CREF Reconnects with Collision Professional Who Attended First CREF Career Fair

Originally published at CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org

All too often, collision students enter the industry for a short time and then abandon their collision career aspirations for other fields. The need to create long-lasting connections to his industry is apparent and something the Collision Repair Education Foundation seeks to accomplish through its many initiatives. The success of such endeavors is visible in the case of Brandon Wennin, a 10-year industry veteran who met CREF Executive Director Brandon Eckenrode as a student and later spoke to students during the Foundation’s first-ever career fair, then titled the Cars, Careers & Celebrities Expo, in August 2014.

Wennin’s entrance into the industry began a few years earlier. After graduating high school in 2008, he had no idea what career path to pursue. His parents permitted him to take a gap year to weigh his options, and during that year, Wennin and his friends spent a lot of time working on their cars. “I realized how much I enjoyed customizing cars,” he shares. “My parents are both graphic designers, so I grew up around art, but I’ve never been interested in spending my life behind a desk; I always wanted to work with my hands, and the idea of becoming a custom painter gave me a chance to do that while still creating something beautiful and artistic on people’s cars and motorcycles.”

The 19-year-old aspiring painter enrolled at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Waco, TX, where he acquired the foundational knowledge that he would need as a collision repair technician and refinish professional. “Our program was well-rounded as far as establishing a full in-depth program of what the industry will be like after graduation. The entire program revolved around I-CAR certification, from basic body and refinish all the way through the advanced courses, so it gave me the opportunity to get certified in both areas as I pursued my associate degree in applied science.”

While he was enrolled in the program at TSTC, Wennin “ate, slept and lived auto body repair. I installed a compressor in my parents’ garden shed and started doing repairs and painting motorcycle tanks on the side to supplement what I was learning in school, in addition to going to work in a body shop, JR Customs, during the year leading up to graduation. I dove straight into the industry, constantly researching what was coming next in collision repair and exploring the direction it was headed.

“That’s how I came across CREF,” he recalls. “I found some information about the Foundation online and learned that our school received support from them. But I really got to know them more through SkillsUSA.”

Wennin competed in the Texas State SkillsUSA Competition for three years, placing third in 2010 and second in 2011 before winning a bid to nationals in 2012 when he took gold in refinishing at the state level. “Brandon [Eckenrode] reached out via Facebook to congratulate me and asked to meet at nationals in Kansas City.”

After graduation, Caliber Collision recruited Wennin as a production painter, and within a couple years, he was promoted to head painter.

In August 2014, CREF hosted its Cars, Careers & Celebrities Expo in Dallas, TX, and a month before the event, Eckenrode reached out to Wennin to ask if the young painter would speak to the students attending the event. “He suggested that the students might relate to someone my age since I was a recent graduate who had been working in the industry for a few years, so I agreed and drove to Dallas. I was 24 years old, so it was shocking to be asked to speak to students and to be associated with something of this magnitude. Seeing everything CREF was trying to accomplish and everything they had already achieved was really eye-opening and motivating.”

Wennin was overwhelmed by the opportunity to join well-known painters on stage, including Charley Hutton (Charley Hutton’s Color Studio; Nampa, ID) and KC Matthieu (KC’s Paint Shop; Fort Worth, TX) who, at the time, worked at Gas Monkey Garage (Dallas, TX) and starred on Discovery Channel’s Fast N’ Loud. The trio offered students their unique perspectives. “I shared my journey through vo-tech school and into the industry, and I stressed that you can’t just dip your toe in this industry; if you want to pursue it, you need to be 100% devoted because the reward on the back end is unfathomable. I emphasized that tradesmen were becoming more in-demand and would continue to be needed as the older generation began retiring, predictions which have proven true, and I assured them that there are many great opportunities in collision repair if they were willing to exert the effort.”

After that experience, Wennin returned to life in the shop. Although he remained interested in performing custom paint jobs, he became engulfed in production painting – first in his continued career with Caliber Collision and later as a refinish technician at AMM Collision Center in Austin. “I focused on becoming the best possible painter by following all the procedures dictated by the paint manufacturers, and I became pretty good at what I did because my focus was on quality.”

Wennin also spent time networking with paint representatives as he sought to best understand how to spray with their product, which led to a job offer from LKQ where he went to work as a PBE tech rep, giving him a change to learn more about distribution and the technical side of the refinish industry. Eventually, he returned to AMM Collision in Cedar Park, and in 2020, he began offering custom paint jobs on the side, allowing him to do what he has always dreamed of doing.

“This is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Wennin insists. “I’ve been told that I have a God-given talent when it comes to art, and going down this road feels amazing and natural; I love it!”

For now, Wennin continues to work at the shop while building his business. AkzoNobel featured a custom motorcycle paint job by Wennin at the 2023 Texas Auto Body Trade Show, and two of the vehicles he painted were debuted at Battle of the Builders during SEMA 2023. This past summer, he competed in LKQ Refinish’s Hood Master Challenge for the second year in a row. “It was phenomenal and surreal to be in the same room as all these well-known artists I’ve been following on social media for years…people like Dave Kindig from Kindig-It Design and [MotorTrend TV’s] Bitchin’ Rides! I really appreciated the opportunity to put my work up next to that of these guys who have been doing custom paint jobs for 30-40 years; it was a great experience, and although I didn’t win, learning that only a handful of the hoods that are entered even get displayed gave me a lot of confidence in my skills. It definitely tells me I’m heading in the right direction on my chosen path. It’s not my time yet, but I believe that if I keep doing what I’m doing, my time will come.”

While he was at the event, Wennin perused the PiN Master entries and was inspired by what he saw. “Many of them showed great direction, and it was easy to appreciate the effort those students put into their designs. I was really impressed with the students and their visions. The fact that CREF and LKQ Refinish are doing this to raise money for vocational schools and get students fired up is amazing. I believe it will motivate a lot of these kids to stick with this industry because they’re experiencing first-hand what opportunities exist, plus they’re seeing the need and appreciation for their skills.”

Wennin also enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with Eckenrode during the event. “Growing up in a religious family, I was always told that people are put in your life at certain points for a reason. In college, I didn’t know anything about the industry outside my immediate sphere in Waco, TX; meeting Brandon changed that. This guy met me at SkillsUSA and then he inspired me to pursue custom painting when he asked me to paint a bowling pin. In 2014, he gave me a taste of being in front of a group of kids with the same passion and drive I have. Those encounters made me want to be part of something like CREF that makes a difference in people’s lives, but I was still very new in my career, so I just didn’t have the time to invest in it.

“Now, in 2024, I have reconnected with Brandon and am reminded of how much I want to be a part of CREF’s efforts to promote this amazing industry to the next generation of collision and refinish professionals,” Wennin continues. “I believe there’s a reason I ran into Brandon again. He inspired me to seek a way to assist the Foundation in showing students that they can create a career as a custom painter. I’m exploring ways to get involved with local students to help encourage them to pursue their collision industry dreams. Working in this industry is about more than the money; it’s about fulfilling my vision and living life according to my own purpose, and I hope I can contribute to guiding driven students to chase their own visions for the future.”

In the meantime, Wennin offers advice to collision students: “If you have the drive and desire to work with your hands, this industry needs you and offers many opportunities to become whoever you want to be. Embrace your vision and stay focused on this track. Don’t take the wisdom of older professionals for granted; absorb their knowledge and apply it to the skills you’re developing. For 10 years, I’ve used my youth, speed, drive, ambition and the wisdom of my mentors to push me forward in this chase toward my goals, and I’ve already gotten further than I could have imagined. These skills are in demand, and the future is bright. Lean into it and reach for the stars!”

CREF’s High School and College Transportation Student Career Fairs provide an optimal opportunity for industry businesses seeking qualified help to connect with future employees. The Foundation has several events scheduled this fall; get the details at bit.ly/CREF2024FallCareerFairs.

If you’re unable to attend CREF’s upcoming career fairs, you can still let incoming technicians know your company is interested in helping them by sponsoring work uniforms to ensure the future workforce recognizes the value of looking professional. For a donation of just $80 per student, companies can supply students with a brand-new Cintas technician shirt (branded with your logo) and a pair of work pants. Alternatively, a donation of $40 per student will provide students with a branded technician shirt. Sponsoring companies can also show support for collision students by opting to distribute the uniforms in person.

Email [email protected] to learn more.

Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs can Contact Us to learn about the many ways to get involved. Monetary donations can be made online.

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The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org.

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If you would like more information about this topic or any of CREF’s initiatives, please email [email protected].