Supercharge Your SmartLift – Shop Owner Magazine

Rotary Lift introduces a retrofit performance package that enables current SmartLift inground lift owners to step up to the added productivity provided by the company’s new Shockwave system.

According to Rotary Lift, the Shockwave performance package turns SmartLift, the world’s most popular inground lift, into the world’s fastest lift, with rise and descent times that are twice as fast a standard lift’s: just 25 seconds up and 19 seconds down. Productivity is further enhanced by the patent-pending Spotline laser spotting guide which enables technicians to more quickly and accurately position a vehicle for service.

Rotary Lift introduced Shockwave-equipped SmartLift inground lifts and two-post surface lifts in November 2011. The new Shockwave performance package makes it possible upgrade any previously installed SmartLift SL210 inground lift.

“With more than 50,000 SmartLift inground lifts sold worldwide, there is a huge installed base of customers who may want to further improve their bay productivity and profitability without replacing existing lifts,” explains John Rylee, Rotary Lift director of marketing. “The new Shockwave performance package provides these customers with a cost-effective way to speed up service and increase profits. It’s like adding a supercharger to your lift!”

The package includes everything necessary to upgrade a SmartLift SL210 inground lift, including new hydraulic cylinders, DC power unit and controls, and Spotline laser. Rotary Lift recommends that a Rotary Authorized Installer (RAI) performs the upgrades.

Shockwave-equipped SmartLift inground lifts are battery-operated, with a built-in charger that runs on 110V current. In addition to powering the fast cycle times, this patent-pending system also may lower daily operating costs by reducing the amount of electricity used. In this way, Shockwave makes SmartLift, the original environmentally friendly inground lift, even greener. SmartLift’s environmental credentials include a self-contained polymer composite housing to protect against leaks and electrolysis, bio-fluid compatibility, and a small footprint that makes it possible to install 12 SmartLift inground lifts in the same amount of space as 11 two-post surface lifts.

The Spotline laser guide automatically shoots a green laser line into the center of the service bay when a vehicle approaches. The technician then quickly centers the line on the vehicle’s hood and dash while pulling onto the lift, for faster, more accurate vehicle spotting.

According to Rotary Lift, even servicing the lift itself is faster with SmartLift. All SmartLift maintenance can be performed at ground level without removing the lift. Rotary Lift’s patented EasyAccess cylinder does not require bleeding and can be serviced in just two hours — that’s 75 percent less time than required for competitive cylinders, providing a significant savings in downtime.

SmartLift inground lifts accelerated by Shockwave have been third-party tested by ETL and ALI certified to meet ANSI safety and performance standards. They are made in the U.S.A.

For more information about Shockwave, contact your local Rotary Lift distributor, visit www.rotarylift.com/Shockwave, or call (800) 640-5438. You can also find Rotary Lift on Facebook, www.facebook.com/RotaryLift; Twitter, www.twitter.com/RotaryLift and YouTube, www.youtube.com/RotaryLiftMedia.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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