Miles Apart But Of Like Mind: How Two Shop Owners Grew a Friendship and Partnership

by Alana Quartuccio

Sometimes life just has a way of bringing the right people together. 

When ABAT’s Burl Richards took a seat in a BASF 20 group nearly 15 years ago, he had no idea he was about to build a lifelong friendship and discover a future business partner in a body shop owner from New Jersey. 

He’d soon learn that Jerry McNee of Ultimate Collision and Repair (Edison, NJ) just so happened to share many of the same visions Richards did – a passion for the industry, for fixing cars correctly and for turning out nothing less than safe and proper repairs.

Richards and McNee may live many miles apart, but their shared business objectives could not be any closer. 

The pair very quickly went from colleagues talking about shop issues to close friends taking family vacations together. Now, Richards and McNee have partnered up as owners of three body shops in east Texas. 

Their like-mindedness wasn’t just obvious to them but to those around them as well. McNee has been referred to as the “Burl of the North” by colleagues – and even by his wife!

“When you’re with other like-minded folks in these 20 groups sharing thoughts and visions, it becomes apparent that we have a lot more in common than the 20 Group itself,” reflects McNee. 

“Jerry was very like-minded in doing similar things at his shop that I did at mine,” recalls Richards. “Nether of us were DRP-oriented. Not to say we didn’t have DRPs, but that wasn’t the focus of our businesses which was more about taking care of the customer, maximizing repair efficiency while ensuring safe and effective repairs. Jerry and I just really hit it off because we’ve been doing the same things, him up in Jersey and me here in Texas. After these group meetings, we’d all go out to dinner and hang out. Jerry is one of my best friends, and I can honestly say I’ve met others from those groups who I consider some of my best friends.”

Even though they were in different states, they were both doing the same thing in their shops, and it was easy to pick up the phone, call the other and talk things through. “It can make a world of difference,” says McNee of the benefits of talking things out with someone you know and trust and who has been through it before. In their case, it made for a good friendship. 

So, when Richards asked McNee if he would be interested in opening a shop with him in Texas, “he was on board with it from day one.” 

Two years ago, they purchased the first shop – Doug’s Paint and Body (White Oak). They’ve since purchased two more – Fishburn’s (White Oak) and Laserline Collision Center (Lindale) 

It’s a different learning experience for both as Richards explains, “We’re involved in the business, but we’re not there every single day, like we are at our other shops. It was an investment, but also a business model that we could see if we could duplicate. So, it’s been very interesting, and we’ve learned a lot. I’ll tell you I have a whole new perspective of the larger MSOs and the way that they’re organized with a manager and a regional manager and other managers.”

Richards also noted the importance of KPIs. “We have certain KPIs that we look at every month, but those large MSO shops are really on it every day. They’re so admin heavy that they are looking at certain numbers and metrics every single day, and I’ll tell you that is what it takes. You have to stay on top of it.”

Currently, they are focused on building up the most recent shop they purchased in Lindale. That will remain their focus until the shop is off and running, and then they consider growing their brand further. They have created White Sands Collision as the holding company, but currently, the goal is to keep the shops they’ve purchased running under the names customers recognize while putting their own spin on each operation. 

“I’ve had businesses with other business partners, and Jerry and I have never had a cross word ever. We are on the same page. Having someone you can work with has been a big positive. I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t know everything, and I think Jerry would tell you the same thing. So we’re willing to try the other person’s ideas, but I’d say 80 to 90 percent of the time we are on the same page. It’s good to have that flexibility and that openness because when you own your own business, you get used to calling your own shots, so it’s definitely a different dynamic when you have a business partner. And it really helps that we are so like-minded.” 

McNee agrees, “As a sole owner, you don’t have anyone to bounce things off. Every decision you make is completely your own. And in a small business, you learn the hard way. It’s a school of hard knocks. Burl and I both have our strengths. We can throw something on the table, hammer it out, punch holes in it and come up with a solution. And we’ve never had a disagreement.” 

“Who would’ve thought 15 years ago when we met that we’d be business partners in Texas?” adds Richards. “It was never on the radar, but it’s just the way things worked out. It’s been an opportunity to branch out and try new things. We’ve both been doing this for 30-plus years. Having a business that long afforded us to be able to try other investments and do other things. We’re passionate about this industry so why not go out and try something new?

“It’s different than when we first started out,” Richards continues. “You’d have to make that check every week to pay the light bill at home, get the kids clothes for school and get a household going. This is more of an investment endeavor, but at the same time, if we can have more say out there in the industry on how to fix cars properly and do the right things, it helps spread the word.”

“It’s a different venture than we had in the past,” McNee contributes. “When I was building my place in Edison, there were headaches and struggles, and I didn’t know if I was making the right decision because I had nobody to turn to.”

Richards stresses how different it is to not be at these shops every day making decisions on the fly, instead depending on other people to do that; therefore, communication is key. 

“It has its challenges, but it’s very interesting and very rewarding when you can have success doing it. We’re not where we want to be just yet, but we are very committed to dialing it in,” says Richards.

Want more? Check out the March 2025 issue of Texas Automotive!