125 Years of People-First Leadership: What Shops Can Learn from Grote Industries
About this episode
Grote Industries’ 125-year story is used to unpack people-first leadership that shop owners can apply: clear values, structured talent management, and retention built on real development plans. The guest explains how younger technicians look for a believable future, why loyalty has changed, and how rushing hiring after “red flags” backfires. Hiring and leadership practices include probing for soft skills, preferring face-to-face final interviews, and running private, ongoing one-on-ones—doing the right thing instead of chasing quick fixes.
Why do employees stay at a company for 25, 40, even 50 years? In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Josh Wilber discusses the hiring and retention lessons behind Grote Industries’ 125-year legacy. From identifying future leaders and navigating generational shifts to avoiding costly hiring compromises, Wilber shares practical strategies shop owners can use right now to build stronger teams, improve retention, and create a workplace people genuinely want to be part of.
grody industries
"First of all, Josh Wilberg, vice president, newly appointed vice president of human resources at grody industries. Now, for those who aren't familiar or for those who say they are that name sounds familiar, where might our readers have seen some of grody's handiwork?"
Grote Industries (transcribed here as “grody industries”) is a company known for lighting and visibility products used on commercial vehicles and equipment. The episode uses the company’s 125-year history as the backdrop for discussing how it keeps employees engaged.
John Deere
"If you're out on the highway, you're going to see it. It's on tractor trailers all over the world, actually. So definitely there you could be on farm equipment and see it on a John Deere tractor or a JCB equipment."
John Deere makes farm tractors and other agricultural machines. The host mentions it to show that Grote’s lights show up on equipment people see every day on highways and farms.
John Deere is a major manufacturer of agricultural equipment, especially tractors. In the segment, it’s used as an example of where Grote Industries’ lighting products can be seen on real-world farm machinery.
JCB
"If you're out on the highway, you're going to see it. It's on tractor trailers all over the world, actually. So definitely there you could be on farm equipment and see it on a John Deere tractor or a JCB equipment."
JCB makes heavy-duty equipment used in construction and industry. The point of the mention is that Grote’s lighting products are found on more than just trucks—they’re also on equipment like JCB machines.
JCB is a well-known manufacturer of construction and industrial equipment. Here it’s mentioned alongside John Deere to illustrate that Grote Industries’ lighting is used across different types of heavy equipment.
turn signals
"And we're talking turn signals, mirrors, even work lights. Reflective tape."
Turn signals are the vehicle lights used to indicate a driver’s intended direction of travel, typically when changing lanes or making turns. In this segment, they’re cited as an example of the kinds of lighting Grote Industries makes for highway-visible vehicles and trailers.
work lights
"And we're talking turn signals, mirrors, even work lights. Reflective tape."
Work lights are auxiliary lights used to illuminate tasks or areas around a vehicle, especially in low-visibility conditions. The segment mentions them to show Grote’s lighting presence on equipment and trailers used on highways and worksites.
reflective tape
"And we're talking turn signals, mirrors, even work lights. Reflective tape. Pretty much anything you come in contact with as you said on the highway and even trailers."
Reflective tape is a retroreflective material that bounces light back toward the driver, improving visibility at night or in poor weather. It’s commonly used on trailers and equipment to make vehicles easier to spot on the road.
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.