Sept. 11, 2015—Jeremiah Graham, owner of Jeremiah’s Carstar Collision, has made the SEMA News 35 under 35 roster.
The 35 Under 35 list, now it its fourth year, presents 35 young trendsetters who bring ideas and renewed enthusiasm to every segment of the automotive speciality-equipment industry.
In order to make the list, honorees must be nominated by one or more industry peers. Candidates who are making a significant industry impact through their leadership within their organization or business are then selected.
Graham, 34, started in the collision-repair business when he was 18. By the time he was 25, he was the shop’s general manager. When the owner retired, Graham bought the shop’s assets and opened the first Carstar location in Oklahoma. In 2015, CNN Money recognized him as a top blue-collar entrepreneur.
“New vehicle technology has been a struggle to keep up with for most vehicle repairers,” Graham said. “Sure, there are many resources out there for obtaining needed information, but with the many advancements and number of vehicles affected, it’s a struggle to keep up. I also worry that we may not be doing the best job at recruiting young people into our industry. The ones who do attend vocational school may not always be provided the best line-ready training. I hate seeing the techs we do have in our industry leaving to other industries and segments.”
