december2022 - 38

TALES FROM THE ROAD
An entrepreneurial spirit
This Cornwell Tools dealer out of Milwaukee, Wis., told us about how he got into the
business and used his knack for thinking outside the box to grow his territory.
By Brendan Baker, Editor
W
e met Kevin Richardt at
an event in Las Vegas
a few weeks ago. He
is a Cornwell Tools dealer out of
Milwaukee, Wis., and he was telling
us about how he got into the business
and used his entrepreneurial
spirit to grow his territory.
" My background is quite diverse, "
says Richardt. " My parents owned a
marine repair business when I was growing
up, so I was used to working around
boats and working on things from an
early age. I was always a mechanical kid. "
What's your story?
Share the ups and downs of life on the road
with us at Editor@VehicleServicePros.com
and you could be featured in our next Tales
from the Road column.
Kevin Richardt enjoys finding things that other tool dealers don't have to serve his customers.
Photo: Kevin Richardt
Richardt says he remembers his dad
buying tools from a Snap-on dealer,
which sparked his interest. " I always
thought it was fascinating that he ran
this business out of his house. I was
intrigued by the [mobile tool] model
because I've had this entrepreneurial
spirit since I was young. So, later, when
I was working for dealerships and buying
tools - just like the young guys buy
from me now - I was introduced to the
Cornwell dealer. "
Richardt says meeting the Cornwell
Tools dealer started him thinking
about being a tool dealer. " Gordy
Gill, who was a dealer for eons, I
talked to him about becoming a dealer.
It wasn't realistic at the time, but I
was curious. Cornwell gave me all the
38 Professional Distributor I December 2022 I VehicleServicePros.com
information, so it was always in the back of
my mind. "
After a career change to building
maintenance, Richardt spent years working
in this field, far from the mobile tool
business, and planned to start a home
inspection company. " I spent three years
preparing to launch a home inspection
company. The thing that always struck
me was that the home inspector doesn't
make a big cut of the real estate transaction
but has a heavy liability. "
After going back to work for a previous
employer for a few years, Richardt
still had plans to launch his inspection
business. But he got cold feet and began
to doubt his plan.
In 2020, he applied for a Cornwell
Tools franchise and discovered that
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december2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of december2022

Editor's Note: The technician shortage is getting real
Sneak Peek
Most Wanted
Electric vehicles - coming to a shop near you
In Focus
Diagnostic Tech: Using digital tools to reduce the friction of running a shop
Show Me Your Truck: 'Look at that Bad Larry!'
Go Sell Something: Writing a sales pitch
Driving Sales
Tales From the Road: An entrepreneurial spirit
SEMA/AAPEX Wrap-up
Diagnosing Progress
Common diagnostics and trends in hybrid and electric vehicles
Diagnosing faults on modern vehicles
The real cause of P0420/P0430 DTCs
How diagnostic tools cut through the ADAS confusion
When the tools become the tutor
Diagnostic products
december2022 - 1
december2022 - 2
december2022 - 3
december2022 - Editor's Note: The technician shortage is getting real
december2022 - 5
december2022 - Sneak Peek
december2022 - 7
december2022 - 8
december2022 - 9
december2022 - 10
december2022 - 11
december2022 - Most Wanted
december2022 - 13
december2022 - Electric vehicles - coming to a shop near you
december2022 - 15
december2022 - 16
december2022 - 17
december2022 - 18
december2022 - 19
december2022 - 20
december2022 - 21
december2022 - In Focus
december2022 - 23
december2022 - 24
december2022 - 25
december2022 - Diagnostic Tech: Using digital tools to reduce the friction of running a shop
december2022 - 27
december2022 - 28
december2022 - 29
december2022 - Show Me Your Truck: 'Look at that Bad Larry!'
december2022 - 31
december2022 - Go Sell Something: Writing a sales pitch
december2022 - 33
december2022 - 34
december2022 - Driving Sales
december2022 - 36
december2022 - 37
december2022 - Tales From the Road: An entrepreneurial spirit
december2022 - 39
december2022 - SEMA/AAPEX Wrap-up
december2022 - 41
december2022 - 42
december2022 - 43
december2022 - 44
december2022 - A1
december2022 - A2
december2022 - A3
december2022 - Diagnosing Progress
december2022 - A5
december2022 - Common diagnostics and trends in hybrid and electric vehicles
december2022 - A7
december2022 - Diagnosing faults on modern vehicles
december2022 - A9
december2022 - The real cause of P0420/P0430 DTCs
december2022 - A11
december2022 - How diagnostic tools cut through the ADAS confusion
december2022 - A13
december2022 - A14
december2022 - A15
december2022 - When the tools become the tutor
december2022 - A17
december2022 - A18
december2022 - A19
december2022 - A20
december2022 - Diagnostic products
december2022 - A22
december2022 - A23
december2022 - A24
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