Northwest Collision Center adds high-roof paint center for RVs and buses

Northwest Collision Center is installing a high-roof paint and refinishing center at its Tyrone Boulevard shop in St. Petersburg to handle RVs, buses and luxury motorcoaches. The upgrade expands the company’s work in the luxury coach segment and gives oversized vehicles a controlled refinishing process instead of outdoor workarounds.

Why it matters: - The new center is built for vehicles that do not fit a standard paint bay, a common barrier for RV, bus and motorcoach repairs. - The upgrade gives Northwest Collision Center a controlled refinishing space for tall vehicles, which should improve finish consistency on full-length coaches. - The project expands the shop’s ability to serve the luxury motorcoach market in St. Petersburg.

What happened: - Northwest Collision Center is installing a high-roof painting and refinishing center at its Tyrone Boulevard facility in St. Petersburg. - The space is designed for RVs, buses and luxury motorcoaches that exceed the clearance of a conventional booth. - The build follows the company’s move into the luxury motorcoach segment earlier this year. - Greg Descent, owner of Northwest Collision Center, said the new center will let the shop finish coach roofs to the same standard it uses on cars.

The details: - The shop says many body shops avoid tall vehicles because roofs and upper panels often have to be handled outdoors or in sections. - Northwest Collision Center’s new setup is meant to let a full-length coach move through a controlled refinishing process from the start. - The shop’s luxury motorcoach work has centered on Prevost, Volkner Mobil and Tiffin coaches. - The center is inside the company’s 42,000-square-foot building, which grew from 17,000 square feet. - Northwest Collision Center has served St. Petersburg since 1959 and describes itself as the city’s oldest collision repair center. - The shop is I-CAR Gold Class certified, factory approved by Mazda and Lexus, and BBB accredited. - Northwest Collision Center says it has more than 680 five-star reviews. - The company also provides auto paint and refinishing for cars and light trucks in St. Petersburg. - The team uses digital color matching to keep the finish consistent from panel to panel. - The company’s services include collision repair, auto paint and refinishing, detailing, paintless dent repair, digital color matching, frame straightening and headlight restoration. - Northwest Collision Center also offers auto restoration and collision repair for Tesla vehicles and other EVs. - The business is located at 3301 Tyrone Blvd. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33710.

Between the lines: - The high-roof build signals a push beyond standard collision work and into a niche where specialized equipment can be a competitive advantage. - The investment also suggests Northwest Collision Center is trying to capture higher-value repair and refinishing work tied to luxury coach ownership. - Being able to keep tall vehicles indoors from start to finish may reduce the compromises that come with outdoor or partial refinishing.

What's next: - The high-roof paint and refinishing center is being installed now at the Tyrone Boulevard facility. - Northwest Collision Center is likely to use the new space to support more coach and oversized-vehicle refinishing work as the segment grows. - The company will continue serving collision repair and refinishing customers across cars, light trucks, luxury coaches and EVs.

The bottom line: - Northwest Collision Center is betting that specialized indoor refinishing for oversized vehicles will deepen its role in the luxury motorcoach market while strengthening its core collision business.