Our Salute to Overachievers

Oct. 1, 2012
They are selfless, innovative and driven to work for the greater good.

One year ago, I dedicated this column to employees who show up to work each day; individuals who go above and beyond to perform their best for the benefit of their companies, colleagues and communities.

I have the pleasure of working with such individuals each day at FenderBender, both in the office and throughout the collision repair industry. You can find examples of individuals who show up in every issue of the magazine, but it’s overwhelming to see just how many of these top-tier professionals flood my email inbox in the months before our annual FenderBender Awards issue.

We launched the FenderBender Awards five years ago to recognize the very best collision repair professionals working in positions spanning the industry. It caught on fast, and nominations have exploded in recent years. This year, we received well over 200 nominations for professionals in six categories: executive, management, shop worker, administrative support, vendor, and wild card (anyone who doesn’t fit in the other categories).

Choosing the winners is a tremendous challenge, as nominees routinely draft thoughtful, detailed letters about each candidate. We don’t ask for much—just an explanation of why the candidate is deserving of a FenderBender Award, including some specific achievements. But we get a lot more, and frankly just about every nominee is deserving in one way or another.

So how do we choose who wins? I get asked this a lot. The answer isn’t as crystal clear as some might like it to be; it is a subjective process. Individuals can stand out for a number of reasons, whether it’s business performance, industry advocacy, charitable
ventures, etc.

But what ultimately ties together each individual who rises to the top of our list is that they far exceed the expectations of their coworkers and customers. They aren’t just good at their jobs, they have risen to greatness, largely by performing above the call of duty. They are selfless, innovative, and driven to work for the greater good. FenderBender Award winners are overachievers.

Our winners this year are every bit as impressive as their predecessors. Pat Beavers, the winner in the executive category, started working part-time as a shop helper before rising to the top of a $32-million-a-year shop network. The chief operating officer of CollisionMax Auto Body & Glass Centers is always hunting for ways to improve the company. Always humble about his achievements, Beavers has leaned on family values to grow his career and the company.

“He is a man driven by determination, excels on overcoming any of the adversity and challenges that are brought before him on a daily basis,” says Doug Derrickson, a CollisionMax estimator who was one of seven colleagues to nominate Beavers.

Do you work with an overachiever? If so, take a moment to nominate them for a FenderBender Award next year. Nominations will open in November at fenderbenderawards.com. I look forward to reading about the professionals making a difference in your business and beyond.

Jake Weyer
[email protected]

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