01/04/2018
I've always been a firm believer in God's plan. No matter what the situation, no matter how difficult things seem to be. It doesn't matter. If there is a situation that am referring to, whether it be about myself, or someone I may be speaking with at the time. I've always believed and told people," God knows what he's doing." This being said, after nearly 20 years in business at D&K Collision things have come full circle. I opened D&K Collision with the intent of sharing the gift that God gave me and the talent of repairing vehicles with all my customers and friends.
When I open for business in 1998, my business literally exploded onto the scene. It grew so fast that I hired an employee right off of the bat, and then another Etc. Before long, I was forced by its growth, to take care of my business from the office. It became practically impossible for me to find any time out in the shop.
Well, a year or so ago, was the beginning of a downward spiral. There is a farm implement company which began construction on the property in front of me. Their construction efforts failed and they left the lot in front of me in shambles. I began to consistently see our sales drop. People would come up to me and ask, "What are you building out there in front of your shop?"... To set the record straight, that is not my doin's out in front of D&K Collision. So... Back to God's plan. After almost 20 years I was forced to have a meeting with my men at the end of November. I told them all that they either needed to be the owners of D&K Collision by January 1, or they would all need to find another job. We had been losing money for quite some time, and I wasn't going to sell another piece of our property off to keep the place afloat. With their skill sets that they had developed at D&K Collision over the years they had no problem securing other employment. The last one of them, Jason Hentges, left on Friday December 29th to pursue other interests. God bless him and please keep him and his lovely wife Lisa in your prayers. Lisa is again fighting a stage 3 brain cancer. I beg and pray that all will join me and pray for her again to beat the odds and defeat this horrific disease!
Jason my brother, I'm going to miss having you around.
So... Again... Back to God's plan.
I am repairing vehicles again!
After a few weeks back in the shop, it is evident that the skills that God gave me, are flourishing within me! It's as if I had never stopped working on cars at all! I now have a son who is expressing interest in the industry and is showing obvious signs of the talents that God has gifted me with. Please don't be offended if there are some things that I'm not willing to take on at this time. I will need to focus on Collision repairs and repairs I can do that generate enough of an income stream to cover our expenses and overhead. It may take a little longer from time to time for me to work your repairs through the shop but you will know that they're being completed by someone with a passion for what they're doing and someone who truly appreciates the many gifts and blessings that that God has gifted me with. My beautiful wife Karen, our assistant Jan Shields, and I are working together everyday to see to it that both D&K Collision and D&K Bus Service customers continue to receive the same excellence in repairs and service that they have grown to expect over the years. I encourage you please share this post with your friends and contacts.
I extend God's many blessings to you all, Doug Kliethermes
