Jim and Brenda Addison explain their unpredicted start.
“We were a young couple who desired to start our own business but more importantly we wanted to have a family. Looking back, how we got into the business is comical: Jim couldn’t find a job using his BA degree in psychology from the University of Denver so he gladly accepted an offer from a friend who had an MA from the Art Institute in Chicago and had turned mechanic to teach him the trade. Teaching a trade is a generous and commendable act and we are grateful.”
For the past several years, Jim and Brenda Addison have been mentoring Dirk Owens and Tom Wenzel in managing and running Addison Auto Repair and Body Shop. When Dirk and Tom purchased the business in February 2019, Jim stayed on to continue to provide his steadfast mentorship. Brenda is now getting to do what she loves, spend more time with her grandkids.
We asked Brenda about what she is grateful for, looking back on Addison’s 38-year history:
“For me, being grateful or stopping to recall the many blessings God has given me and my family, often goes unacknowledged. So, I am glad to have the opportunity to think about and answer that question.
I am grateful for having meaningful work that afforded my family and our employees’ families financial security. My awe moments always came when necessity required we add a new position to our ranks. I was humbled every time our small business added another person to our country’s job creation number.
The work a body and mechanical shop does is unique because of the expertise, special tools and equipment, and skillful nature required to mechanically and/or physically repair a vehicle. Effective customer service requires hiring people who sincerely care and listen carefully to the customer. When I walk around and observe and listen to the professional way our men and women do their job, I am grateful.”
Brenda, thank you for your leadership. The passion and dedication you brought daily is what allowed Addison to grow into the expert and customer-centric shop it is today.
Lastly, we asked Jim Addison about his gratitude for the past, present, and future.
“What I am grateful for and what I really enjoy is every time I see a long-term customer. We have lots of people who have been coming here for 25 years or more and we see family generations of customers. In some cases, we have customers now who are the grandchildren of some of our earliest customers. I am very proud and grateful for that.
I love this industry- there is always something new to learn. Things are changing so fast but we have the ability to keep up with all the changes. Because we are both a body and mechanical shop (which is exceedingly rare) we have more ability to understand the integration of the body with the mechanical, which happens more and more as we are utilizing technology to improve safety. We keep ourselves aware of every change that comes down the road and we research and train for the right way to do it.
I also have gratitude for the skill of our world-class technicians. My hope for the future is that more young people will choose this career path. We have such a shortage of technicians and it is a great career; it is both exciting and financially rewarding. Every day is different and there is always something to challenge you and keep you growing. A skilled technician can make a very good living and you are never out of work- in a good or a bad economy you can go anywhere in the country and get a job in a day!”
Thank you, Jim. You are the kind of leader that makes everyone want to be and do their best and we thank you for creating Addison’s tradition of excellence.
Stay tuned as we hear more from our customers as well as our leadership team in coming months.
