A family-owned auto body shop that’s been in business in Kennewick since the 1980s recently opened a Pasco location to stay competitive.

Richard Mathews founded Mathews Auto Body in 1981 in north Pasco, then moved to Kennewick three years later. By 1988, the business had set up shop at 614 W. Columbia Drive, Kennewick, where it’s been ever since.

Ryan Mathews grew up with an interest in vehicles and started working in his father’s shop part time after high school in the ’90s before transitioning to full time work. 

In 2014, he bought the business from his dad, who’s now retired. 

Now, he’s taken the business to Pasco, opening the second shop at 3203 W. Marie St., near several car dealerships and an RV services shop, an area known as the Pasco Autoplex.

New Pasco shop

The Pasco shop opened Nov. 11 and Ryan Mathews said it’s been good to be in the utoplex, as he’s seen good traffic through the area. 

So far, most of their customers are sent over from Kennewick, especially when there might be a wait to get a vehicle estimate, but he hopes to grow the number of organic customers.

Ryan Mathews said that the company has invested more than $700,000 renovating the space. 

“It was fun to make this the way that we wanted it, and hope that that pays off,” he said. 

The building has a 9,000-square-foot shop space, giving technicians plenty of room to work, and there are a few other improvements over the Kennewick location.

A 30-foot custom paint booth that’s 12 feet tall accommodates full-sized vans. Previously, the shop had to send those vehicles to competitors. 

When it comes to painting, the company makes all of its own paints and can match any color. At the Pasco shop, they’ve added a new machine called the MoonWalk which mixes all of the paints. It increases efficiency because employees can turn it on and go back to work, and it also minimizes waste. While many paint formulas call for a minimum of 20 ounces to make the right color, the machine can mix a minimum of one ounce of paint. That means that for small paint jobs, there’s no need to waste the extra ounces of paint that would need to be used when mixing by hand.

The company also has updated all of its frame machines, measuring systems and welders. 

Among several features of Mathews Auto Body’s new Pasco location is a new paint-mixing machine called the MoonWalk, which increases efficiency and reduces waste.

| Photo by Rachel Visick

Commitment to quality 

While the new shop offers additional space for the technicians, its new location primarily helps the business remain competitive. Mathews said that insurance companies have a geographical locator, so it’s helpful to have locations in more than one city. 

The expansion has added one new staff member, Mathews said, with the rest spread out between the two locations. The company employs a total of 31 people.

For Mathews, it’s important not to expand to a point where the quality declines, he said. The business repairs between 120 to 140 cars each month, and he personally checks each car that leaves the shop. Every customer gets his cellphone number when they leave in case they have any issues.

“Do we make everybody happy? No, but we try really, really hard, and everyone’s on the same page. Customer service is definitely our No. 1 priority,” he said. 

Instead of automating text updates, employees text customers to update them on the status of their cars. Some dealerships will bring vehicles damaged in transport to Mathews to repair, but the majority of the business’s clients are local consumers.

Mathews Auto Body also uses only original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, parts.

“A Toyota fender is going to fit way better than some third party that’s trying to duplicate the Toyota fender and selling it for almost half the price,” Mathews said. “So insurance companies love it because it’s cheap, but we don’t agree with it because I wouldn’t put it on my car.”

The company is certified by 12 car manufacturers, which entail specific training and equipment and which audit Mathews Auto Body each year. 

Ryan Mathews credits his staff with Mathews Auto Body’s success. The shop recently expanded to Pasco and will focus on maintaining high-quality work.

| Photo by Rachel Visick

Team success

Mathews said his dad occasionally comes by to help out with miscellaneous maintenance and building equipment for the shop. He has a brother in the company, and his second-oldest son has been working in the shop for several years now. 

Mathews credits his staff with the shop’s success, from a painter who has been around for 20 years to those who focus on communicating with clients. He said the business has been successful by honoring the opinions and input of its employees.

“We’ve just got a phenomenal group of people, like every single one of them is just amazing. Total team feel … everybody works really well together,” he said.

Mathews Auto Body: 3203 W. Marie St., Pasco and 614 W. Columbia Drive, Kennewick, 509-873-3922, mathewsautobody.com. Walk-in estimates are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.