Beyond The Bay

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper speaks with John Kissell , Founder & President of ProspectForge and President of Workforce Services Inc. , about scaling a nationwide maintenance operation, solving the technician shortage, and using AI to improve training, inspections, and technician productivity. The conversation explores hiring speed, cultural fit, leadership deve...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper speaks with Kevin DeMarco , Owner of DeMarco Equipment Repair in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, about running a profitable repair shop, setting better customer boundaries, and deciding when to step back from the truck. The conversation focuses on profit over busyness, follow-up, customer fit, and how owners can build a business that support...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper sits down with Joseph Puzur , Owner of AD Truck Service & Repair LLC , to discuss the remarkable journey of growing a family-owned diesel repair shop from just 1,000 square feet to a 30,000-square-foot operation with more than 30 employees. Joseph shares the challenges that come with rapid expansion, including managing cash flow, hir...

📖 Get our ultimate shop roadmap: ⁠ You Don't Fix Trucks Anymore⁠ 🎙 Tune in to more episodes: ⁠@petercooperAC⁠ 🚛 Build a self-sustaining shop with Ascend Consulting: ⁠ www.ascendconsulting.help⁠ What happens when two former Wall Street professionals decide to build a diesel repair business? Stephanie and Chris Walsh took a completely different path into the heavy-duty industry. With backgroun...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host ⁠⁠Peter Cooper⁠⁠ sits down with ⁠⁠Cynthia Thomas⁠⁠ , Owner & General Manager at ⁠⁠AFS Truck & Auto Repair Center⁠⁠ . Cynthia shares her unconventional path from corporate roles in purchasing, HR, and process improvement into the truck and fleet repair industry. With no prior automotive background, she built a multi-location operation by focus...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper talks with Benito Diaz , Owner of STP Diesel . Benito shares his journey from working at a Ford dealership to founding his specialized diesel repair shop. The conversation explores the real-world challenges of shop ownership, including customer education, process optimization, documenting work, cash flow management, hiring, and evolving...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper talks with Steve Bourdin , Owner of Steve’s Diesel Repair in Edmonton, Alberta. Steve shares his journey from starting out as a certified heavy-duty technician through Canada’s apprenticeship system to running his own diesel repair shop. The conversation explores the real-world challenges of shop ownership, including hiring skilled techn...

In this episode of the Beyond The Bay Podcast, Peter Cooper sits down with Dylan Parfitt, owner of Parfitt Truck Repair LLC . Dylan shares how he started his operation servicing commercial vehicles, including pickup trucks, vans, and class eight trucks. They discuss how to prioritize profitable work, avoid low-margin or draining customers, and structure pay to motivate technicians. Dylan also talk...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, Peter Cooper sits down with Jamie Chapman, the owner of Chapman’s Garage, LLC , a heavy duty truck repair and road service company. Jamie shares how his business started in 2005 by washing trucks and grew into a full garage operation that handles 24/7 road service. He talks about the importance of managing all customer calls himself, adding new revenue st...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, Peter Cooper sits down with Kevin Roberts , President of Roberts Repair Inc , a repair shop owner with 37 years of experience working on everything from lawn tractors to emergency vehicles and classic cars. Kevin shares how he built his business from a one-bay shop into a specialised operation and explains the importance of maintenance systems, technician...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, Peter Cooper sits down with Joe Gallaher , the Chief Executive Officer of Gallaher Fleet Solutions , a diesel truck and trailer repair company. Joe shares how he started in 2019 with a single service truck and grew into a business with two shop locations and a mobile service team. He talks about the importance of offering benefits to attract skilled techn...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, Peter Cooper sits down with Robert Patritti , the CEO of Rapid Diesel Repair , a fleet maintenance and repair business located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Robert shares his journey from working at various dealerships to starting his own mobile service truck business. Over time, he expanded his operations, grew to a team of 10, and now runs a full-ser...

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, Peter Cooper sits down with Tom Sessoms , the President of Ardamas Fleet Services , a thriving fleet maintenance and repair business based in Panama City, Florida. Tom is also a Customer Advisory Board Member of Kayo . He shares his journey from his early career in diagnostics as Senior Workshop Consultant with Bosch to building his own successful fleet s...

In this episode, Richard walks us through his journey of scaling a one-man shop, highlighting the hidden costs and overlooked opportunities. You'll discover actionable strategies for assessing when to hire your first or next technician, including simple yet powerful ratios like billing support and workload indicators that signal it's time to grow. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction02:15 The Growth Mind...

In this episode of Beyond the Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper sits down with Ricky Kuntz , Business Owner at Kuntz Truck Repair LLC, Shop Manager at Rick Kuntz Trucking Inc. to discuss what it really takes to scale a heavy-duty repair shop at an aggressive pace. Ricky shares how he went from working in his father’s dump truck fleet to building his own operation in Northeast Ohio growing from a two-...

In this episode of Beyond the Bay , host Peter Cooper sits down with Mike Schwarz , owner of Iron Buffalo HD Truck and Trailer , to explore the ins and outs of growing a scalable, profitable truck repair business. Mike shares his journey from a corporate tech background to leading one of the largest independent truck service centers in Colorado. Together, they look into topics such as choosing the...

In this episode of Beyond the Bay, host Peter Cooper sits down with brothers Frank Lecrichia and Robert Lecrichia , President and Vice President of Mobile Auto Mechanics Inc , to unpack what it really takes to build a scalable and efficient commercial truck repair business. Drawing from over 16 years of experience, the conversation explores their evolution from hands-on operators to system-driven...

In this episode of the Beyond the Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper sits down with Krz Molyneaux , Founder & CEO of KTS DIESEL ARIZONA based in Phoenix, Arizona, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a multi-location service business from the ground up. Krz Molyneaux shares his journey from starting with a single service truck during the 2009 economic downturn to growing into a multi-...

In this episode of Beyond the Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper talks with Tyler Anderson , Founder and owner of Elite Truck & Auto Repair in Greenville, Ohio. Tyler shares his journey from opening his shop at just 19 years old to becoming the 2022 U.S. Auto Tech National Champion. The discussion looks into Tyler’s evolution from technician to business owner, the growing pains of leadership, and...

In this episode of Beyond the Bay Podcast , Peter Cooper sits down with Adam Smith , Co Owner of Premier Service Center, Inc., to discuss his remarkable journey of growing a truck repair business from the ground up. Adam started his shop in 2010 as a one-man operation, and through hard work and dedication, it has grown into a thriving business with 30 employees and a purpose-built facility. In thi...

Join us for an insightful webinar, "Extending Lifecycles, Reducing Risk," where industry experts delve into the challenges and strategies of managing fleet operations amidst a prolonged freight recession. Discover how extending truck and trailer replacement cycles impacts repair costs and risk profiles, and learn from seasoned professionals like Brian Antonellis, Peter Cooper, and Adam W...

In this episode, Peter Cooper sits down with Nate Taylor , the owner of New England Fleet Services , celebrating its ten-year anniversary. Nate shares his journey in running a successful commercial truck repair operation, which includes both mobile capabilities and a 6,000 square foot shop in Connecticut. The conversation digs deep into the primary challenges facing the industry today, particularl...

This episode focuses on implementing a pay structure that incentivizes technicians to improve their performance and engagement in their work. By providing a base rate of pay and additional bonuses for billed hours, the company aims to motivate employees to work more efficiently and take ownership of their tasks.

In this episode of Beyond the Bay, Peter Cooper speaks with Myles, Danny, and Vincent about their journey in the trucking industry, the challenges of growing a family business, and the importance of implementing effective management strategies. They discuss the significance of accountability, building a strong company culture, and the impact of coaching on their business. The conversation also cov...

In Episode 4 of  Beyond the Bay , Peter Cooper sits down with Mandy Deveau of DriveHRIS to dive deep into the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the automotive industry today. From technician retention and hiring practices to employee engagement and company culture, Mandy shares actionable insights that every dealership and repair shop leader needs to hear. Key takeaways include: Why tech...