Given away... panel shop in melbourne??

[Jim Goose]

It mentions Toyota? Why would a panel shop be suffering??? But still sad to hear that he simply gave it away?!!?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-1...veaway/4012354

Thousands apply for garage business giveaway

A struggling panel-beater from south-west Victoria has given away his business after fielding about 3,000 applicants.

Arthur Matsakos, whose garage has suffered since the latest round of Toyota redundancies, says many of those interested in the business were from Europe.

The business is worth $150,000 and the new owner, 26-year-old Ashley McKenna, simply needs to take over the $1,200 monthly lease.

"Unfortunately there were so many, if I can use the word, scammers out there that had no knowledge of panel-beating or restorations at all and it was disheartening," he said.

Eventually Mr Matsakos came up with about 50 genuine applications and he decided to give the business to Mr McKenna.

"It was initially going to be three months, but I just want to make sure everything's going to be right for him," he said.

"I said to him, 'look, perhaps you can come here and say after two months I can sign everything over to you if you're really sure about this'."

Mr Matsakos says he is confident the successful applicant will do a good job.

[pottery beige]

bit more here...

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mor...-1226328208700

goodluck to him.. enough greed in this world....

[XARATE]

Ezact same thing is happening here in tumut, a well know computer repair and parts supplier is being given away. It called tims computers, its the only computer repair shop in the area and suffered due to bad management.
They are offering all the stock plus a work car for free with the only catch being the lease on the property has to be continued for two more years.

[Geez Louise]

I read this story in the paper a few weeks ago. Good on him for handing it over. It gives someone else a chance to have a go who might not be able to otherwise due to set up costs.

Cheers
Col

[El Caco]

Panelbeating is a hard game. I don't feel like having a ***** about everything that is wrong with the industry but I had a panel beating business and I know guys who own shops that regularly say they would be better off if they worked for someone else.

[cobramania]

Don't know the full details of why he's giving it away & what Toyota have to do with it, but a good mate of mine owns a top class panel shop in the Newcastle area & is almost broke, he's been in the game over 25 years & is seriously considering just walking away from it.
Insurance companies are screwing him over for what they'll pay for the work, but his major problem is the workshop's full, the yard's full, & cars awaiting repairs are parked out in the street, but he can't get any staff to do the work.
He's been trying for almost 12 months now, but can't find anyone suitable. Because it's a top quality shop, he wants top notch workers, but they will be paid good wages & he's a good bloke to work for, just doesn't take any crap & doesn't want slackers. It seems there is a huge skill shortage in the panel business, as with a lot of other industries, that's ultimately putting him & others out of business.

[El Caco]

Originally Posted by cobramania

Don't know the full details of why he's giving it away & what Toyota have to do with it, but a good mate of mine owns a top class panel shop in the Newcastle area & is almost broke, he's been in the game over 25 years & is seriously considering just walking away from it.
Insurance companies are screwing him over for what they'll pay for the work, but his major problem is the workshop's full, the yard's full, & cars awaiting repairs are parked out in the street, but he can't get any staff to do the work.
He's been trying for almost 12 months now, but can't find anyone suitable. Because it's a top quality shop, he wants top notch workers, but they will be paid good wages & he's a good bloke to work for, just doesn't take any crap & doesn't want slackers. It seems there is a huge skill shortage in the panel business, as with a lot of other industries, that's ultimately putting him & others out of business.

The problem is he can't pay good wages, I'm sure he pays good wages for a panel beater but many good workers have realised there's no money in panel beating and are working in other industries. The main problem is he doesn't get paid enough to pay his workers good money without being dishonest since the hourly rate he gets paid by insurance companies is so little. The insurance rate should be 2-3 times what it is but could you imagine the public outcry if insurance premiums went up.

[Kryton]

Its Camperdown and i know the real story behind the shop.
Im not going to discuss it on an open forum, if you want to know, it isnt that hard to find out.
All i can say is i hope the new "owner" knows what he's doing and looked deep enough in to the business.

[Franco Cozzo]

We've got an ex spray painter/panel beater in our workshop, won't go back because there are better wages in other industries.

[GasoLane]

It must be a trend, in the local paper there is a landlord giving away a computer shop in Tumut, stock included!!

[The Yeti]

Arthur has to be a good bloke he used to play with the Corpse Grinders

[fakegt]

Originally Posted by davway

Its Camperdown and i know the real story behind the shop.
Im not going to discuss it on an open forum, if you want to know, it isnt that hard to find out.
All i can say is i hope the new "owner" knows what he's doing and looked deep enough in to the business.

Looked through 20 pages on a Google search and didnt see any dirt?
I heard he was getting out of the business to concentrate on The Camperdown Cruise?

[Pinkbits]

Originally Posted by davway

Its Camperdown and i know the real story behind the shop.
Im not going to discuss it on an open forum, if you want to know, it isnt that hard to find out.
All i can say is i hope the new "owner" knows what he's doing and looked deep enough in to the business.

Have you met Arthur?, and is it just that, a story?
And as others have said, it is located in Camperdown Vic.
The shop specialises in classic car resto's.

I met Arthur around 3 years ago on my way back home after working at Camperdown. He was broken down on the side of the road between Colac & Winchelsea on his way to John's custom picnic at Pakenham.
He asked me to come round to his workshop for a beer to thank me which i did as i was working there for a few months.
A nice bloke from what i saw & i have seen him a few times since at different events.

[Kryton]

Ive said all Im going to say about it.
If you dont know, you probably dont need to know.

[RASER]

He gave it away as the lease is to hard to walk away from, and he aint making any coin, so let some else have a bash at it and go bust, together with Australia having the worst federal goverment in the last 100 years, actually EVER

Australia's REAL trading name of "panel beaters" and it's [low] standard of work.....BASH-N-BOG

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by cobramania

, but he can't get any staff to do the work.
He's been trying for almost 12 months now.

one of the effects of the industry not offering many apprenticeships in the 80s-90s.

[SB076]

I have seen something similiar, you can have a business for nothing just take over workers entitlements and lease. Owners just wanted out, and to make sure the workers would get their entitlements etc. Its not actually a good sign