The business began as a small garage
in 1946, earning a reputation for
quality work at a fair price. The initial
3,000-square-foot operation was traded
for a 12,000-square-foot facility a few
miles away, and that facility merited a
large addition to keep pace with demand.
In 2000, Dave, along with his brother-
in-law, Jim DeGroot, took over from
Dave's father, who had taken it over from
Dave's grandfather. Dave and Jim have
always valued input from employees and
key business advisors, yet accept the
responsibility for every decision they make.
One such decision was the move to
ENVIROBASE
®
High Performance
waterborne basecoat back in 2008.
Riverbend Body Shop was among the
first in their market to convert, based on
a recommendation from PPG Territory
Managers, Bill Irvine and Scott Taylor.
The move reflects the company's desire
to maintain a leadership edge. "It was
better for the environment and the system
worked—so why would we not want to
be among the first to use it?" asks Dave.
Listening to customers led to the opening
of Riverbend's affiliated businesses,
Walker City Towing and Clear Image Auto
Glass. Dave and Jim also recently opened
a mechanical repair facility.
"They are not ones to take things for
granted," says Gary Holder, PPG business
development manager. "They want to
be as good as, or better than, the best."
RIVERBEND AUTOMOTIVE GROUP'S FAMILY BUSINESS
NIMBLY ADAPTS TO CHANGE FOR OVER THREE GENERATIONS
26
