Aaron Bradford
Aaron Bradford of Driftwood Auto Glass in Woodbine, Ga., recently earned his Master Auto Glass Technician certification with the Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC).
Bradford has been in the industry for more than 16 years. “I got my start through Bob Augst of Binswanger Glass when I lived in Richmond, Va.,” he says. “We were both adult leaders on a high adventure trip with my old Boy Scout troop in Maine. It was a week of taking the kids canoeing in the Allagash Lake region.”
He continues, “I was currently a carpenter for a local construction company. Around the campfire, we had been conversing, and knowing my affection for cars he offered me a position as an auto glass technician, which offered better pay and benefits than my current job. Things fell into place and I enjoyed the industry so I haven’t left since.”
Bradford says he chose to pursue his Master certification “because [he] always strive[s] to offer the highest quality work possible.”
He adds, “I take our job very seriously because our customers’ lives depend on our work. A vehicle is often one of the two most expensive investments a person makes. Whether it’s an economy car or a high-end luxury vehicle, each one deserves our care and attention equally.”
Bradford met his wife while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2016. “We both hiked all the way from Maine to Georgia and at the summit of Springer Mountain she convinced me to move with her down to the Golden Isles [near Georgia],” he says.
Bradford adds, “This was probably the best training for opening a small business. I learned to persevere even in tough times, to see the final destination when it seemed so far away. It also helped me to learn to live frugally, subsisting off a diet of mainly Ramen noodles, rice sides, and Pop Tarts. Every goal we have seems so far away in life. It always starts with one step and is achieved through the tenacity to keep taking those individual steps to reach a destination that is often many miles away.”