In early 2023, when Kit Lindsey and his wife Amy showed up at the new IBO in China Grove, Texas, they were a little shell-shocked. There I was, downstairs in the reception area, with my dog Axel. He’s a large German Shepherd who sheds so much hair it looks like tumbleweeds in the hot Texas sun.
Suffice it to say the place was a mess. Construction had abruptly halted due to permits and other unforeseen situations beyond my control. I remember Kit asking how I was doing with this overwhelming project.
Being a typical guy, I said I’m doing great. That was a lie, but I’ve become better at being honest with myself. ATRA is a giant organization, but everyone who works here is human. We’ve worked hard through some of the most challenging ups and downs.
The staff at ATRA has remained on point, making sure that our members and the industry are receiving the best service we can provide. When the team was still scattered during the move from Oxnard and simultaneous remodel at China Grove, I often sought consultation from my dog Axel. Of course, the one thing you can count on is a dog’s loyalty, so no matter what, I was always right.
Before the new IBO was purchased in South Texas, we had targeted North Texas. At the time, Vanessa, Shaun Velasquez, my wife Kelly, and I were formally in charge of our desired location. We put our bullseye smack in the middle of the Dallas/Fort Worth multiplex. We drew a circle around the DFW area, and numbered locations based on what we had seen online—places like Bowie, Gainesville, Roanoke, Azle, Burleson, and the surrounding areas. And within six months after selling the building in Oxnard, California, we hit the road.
Road trips can be both fun and frightening. Driving through the snow from Amarillo to Fort Worth, I suggested to Kelly to read a book, 🙂 . We met up with Shaun and Vanessa, and for the next five days, we visited each site and narrowed the list.
Ed Doyle came up from Kerrville to look at the locations we had chosen. We settled on a place in the Roanoke area, virtually a turnkey property just north of Arlington. We spent the next week preparing a plan and presentation for the board of directors, and that was the spot.
I was still coaching football, and after a late-night practice, I got a call from Ed telling me the board decided on a property in the San Antonio area. I was stunned and the awkward silence must have been deafening. How would I tell Kelly that it’s San Antonio and not Dallas. Did I forget to mention that she’s a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, so there’s that.
Ed Doyle, then Vice President of ATRA, and Jim Rodd, then President of the association, found this place in China Grove. China Grove, just like the song from the Doobie Brothers, is a sleepy little town just outside San Antone.
We quickly headed to San Antonio, to check out the property. It was clear that this project was going to be fun, and I was up for the challenge. By June 17, 2021, we had purchased the future home of the ATRA International Business Office and Research & Training Facility in China Grove, Texas.
The first few months went well. The plans were coming together, and it seemed like things were falling into place. Then suddenly it didn’t. The original site plan company dropped the ball, and we had to fire them. The new company had to start over. If that were it, I would have been happy, but that was just the beginning. The unknowns caught us by surprise.
When we bought this place, the building was already completed. 10,000 feet of the 14,958 square foot site was already built out. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but none of the construction had received building permits. That meant we had to re-engineer and obtain inspections and permits for the entire building, immediately putting us over budget and way out of our completion timeline.
Kelly and I moved to La Vernia, Texas, in May of 2022, and for the record, we love the country living and the short 20-minute commute. Over the next two years, the complexity of the remodel became overwhelming. There are permits for permits, and companies we’d hire would show up, and after a week, we’d never see them again. We hired and fired over eight HVAC companies. Carpenters, electricians, and even lawn and garden companies were unreliable. I wondered, “Are we on island time?”.
Fast forward to January 2024, I had asked our General Contractor Jeramy Edelstein, Edelstein Construction for a completion date. We put it on the calendar for June 28, 2024. That was significant because we had a firm deadline on paper. As the days and weeks passed, we could see a light at the end of the tunnel. Our current President, Dave Wilkes, would always say, “You’ve never been closer.” With each update, he said the same thing.
Staff came to see the transformation. Maureen Dela Cruz and Tatiana Lungu from our accounting team were smiling from ear to ear and excited about the look and the feel. Maureen asked me if I was excited; I said, “With all of the ups and downs, it’s best I keep an even keel.”
I mentioned earlier that guys have trouble expressing feelings. A significant setback a few weeks before the Grand Opening Event was my breaking point. A sense of failure swept over me – an emotion like I’d never felt. Even though it was out of my control, I felt entirely responsible. I remember driving home and calling Kelly. I asked her if I was a good person and if I was doing the right thing. There’s something about being vulnerable. We don’t often do that because we feel it’s a sign of weakness. For me, it didn’t matter anymore; I was hurting.
Something about letting that go that day changed how I dealt with things from that moment on. I realized I could only control what was controllable. So, the following day, I went into “fix it” mode, and by high noon (a Texas term), we had a new game plan and were back on track for completion.
Friday, June 28, 2024, was our unofficial-official Grand Opening, and it was the Grandest of Openings! We had a ton of people here, including our friends from Canada. The ribbon cutting was special, and the opening prayer from our own Keith Clark was memorable. Dave Wilkes’ welcome speech introduced the new ATRA International Business Office Research and Training Facility.
When it was my turn, I hadn’t written it out. I wrote these words on a folded piece of paper: “TEAMWORK,” “THIS IS YOUR FACILITY,” and “LOVE.” Here’s the essence of how I feel. It is true that teamwork makes the dream work; without my team, none of this would have been possible. Only a few people knew that I was here at the IBO by myself with my dog for over a year because the team kept things together and made this dream come true!
There are a few people that I want to thank: Dennis Madden, who took a chance on me in 1999 and I think it paid off! Aurelio Pena and Keith Clark who were the first to move to San Antonio. Olive Birns, Rodger, and Diane Bland for keeping me grounded when I was flying too high. Sarah Janes and Catherine Burke, for keeping it real in the office and making it fun! My wife Kelly for genuinely being a solid rock and listening to me complain and dealing with me when I’d crawl and a hole and not talk for days.
To the past and current board members, the vision of ATRA’s future wasn’t always easy. Some very difficult decisions were made during this timeframe, and in the end, the association has gone through a transformation that will better serve our future technicians and shops worldwide.
Dave Wilkes, President, and Chris Kennedy, Vice President, thank you for working with me and being my sounding board. A special thank you to Cathy Winfield, the China Grove City Permit Officer, who worked diligently with us and gave unwavering assistance in seeing this through. To Jeramy Edelstein, we did it! It took three years, three months, and 25 days to get our certificate of occupancy – not the 30-60 days as we had hoped, but it’s done!
Finally, and most importantly to the worldwide members of ATRA, without you none of this would be possible. We thank you for your continued support and trust in our leadership and we look forward to our future together and meeting your training needs as they arise.
They say all good things are worth waiting for; this is one of them.
“This is our industry, and this is your home for training. Whether you’re a shop looking for training or a supplier that needs a place to train, this is your home. If you’re going to train or attend a training event, we want you to train right here in China Grove, Texas, at the ATRA Research and Training Facility!”
I look forward to seeing y’all one day here at the facility. Until then, I look forward to serving you and our future together.
