60 Seconds With Safelite Technician Jake

In this month's 60-second spotlight, we spoke with an experienced lead technician at our Bloomburg store who also has a passion for cars and built a unique path to becoming a technician.

Name? Jake R.

What do you do for Safelite? I’m an in-shop lead technician at the Bloomsburg, Pa. store. This February marks 20 years with Safelite for me.

Tell me something interesting about yourself. I love the glass industry. In my free time, I love to fish and spend time with my family.

How did you get started as a technician? The auto glass industry is first nature to me. I started out in a full service glass shop as a glazer. Then, I moved on to a master auto mechanic specializing in auto glass, so being a technician was a simple decision.

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had at Safelite? Best of Belron was by far the most memorable experience I’ve had here. It was truly amazing, I can’t say enough about it. Winning my market in 2014 was phenomenal, but when I won at the regional level, it was incredible.

Do you have a passion for cars outside of work? Oh yes. My wife will tell you that I am the most meticulous person when it comes to keeping my cars maintained. I’ve restored cars in the past as well, full frame-off restorations, and it’s always been a hobby of mine.

What’s one part of being a technician that someone in another career field does not get to experience? As a tech, we experience the constant changing and evolution of cars from year to year. It’s always something new. The challenge of something new always intrigues me. A new process, a new tool required, new technology, always something more advanced than last time.