By Mike Pickford
Grimsby, Ontario — August 30, 2016 — In his role serving the Canadian collision repair industry over the past half century, Jerry Snyder, owner of JES Sales, has forged one of the strongest reputations in the business. Specializing in the distribution of tools and equipment to body shops across the country, the long-time business owner has officially called time on his illustrious career.
Having represented a wealth of industry leaders over the incredible 52 years he’s spent in the business, Snyder told Collision Repair magazine on August 30 that he was “incredibly thankful” for the time he was afforded in the collision repair sector and that it was with a heavy heart that he was finally walking away.
“This industry has been my life. I’ve been involved one way or another for over five decades. I’ve seen a lot of things, a lot of people come and go during my years, this is just my time to step aside,” said the 72-year-old Snyder.
It’s clear to see just how much Snyder loves the collision repair industry. Digging over 50-years into the past, he remembers quite vividly the moment that drew him into the business. The moment he caught the bug.
It all began back in Snyder’s hometown of Owen Sound, Ont., when a growing automotive paint company bought out his employer. Deciding to stick around, Snyder was shortly transferred to Brantford, Ont., and tasked with filling out paint order forms. Before long he was moved on again, this time to Scarfe Automotive’s Hamilton office.
“I went down there to fill in for a few days in 1964,” Snyder told. “I didn’t get away until 1970. I guess the couple of days got a little stretched.”
It was here that Snyder became acquainted with one of CARSTAR Canada’s founding fathers, Larry Jefferies. Working alongside Jefferies for a number of years, Snyder decided to launch his own company within the collision repair industry.
“I always had a goal of one day owning and running my own business, so after gaining the experience and the know-how during my years with BASF, who had purchased Scarfe, that’s exactly what I did,” Snyder said.
And so JES Sales was born. Brought up from humble beginnings, the company has been one of the leading providers of collision repair equipment across Ontario and Atlantic Canada since its inception 25 years ago, working alongside suppliers such as Blackhawk, Spanesi and the Collision Equipment Group.
With the opportunity now to look back on his storied career, Snyder says he considers himself fortunate to have been able to work alongside some “incredible” people throughout the years, while also recognizing the “crazy” evolution of the collision repair industry as a whole.
“I’ve always said that the thing that made this job most enjoyable was the people I dealt with on a day to day basis, there were some tremendous characters and truly good-hearted people,” Snyder said. “The one thing that’s going to stick with me, though, is the way this business has changed. The most welcome thing, in my opinion, is the evolution of the collision repair shop.”
He added, “These places are so up-to-date, so clean and so organized these days, it’s such a change from my earlier years in the business. It’s no longer about one guy running the show, fixing vehicles from his back door. We’ve moved beyond that. It’s a business these days.”
With the collision repair industry now well and truly in the rear view mirror, Snyder says he’ll miss the daily hustle and bustle of the business.
“I’ll miss the people, the conversations and the work, but I don’t intend on disappearing. I’ll still be around and will be keeping in touch with the industry. For now though, I’ll be focusing on spending time with my family and maybe enjoying a vacation!” Snyder said.
