Make it Kawasaki green

Chris Biediger has worked as a professional technician for 11 years. Though it was at age 15 that he began working on his own vehicle, his interest in how things work and making repairs started long before.

“As a kid, I would take my Xbox apart and try to repair it and take remote control cars apart,” Biediger says. “So, when I was in college, I was like, ‘You know what? I don't really like sitting in a classroom,’ so I got a job at a Toyota dealer … and haven't looked back.”

Now, as the shop foreman/lead technician at Hill Country Yota Works in New Braunfels, Texas, he is an ASE-certified Master Technician who’s on track to get his L1, L3, and L4 certifications early next year. Though his shop works on only Toyota and Lexus vehicles, they do “anything and everything,” meaning Biediger has amassed quite the collection of tools and equipment.

Working his way up

When Biediger started his career, many of his fellow technicians had Snap-on toolboxes, and he wanted one too, so he set that as his goal. He started out with a few different Craftsman toolboxes and worked his way up to his current setup.

Now, the shop foreman has a 72” triple bay Master Series from Snap-on with a hutch and a side locker. In addition to his main toolbox, he also has a Snap-on EPIQ roll cart and the Juic’d Box from Sunex Tools.

Biediger has also added a few customizations to make his toolbox his own, such as the LED lighting he ran on the inside to give himself a green backlight, and in his locker, he drilled a hole, clear-coated it, and installed a grommet to transform it into a power locker — this was before power lockers were available.

Though arguably, the most important customization is the color of the box.

“It’s green with black trim, a very bright Kawasaki green,” Biediger says. “I’ve loved that green since I was six years old, when I got my first Kawasaki.”

However, when it comes to the setup of the toolbox, he notes that the hutch is his favorite part.

“This is my first box with a hutch,” he says, “and ever since owning it, I’d never own a toolbox without one again. I keep my computer in there, my workstation, all my tickets, my scan tool—it’s just really handy to have.”

Mix n’ match organization

To keep his setup organized, Biediger utilizes a mix of organization tools from companies like Ernst Manufacturing, Alien Space Saver, and VIM Tools.

“You kind of have a mix of what fits when you configure a bunch of stuff into a small area,” he explains. “You can use a bunch of widgets, but then you might need a skinny [VIM] Magrail to fit something where a widget won’t fit. You kind of have to mix and match.”

Looking ahead, Biediger says he would like to get a “Mr. Big” setup from Snap-on or at least something similar to that size. For now, as with earlier in his career, the shop foreman is content to work his way up to that “EPIQ” box.