So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.
My name is Frank Cretella Jr, I'm 40 years old and I'm a lifelong resident of Girard, Ohio.
Tell us one thing you love about where you live now?
One of my favorite things about living in the Youngstown-Warren region of Ohio is the affordable cost of living.
Tell us a little bit more about what your company does and how it started? How does it help your customers?
My company provides roadside and on site repair service for commercial trucks and trailers. I spent 11 years in the towing industry and in October of 2018 I decided to go out on my own focusing solely on commercial truck & trailer roadservice. I started the company with 1 truck and 1 customer and we currently have 4 trucks and a full roster of customers including some of the largest trucking companies in the country.
If someone wants to start a business, what advice will help them?
Do it for the right reason(s). Oftentimes people start their own business because they want to either be the boss or they think they'll get to keep all the money. Usually those are the people that in my experience tend to close their business within 3 years. When you start a business you still have to keep an employee mindset even though you're the one in charge. If you take care of the business properly it will take care of you.
What was one feedback from a happy customer/client that you won't forget about?
Truthfully I've been very lucky with my customers. They've always given me good feedback about how well we take care of their equipment.
Where do you see your company in the future?
Eventually I would like to see us integrate towing into our portfolio of services that we offer. But that will require the right people in the right positions in order to continue providing our customers with the highest level of service possible.
What is the biggest misconception about your industry?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions of this industry is that it's an easy job. As trucks become more reliant on electrical components things are no longer just nuts and bolts. There's a lot of diagnostic troubleshooting that goes on even for something as simple as an inoperable headlight. It takes a certain level of critical thinking to be able to accurately troubleshoot the problem and make the correct repairs in a timely manner.
What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business and how did you deal with it?
Finding qualified employees. Unfortunately a lot of people in the industry haven't been trained properly and it becomes difficult to find the right piece of the puzzle so to speak. The only real way to deal with that is through trial and error, hire fast and fire even faster.
What was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?
Growing up I listened to all sorts of music so I really didn't have a favorite.
Any shoutouts you want to make?
I definitely have to give credit where it's due to my girlfriend Nicole for always being exceptionally supportive of the direction I want to take the business.
Where can our readers follow your work or learn more about your upcoming projects?
