Executive Interview: Jim Dirksen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North and South America, Vehicle Service Group (VSG) -

Executive Interview: Jim Dirksen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North and South America, Vehicle Service Group (VSG)

Vehicle Service Group (VSG) comprises eight major vehicle lifting and collision repair brands, including Rotary Lift, Revolution Lift, Forward Lift and Chief Automotive Technologies. As vice president of sales and marketing, Jim Dirksen leads the teams that promote and sell all of VSG's lift brands throughout North and South America.

Vehicle Service Group (VSG) comprises eight major vehicle lifting and collision repair brands, including Rotary Lift, Revolution Lift, Forward Lift and Chief Automotive Technologies. As vice president of sales and marketing, Jim Dirksen leads the teams that promote and sell all of VSG’s lift brands throughout North and South America. Dirksen has extensive automotive industry experience. He started his career with Ford Motor Company, spending seven years in a variety of sales, management and equipment program roles. He joined Rotary Lift as OE vehicle program manager in 1989 and went on to serve as regional manager, sales manager and director of sales prior to being promoted to his current position in 2007.

In this executive interview, Dirksen talks about choosing and maintaining vehicle lifts for maximum shop productivity and profitability.

How does ­vehicle lift choice affect a shop’s bottom line?
Although it doesn’t get much recognition, the automotive lift is actually a shop’s primary tool for making money and maximizing technician productivity—you need a lift to be able to provide 360-degree service on a vehicle. And to do this effectively, you need the right lift: not the cheapest lift. It really comes down to uptime. I always say, “The most expensive lift you ever buy is the one that breaks.” If you spend a little more money on the front end to buy a higher-quality lift, you’ll be better served long-term. Think about how much revenue is driven through each of your bays, including parts and labor. Industry estimates put the dollar volume generated per bay around $800 a day. If your lift fails, bay productivity is cut in half — for a loss of at least $400 every day that the lift is unavailable. That’s the true cost of buying a low-quality lift.

You also have to buy the lifts that match the work that you do. For example, if your shop works on a lot of trucks, buying even a top-quality 10,000 lb. capacity two-post lift would probably not be as profitable a choice for you as adding a 12,000 lb. capacity two-post lift, because you can accommodate more of the vehicles you service on the higher-capacity lift. In fact, you might even want to consider a 14,000 lb. four-post drive-on general service lift that has been designed for faster tire and wheel ­service projects.

What are some of the most important factors a shop owner should consider when looking for a new lift?
To narrow down the best model of lift for a particular bay, you should start by looking at the types of vehicles you plan to work on and the services you’ll perform so you can choose the style of lift that will meet those needs. Then you want to consider ease-of-use and safety features. At the end of the day, your technicians will be standing under this piece of equipment, so you want to be confident that it meets ­accepted quality and safety standards. Look for the gold ALI Certified/Validated by ETL label. This label can only be applied to lifts that have passed independent testing to confirm that they meet the ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2006 safety and performance standards. Building codes in all 50 U.S. states require that shops install only lifts that have been certified to meet this standard.

You should also consider the lift manufacturer, how long the company has been in business, and its warranty policies. Is it a company you feel confident will support you and your lift well into the future? Finally, consider the lift source and service provider. A factory-authorized service center can help you choose the best lift for your facility and will be there to provide local, factory-trained support, maintenance and replacement parts when you need them.

VSG introduced Revolution Lift as a value-priced line of lifts for the independent repair market in 2010. What sets this brand apart?
One of the key differentiators is that Revolution Lift is sold and supported through Rotary Lift’s unmatched distributor network. We have more than 400 factory-trained representatives in the field who work directly with customers to find the best lifts for their shops, keep those lifts running at peak efficiency through scheduled inspections and maintenance, and provide OE parts and local support quickly to maintain maximum uptime.

Quality is another differentiating factor. We manufacture Revolution Lifts in our own factory so we have total control over product quality. We test every arm before shipment to make sure it meets our high internal standards. Customers who buy Revolution Lifts get the peace of mind that comes from knowing that our lifts are backed by more than 80 years of ­industry-leading experience.

What should shop owners do to protect their lift investment?
Like any machine, a vehicle lift needs regular maintenance. Shop owners and technicians should follow the manufacturer’s maintenance procedures for each lift as outlined in the owner’s manual. Maintenance and inspection requirements vary for different styles and brands of lifts.

All shops should have their vehicle lifts inspected by qualified lift inspectors annually. You spent a lot of money on your lifts; lift inspections protect your investment by ensuring that all the lifts’ safety and performance mechanisms are working properly. The ANSI national standard covering lift operation, maintenance and inspection, and a growing number of state codes and regulations require annual lift inspections. Plus, documented annual lift inspections can prevent OSHA citations and fines.

Our Inspect to Protect program puts shop owners in touch with local, factory-trained inspection providers through our exclusive nationwide network. Each of these companies has inspectors on staff who meet all of the requirements for a “qualified lift inspector” as outlined in the ANSI standard. Plus, each company is required to attend our annual factory training, maintain insurance coverage and be able to provide customers with lift maintenance, repair and OE replacement parts. The lift inspectors follow our documented processes to inspect each of our lifts.

It’s also important to insist on OE ­replacement parts to ensure proper fit and function on any brand of lift. If you buy a certified lift (one with a gold label), installing aftermarket parts on that lift can invalidate the lift’s certification. Although many people think that buying imitation parts will save them time or money, they often find that these parts cost more or aren’t in stock when you need them. To ensure that you’re buying genuine OE replacement parts, purchase them only from factory-authorized distributors and installers.

General guidelines for daily lift inspections and maintenance are provided in the brochure American ­National Standard for Automotive Lifts — Safety Requirements for Operation, Inspection and Maintenance available from your local distributor or through the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) at www.autolift.org.

For more information about Revolution Lift, visit www.revolutionlift.com or call (800) 604-3359. To find a local, factory-trained lift inspector, call (800) 640-5438. Follow Rotary Lift and Revolution Lift on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RotaryLift and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RotaryLift.

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