Taking Technical Skills Beyond the Bay

But yet, their talents could be truly utilized on a direction to either be in a mentor, being

a production manager, even a parts.

There's still enough room to keep these guys engaged in their industry, and I think that will

make it that much stronger.

Welcome back to Beyond the Wrench.

My name is Jay Gannon, and I am your host on today's show.

I am really, really excited to welcome John Melendez from JDM Collision in Illinois.

John is one of my favorite people in the industry.

Every time I talk to John, we have an absolute blast, and he's highly educated, highly certified

as we'll go through this conversation and talk a lot about, but just a smart, smart person.

I am jealous, John, because you told me you were getting your hands dirty this morning

on some C8 Corvettes.

Absolutely, Jay.

Best part about it is I love working on M cars, and the same with the customers, but the best

part about that is I've never had a C8 talk back to me yet.

There are days where not being behind a computer, not being on a phone, really seems appealing,

and being able to just walk out to your shop, get a beautiful shop, beautiful facilities,

and just kind of be able to wrench, that's got to be fun.

It is, honestly, and that keeps me engaged, and of course, if I'm going to give direction,

I should lead by example, and that's been so important, but just to be involved is what's

keeping me well-rounded and up-to-date on the way these cars are changing.

I found that out the hard way.

If I don't stay engaged and continue with the education, Jay, I'm going to fall

behind it.

I really don't want to have that happen because it is a great time to be in the

industry if you have good direction.

Your perspective is always great, and even if something is maybe not going the direction

you want it to go, or if you see the industry and have some frustrations with it, I always

get the sense that you're coming from a viewpoint of trying to help the industry and trying

to push it in a forward direction.

Yeah, and that's a valid point, Jay, where I see a lot of that and where it

stems from and what we're trying to do is if we can get consistency in our industry.

Just to mention this past panel discussion that we had last week in SEMA, I was sitting

next to a very bright young man from K&M Collision, and I always reference, I just

met him, and that's Kyle Branshaw, and he made it very clear that guesstimate is

basically you've got to come out of the equation, that we do not want to start

the process with any consumer that walks in our door, that we truly should give that

consumer a damage report and keep them involved on what it's going to take to get

that car back to pre-loss condition, and I think that's very important in

resonating in a direction in which if we had a process that was the same across

the nation, then there's only one way to do a damage report, and the only

thing that changes is just to make a model, and if we can get that solid

and have that work put out there, our industry is going to be even better to

work with.

Oh, I can't wait to dive into some of this. Before we do that, we've got to

start with a young John Melendez and understand what brought you into this

industry. With a John name, I do have to ask, has it always been John or

was there a Jonathan, Johnny, any variations of the first name?

If you ask my wife, we couldn't say that under circumstances of verbiage.

35 years, but you know, of course, I run supporter and I just want to

emphasize that. No, not exactly. No overall nicknames or anything like

that. But in reference to starting out, that young John started out and now

I'm going to start admitting my age, Jay, which I really didn't want to do

today is 1973, my dad bought a shop and I was involved in that. And of

course, you know, give you a quick little background and starting out like

anything else, there was a broom put in my hand, then it was picking up the

tools. It was wiping the tools. And I was always upset with the fact, you

know, and not realizing, let's use karate kid as an example, the wax on

the wax off. It that's that resonated after that movie back in 85 and

understanding what direction my dad was trying to put me into and

understanding that, you know, you need to learn a tool. If I if I asked you in

now mind you, once again, the age is coming into play. I need a half inch

wrench or I need a half inch six point socket. You know, I need a 12

point in this case, you know, believe it or not, picking up all

that stuff, it really, really helped me. And then of course, it gave me

the path of direction where I'm at today.

I think the attention to detail piece is something as we go through this

conversation, you'll start to understand about john is that I don't

know that there a stone goes unturned with you, right? You do have a

different level of detail in in I think one of the most, I guess high

quality shops that I've seen. And I think it's what drives you to

be so successful, right? And so, you know, you look at those early

days of your career, and maybe what that and what your father taught

you about that attention to detail, I started off very similar in my

career, right, which was in a family shop, cleaning, sweeping,

taking the garbage out. At the time we used to burn cardboard.

So I had like a old burn barrel and take cardboard out and burn

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was always fun. But you're absolutely

right. I think that sets the stage for a lot of really, really

good things. Now, as you kind of went up, the difference in our

trajectory and how our careers went was that I was a terrible

technician. Turns out you were pretty darn good. How did how

did you go down that technical route and be so good? Oh, you

know, dude, that is just an honest and I appreciate that

type of question, Jay, because I got tired of sweeping that floor.

I got tired of picking up them tools. And I got tired of watching

my uncle who worked at my dad shop that he was literally putting

him under his belt. And this goes back to when I was 13 years

old. Now mind you, you're looking back now in, you know,

the late 70s, and going to the 80s, which I don't want to

use the math no more. Like I said, I don't want to keep it

ready yet. Is that my dad was a fireman. So he would work

24 hours. And then he was off 48 hours. And he had the shop

myself. And there was a couple other employees there. And in my

dad's brother, which was my uncle, always giving them the

attention. Well, they finally got me so ticked off one day,

there was a night and I'll never forget this, a 1968 Chevelle

black and it had to be painted complete. It was a complete

paint job on this thing. It had to be immaculate. Back then

it was lacquer. I went ahead and my dad was working that

Sunday. And I decided, you know what, I prepped, I sanded, I

clean, I'm like, you know what, the easy part is right around the

corner. I'm going to do it. And that was my first paint job. And

I went ahead and I did the car myself. My dad came in the next

morning, I went to school. I went to school, didn't get back

and my uncle was going to take credit for this. I'm like, Oh,

no, no, no, no, no, I painted the car and none of them

wanted to believe it. I says, do you think really Sunday I

did? I said so honestly, I could paint better than him. And you

guys have spent all the time with him. And believe it or not till

today, I still razz my uncle because he's in the insurance

side of it. And I says you could not even fix a car today,

let alone put gas in it, just like it was when we were

younger.

How old were you when you painted that first car? 13 years

old. Oh my goodness. And what a brave soul you went out

and at that when you're 13, and maybe you had this little rebel

in you that was like, I'm just gonna do it. I don't know if I

would have had the guts to do that.

Yeah, you know, because you know what, they were giving me

these taxigab, these old checkered cabs, old Dulux

yellow, I'll paint this fender because you know, here, we got

to get it out right away. Or you could do the inside of that.

I'm like, I've been painting these things since I was,

you know, just coming into the shop after the fact, you

know, but honestly, I got a strike that it was 15 J, not

13. It was 15 years old, even 15. Pretty impressive. Yeah. And

it just got to the point is like, I'm doing a lot of the prep

work. And it's like the easy part, all these guys are taking

that, you know, and then they're putting a buffer in my

hand. I'm like, oh, no, no, no, I want to have some fun

here. And honestly, that's what gave me the direction.

Do you have any runs in that first paint job? No, but

the back, I couldn't reach the back of the sale of the

rear package tray panel. And it was a little dry right

there. And that's the only spot they had to redo. But

everything else was nice. I couldn't reach it.

Super impressive. So you go from that paint job. Where does

your life go from there? I assume maybe you're earning a

little bit more trust as you're in the shop and you're

pulling off some more of this.

Took the initiative and I made it very clear by paying

attention and watching everybody else created a better

technician than the one that you spent the time with.

And I still emphasize that with my uncle. I Oh, I

drive him nuts on that. And mind you, we're four years

apart. And till today, if he ever comes to the shop, I

make it very clear, I bet you you can't pick up that gun

and paint that car. And how could you? It resonates

that way. And of course, you know, you get his nostrils

to flare. And I just love having that little dig

into him over the years. I was neglected and I took

offense to that even till today. So what happens? Do

you go through high school kind of the traditional

route that way? Yes, Jay. And you know what I was

fortunate that when I went through the high school, when

I got into high school, they had the work program back

then. So therefore, I was in school, the first thing in

the morning. And then I went and worked in my dad's shop in

the afternoon. You know, of course, and I was threatened

that, you know, I do grade you. So if you're not

behaving, you're going to get a bad grade, you know,

that was that was another dig that they used to give

me and razz me about. But that was very

beneficial that I was able to to do that. And I

wish more programs would come back in reference to

what we did back in the day and give these kids a

true hands on. I think that's lacking right now. And

they wonder why we're having issues in some of these

high schools and acquiring new talent. Not not to get

old. I Yeah, we could go on that forever. And we I

think we'll dive into that later on, because I do

think that hands on portion is so important. But you

know, looking at your path, when do you start

full time at the shop?

Well, boy, I'll tell you, going through that. And I had

to grow up real fast, Jay, at the age of 17. I was

going to be a dad. And, you know, it left me no

point that, you know, my dad's business was smaller.

And with the complexity and the way cars are

changing, and that's when the X body came out,

the Chevy citation, we had to actually farm that

car out, just to get the unibody corrected,

because we didn't have a frame, we didn't have a

bench to pull these things. When I seen that,

and then understanding, I had to grow up real fast,

it left me no choice but to move on. And I ended up

working and going to a dealership. And I've been

in the dealership world ever since. Wow.

I so you go to a dealership at 17?

No, of course, I had to be at my 18th birthday. I

ended up getting married. Now I have to be

responsible. I had to grow up real fast. So during

that, I did manage to secure a job at a

local dealer. And I went into the service

department. And like I said, from doing oil

changes, whatever I could, I just got my foot in

the door. And then they found out that I was

well rounded, of course, and into the body

size side. So the manager ended up pulling me

inside of there. And then of course, there was a

lot of animosity and service because I learned

how to do the dashboards, the climate

controlled steering column rebuilding. And I

was painting and doing all that there and

still doing the mechanical work. And that

body shop manager was benefiting from that

because his bottom line just drew because

that was done in there. And you know, the

body shop was like the redheaded step child

in the mechanical side is they're the number

one guys. And even back then, I had a dual

type certification in which I was going after

both and I was utilizing to be able to do

better and to make myself more money, you

know, as far as flag hours, I was flagging

mechanical hours in the body shop.

How so you were on a flat rate type

system just coming in? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I

told them I was a seasoned veteran. And when

I walked into the dealership, I barely had

any tools. I used the credit card. I had a

brand new box I got from Sears. I'm unwrapping

everything. And I think I had this manager

so scared. He's like, I'm just taking that

tools. I says, I do. He says, but they're

new. I says, well, I couldn't take those

from my dad shop. Oh, okay, I'll give you

the benefit of doubt. It's scared to

crap out of this guy. This guy's BSed

me, right? I got plastic and boxes and

opening everything up. Just got the basic

craftsman set and I went to work.

Wow. And so when you start working on the

collision side, are you doing all the prep

stuff again? Or do you go straight into

the paint stop? I went straight into the

body side and I was very fortunate that I

had a technician put me under his wing.

Working together with a gentleman that was

very well rounded. He helped me. He

showed me more about structural pulling.

And then of course, when he would get

a job that was damaged or it was a

theft recovery, we would work together.

He would do the body side. I would do the

mechanical side. The car never went to

service and our little department was

being more efficient because we were

working together back then. Then that's

where where I was able to continue and

keep that under my belt. And I've

always seen that type of networking

when I was young. And that's what I

instilled what I'm doing today.

What what was his name? His name was

Jerry Planzinski. This old pollock.

He looked like Mr. Goodrich. He had

the round glasses on the same buster

brown hair. Always wore his uniform.

And he looked like that poster that was

up there. And I it was just I was very

fortunate to have that man put me under

his wing to help me. And I'm very

grateful for that.

We talk so much to successful people

on this podcast and that seems like a

common thread or a common theme in

that the impact that our mentors

have on us. Right. And I've got one.

I've got business card right here of

one of my really a mentor that I

loved and really think that he was a

reason I ended up in the position I

did in my career was because of him

and several others. But hearing your

story there. I'd like to maybe just

hear a little bit about a more about

him as a mentor and how he taught you.

Was it trying to just give you the

hands on or was it hey watch me do

this and then you do it. Give me an

idea. How did he teach you.

Well I have in respect for him

because I worked to the stall right

next to him. And if he needed to

anchor a car down because we didn't

really have the benches in there

we would using the floor systems that

I would literally move a car over

see that he was there or because

he was an older gentleman. If it was

bringing out the dozer to get

something pulled I would help him

and just being respectful and by and

I'm always a firm believer by giving

that respect. I'm going to get it

back in return and honestly J.I.

hit a home run with that. And wow

that's what helped me realizing that

I was you know brought up

respectfully. You respect anybody or

everybody that you end up conversing

with or doing things with and

hopefully you get it in return.

And that's where I ended up getting

it from. And with having that type

of attitude and going through this

man was a very sharp body man. He

showed me how to pick and file and

you know and straighten out panels

versus you know having to do

replacement showing you know that

you're going to do it the right way

doing it from the backside front

side. Any little concept that there

was and then of course you know

coupling that with continuing

with the GM platform and going

through schools or I should say the

GM schooling that was available or

tech bulletins and information he

would show me referencing how that

is. And then of course you know

adjusting a door I'll never forget

this. That was the first time

working with this man. He had a

dead blow hammer he says this is

how you adjust this frame and whack

the crap out of this thing. He says

now it's going to line up just

right. I'm like are you kidding me.

He goes no you'll see that when you

go to one of the assembly lines

they have the same exact hammer.

And I mean that resonated and it's

stuck with me till today.

I'm like wow OK some basic

common sense just to get this

straightened out to make the job

go. I mean just to complete the

job and having that

type of involvement

in direction from somebody who is

a seasoned veteran back then is

something I'll never forget.

I've said this in the past but I

think this is worth sharing again

that for those

texts that are listening to this

never underestimate the impact

that you have in a shop right

because if you are taking that

mentorship type role

even if you know it or not right

I think a lot of folks maybe don't

have the moniker of the title

that goes along with being a

mentor but your legacy

could easily outlive you if

you treat young people right right

like if you're taking somebody

under your wing and treating

them the right way showing them

respect and really trying

to help them.

You have no idea how much that

helps a young person out and

that will help your legacy

live on forever.

That's funny you mentioned it

because that's exactly how I

feel I've been involved with

the different schools going to

or putting together some

segments at the colleges.

I just recently got back from

East Peoria for the instructors

and you know it was like 11

12 mechanical instructors like

four or five bodies

explaining you know the

collaboration what's important

in going in that direction.

Enjoy that hopefully plant that

seed but circling back

to that point I ended up

having this past summer two

kids came in from the local

high school program and this

gentleman's name is George

never read to he's a C.T.

instructor for Thornton

fractional north that is in our

backyard right outside of the

area and he decided to bring two

kids in there and and the

first thing I did is I took

them into the paint shop area

showed them the programmable

robotic arm you know how this

is so important how you

program things and I took them

right to the 3D measurement

system using the CAD system.

I let them kids turn it on I

let them kids go through and

start measuring it resonated

so well just out of that.

And this man did is on in

summer schools out of session

and I ended up hiring one of

them young men and he even

contacted back his instructor

says hey man I did get hired

by JDM. I'm extremely happy

he's still with us till today

he's doing a phenomenal job.

He's getting on the new iCar

Academy program with one

under the young man.

Jay I got a call three or

four weeks ago.

Hey John is it a problem if

I can put something together

because I'll tell you it

resonated so well seeing the

shop of what you have today

and how advanced it is I would

really like to bring a few

more kids so we can get them

in there and and get a

program together.

Well it's set up I think it's

going to end up happening here

December 2nd I think is

going to be the date.

I got 14 kids coming.

Okay and I love that I'm

excited and I managed to get

ahold of my car.

I mean Bud's Center is

going to be out here the

marketing team the media

team and Jay I think we're

actually going to have a local

news channel that's going to

come out on this because I'm

taking in the day and I'm

creating a complete process

from when the car comes in

when it's checked in how it

gets pre-washed how it gets

identified how the paint shop

is doing taking it into the

advanced body center showing

our alignment center how we

check wheels and tires and

tread and with the new

advanced electronic laser

machines that we have in the

back and I'm going through

step by step by step for

these kids I call and when I

contacted iacar I got 14

shirts coming through these

kids I got 14 safety glasses

coming for these kids and even

having lunch catered in I'm

going to go all out and I

just hope that I'm able to

plant that seed and get that

glimmer and hopefully now

I'll have another one or two

future techs that I could

bring on board like the

young man that we have now

but at least say look a

shop like this and people

who truly respect and want you

in our industry is what I'm

trying to get across and I'm

excited and this one coming

up for shops out there

listening how John is

approaching that is about as

perfect as you can get right

it is about trying to create

more awareness about what

you're doing and the

involvement in the program

that you know the high

school program as a whole

and whether it's high

school community college being

able to get involved and do

just what you're doing which

was put together something that

was a little more formalized

there it took a little bit

more planning you're going

about it in a fully intentional

way getting I car involved

fine folks at I car

I love that man that is

that is that is so cool

and and very very impactful

so I'd love to hear that

now we can't totally

veer off your story though

we need to we need to talk

through

your story you go from your mentor

and what happens next you start

working on more stuff by yourself

you kind of keep growing your career

walk me through that side a little bit

yes you know exactly that way Jay

I I was able to get well

rounded and I'm once again very

very grateful for having a mentor

that I was able to work

underneath that was extremely

helpful and then of course

when it a pamping is that

the years that I was at that

dealership and how one thing

I'm very proud of working

working next to them

and then now going into

full flag hours and and doing

very well on making a good

living at the age of 20

I bought my first house

because I was working at

the dealership doing well

and yes wow yes yes

and then from there

I continued with that

and I was there for four years

and then we lost our manager

he moved on and he ended

up then I was a Pontiac

dealership from there

he ended up going to an

Oldsmobile GMC dealership

that was further south

that was in Northwest Indiana

and next thing you know

about three months later

I get a call from him

he says hey he says

how you been doing

I says no we're still doing good

and you know still working

with Jerry and Tom the painter

and everybody we're all still there

he goes not for long

I'm like what do you mean

he goes Jerry's going to be leaving

he's coming back with me

so is Tom so is Mark

he goes and we have a spot for you

I'm like really

he didn't say nothing

and this is I think that's true

so we're get all situated

everybody one by one is coming out

because you know he

he didn't want to hurt the dealer

but then again he was very upset

with the service manager

once again there's that fighting going on

and when he went out of that

when I get in I'm like

alright so we get into the shop

and go into the office

and everybody's setting up their tools

everything else I get my tools

or he says you don't need them

John I'm like what

he goes no what are you talking about

I'm the service director

you're my new body shop manager

I'm like okay

I didn't see this coming

and ever since ever since then

I've been in the management side

but yet I still kept working

but that man is the one that plant

the city says no

you need to be running our body shop

how I mean

and this is one of those things where

I think maybe we've evolved a little bit

as an industry

but one of those things

where I'm like there's definitely

opportunities to prepare somebody

like you for that role a little bit more

obviously you've been highly successful

throughout your career

but there are a lot of times

where that exact scenario happens

and it doesn't work right

because you bring somebody

from the technical side

into the shop

into the management chair

without a whole lot of training

you just kind of put them there

plucked them there

because they were good in the shop

would you have advice for somebody

that's kind of making that transition

right now

absolutely

we're going to circle back

just a little bit

would help

yeah

I didn't see the writing on the wall

whenever when he was on vacation

he was teaching me

how to write estimates

to use the platform

use the program

he was never this way

he didn't want nobody going in

and hurting his job

and he relied on me

and slowly but surely

I was getting that information

and he blindsided me

when I ended up going to that

didn't expect it

but in reference to that

once again you're going to still

have to be engaged in the educational part

regardless if you're going to step out

you're going to go into the management side

you're going to be writing estimates

being a well rounded individual

that has the ability to identify the damage

it makes it so much easier

how you're going to have a technician

fix the car

and I strongly emphasize

that we need more people

that are willing to transition

to that next level

is going to make the industry

more consistent

where that person is able

to truly identify

and not some of these individuals

and not being disrespectful

to young individuals

that are working for certain insurance companies

but they follow a script

and I'm totally intimidated

by the fact that if somebody comes in

they're going to hand me an estimate

well this is how the car is going to get fixed

this is until you can exceed my credentials

then I'll accept that estimate

oh by the way you can't

so therefore here is ours

how you arrive at that figure

is your problem

okay

and I don't want to get off that subject

but I have to get off this subject

because that'd be like somebody

all the years that you've been in business

they're going to tell you

how to wrench on a car

and this is all you're going to get paid

that doesn't go very well

doesn't that up

no no but you know

and going back to that

where if we have more individuals

because our talent pool is changing

and I would respect the fact

that for that person

who doesn't want to do the work anymore

and they're getting up to that level

in which you know

now their bones are aching

a little bit more

and you know

things are a little bit more difficult

or complex

but yet their talents

could be truly utilized

on a direction

to either be in a mentor

being a production manager

even a parts

I mean there's still enough room

to keep these guys engaged

in their industry

and I think that will make it

that much stronger

technicians

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walk me through the JDM collision side then

like as far as

getting into your own business

and and just trying to

like

the whole story of JDM in general

can you can you walk me through that side

all right

JDM has been in existence for 20 years

we celebrated our 20 year anniversary this year

which was happy anniversary

thanks buddy it was in June

and once again

where's been my heart

I've been in dealerships

I did a couple bouts

with a couple MSOs

was very short-lived

and in 1997

I ended up going to work

for a large dealership group

which they had 19 franchises under their belt

and I left a good position

with the larger MSO

and I acquired this

and the thing that I did is

being very careful

with the state that I was in

being an at will state

I didn't want to take a chance

I'm leaving a good job

that I had a very strong position with

I want to secure myself

with direction and security

because I felt I've earned it

with over the years

and working and now I'm on a management side

but yet still have the ability to keep working

so I wanted a couple that

with the right organization

and I did

and with working with this organization

from 1997 up until 2005

that dealership treated me like old

we had three dealer

we had three dealership body shops

I converted it into one

and worked that

and then I bought it from

the dealer principal in 2005

and that's where I'm at today

How does that conversation

go with the dealer principal?

Oh it was fantastic

because he had five other kids

which that was their management team

and or they all had a stake

inside of the business

not realizing that I

construed a contractual agreement

with ownership interests

instead of taking bonuses

I invested in myself to buy the place

and the reason why I ended up

getting this type of recognition

with this dealer principal

and God rest his soul

it was because of the respect

the empathy I had

and I really put forth the effort

in which the department

was extremely profitable

and it continued

and there was a reason why

it wasn't John looking at the clock

and quitting at five o'clock

I did whatever I had to to maintain it

and to keep that integrity

and keep that collaboration

with the service department

and not being that redheaded stepchild

and whatever I wanted

that body shop received it

because it was totally recognized

on a different level

by instilling that type of attitude

and working together

I think I'd love to get some advice

there as well on

how you approached that

because we hear from so many technicians

that I feel like struggle

on the communication side

with leadership

in being able to have

open transparent conversations

I think a lot of them are

maybe scared of having

something held over their head

by a leader

or maybe just don't have

that confidence that you did

to have those open conversations

to even have

maybe that forethought

to really

even know that ownership was possible

right

I you know there's

there's so many things

that I give you credit for

throughout that process

and I want to maybe pull

some of what you did out of that

to give some advice to the audience

and say okay how did

how did you go about that John

like having that conversation

that can't be

an easy conversation

obviously respect is a big piece of it but

if it's somebody looking for promotion

or it's somebody looking for a raise

it's somebody

you know maybe wanting

to open their own shop someday

I think so many people are terrified

of having that conversation

that are technicians

how should they go about that

you know that could be answered

in many different areas

Jay considering I was fortunate

that I had a dealer principal

that came up the same way

like a lot of us did

he was working in wrenching

and eventually ended up buying

a dealership

and ended up growing to so many

very similar story

when you look at

from where my age

who comes from

I'm the tail under the baby boomers

that generation

looked at

for those who did hard work

and were consistent

were rewarded

didn't have to ask for that raise

didn't have to look outside of that

them days are gone Jay

we're the last of what

that piece of the puzzle

that it would get put together

with other different pieces

that allowed us to go ahead

and be able to achieve

that next level goal

and I just happened to land a right dealer

in which I was able to

like basically

live his legacy

with the body shop

by able to buy it

and and he was very receptive to that

so to try to comment

outside of that

we don't know if any other dealer

is going to be the same way

or the same mindset

but in reference to answering the question

more stringent is consistency

hard working

empathetic

and and and truly having

the customer's best interest

as far as doing your repairs

properly

in my case

I graduated up into the

the customer side of it

and let me tell you something

I did not let one

single customer

have a car delivered

that they were disappointed on

I had the highest CSI

within that department

for the dealership

and one

trips or this

and you know

the dealers are always good for that

you know

or send them out

or John you just won this

or you got that

you know

or here's an extra stipend

simply because

you know

your CSI was consistent

follow-up phone calls

truly making sure

that client was completely satisfied

a lot of things that are missing

today

in reference to that

even some of these dealers

because

a lot of their writers

they're overwhelmed

and they're losing that personal touch

and then they wonder why they have issues

hmm

and that's what helped me

Jay over the years

is it's just

you know and honestly

once again

lead my example

be a person that truly is

has the right direction

and does care about

everything he does

and everything else

will follow right behind

and some a little patience

mixed in there too right

I think that was one of

that was one of my faults

early in my career

was that I was not patient

I wanted to

and I think there are a lot of

young people right now

that are probably in that same boat

where

I just want that next promotion

I just want to keep

you know

you kind of want to keep moving

and

if I were to tell my younger self

something

it would be like

slow down a little bit

like you don't

you don't need to

get to that next level

so fast

and in fact

I think

at some point

that hurt me a little bit too

of like

you're trying to grow so fast

and you're trying to get to the next level

so fast

right

that you really

don't take a breath

and be like

hey you know

should focus on

maybe just

like you did

perfect your craft

make sure that

whatever you're doing

that you do it

better than anybody else

and

I think the

the red carpet

will be laid out for you

in the future

right

and and that's

right

PJ

yeah

you know

I think that's really good

and you know

you got to look back

and you got to ask yourself

the question

you know

do I continue

is it going to be beneficial

like you know

I did switch a few dealers

for that same reason

there was

there was no other direction

or there was no

any

any more to move

and luckily

because

of working

so close

with this one manager

that he kept us

under his wing

and and honestly

his success

was based upon

the people he surrounded

himself with

and that's the same philosophy

philosophy that I believe

in today

my business is successful

because I have the right

people working

underneath

and we're working together

oh

and and you do it

as good as anybody

really surrounding yourself

with good people

so

I always love to hear

that type of story

as you're getting this

thing started

and kind of

just really rolling

it had to benefit

because you had those

relationships already

right

where you maybe

you don't have to take the

route of

a typical small

business owner

in that you've got some

you've got some business

built in

you've got some loyalty

built in

when you're

when you're rolling out

this JDM collision side

yeah

it is Jay

and like I said

the networking

and then of course

being a dealership

body shop

that that same customer base

I'm fixing

second generation kids cars

now from the same ones

that I've had

over the years

and it's such a great feeling

that I'll have the kids come in

and you know

hey my dad said

to come over here

just want to get this

taken care of

and then of course get a call

back from the dad

and he says

I really appreciate the advice

you gave my son

you know

or my daughter

you looked out for them

and and having that type of

rapport

with our existing

in our past customers

and helping out

the second generation

just solidifies that

you know what

when you do

are when you are empathetic

and you really want to be

helpful

for them to send their kids

or their wife

and that's the way it should be

because this way here

they know that we're going to be

doing things right

you know

and that's why I decided to make

the larger investment

and and update

and get myself

ready for tomorrow's repairs

I'm very proud of that

and and Jay

God forbid

if it all fails

I'm going to be on a corner

somewhere with a hot dog wagon

trust me

I don't think you'll ever

be operating a hot dog wagon

I think your your skills

are always going to be in

demand

you talked about

investment and skills

and I think you

take that about as seriously

as anybody I've ever met

in terms of your credentialing

your training

talk to me about that

a little bit

because you

it feels like have

so many of those credentials

that a lot of people

in this industry

would love to have

you've got a lot

well and Jay

I can't take all the credit

for that

I'm going to be honest with you

back in 2010

when I bought the body shop

in 2005

okay

and in 2010

when we had from

2008 to 2010

we lost a lot of dealers

right

oh there's a cash for clunkers

and everything else that was

going on

there was a lot of negativity

that you know what

believe it or not

them 19 franchises

by the time they started

dissecting

and cutting back

because everything that was

going on

I lost them all

no longer had the

affiliation

and dealer principal

dissolved the corporation

they lost the Chevy hat

I mean

there was so much of that

going on

and I thank god that

it it didn't affect us

because the body shop

was already five years

under my belt for one

two I still had that customer base

and I'm

very fortunate

that it was able to continue

even during that downturn

so I mean

and it continued

now

from 2010

to current

in which by the way

to reference

why I can't take all the

credit for it

I had a GM rep

that this guy

really saw the future

and he's the one

that planted the seed

he says John

you ended up losing

the dealership

where you had your hat

which was a Chevrolet

Buick

Bosmobile

GMC

Pontiac

all of them were

inside of this

dealer principal's belt

okay

when they were gone

I had nowhere else

to continue my education

this GM rep put me

into a dealership

that I'm still

networking with till today

that can be

where I can continue

my education for one

number two

by by going that route

he also made it clear

to me with the

complexity of these cars

and what's coming down

the pipeline

you need to get yourself

well-rounded

and get yourself in a position

in which you can start

doing both

like you have been

and it's going to come up

to where the shop

is going to have to be

well-rounded

to be on a new

certification programs

that are coming down

the pipeline

until today

I thank that man

for the direction

he gave me

and that gave me

the new direction

and the new platform

that JDM is today

well I think

it credit to you though

for actually taking

that seriously

right because I think

it could have easily

you could have easily

gotten that advice

and said ah

I don't need that

and kind of kept

going the same way

that you were

but you took a little bit

of a different outlook

at it

yes

and you know

definitely

Jay uh

but I didn't

really think that

it was going to get

this advanced

you know

I thought it was

still going to be able

to bang on a fender

you know

if I got to pull a

drivetrain out

or something basic

God that's going to

be no problem

you know

eight us

what was that

back in 2015

okay

oh now you gotta

start scanning cars

hello

okay

and and

exactly everything

he was saying

it came to fruition

I was like

now I get it

that's wild

I just

kind of the evolution

you've seen

over your career

of our industry

how do you keep

pushing yourself

for those credentials

then

because you know

obviously they've

gotten you to

this point

and when we talk

about credentials

let's talk about

what credentials

you're talking about

right like what

what is it that

you have

for credentials

right now

with

with General Motors

I've kept my master status

with them

and that's through

the center of learning

and we're talking

many years

that I've continued

to go ahead

and get whatever

is available

that's there from

from electronics

suspension

you name it

from climate control

EV

everything that's

available that is

required

I've still been

able to continue

with that

and once again

I want a relevant

I want to make that

very clear

is because of the

GM route

that managed

at least

plant me

into a dealership

that I

continue with that

education

which he knew

that was very important

and for the record

I'm on four

different dealerships

rosters

as their preferred

technician

in reference to this

industry

and that's strong point

that I have

with networking

with these dealers

they require

my education

to be on their roster

for what is here today

for these cars

and that's one of the

biggest advantages I have

and I thank God

for having that education

so taking that

and coupling it with

iCar

as a

platinum certified

structural technician

platinum certified

non-structural technician

platinum certified

estimator

platinum certified

refinished technician

okay

and the only one that I

have lacking

because I've

got a little tired here

I'm getting older Jay

is I've got to do the

ADOS

and then I'm going to

couple the iCar's

EV

and then anything else

that ASC has

but I do have that portion

from the GM segment

because of the

EV cars that are in the

platform

that I had to get that

education

whether I liked it or not

but

I feel that is limited

in which I would like to

get more well-rounded

with other makes

some models

that I want to be able to

service

and I

how much time

do you spend on this

like when do you have

the time to do all of this

because it

feels like a lot

it is Jay

a lot of it is

is that

you know

we're empty nesters

okay

and of course

I try to occupy

occupy myself

with segments

and education

and educational platforms

or online training

a lot of it is done that way

and it keeps me from

doing all the honey

do stuff around the house

that's about as

honest of an answer

as you're going to get

that's that's

that's really good

that was that

was that

what I was expecting

honestly

so now you know why

I'm so engaged

in education

and the life

is very apprehensive

I'll be

even buying another car

these days

oh that made my day

that was pretty good

so walk me through

one of the things

we just had a conversation

last week at SEMA

that I thought was

fascinating

which was

how you've been able to

leverage

some of

your

certifications

and

just

trying to paint

that picture of credibility

so that

when you walk into

a conversation

with an insurer

on how they're going to pay you

you've got

backup to be able to say

hey I did this the right way

I need to be paid accordingly

talk to me a little bit

about that

like what impact

does that

credentialing have on you

and your ability to

maybe get what

you're worth

or what you should get paid

you know

gee that's

that's valid

and

and it's only going to

reference that

niche business

that

JDM is

what it is today

okay

and now we're going to

go with my GM credentials

I have like

five pages that

could be printed up

in reference to

what I've had over the years

I supplied that

to the insurance company

now I have a master status

okay

I have the ASC status

that couples with it

then I have the

iCar status

that couples with that

that

right there alone

solidifies that

and when you go

into our shop

and you look at the equipment

from having your own

eight hours

having your own

alignment rack

having your own tire

machines

your own balancers

the 3D

everything that is

pertinent for doing

a proper repair

and especially since I have

the credentials that's

coupled with the

the GM

and the brand itself

they have no choice

but to pay

and it's

so that it is solidified

and I do get

compensated accordingly

and I mean

it makes sense

now

believe it or not

I'm doing the Ford

I'm going to get in

Ford right now

because I had a dealer

contact me

and the other one

is going to be a

JLR

that's Jaguar Land Rover

that one is a very

stringent type

certification

but

I've already asked

I want the mechanical side

I want a couple that

with this

because I am not going to give

any insurance company

any leverage

saying that because

you don't have that

right type of certification

we're not going to pay you

I've found a loophole in the

system

and I hit a home run

it sure sounds to me like

your honey-do-list

is going to really be

delayed

with all of these

you mentioned

ASC in there

and you know

being that my background

is primarily on the

repair side

I think there are some

I think just

almost confusions

or

maybe lack of understanding

with the correlation

between

maybe an iCar

and ASC

we've partnered with

both of them

they're both great organizations

how do you see

that kind of

whole thing working together

right

you know

you talked about

using it to justify

being paid

properly

you're just stacking credentials

in order to be able to

have that argument

or like

walk me through that

ASC side

where you see that

maybe being relevant

on the collision side

you know

simply

with the way

these cars are being built

today

and what we're trying to

draw the line

Jay is

when these adjusters

or these

these outside appraisings

or third party

hot party

provider

that they hire

to reevaluate the damage

I've been writing

estimates for 20 years

okay

that's great

but let me tell you something

the car has changed today

that's what's provoked me to go in

and and have that

dual type certification

simply because of how

complex the cars are today

okay

so now

I want to know this

and the reason why

I want to couple that

with my existing education

that I have now

is I want to be able to

truly identify the damage

and repair it the right way

and you have to have that

type of credential to

reach

you know

to reassure ourselves

this is where we're going

in number two

that same person

that's been writing estimates

for 20 years

Jay

honestly I

I'm not trying to be

disrespectful in regards

to that person

but I wouldn't let them

put gas in my car today

if that's because

how complex the cars are

you know

and that's not being

disrespectful

and I emphasize that

and I'm going to continue

and hopefully this industry

is going to couple

and embrace

this type of direction

and certification

is going to reassure

their business is going to

be compensated accordingly

but yet

take the compensation

out of the equation

don't you want to know

how it's going to

what it's going to take

to repair that car

you've got to understand

the concept

from mechanical

suspension

to body

to the drivability

you need to know

how are you going to

put out a car

that you can't identify

that that suspension

was damaged

and it's been compromised

and I just recently

made a comment

in the last

panel discussion

that I had

I've got a brand new C8

the guy wiped the car out

cars spun out

hit it

took out the rear suspension

I think it's got a rail

that's completely damaged

so what we did is

with our ability

to go into global connect

sit there

let's get it scanned

and my apprentice

is working underneath me

and says hey bry

do me a favor

test

left front

right front

right rear

save the left rear for final

I want you to do a test

on the calipers

okay that's part

of our safety inspection

the left rear

caliper

and emergency caliper

failed the test

really

yes sir

100%

now do you see why it's so important

to try to bring in the mechanical side of this

when you're identifying damage

now because it wasn't scratched

now it does have a carbon fiber rotor on this thing

and you know what

I'm not going to take a chance

because grandma's not driving that car

I'm going to replace that

and the bearing and the rest of the suspension

and the bolts that are there

but because the rotor

and the emergency

I'm sorry the caliper

and the emergency caliper

didn't have any damage

that doesn't mean that it isn't

and it was uncovered

by doing his proper safety repair

it even surprised a crap out of me

I'm like see guys now

and honestly that's been resonating

for what's going on

and taking in consideration

with bud center

and icar

and mike anderson are doing today

that is what pushed me

because they told me a few stories on

shops

that are actually

not in business anymore

because of

certain instances that happen

or it

something that happened

is like

I don't want no more part of this

okay

that's where this collaboration

is so important

for identification

and the true safety

of doing a car right

I have one more instance

I have a brand new e-ray

that was hit

this guy hit the

pot hole the size of texas

okay

so what happens is

is it takes out the suspension

front and rear

well bud center made it clear to me

he says hey john you know

what did you take in consideration

about

checking that rack and pinion out

it's electronic

I says you know what

that's right

so I'm looking back and forth

and I'm hearing you know what

we're going to have to get a

an oh meter

we're going to have to take the rack

out of the car

and we're going to have to test it

that way

or at least move it

and check the value

well come to find out

it's in our gds too

we plug the right in

plug the car in

we're able to go right to the rack and pinion

set the car up

as we're in

I could take the wheel

make sure it's centered

turn it to the right

it gave a 75 millimeter

I'm 79 millimeters

okay

stop

the bomb stops working fine

came back

turn it all the way to the passenger

or so the driver's side

now it's negative 79 millimeters

it passed

didn't have any damage

but

when we're doing this

and then of course

you know and then we jack up the car

even more

and I says you don't want just for the hell of it

but let's check this

let's spin this

and let's check the wheel bearing

because you know once again

there wasn't any end of the damage

but the the strut itself

went right through the strut tower

it to the cap

we found

now the bearing

was no good

the wheel once we put it on a machine

didn't show any damage

the barrel was internally bent

the tread were

the tread was actually

you know split

with these cup sport cup two tires

okay

and our computer system

was able to show that

and on top of it

once we had everything off

just for the hell of it

we're spinning it

we found it been excellent

no kidding

this is an e-ray

it's an all-wheel drive car

and that

is provoked from

just a short candid conversation

with iCar

and knowing what

Bud's Center is

the word that he's trying to get out

with Mike Anderson

I even mentioned it to Cole

I says you know what

you got to get these guys together

our industry needs to embrace

these type of inspections

because there's a lot of damage

I guarantee is going down the road

that the average person doesn't know

about

now you know why I'm so adamant

about trying to put together

a comprehensive

collaborative

education

and a possible new direction

for that technician for tomorrow

I

that was such a good description of it

and

you've been a proponent

of

that mechanical collision

kind of collaboration

kind of the

integration

if you will of the two

I think

you had mentioned Ados

I think that's another element to that

making sure that

collision

and repair

are on the same

same playing field

and to answer that question

real quick

my apprentice

that I have underneath me

you know the first thing that he's

learned what to do first

he does all the 3d measuring

with our

CAD system

for the structure of the car

really

he is my mechanic

and he's also my Ados technician

and my alignment check

before that even reaches that

he's checking the integrity

in the data line

of that vehicle

to make sure it's not compromised

he knows ahead of time

before it even goes on the alignment rack

for a pre alignment check

he's checking the structure

do you see where the collaboration comes in

how

so how do you write that up for

to present to the insurance

company right

like how do you

we do it

we bill it

no exceptions

really

that's right

there's a two hour check

automatically

because you know that that vehicle

has been compromised

let's just say it's got hit in the left front

the left front it was hit hard enough

where it compromised the unibody

okay

we need a true 3d measurement

because of the complexity and sensors

that are throughout the rest of the vehicle

we also have to check for indirect damage

how are you going to do that

that's why we say we have a two hour

prerequisite

it gets identified

it gets a 3d measurement

it gets a clean bill of health

if not you know exactly where the

damage is at

then right after it comes down

the wheel before it comes down the wheels

because it's hitting the left front

we're checking the wheels

we're checking the balance

we're checking the tread

the tire treads with the lasers

okay

I have all john bean equipment

the latest that's out

so now we get them back in there

then the car goes over

it gets a pre-alignment check

which is a half hour minimal

the tire check

that's another inspection

that's all part of our safety protocol now

which I wasn't doing before

until bud centered

I know I'm referencing him more than once

shout out to bud he's the best

yes

he opened up my eyes

and he's like John

these safety inspections are very

very important

and I was very

you know it was like I said

candid conversation

but I was honest with him

and he struck a chord

and now he created a new monster

I am definitely doing this on every

single car

that comes through the process

knowing that I could truly state

we're trying to make it completely

right

that makes total sense

and the repair side of that too

of saying you know

if you have an ASC certified tech

that's actually doing

some of the safety inspection

like along with all of the other

credentialing that you have

tying all of this together

gives you that well rounded technician

that's actually giving a

realistic look at this

in a way

and also shout out to you

for having the right tools to do it

right

it's hard to argue

when you've got all of the tools

to do all of the things

same thing with the tires

and the inspections there

we showed them a printout

and we here you go

they were like totally shocked

do you realize one of the appraisers

had the balls to tell me Jay

that oh that tire will wear

back out it'll it'll be fine

I'm like excuse me

because I had a flat spot

it was sized

this is another one

that was side swipe

and it moved over

it literally had two flat spots

on the front tires

from the side initial impact

and he says no

just let it drive itself

it'll be fine

I oh my god

I came unglued

trust me

I mean it was

can we put

like a GoPro on you

for one of these conversations

for with an appraiser

I think

oh yes

especially that would be

oh wait

wait you're gonna love this one

it's funny

now we're gonna go right into it

you see what

another C8 came in right

it's like

you know

and I don't like to mention

any insurance companies name

because I don't want to be

considered a bad boy

right right

so he calls up he says

hey I want to schedule an

appointment because I have to

re-evaluate the damage on the

car I says

well I'm glad that you called

I says because

unless you have a C8 certification

and access to the protocol

the GM is stating on

how this car gets to be fixed

we will have that report for you

I says but

I would love to educate you

I'm gonna have the car in place

and we're gonna do the 3D

measurement first

and we're gonna have it

already disassembled

so it would make the process

go so much smoother

right

insurance adjuster's coming in

he's got his chest pumped out

you know we got

I got all the guys wearing

JDM shirts

we're all around the car

and then there's one guy

there that he was like

oh okay who are you

I says

oh by the way

to the adjuster I says

this is the owner of the car

and he was like excuse me

I says that's right

I says I'm here to educate him

on how this car is gonna be

properly fixed

I said so now

we're gonna start

and the guy was like

totally quiet

he didn't have the attitude

like he normally does

when he comes into the shop

when it was all said and done

press the final button

here's the invoice

this is our complete repair plan

if there's any differences

that are on here

it's gonna be because of parts

that is it

I said so there's no uncertain terms

this is what I'm submitting

to your insurance company

for them the third-party payer

that has this obligation

to take care of this

contractual agreement

that you have

with him

your customer

I'm just a service provider

welcome to my world

this guy you could not

get a peep out of him

and he left

okay

and guess what

we got compensated accordingly

I think I told you

over a couple of beverages

one night that you should

have a reality tv show

and I firmly believe that

I think if there was a camera

following you around all day

there was a lot more under your belt

for that because of a

I remember that night

it was a great time

it was a fun time

fun time

all right so I've got a few questions

for you

courtesy of our marketing team

I'm going to add one in

to start with

first one is

where in the world

do you come up with all the energy

you have

you're always going 100 miles an hour

and I don't know that

I've ever seen you like tired

Jay I love what I do

honest to God

and I want to emphasize that for everybody

if you don't love what you do

you shouldn't be doing it

okay

that's good advice

I love cars

I always have

it's been in my blood

and I'm not going to stop

and like I said

I'm not getting any younger

and and keeping engaged

and involved

is is keeping me younger

all right

I'm going to be 62 years old dude

and you know

a lot of guys look at

and you don't

you don't look old you don't

you know why

because I keep engaged

I keep busy

and and keeping your mind

and I like being the sponge

I try to absorb anything that I can

if I go to a seminar

or you know

I go to a panel discussion

if I pick up one thing out of that

it was a benefit

you know

yeah

and then that's

you're as good about that as anybody

I mean you

you really really are

you're not just saying that

you very much are a sponge

you're a ball of energy

all the time

that's why it's always so fun to talk to you

all right next question

if you weren't doing this

what would you be doing

hate to admit this

but I probably would have been an attorney

you would have been a hell of an attorney

I uh yeah yeah

I wouldn't have wanted to go against you

originally would

I wanted to be in

really

yeah

what what kind of an attorney

just one that has teeth

that pisses people off

we already kind of talked about this one

what was your first job

that was kind of

a uh

a layup for you

very similar to me

what was

so last question

what time do you get up in the morning

it varies

there's times that

my mind is going 100 miles per hour

I look at the clock

it's like 330

it's like all right

I'll make a pot of coffee

all right

and today I had

I had another interview

going over with

with autobody news

on some other stuff

or I should not

with iCar

and uh

I overslept

and it was not

not often that happens

but you know

I'm up between

three and five in the morning

and then

if I sit down in a chair

and I'm reading

I always

read myself to sleep

I'm out by nine

10 o'clock

and then I'm ready to roll

you know

and and there's times that I don't

and there's times

that I need to recharge

to have battery

and it and it feels great

I'm kind of that same boat

what I'm most surprised by

is that you actually sleep

I I didn't think you actually

slept

I just think

I I was thinking

you just went

24 hours a day

100 miles an hour

I didn't know that there was

sleep in your

in your calendar

once in a while

the glass of blackberry brandy

does wonders

yeah

my great grandmother

that was her thing

before she passed away

she was a

if we did a toast of

blackberry brandy

I don't know how you like

blackberry brandy

that that stuff is

it's too sweet

we used to

quick story for you

before we have to get off

of here

the reason I

really don't like

blackberry brandy

is because

when I was

early twenties

we used to sneak

little flasks

of blackberry brandy

into Wisconsin Badger football

games

and put that

into a coke

so

and then we would drink that

I don't know why we thought

that was a good idea

it's probably

the only thing we could afford

I don't know what it was

definitely had too much of it

in a short amount of time

no no

no

other than toasting

for my great grandmother

that was uh

that was

an exception

that was my extent

of blackberry brandy

yeah yeah yeah

well I

I can't tell you

how fun this

conversation was

as always

I

you're one of

my favorite people

in the industry

I think I let off

by saying that

and appreciate that buddy

just your passion

and everything you do

shines through

it's always fun

talking to you

and I

I hope you get a reality

TV show someday

and I hope

we're able to get you

back on this podcast

many many more times

we'll we'll definitely

be doing a follow-up

and I'm looking forward

I'm working with you

ASC

and with iCar

because I really think

that we are going to

get something that's

going to be

really great for our industry

I do too

thank you my friend

all right

you take care Jay

thank you

that wraps up

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