Sudden Impact goes green with paint

Painter at Sudden Impact, Steve Yates, applies the new Waterborne water-based paint. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

The staff at Sudden Impact and their shop dog, Otto, who loves to greet customers. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

By Shelley Smithssmith@salisburypost.com

Sudden Impact Auto Body and Paint Shop can paint your car a lot of colors, but the business is going green.

Open since 1992, Sudden Impact has recently added an environmentally friendly paint to its repertoire — Waterborne. The owner says using one gallon of Waterborne, a water-based paint — versus using an oil-based paint — is the equivalent of taking 200 cars off of the roads.

The emissions and disposal of the water-based paint is reduced by 80 percent, and the remnants of leftover paint are cooked down to a small "biscuit" that is biodegradable.

"The paint is being mandated in California right now," said Danny Shaw, owner of Sudden Impact. "What's good for them is good for us. We're the first in this area of North Carolina to have it."

The process costs a lot of money to implement, Shaw said, "but the total package is well worth it."

The paint goes on like latex paint. But it's thinned with an expensive distilled water. One gallon of the Waterborne paint can paint five to six cars and gives them a great shine from the base coat to the clear or top coat.

"Everything is still done the old way," Shaw said. "And we guarantee the paint for as long as you own the car."

The paint is applied in a garage specially designed to help reduce emissions.

"The air is filtered twice," Shaw said. "From the ceiling to the car, the car to the floor vent, and then again when it goes outside."

The paint is cured by the air movement, not by temperature like other paints.

Steve Yates, who paints all the vehicles, has been with Sudden Impact for 15 years.

"I would put Steve against any painter in this country," Shaw said.

Yates likes the new water-based paint, and he said the smell is a lot better than latex.

"The color matches better and the overall coverage is better," Yates said. "It takes a lot less to cover and prime."

Sudden Impact started in 1992 with one building and now has five buildings.

"There's nothing on a car we can't fix here," Shaw said. "We try to do everything the right way."

Sudden Impact has never laid off an employee, and Shaw and his manager, Rob Roberson, have taught their employees everything they know.

"Every one of these guys that work for us came straight out of high school," Shaw said. "They've never worked at another shop, and everyone here has been taught by Rob, the right way."

Sudden Impact is also giving back not only to the environment but also to the community, specifically high school students.

Shaw's son, Brian, visits every high school's drivers education programs, teaching and showing the students steps to take if and when they get into an automobile accident.

"It gives them a little confidence, and shows them that when something does happen, this is what you do," Brian Shaw said.

On the second Tuesday of each month, Sudden Impact hosts a free auto maintenance class, teaching people how to change a tire, check their oil and fluids, and handle other maintenance concerns.

"It's information that is good for everybody," Danny Shaw said.

The next step for Sudden Impact is to build a a mechanical work shop.

"It's just another avenue for us to serve the community," Shaw said.

Sudden Impact is located at 6330 Mooresville Road. Visit its Web site, www.suddenimpactautobody.net for more information.