Robert's Resume

Summary

Originally Born in NY and Moved to N.C at 13 and became interested in cars at 16. I guess most teenagers out grow the car fascination but I didn't. Cars are an Art form to me limited only by the budget involved. My education started the old fashioned way: Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines, it seems I acquired stacks of the reading lit from a Friends Dad who used to build Hot Rods in his garage. Reading these magazines taught me the fundamentals of the internal combustion engine, what make it work and how to modify it to make it better. Back in the days of carburetors (some of you may not remember those, Lol), I kept one on my desk in my room, actually it was a Quadrajet 4 Barrel (Spread Bore). It was my Rubik's cube, and one I knew like the back of my hand. Building engines on paper was my past time.

Educating myself about cars came easy for me, it was one of the interest's that kept me reading. Wasn't long I was reading How To books on Body Work, the Principles of how to make a car handle well; weight transfers and roll centers etc. I learned early that those principles work with any size car and at this age RC Cars we a good proving ground. Applying what I learned their taught me how to make those adjustments and it also taught me that if you get to good at something, no one wants to play with you anymore, Lol.

My original occupational goal was to build and sell motors. With that goal in mind I got a part time job doing Oil changes, Tires and break jobs at a local repair shop. It was a good way to cut my teeth on car repair and maintenance. After realizing part time money was not going to allow me to keep up the maintenance and mods to the car I was driving (69 Pontiac Firebird, and yes I wish I never sold it, Lol), I took a job at a fiberglass truck cap manufacturer as a painter, this helped me cut my teeth at spraying automotive paints and general knowledge of the fiberglass parts manufacturing process. About a year into that I got my first job in a body shop utilizing my new found skills. The rest of the body shop story is pretty much history and the details of which can be found in my work history and skills.

Lets just say; I have been working on cars my whole life and applying other skills I picked up along the way, skills that are also listed in this resume. To me cars are more then transportation, they are an art form and engineering marvel that can be manipulated in such a way that can convey a message and react in an intentional manner. As with any art form, it is subject to interpretation but, appreciate none the less by others.

Employment Objectives

As an entrepreneur, employment doesn't motivate me. So employment objectives are kind of redundant here. Although I do keep an opened mind on the subject, my objectives are more business. It would take a unique situation for me to consider an employment objective.

Work History and Experience

Worked in Body Shops since the age of 17. Working in several collision repair shops in North Carolina gave me first hand experience and skills involved with:

• (10 yrs) Estimating- Both written and computer (CCC, Mitchell Shop Management). Working with Insurance companies and understanding the complexities of maintaining that relationship.
• (20 yrs) As a Body Tech- In depth knowledge of Prep, Paint (allover, spot, panel blends, color matching), Panel replacement, Dent Repair (major and minor), Welding (Mig, Tig, Stick) (Steel, Aluminum), Composite repair (fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, ABS, TPO, SMC), Composite fabrication (making something out of nothing), Custom paint/body (candy's, pearls, flakes, flops, flames, fabrication, composite parts fitment).
• (4 yrs) As a Shop Foreman- Supply costing with budget control, supplier managing, shop personnel management and coordinated work flow.
• (1yr) As an Assistant Manager- Working knowledge of office procedures and protocols, ability to aid the Manager in daily duties.
• (7 yrs) As a Shop Owner Operator- Hiring and firing personnel, promotion, local and non local advertising, planning and implementation. Working knowledge of: Word, Excel, FrontPage, Quickbooks (disk and online), Quicken (disk only) and Outlook 07.
  
• (5yrs) Web Design- Custom formatting, template's, navigation, graphic art, promotion and advertising. Also day to day updates with custom websites and Blogs.

Management Style

Best I can tell from personal experience and reading the appropriate trade magazines, there are two styles of management: Horse and Mule. Horse- Growth oriented, ambitious and likes to run. Mule- Maintain, status Quo and not growth oriented. There are advantages and disadvantages of both, depending on the situation both are better suited in certain circumstance's. For the business already built and establish, the Mule is a wise choice to maintain and preserve what already been accomplished. Horse is better suited for a new, expanding or otherwise growth oriented situation. The horse will get bored if not challenged, the mule will get stubborn if he cant maintain whats already been accomplished. My Management style is the Horse.

There are also two thought processes for managers, mostly at the root or deep down in their philosophy; Some managers believe everyone is a slacker and refuses to be productive unless you crack the whip, other believes deep down inside they have a desire to be productive, like to have a productive, positive work atmosphere and will become self motivated to preserve it. My style is the later. Both managers are usually right, as they attract to them their expectations of who they think people are and each has a place in the business world, it depends on what type of business your are running; growth or maintenance. For long term growth, people need to feel productive and have a positive work environment.

In Closing

The intent of this resume is not to scrounge up a job. Its just to convey a little back ground on my work related skills and some of the business projects I am involved with. It seems I am a start up junkie, meaning; Its the creation of a project that I find challenging and its the challenge that keeps me interested. The day to day activities (some may call thee rut) that bog me down. Realizing this aspect about my personality has caused me to work within my limitations, in other words; I have to move on to a new project after hiring my weakness in the current one.

If you are interested in any of our current projects, feel free to let me know. We can always utilize the skills of others.