as a hoist so we look after everyone’s bodies. Everyone works at eye height,” Jason says.
A tight knit team
With a team of eight people, maintaining a cohesive and unified workplace at JVS Bodyworks is essential, especially in a small community.
“It is tricky, but you have to work at it otherwise it won’t happen,” Jason says.
“We have pizza nights, and down time where we celebrate our wins and each other’s achievements without it being all about work.”
Jason has taken a top-down approach when creating a positive atmosphere at work.
“We are big on birthdays too. We have a birthday box, lucky dip and we celebrate with tea and cake. Everyone looks forward to somebody else’s birthday” Jason says.
Jason also implemented a ‘toolbox’ meeting each morning that allows for transparency between the front of house staff and the technicians.
Not only does Jason promote a happy and healthy workplace, but he also supports a healthy relationship between repairer and workshops.
The collision repair industry in Australia is known for being a ‘closed off’ community, but organisations like Car Craft aim to unite workshops and raise industry standards and practices.
“Networking betters the industry. It is not a them vs us scenario. The members of Car Craft are all passionate in bettering the industry, not just about turning the car over,” Jason says.
The road ahead for Jason and JVS Bodyworks is to maintain their quality standard of work, as well as solidifying and strengthening their existing procedures.
“It is encouraging to know that we have a good reputation out there. We receive good feedback in the sense of word of mouth, and a loyal client base,” Jason says.
“We are looking forward to the next nine years.”
