Wheels Of Fortune

Upon listening to the story of North Alabama Tools, Inc. entrepreneur/independent mobile tool dealer Jackie Rose, it's almost difficult not to believe in destiny. It seems as if his involvement in the business was meant to be, and it's a perfect fit. But if you ask him how he got into the business, he would tell you it was by accident.

A long-time technician and shop owner, Rose's father-in-law, Paul Smith, hinted that he should become a mobile tool dealer. This was months before the closing of the computer manufacturing plant where Rose worked for 13 years. Rose dismissed his father-in-law's suggestion, citing satisfaction with his current job.

After the plant closed, fate knocked a second time. Smith came across a man named Tim Nichols, a.k.a. "Tim the Toolman." The Toolman just happened to be in an accident, and Smith drove the wrecker at the scene. Rose recalls that when the two men got to talking, Smith found out the Toolman was an Integrated Supply Network (ISN) sales rep for northern Alabama. The men exchanged contact information.

So when Rose did decide to begin his independent mobile tool business, he enlisted Nichols' assistance. As conversations progressed, they verbally agreed on some terms, and Rose immediately cut ISN a check.

Rose accepted Smith's advice when choosing his initial inventory, but taught himself the trade by keeping one eye on the road, and the other on the Toolman. He carefully watched how Nichols interacted with customers and was particularly taken with his motto, "Whatever it takes."

Rose has implemented the same slogan. And he takes it to heart.

"I Never Called Myself A Salesman"

Rose says he never thought of himself as a salesman, but with the help of his constant partner and wife, Angie, he breached slightly more than half a million dollars in sales last year. One month last summer, he even sold $40,000 of equipment to one shop alone, but admits, "The majority of the money goes right back into the business. You have to reinvest in your inventory."

Surrounded by six other tool trucks in his 50-mile, four-city territory in the counties of Madison and Limestone in northern Alabama, Rose takes on all kinds of customers:

• Traditional automotive shops.
• A bus company.
• An airport maintenance facility.
• A utilities shop.
• A sweeper truck shop.

His success has not gone unnoticed, as he's been approached to work for a couple of franchises. "The negotiations always stop at changing the name on my truck. If I'm gonna work 12 hours a day, I'm gonna do it for myself. I love the freedom of being independent, and I think I've got a better selection of tools than most because I'm not limited to where I can buy. I can also pick which shops I want to stop at," he explains.

When asked about his competition, Rose seems to thrive on it. He feels they give his customers something to compare him to, especially in tool selection and customer service. And by his comments, he appears to stack up pretty well. "My customers look for my name. You gotta earn your customer's trust, and I have. I could sell peanuts off this truck, and make a good living doing it.

"I had to learn how to read people first, though. Then you have to find out which mechanics you can trust, and learn how far to sell them. I won't let my customers take on something if I know they can't afford it. I ask new accounts, 'How much can you pay me a week?'

"If they answer $30, I tell them what they can afford on credit. If their answer sounds like too much, though, I ask 'Are you sure?' until I feel like it's something they can actually pay me, and then I make them stick to it. Instead of demanding money, I let them make their own decisions, and hold them responsible."

A Service Industry