Friendship becomes partnership

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Jacob Longan

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October 5, 2008

Jacob Longan - NewsPress The Stillwater News Press Sun Oct 05, 2008, 05:14 PM CDT

Jim Bilodeau, Jon McAlister and Craig Schupp put little stock in the old adage about not mixing business and pleasure.

The trio of friends own Diamond Autobody Inc. at 2825 E. Sixth Ave. They previously worked together at another bodyshop but decided to be their own bosses.

They opened on Sept. 1, 2001, and questioned the wisdom of the decision 10 days later when the worst terrorist attacks in our nation’s history occured.

“It was interesting,” said Schupp, a technician. “Scary enough to throw everything you have into a new business and then that happened.”

Bilodeau, who manages the front office, said everything slowed down for “a month or two.”

“Meantime, cars still kept getting wrecked and people needed them fixed,” he added. “We are a service-oriented business. It’s coming together well and that’s kind of how we’re here.”

Obviously they made it through one of the darkest times in America’s history and say they enjoy their business and friendships.

“It has been really great,” said McAlister, another technician. “We have all worked together prior years. We started out getting a little closer and a little closer, doing hunting and fishing, what have you. Our friendship doesn’t stop at the shop. It carries on through to our home lives.

“My house is always open to them to come whenever they want. They don’t need a key to come to my house. It’s a revolving door. People come and go as they want.”

Added Schupp, “When problems arise, we take care of them so they don’t fester and come up later on. We haven’t had any problems. Usually we are so busy getting stuff done, getting customer cars in and out, that we don’t have time for (problems).”

Bilodeau said they know each other’s temperments, hot buttons and mindsets.

“We really are like a family,” he added. “We hunt together, fish together; we’re family.”

Bilodeau’s wife, Jere, works in the office. They have seven grown children — Michelle, Eric, Holly, James, Michael, Matthew and Joy.

McAlister is a Pawnee native, as is his wife, Susie. They have a son, Jon Darren, 12.

Schupp and his wife, Missy, have a daughter, Amanda, 16, and a son, Brad, 12.

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