Jim Ness and Wendell Fosdick were friends and co-workers in 2001. Early in their careers they had noticed that the employees were the backbone, motivation and glue that held a business together.
They came to the decision that it was time to embark on the most important journey an employee can make. They were about to become an employer.
To get things started they found a good location, leased a new paint booth, traded repairs for a frame machine, and made a deal with a local jobber to get a paint mixing machine. The two men hauled their toolboxes and compressor over to the new shop, combined their life savings of five thousand dollars each and invested it into themselves and their new business, Extreme Auto Body.
For the first two years Jim and Wendell were by themselves. Jim ran the office and painted, while Wendell did the body work. They mostly worked on older cars and trucks, doing restorations and complete paint jobs. They stayed busy but weren't making much money, just enough to get by. By being honest and giving good value for the money, they were able to begin to build a reputation as a good place to have a vehicle repaired.
