Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Introduce yourself). This thread is read-only.
Another new member from Northern NJ (plus a 2nd home in Mooresville, NC). I’ve been a car enthusiast and home improvement guy for 45+ years and started buying tools for projects back in the late 60’s. Sears Craftsman tools were all I knew back then and all I could afford. Any car specialty tools I needed were ordered out of JC Whitney catalogs.
My tool addiction got worse as I discovered things outside of Sears and when I started dealing with pro mechanics and contractors and saw what they used. Got married in 1986 and began selling tools in addition to my BMW parts business. My business evolved into designing and outfitting high end garages and the number of tool lines grew to 40+. The best way to hide a tool addiction from your spouse is to make “tool sales” your business….purchases can always be dismissed as inventory.
The 2008-2010 recession killed off the garage business and the internet has really hurt the margins in the parts business. In 2013, I stopped doing custom garages, started dumping 30 years worth of BMW parts inventory, and continued to drop product lines that had too many customer service headaches or not enough margin. My business philosophy became…….be really good with a handful of tool lines than mediocre with 50.
My core business these days is the sale and distribution of Facom hand tools, a high end line out of France (now owned by Stanley). Will probably sell my business sometime in the next 5 years and hopefully get back to wrenching on a car or two and taking care of some of those home projects that I’ve neglected for lack of free time.
I respect the guys who use their tools in their business or around the house. High end tools like Snap-on, Facom and Festool are nice but in the end, a tool is only as good as the person using it.
Steve D’Gerolamo
Ultimate Garage, Inc
Well said Steve! Welcome to the forum!
Jimbo
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Welcome to the forum Steve
Thanks guys.
Chris, here’s some pictures of my Festool tool cabinet……..see http://www.ultimategarage.com/homegarage/UltGar2y-5.htm . Hope to get a chance to use all of them when I eventually retire.
Very interesting backstory, welcome aboard!
I got to experience the blahs of the ’08 and years following, I just got hired on to a company that sells and services waste oil furnaces along with shop equipment (lifts, tire changers, air compressors) The main focus though was waste oil furnace, the company had previously put in many of these furnaces all over Ohio. The owner passed away late ’08 and I had to hit the ground running when I was hired in spring of ’09…. trying to finish up aging quotes and making dozens of cold calls each week…. things dragged on, the business was bought by a plumbing and heating company, tried to keep things going with service and a few sales here and there, but it seemed those hay days around here were long gone. I kept up work by filling in the hvac and plumbing for the company, and we eventually just closed the books on that part of the business completely. By that time I had been weened on the plumbing side of things, and started liking that much better, so it was good my “cheese” got moved when it did, and that’s where I’m at now, addicted to tools while using them for my work!
Welcome to the crew man that is a nice collection of Festool you got there.
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Welcome to the crew we look forward to picking at your vast knowledge.
From a fan of tools with lots of assistance from Siri #TIACREW
Welcome to the forum Steve!!
welcome to the team, cars you say….vintage or late model?
Welcome Steve.
Welcome Steve, great story and nice line of Festool…
wow Steve! great introduction of yourself and glad to have you aboard the crew!!
Welcome to the crew
Welcome Steve! I know you will enjoy the forum. Wow after seeing that pic of the custom Festool box and all those Festool systainer boxes I got excited, I can’t imagine what happen to Chrisk,,I’m sure he had to change clothes. [emoji46]
John, Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[emoji848]