VOLUME 7, ISSUE 6 June 2006 MARS CELEBRATES FATHER & SON TEAMS M.A.R.S. International has always been a family affair. It was founded by a father and son team, David & Jayson Jones. David founded the company as a distributor of automotive chemical supplies, but when his son showed an interest in the auto appearance reconditioning and automotive graphics business, the business model was expanded. INSIDE THIS ISSUE MARS CELEBRATES 1 FATHER/SON TEAMS MARS CELEBRATES 2 FATHER/SON CONT. WELCOME NEW 3 MARS OPERATORS OP OF THE MONTH 4-5 BARRY KOFFORD WELCOME NEW 6 OPERATORS CONT. BIRTH 6 ANNOUNCEMENT The torch has now been passed to other MARS Operators, who have formed father and son teams to increase the success of their businesses. This sort of business was created for fathers and sons to work together. It is such a great opportunity to really build a family business, said Jim Dallas who has had the opportunity to work with both of his sons and his daughter. This is a great way for a man to work with his family. This really is a family-run business. In just the last few months, MARS has seen an increase in the number of father and son teams. It s not just sons going to work with for their father s MARS business, said David Jones. We have fathers who are going to work for their sons! In February, Don Hall completed his training and went to work with his son, Brad. I am here to help Brad build his business and open a retail center, said Don Hall. I retired four years ago and thought I was done working, but when Story continued on Page 2. Jayson & David Jones Brad & Don Hall Steve & Jonathan Hippe MARS MISSION To become your Car Care Specialist by removing from sight all cosmetic blemishes from your automobile. To improve the appearance of ALL automobiles everywhere by utilizing our proven appearance restoration, cosmetic blemish repair and enhancement services. To provide convenient access through the high volume retailers that consumers frequently visit. WE will accomplish this mission by recruiting, training, and equipping the industry s finest professionals and supporting them to advance both their skills and their careers.
PAGE 2 MARS CELEBRATES FATHERS AND SON TEAMS CONTINUED... FROM PAGE 1 I saw everything that Brad was doing, I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to help him out. I couldn t ask for anyone better to come on with me and help my business grow, said Brad Hall. It really means a lot to me that my Dad chose to come out of retirement to help me with my business. Tim Oakes joined his son, Travis, in April for the same reason. Travis was really doing a great job growing the business, and I wanted to be a part of what he was doing, Tim Oakes said. I have allowed him to grow the business and not worry about personnel issues. It is great having someone I can trust and depend on. It can be difficult trying to find the right person to bring on, so having my dad here works out real well, said Travis Oakes. If it wasn t for Josh, we wouldn t have the business we have now, said Dan St.Hilaire, who has worked with his son Josh from day one of their MARS business. We have a great working relationship and a routine that really compliments each other s strengths. Many of the father-son teams talked about the routines that really allowed them to accomplish more than they could alone. When you have two sets of eyes on a vehicle, you each tend to catch something different, said Steve Hippe. Steve s son, Jonathan, completed his training at the end of April and the two are just starting to get their routine in order. We work great together. Jonathan picks up my slack, and I pick up his. We have a system and it really works for us, said Jim Dallas. Jeff does all the painting and I do all the mixing. We re doing what we do best, and we can get more done in a day that way. Brad Hall and his dad, Don, have the same system, We really compliment each other, said Brad. I match the colors and he does the repairs. When outsiders watch us work, they say it s like the one knows what the other is going to do, said Dan St.Hilaire. We are really enjoying working with each other on a daily basis. Working together also brings these pairs a new dimension to their relationship. Jonathan and I talk throughout the day. We joke around and get to make plans to do other things together, like fish, golf, or throw some steaks on the grill after we finish up our work, said Steve. We ve never really had that type of relationship before. Don Hall shares, I am really enjoying spending five days a week with Brad. He used to live 400 miles away and we would only see each other once every 3-4 months. Now we are not only sharing the work, we re sharing life. We ve become a lot closer since we started working together, said Brad Hall. We get to talk about things we wouldn t otherwise have the time to talk about and we get to joke around with each other too. We also cheer up each other when one of us is having a bad day. It has been a really good experience for both us. As MARS continues to grow, we expect to see more and more fathers and sons working together, said David Jones. It is very rewarding to know that the family tradition that MARS was founded on is continuing. So to these, and all the other fathers in the MARS family HAPPY FATHER S DAY!
PAGE 3 MARS LAUNCHES 18 NEW MARS OPERATIONS IN MAY! Darin Dullum (MI) was working as a sales training director before joining MARS. Darin hopes to have fun while providing solutions for his dealers. He wants to improve his family s quality of life while building a strong team of MARS Operators in his area. Winston Crump (TX) was working as an art director before joining Karl Brown s MARS team. He will be working as a Team Leader and will help grow the MARS customer base in Texas. Douglene Kresge (HI) is joining Tom Kresge s MARS team in Hawaii. She has enjoyed watching Tom, her husband, grow the business and is now ready to help him in the field. Douglene was working as an administrative assistant for a local hotel and resort. Fredie Anguay (HI) is also joining Tom Kresge s team. He was working as a detailer before the opportunity opened up to join Tom s team. Fredie plans on adding more work for the team and help the MARS business grow even more. Greg Walz (FL) worked 17 years in the lumber industry before starting his career with MARS. Greg plans to grow his business in the automotive market and expand into the retail and marine markets. Alvin Martin (NC) was golf professional at the Members Club before joining MARS. He plans to expand and grow the MARS customer base in the region with his partner, Rob Brothers. Eventually they would like to expand into the retail sector. Rob Brothers (NC) was also a golf professional at the Members Club and worked with Alvin before joining MARS. He is excited about building the MARS brand and working with Alvin to grow the retail and wholesale markets. Jim Boozer (TX) was an IT project manager for Shell Oil, Sabre, and Pier 1 before starting his MARS venture. He plans to build a strong team of Operators in North Texas. Mike Courtney (OH) sold new and used vehicles before joining MARS. He intends to use his knowledge of the local market and his contacts to establish a solid appearance reconditioning business. Paul Shimek (TX) has worked in construction and as a field service engineer in the semiconductor industry before joining MARS. He will start his MARS career working with Jim Boozer and plans to break off and expand the business on his own in the future. Story continued on Page 6.
PAGE 4 O perator of the Barry KOFFORD Idaho Barry began researching the MARS opportunity while living in California. But it wasn t until he moved to Idaho that he decided to really pursue a career with MARS. I researched MARS over a period of two years, said Barry Kofford. There was just something that kept drawing me back and capturing my interest. When I moved to Idaho, the timing was right to follow through on this new career opportunity. Of course, Barry recommends that others considering starting with MARS get an early spring start. I started in the fall and got off to a rough start with the winter weather. Month June 2006 Working in the snow has been Barry s biggest challenge, but he is overcoming that challenge by working closely with his customers and suppliers. Barry Kofford, in front of his trailer, is enjoying the success of his MARS business in Idaho. MARS has a great supplier in BASF, Barry said. The local vendor came out and spent some time experimenting with some of the products. We ve tweaked a couple systems that have really helped me out in the cold winter weather. Barry is growing his business by adding his first employee in June. He is planning on adding a second employee by the end of summer, as he looks to reach another milestone with his business. By next summer, it is my goal to have three employees and two trailers going. I also want to start expanding into the retail market. One of the goals that Barry has accomplished with his MARS business was met when his wife was able to quit her job and stay home with their 6-year-old, and the one that s on the way! Now it s up to me to increase the business and provide for my family, and I like know that I have control over the future of my career. Barry also gets something else out of his work satisfaction. I get a lot of satisfaction being the one-stop shop for Story continued on Page 5
PAGE 5 OPERATOR OF THE MONTH CONTINUED... my customers. It feels really good to know that I am an asset to customers. FROM PAGE 4 Recently, I had one dealer ask me if I knew how much money I was saving him. He proceeded to tell me that he saves thousands of dollars every month using MARS. It is so rewarding to know that I am really doing something positive for my customers my business is really having a positive impact. There are many more aspects of the MARS opportunity that Barry really enjoys. I can t just specify one activity that is my favorite. I enjoy interacting with different people every day, working outside, and the flexibility I have to take time off when I want. Of course, there s always the reward of seeing a job well done. Of all the MARS systems, the bumper repair provides the biggest ohh-ahh factor for me. It s taking an obvious flaw that takes away from the overall appearance of a vehicle, and after the repair is complete, it looks really great. Barry credits Barry provides a One-Stop Shop for his customers by offering both interior repairs and exterior repairs. Above, he removes the appearance of a cigarette burn from a velour seat. Below, he makes a scuffed bumper look good as new. his mentors with helping him establish a successful business model. I had really great mentors when I got started. The MARS group out of Montana have been a great resource for me. I still talk to them regularly and other Operators to discuss business and talk about adding employees and managing climate issues. I still keep up with my mentors and those Operators that I went through training with. MARS does a great job of fostering a family environment.
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 The PAGE 6 WELCOME NEW OPERATORS CONTINUED... Tom Lundeen (NC) worked as an aircraft mechanic for over 20 years before starting his MARS training. He plans to grow his business and add a team of Operators to service the dealers and retail customers in his area. Crea Courson (NC) worked as an inbound supervisor for South Eastern Freight Lines before joining MARS. He plans to expand his business to provide quality service to dealers in his area. FROM PAGE 3 service industry. Steve Roennau (CO) was a vice president of training for Quizno s before starting his MARS career. Steve plans to help build the MARS brand into the leading provider of auto appearance repair services in his market. Dave Colon (CO) owned his own business, providing consulting services to area developers before starting his MARS business. He plans to grow and develop both a wholesale and retail market with his business with Steve Roennau. Eric Gruner (NY) was working as a service advisor at a dealership when he decided to start his MARS business. Eric will be working with Chris Ditch to grow the business to serve dealerships and retail customers. Mark Bishop (KY) was a manager in a major transportation company before starting his career with MARS. He plans to build his business offering quality services and keeping his customers happy. Jonathan Jes Stover (NY) was working as a roofer before joining MARS. Jes will be working with his father, John, to build a strong MARS team in New York. Congratulations! Matt Moore (FL) joins Dan St. Hilaire to build the Florida MARS operation. Dan lives next door to Matt s parents and has been recruiting Matt for some time. Matt is looking forward to growing the business and providing quality service for his customers. Ryan Johnson (MI) will be working with Darin Dullum to build a strong MARS business in Michigan. Before joining MARS, Ryan worked in the automotive The MARS International family congratulates Eddie and Ileana Hoch on the birth of their daughter, Elysse Nicole Hoch.