Zeck: The Sunny Side

Sept. 1, 2021

This month, FenderBender is recognizing the brightest in the industry.

There’s a quote from Mr. Rogers—of all people—that’s been on my mind lately. Maybe you’ve heard it; it circulates online every once in a while. It’s actually attributed to his mother, who told him the following anytime he was frightened by upsetting events on the news: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Frankly, after the past 18 months we’ve all experienced, it’s not hard to understand why so many people feel disillusioned. Even within the industry, the challenges have felt greater and the limitations even stricter.

That’s why I believe now is a great time for our annual FenderBender Award issue.

The process of choosing the winner of the FenderBender Award is always a matter of great debate on the editorial team, but doing so the last two years has become an even bigger undertaking—thanks to the phenomenal nominations we receive from the industry (Anyone can nominate by filling out a form at fenderbenderawards.com that asks for details on business achievements, industry and community contributions, personal influence and any other relevant information). 

Reading nomination after nomination outlining the ways in which someone has made an impact in his or her business, industry and community is beyond inspiring, particularly given the context of the past two years. The people nominated define what it means to be a “helper.” As you’ll note in the profile, winner Scott Fabel’s business was affected this year, too. He had to make numerous adjustments and adapt in order to maintain the goals he set for himself. But that didn’t stop him from looking beyond his shop and helping his community and industry at large. It’s impressive to see and reflective of all the good taking place in collision repair. 

It’s proof that this industry is full of hard-working individuals dedicated to the future of this industry. I hope it inspires you, and maybe even provides a takeaway or two for you as we head into the last few months of the year. There’s lots more available online, too—podcasts, video interviews, exclusive articles—at fenderbender.com/awards.

Above all else, the message throughout is this: We all have problems, challenges and unforeseen circumstances. We can dwell on those—rightly, even!—but we can also take action. We can create the businesses we’ve dreamed of, and we can make an impact. Just take it from our 2021 FenderBender Award winner.

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