Tell us about the Auto Artisan Group and what you’re all about.
We are in the game of vinyl wraps, not just colour changes or paint protection for cars but also custom designs, business branding, wall graphics and so much more. We are more than “just wraps”.
When did the company start up?
Michael first started it in 2014. Evolving from his personal journey from stone mason through to an evolution of fleet signage management, his passion was working with vinyl and he wanted to know and do so much more than what the industry was able to carry out. This idea started the journey of “Auto Artisan”.
How has the journey been for you guys so far?
The Artisan journey started with one man, on to two, through a span of two years, moved to four and then the business started to grow – as it should. Quickly there was a need for different skillsets and attributes in the business, such as a designer and an admin person. Within four years the team grew to seven employees and moved from a small shop in Castle Hill NSW to a much bigger shop in Pemulwuy. The goal was to always work hard and set the industry standard. When we moved into the new shop, it was the best possible set up available at the time. Within the shop, we even had a customer lounge with an interactive coffee table. We always want to push the boundaries of not just wrapping, but also a great customer experience. Though, Auto Artisan was on the cusp of a big change.
What was the big change?
During 2019, Michael was approached by me [Bora Bright] for a partnership. He and Michael got along quite well – we met because I would constantly change the wraps on my cars for business promotions, utilising Auto Artisan’s creative design skills. I came with my own credible skill sets in business development, which Michael had trust in.
And a partnership was born.
Yes, a fresh partnership started late 2019 – we both tackled different aspects, one of us pushed business development, the other operations development. Within a period of five months we started to consider the fact that we may not fit into our current shop and by seven months’ time we had committed to moving to a larger shop. Within 14 months our premises tripled in size and the strength of staff now consist of 18 members with multiple independent departments such as: Reception & Admin, Design, Print & Production, Sales and a very large team of skilled installers.
What effect did COVID-19 have on your business?
COVID-19 times are interesting times and our business was negatively impacted, as was the case for many other businesses. Our trends were a little different though – we had a lot of customers abruptly cancel their projects, we didn’t know where next week’s work was going to come from… this was especially scary because we are normally booked out about three weeks ahead of time. Plus we had already signed the contract and paid the bond to move into our third and current shop… we had very little choice, but to execute this decision. In lieu of this, we had been preparing for a big marketing campaign as well, to ensure we can keep working with the new increased overheads. This was all just before COVID-19 hit. We were knee deep in… well, you know.
What was the pandemic plan for the Auto Artisan Group then?
At times like these, a lot of people cull back their resources. We did not. In fact, we increased the marketing budget and pushed harder. We accepted that we will not make any profit during this time. It was all about keeping the business afloat. Not only, did we spend more money getting our name out there, we also provided a lot of discounts, we worked longer days and hours. There was so much work done in the background no one was aware of. This was because we wanted to make sure our staff didn’t feel the impact of COVID-19 – it was tough. We ran at a loss for several months with a lot of pressure on us. Eventually, COVID-19 knee-jerk reactions started to settle and we found that for every person who cancelled a project, another person often wanted to book in their spot. Finally, our trajectory was on its correct path once again.
What services do you offer?
If you need anything in relation to…
● Changing the colour of your vehicle
● Protecting it with clear Paint Protection Film
● Branding and custom business signage
● Creative solutions such as custom graphic designs
● Wall graphics, either for personal aspiration or business branding
● Fleet signage or branding
● Heavy Haulage, trucks, trailers, cranes, and more.
● Ceramic – interior and exterior coatings
Why do you feel the market needs Auto Artisan Group?
We always push for bigger and better – nothing is “good enough”. We constantly challenge the status quo. Our goal is to focus on the customer journey, but it is not just about business. We also have a larger future pathway we are building. We educate installers to become “upcoming Artisan’s” also, we perform R&D for suppliers and ourselves. We are human at the end of the day, exploration and research can mean mistakes. We hold ourselves accountable, learn from this, and set a new and better pathway. Then, we continue to push those boundaries once again. Within a few years, our hope is to show you what we have achieved and set in place for the future of vinyl wrapping.
Why should MAXIM readers sign up to Auto Artisan?
Here at Auto Artisan, we get to work with a lot of fun projects. We love being creative and we are extremely passionate about our work. The project you are about to read {over the page) was carried out with very strong partners, and in conjunction with Pixel Media, we will have released a video titled “Original Artisan Project”. Quick shout out to the following partners in this project…
- Petronas Synthium
- Arlon Graphics
- Driving Solutions
- Meguiars
Follow the auto artisan group on instagram & facebook at @autoartisan
Photographed by MARCEL AT CEL SYDNEY PHOTOGRAPHY (IG: @CELSYDNEY) Interview by SANTI PINTADO
For the full article grab the December 2020 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
