April showers bring May flowers and another anniversary at O'Daniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram! Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, or CDJR, located on Illinois Road is home to a variety of used and new model cars. Robert Knox celebrates 10 years with O'Daniel this May in the auto body repair department. Rob took some time out of his busy schedule repairing and restoring cars to talk with us.
Rob started working in the car industry because he wanted to learn more in order to work on his own car, and stayed because he enjoyed the work so much. Rob wasn't always a fan of Chrysler vehicles, but from working at O’Daniel’s, his perspective has changed. O’Daniel's send its employees to school to learn about all of the inner workings of the vehicles, and therefore Rob was able to acquire a whole new appreciation for the brand. Yet, the Chrysler vehicles weren't the only reason Rob chose to stay at O’Daniel CDJR these past 10 years; Rob loves to work in the auto body repair department specifically, dealing with collision cases. The variety and challenge of bringing these vehicles back to mint condition are what makes Rob's position so enjoyable for him. His relationship with his co-workers makes his job enjoyable as well— it's a team effort in their department, and Rob is proud to call his own team, "top notch in the field."
Ten years with one car dealership speaks of experience, something that Rob has more than enough of. Rob worked at O'Daniel's current location when it was owned by a different company—Wright's Automobiles. Years passed by, the dealership changed owners a few times, and Rob continued to stay in the same location, until finally, O’Daniel's became his new workplace. After taking a leave from the car industry for 14 years (but still working with cars of course), Rob returned to the O’Daniel fold—now with a total of 53 years working with cars. What's next for Rob? "Retirement. Hopefully not for a few more years though."
For Rob, working with cars is simply a family trait, passed down by his father. His father worked with cars all his life, and for a time, he was the body shop manager when Rob first began working at O’Daniel CDJR. He taught Rob about work ethic and all he knew about auto-body repair. In turn, Rob comes into work every day, determined to do his job right and to offer his own glimpse of wisdom into the industry and into life, stating that he is willing to, "Put forth the extra effort to do a good job." However, restoring cars all day at work simply isn't enough for Rob. Currently, he is remodeling a house and also restoring an antique car.
Keep at it Rob, and congratulations on 10 years with O'Daniel CDJR!