KRMG In Depth: Broken Arrow auto and collision repair business aims to revolutionize the industry

In 1913, Henry Ford had the revolutionary idea of building automobiles using an assembly line.

His inspiration greatly reduced the price of his cars - by more than two thirds - which in turn allowed him to pay his employees much better.

It was a combination that built an empire, and made the automobile almost universally available.

Now, a local businessman is applying a similar principle to auto and collision repair - and may turn that industry on its head before he’s done.

[ Hear the KRMG In Depth Report on Kyle Al-Rifai and Swift Recon ]

His name is Kyle Al-Rifai, and his business is Swift Recon .

“Going from two employees in 2017 to a hundred plus - something special happened in between there,” Al-Rifai recently told KRMG. Moreover, he added, “Our strategic deployment says, based on all locations, we’ll have 3,000 plus employees.”

The two key elements of that extraordinary growth, he maintains, are innovation and a laser-sharp focus on employees and their well being.

“I came into the repair industry and saw how primitive it was,” he told KRMG. “It really hasn’t been touched for 30-plus years of the way things are done, the way employees are treated, the facilitation. And we’re hoping we can fill that gap, it’s a great opportunity for us to fill that gap and disrupt the industry - not just by how cars are fixed, but how employees are taken care of and treated in this industry.”

He says the customer experience will never exceed the employee experience - and people notice the difference when they visit his facility.

He says he’ll continue to focus on employees, and he’ll need a lot more of them to fulfill those expansion plans.

In fact, Swift Recon is working with local technical schools (specifically Tulsa Tech and Indian Capital) to provide on job experience with college credit.

He’s also preparing a program specifically designed for veterans, called “Switching Lanes.”

“A lot of these kids are graduating with zero debt,” he told KRMG. “Zero debt - and making $40-50,000 out of the box after two years, which is hard to find.”

The other factor, innovation, definitely sets Swift Recon apart from any other business in the industry, Al-Rifai claims.

“I’m not from this industry, I’ve not done it the same way everybody has,” he said. “I’m applying manufacturing to repair.”

So, for example, techs never move vehicles - they focus on their specialty.

Body men never work on the engines; techs never touch a paint gun - the process works similar to an assembly line, as noted above, and by the end of the year Al-Rifai plans to have his operation working 24/7.

He’s also consulted with human resources experts and says he plans to have some of his top techs working three twelve-hour shifts, leaving them four days a week to be with their families - while making as much as $200,000 a year - or more.

Swift Recon is located in Broken Arrow.

Originally focused solely on fleet maintenance, the company’s now one of only a couple in the state certified to work on Teslas, RIveons, Subarus, and other models, with more certifications pending, and doing work for individuals as well as handling fleets.

That aspect of the busines will also expand, Al-Rifai says, adding that Swift Collision locations will begin popping up around the metro in the near future.