TESTIMONIALS

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83-Year-Old Shop Increases Net Profit with AkzoNobel’s Acoat Selected Performance Group and Autowave®

Island Fender’s painters love spraying with Sikkens Autowave® paint system because it’s so easy to apply a flawless finish. (Pictured: Jaron Abran, paint and body trainee and newest member of the Island Fender team.)

Van Takemoto took ownership of Island Fender in 1992 and credits the growth of his business to his involvement with AkzoNobel’s Acoat Selected Performance Group. (Pictured: Kiana Abran, Customer Service; Thomas Uyeda, Repair Process Manager; Camille Phillips, Process Auditor/Manager.)

Sikkens Autowave® boosts the quality of repairs at Island Fender by providing excellent color matching and coverage. (Pictured: Technician Kalvene Lorenzo mixes paint.)

Since 1937, Island Fender has been providing high-quality collision repairs to Honolulu, HI, and the surrounding area. Using the latest technology in collision repair, framework, alignment and painting, Island Fender offers superior workmanship and service. Owner Van Takemoto said the key ingredient to his shop’s success is his involvement with AkzoNobel’s Acoat Selected Performance Group.

“The Acoat Selected Performance Group helped me build my body shop from $50,000 monthly sales to $250,000 and increased our net profit,” Takemoto said. “With the profit generated from the shop, we were able to invest in the real estate instead of paying rent. Over the years, the cash flow from the shop and real estate investments have continued to increase.”

Takemoto’s father, Takeo, and uncle, Harry, founded Island Fender more than 80 years ago, beginning their auto body business by repairing cars in the garage behind their house. Van Takemoto began working in the shop when he was in school; he began running the business in 1980, officially assuming ownership in 1992.

In the early 1980s, Takemoto attended the International Autobody Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, as part of his ongoing efforts to ensure Island Fender performs the safest repairs possible.

After the conference, Akzo-Nobel hosted a tour, taking U.S. attendees to Holland to introduce its Sikkens paint line. It didn’t take long for Takemoto to realize Sikkens was the missing component to running a more successful collision repair business.

“At that time, the industry was using lacquers, and the more progressive shops were using acrylic enamel,” Takemoto said. “Sikkens acrylic urethane was so much better and more advanced than anything else available in the United States at that time. I knew it was the right fit for Island Fender.”

During the trip to Holland, AkzoNobel also took attendees on a tour to visit Acoat Selected shops. “Acoat’s business consulting for body shop customers was such a great concept for successful, well-managed body shops,” Takemoto said. “I knew then that Sikkens was the partner I needed, not only for the quality of paint, but more importantly for their Acoat Selected Performance Group that develops the management skills necessary to grow my business.”

Island Fender boasts a 9,000-square foot production space, where its 11 employees repair damaged vehicles, but the shop’s emphasis on safe and proper repairs is what makes it stand out from other shops in the area.

The shop is OEM-certified by more than a half dozen manufacturers, and the technicians performing the repairs are alsoeducated on OEM procedures and certified accordingly. “Vehicle technology is moving at an exponential rate, making collision repair much more complex and requiring technician training and OE repair research on every repair,” Takemoto said.

“At Island Fender, all repairs are done to OE repair procedures. OE research is done on every repair, and we save the documents for our repair file,” he said. “Preand post-repair scans are conducted on every repair, and no aftermarket parts are used.”

Looking forward to the future of the collision repair industry, Takemoto predicted OE repair procedures will require substantial investment in equipment and training.

“As we move forward, there will be fewer shops able to make the investment to repair the cars of today and the future,” he said. Takemoto also believes it is important to monitor outside factors that impact the collision repair industry, which is why he stays involved with his local association, the Automotive Body and Painting Association of Hawaii, where he has served as a past president.

He also assists with lobbying activities to ensure that new legislation will not have a negative impact on the Hawaiian industry.

Island Fender also takes its role seriously when it comes to protecting the environment for future generations.

The shop invested in skylights, eliminating electrical lighting 80% of the time. Additionally, Island Fender’s painters spray with Sikkens Autowave® waterborne paint system, which delivers excellent color accuracy, ease of application, superior coverage, fadeout and cost effectiveness, allowing shops like Island Fender to contribute to the conservation of the environment without sacrificing quality and customer service.

“Being the first shop in Hawaii to start using Sikkens, we were able to deliver a much higher quality paint finish than our competitors,” Takemoto said. “Sikkens was so much better than what existed in the U.S. market. It was night and day. Both quality and productivity at Island Fender increased greatly. My employees love Sikkens’ Autowave paint system.”

Still, Takemoto feels the largest impact to Island Fender results from his decision to join AkzoNobel’s Acoat Selected Performance Group.

“We would not be where we are today as a business without the support that we have gotten from AkzoNobel in terms of both product development and the availability of technical and business support,” he said.

– Autobody News Staff / SHOP AND PRODUCT SHOWCASE / Autobody News June 2020

Google Reviews

Lloyd Parfait
Lloyd Parfait
May 12, 2022.
Fantastic body shop! These guys are the go to place for me from here on out... They are great at keeping you posted on the work, and they get things done fast. Impeccable work, and super friendly service. I cannot say enough great things about the team. Thank you so very much!
David L. Davis
David L. Davis
January 20, 2022.
Very pleasant and efficient.
Erica Masi
Erica Masi
September 17, 2021.
Did great work managing my Geico claim. It longer than expected due to part delivery but they communicated well on the delay. Once the part was in they fixed the vehicle very fast. Excellent body work!
Peter “Kelii” Won
Peter “Kelii” Won
September 1, 2021.
They handled my usaa insurance claims very well. Easy to communicate with and clear about what they needed.
Diane Ho
Diane Ho
August 31, 2020.
Great service!!!
Grant Champoux
Grant Champoux
August 15, 2020.
Samantha Champoux
Samantha Champoux
August 3, 2020.
Kevin Eckert
Kevin Eckert
November 15, 2019.
Professional service.
Leah C
Leah C
July 29, 2019.
a yobo
a yobo
June 24, 2019.
Fixed my car, i didn't have to worry about anything

Yelp Reviews

P. C.
P. C.
September 1, 2022.
(My apologies to Island Fender. This review should have gone out years ago. Just today I realized I had saved it as a draft, and never sent it. I thought it'd be better late than never. Sorry!)After State Farm had offered low amount for repairing my badly damaged VW, I refused the check and searched for a repair shop estimate. The only place I found that was certified to work on the VW MQB chassis was Island Fender. It took them just a couple to days to look into the extent of the damage, and it turned out to be significant. So much so that State Farm declared it at a total loss, and with some back and forth, the gave me a pretty reasonable settlement. Everyone I dealt with at Island Fender was absolutely fantastic. Extremely professional & considerate of my situation. Mahalo Island Fender!!!
Greg W.
Greg W.
July 28, 2021.
After many years but very low mileage on a Mercedes E320 I took it in to Island fender to fix some corrosion spots on the roof - front windscreen trim, and minor damage to the left rear wheel fender housing and the rear bumper. Their estimate was solid and the work terrific. By the look of the number of mercedes and other better automobiles in their facility their reputation is known. Thomas their primary estimator is very pleasant and professional to work with as well as their office staff. I highly recommend them for all of your auto body work. Though I hope not to have to use them again I certainly would. Island Fender keep up the great efforts. Best on the Island,
Megan C.
Megan C.
July 13, 2021.
There is no other repair shop that I would trust more with my car! Mahalo Thomas and the Island Fender Ohana for always taking care of me and my car. If you are looking for a repair shop, look no further! The team is reliable, professional and always stay in constant communication regarding any repairs. Mahalo again and hope I dont see you guys again for repairs anytime soon! :)-Megan
Isabella T.
Isabella T.
June 25, 2021.
Came into shop for a free consolation and got the best help ever from their estimator Thomas. He was fast and efficient while going above and beyond to help us. I couldn't recommend this place enough. I wish I could give Thomas 6 stars!
Melisa S.
Melisa S.
June 7, 2021.
My mother in law's car got re-ended and we took it to Island Fender to be fixed. The staff was extremely helpful. They kept me informed on the progress of the car and if they found any other issues that needed to be addressed. I highly recommend this auto shop. We are extremely happy with their professionalism and quality of work.
Javaine G.
Javaine G.
May 14, 2021.
The dealership for my car recommended this shop because they "specialize in VW repairs." This place is a joke. I only needed my door replaced and worked with it through insurance. Instead of sending all the repair payment requests at once, they send it in spurts to prolong the storage of my car. My car was drive-able, but they needed it to stay at the shop for repairs while they wait for parts to come in? Who sends 5 plus payment requests and blames the insurance that they only receive partial payments? My insurance sent me the requests and they paid it out exactly as requested. I've had to call for updates on my car, and most times they don't even call back!! Now that my rental coverage is coming to an end, they are saying they cannot release my car until my insurance sends the final payment? Another payment request? Seriously? Even my insurance asked me why they got so many requests instead of one request. Don't tell me that you run into realizing you needed another part for this and that when you specialize in the repairs of this make...shouldn't you already know what parts are needed? Looking at the pic I provided, replacing my door cost my insurance almost 10k! Whatever you do, do not give this shop your business!
Susana A.
Susana A.
April 25, 2021.
Satisfied customer! Good service and friendly staff! Thank you and will definitely recommend !
Mel L.
Mel L.
May 21, 2020.
A shout out to the Island Fender team, especially Thomas and technician Mike for going above and beyond in customer service. Island Fender repaired my wife's car several weeks ago -- for the type of service and the quality of work, I had given them 5 stars in a post-service survey. Today, I called them for some troubleshooting tip (in case it was related to the repair) after my wife's car wouldn't start. I just need to get a couple of questions answered to help me with my troubleshooting. However, Thomas insisted he send out a tech to where we were to help us out. Unbelievable! Totally unexpected and clearly above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you Thomas, Mike, and the rest of the Island Fender team!
Lawrence R.
Lawrence R.
April 23, 2020.
My car was stolen and recovered 2 days later. Damages over the body and wheels were assessed by my insurance co. and the interior was disgusting (smoking & evidence of drug use). The car broken into electronically.Took the car to Island Fender because it was on my insurance co. recommended list and the positive reviews from Yelp members. Was not disappointed!!! I highly recommend Thomas and his crew for body work and repair needs. It's like I'm driving a brand spanking new Scion Xb! The body is pristine, the damaged back wheel was replaced w/ a brand new tire and rim & everything aligned, the electronics was checked out and the interior detailed. Island Fender gets an 11 out of 10 in my book!!!

Facebook Reviews

Lee Ohana
January 7
5/5

In these days of covid there is no direct contact anymore but thanks to the office staff my claim was processed efficiently. A shout out to Thomas and the entire body work crew who did an outstanding job on my Toyota (although it’s not listed as cars they prefer to work on).

TESTIMONIALS