Grand Junction, Colo.—Aaron Hightower, co-owner of Hightower Supply, a two-store PBE jobber with locations in Grand Junction and Montrose, said his 10-person staff conducts thorough research before providing new products for customers, whether it’s safety related, improved performance, price, or a combination.
“We like to offer options if our shops want them, especially with their shrinking margins on paint and materials,” he said. “If we can save them 5 percent — or sometimes up to 20 percent — a month, it’ll add up quickly for them. We want them to make profits on materials.”
Hightower said he can often enter a shop and immediately determine whether or not there is waste; he’ll also ask if there are a lot of redos, which will “kill a shop,” often caused by substrate that isn’t prepared properly, improper blending techniques or/and color matching. “Bumpers can be notorious for failing because a lot of them come from the factory as raw plastic, which is known to be difficult to paint, but with proper training and using the [BASF] Glasurit plastic system, bumper headaches have mostly gone away.” He added that when shops do have a paint issue, his staff will work with the painters to determine what went wrong so the issue is resolved for future jobs. “Most painters are good; they usually just need a little training to become familiar the product.”
Hightower said that whether there’s a product issue, a color match needs to be done, or a last-minute delivery is needed, his staff makes sure their clients are serviced. “We jump through a lot of hoops to take care of our customers — my staff makes me look good and they get all the credit.”
Hightower is the only jobber on the Western Slope that buys direct from 3M, and it will those pass savings on to customers, he said, adding that his father, who was also a business owner, advised him that all he needed was a good product with good service at a fair price, and to “do business with a conscience.”
One of Hightower’s latest offerings is a new blowgun from Dent-Fix, which features a safety nozzle that releases potentially dangerous compressed air out of harm’s way if it comes into inadvertent contact with the user. Dent-Fix plastic staplers have also become popular within the past year for bumper repair, and can be used with differently shaped staples (most popular: S-shaped) depending upon the damage and its location, he said.
Change to BASF waterborne with Glasurit 90 Line
Hightower recently changed paint brands to go from solvent to waterborne and now offers BASF. “It’s user-friendly,” he said. “Their toners don’t freeze and it has a longer shelf life, unlike some other brands.”
Hightower said waterborne is gaining popularity and more shops are converting because of the low VOCs and advantages of promoting “green” practices. “A lot of shops also feel they’ll have to switch eventually,” he added.
Glasurit’s premium 90 Line offers shops high-quality color match and a refined product. “You can tell when a company is working harder to offer better paint,” Hightower said. Built-in services with Glasurit includes the BASF VisionPlus shop management program, which is designed to improve performance, and a color lab that can be contacted for color-matching assistance. “If we’re selling a premium paint, we want our guys to feel like they’re using one,” he said.
Hightower initially switched 12 accounts to BASF waterborne in the first two weeks (“It was a big blitz.”). Most conversions occur during the workweek, pulling out and replacing the banks in early evening and having a shop ready to begin spraying the following morning. “We make sure we have a trainer with them until they’re comfortable with spraying the product and using the computer,” he said, adding that BASF representatives such as Bill Moore will also stop by shops to see how they are progressing. “They’re available to help out whenever needed.”
Expanding trend promises continued growth
The Grand Junction store recently moved into a new, larger 6,000-square-foot facility, which features a small retail area. “We’re 80 to 90 percent wholesale and we needed more room for growth,” Hightower said, adding that the Montrose location has a larger retail area. Distribution from Grand Junction reaches as far as Aspen and Eagle, while the Montrose location’s reach extends into Gunnison, which is a long way from his early beginnings.
Hightower, who was once in charge of the city of Montrose’s body shop in 1990, was unhappy with its supplier, and he thought he could improve upon the service, so on his off days he packed his pickup with auto body supplies and began selling around town. The pickup quickly led to a van and he left his position within a year to concentrate on his business and opened the Montrose shop. As business began to grow in Grand Junction, the second store opened with Doug Hein and Linda Olmsted of Denver, who are now co-owners with Hightower of both operations.
In addition to automotive, which comprises half of Hightower’s sales, he said they also service the aviation and industrial markets.
“We don’t keep all our eggs in one basket,” he said. “We’ve never slowed down and grow every year, and we just had our biggest month ever.”
BASF Paint Recognized as an important and environmentally-conscious global partner in the Automotive Industry, BASF makes a wide range of products that appear in hundreds of automotive applications. From the chassis to the engine; from interiors to exteriors; BASF helps make the vehicle shine.
As the automotive industry’s standards for suppliers continue to rise, BASF regularly brings innovative, value-added solutions that enable our customers to meet requirements for performance, cost efficiency, quality and safety.