The global company that ecologically repairs cars damaged by bad weather using a paintless method is Italian.

“Paintless dent repair” (PDR) is the art of cold, paintless automotive repair that restores cars to their original shape without invasive interventions. Giovanni Liccardo, 49, founder and current CEO of Lever Touch – the leading group in the car repair sector using this innovative methodology – was the one to turn it into an industrial process applied on a large scale. Starting in Naples, Lever Touch has grown over the last thirty years into a global player, with subsidiaries in France, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and the United States. In addition to its commercial success, the Group is committed to social and environmental initiatives, and promotes sustainable practices, offering employment opportunities to young people in need. An approach that has seen Giovanni Liccardo honoured with prestigious awards as an innovative and socially responsible entrepreneur in the automotive sector.

TURNING A HUNCH INTO A BUSINESS

Liccardo’s career began in the ranks of prestigious automotive companies, where he honed the technical skills that would become the backbone of Lever Touch. He himself recounts how many of the techniques used in Lever Touch actually originate from the assembly lines of Alfa Sud in Pomigliano D’Arco. Since his beginnings, Liccardo has come a long way, transforming a gut feeling into an entrepreneurial reality of international scope. In fact, the Group has a turnover of more than 80 million euros with around 250 employees and more than 1,500 PDR technicians and auto body mechanics.

A FLEXIBLE MULTINATIONAL

In the automotive world, where weather phenomena – such as hail – can inflict significant and costly damage, Lever Touch relies on this cold repair methodology that avoids traditional bodywork processes, e.g. plastering and painting. This not only reduces costs, but also shortens repair times. To maintain a high quality of service, Lever Touch adopts a three-pronged strategy: it trains new technicians, through the Lever Touch Academy in Italy, France and Spain; it employs “priority” contracts to secure the world’s best technicians by guaranteeing their immediate availability; lastly, as a multinational, it has a unique flexibility in the allocation of technicians to meet global needs, ensuring constant work throughout the year for its specialists.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF LABOUR

With locations in Italy, France and Spain, the Academy is an investment in the future of skilled labour and innovation in the automotive industry. Therefore, Liccardo’s leading undertaking is the crowning achievement of a journey that he himself has described as long and rewarding, made possible only thanks to the support of his family and the dedication of the team of employees. Thanks to them, the company has evolved to an organised and efficient structure that rightly occupies the position of world leader in car repair. Lever Touch therefore acts as a global partner for car manufacturers, insurance companies, short-, medium- and long-term rental companies and large dealer groups, with a specialised service in the restoration of vehicles from hail damage.

A STRONG COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL ISSUES

At the Sanremo Music Festival 2023, Giovanni Liccardo was in the audience at the Ariston Theatre, when Francesca Fagnani, during her monologue, denounced the great difficulties encountered in helping young people who grow up in difficult, marginalised contexts. These words were enough to trigger something in Liccardo, who immediately contacted the Juvenile Institute of Nisida, a young offender institution near Naples, which is dedicated to the rehabilitation of young inmates. The centre is particularly known for its vocational training programmes and activities that promote the personal and social development of young people and their reintegration into society. The donation of three table football tables to the institution was an opportunity to agree with the director of the juvenile facility on how to offer some young people the opportunity to learn a trade that can offer a redeeming future with a stable and qualified job. Liccardi turned his words into action, by offering two boys a job in Lever Touch, a piece of news that was commented positively by Francesca Fagnani herself, who expressed gratitude to the entrepreneur for an extremely important gesture in offering these young people new prospects in life.

“I was born in Naples and it fills me with pride to know that my Lever Touch Group can positively influence the life of this beautiful city and of these young people, offering them real opportunities for recovery and a better life,” said the entrepreneur. Last November, Liccardo received the prestigious Golden Lion Career Award at the Senate of the Italian Republic for his achievements, respect for ethical principles, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability. “I have always dreamed of founding a modern, sustainable, and inclusive company,” Liccardo proudly explains. “Today my dream is a solid reality established at European and world level. As is often the case with many Italian companies, the saying applies: no one is a prophet in his own land. So it was for us: in the beginning, we gained more recognition abroad than in Italy. Now things have changed and we are very proud to be an Italian Group renowned for its high ethical, human and professional standards”.

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