Finnish damage repair leader InCar Oy is challenging the long-held tradition of sustainability in the industry with the launch of the Green Garage development model. The Green Garage is reforming and challenging the status quo to bring more responsible practices to the entire industry. The model will be introduced at InCar’s Lappeenranta office in early 2022 and will be extended throughout the national chain as the business develops.
“The automotive industry is in the midst of the biggest upheaval in its history, with governments, companies and car manufacturers alike setting tough targets for zero or minimal emissions. Offering responsible alternatives is important for both us and our customers,” says Marko Jussila, CEO of InCar Oy.
The damage repair sector is seeking a more responsible circular economy approach, for example by using recyclable intact and usable parts from repossessed cars. However, there are challenges to be overcome in the availability of these useful parts. There is also a strong need to increase the share of repair.
“Repairable parts are too easily replaced by new ones. We want to bring the art of craftsmanship and the art of repairing parts back to centre stage, because without it, we cannot achieve meaningful environmental savings. For example, the amount of plastic waste can be reduced by repairing bumpers with high quality,” says Jussila.
The first step is to look for environmental impacts
InCar’s Green Garage makes the most of energy-efficient painting, among other things. Work steps are made more efficient so that unnecessary electricity consumption is minimised. The paint shop equipment runs on biofuel.
“We also have a new generation of paint products. They minimise VOC emissions and allow the system to make use of waste paint. On the other hand, we train all our painters to minimise the amount of waste paint with better painting methods,” says Kari Matikainen, InCar’s Regional Director for Eastern Finland and project expert for the Green Repair Shop model.
A more profound change in the traditional sector also requires the customer to opt for a more responsible approach to repair.
“Hook repair is an excellent example of such a choice: when a dent occurs in a car door, for example in a parking lot, but the paint surface remains intact, it makes more sense for both the customer and the environment to repair the dent with a hook repair instead of replacing the entire door,” Matikainen says.
For further information:
Marko Jussila, Managing Director, 040 544 0810, marko.jussila@incar.fi
Kari Matikainen, Regional Director for Eastern Finland, 040 743 4486, kari.matikainen@incar.fi
InCar Oy, founded in 1991, is Finland’s leading damage repair chain and a pioneer in the development of the industry, where more than 325 employees excel at their work in more than 40 locations across Finland. InCar’s turnover in 2020 was approximately EUR 52.2 million. InCar Oy is part of the Suvia Group.