ROB’S JOURNEY TO BEING AN INDUSTRY PIONEER
PASSION IGNITED
As a kid, he was surrounded by role models who loved cars—like his uncles, grandpa, and stepdad. This brand new Delorean was his great uncle’s and you can see by the genuine smile on his face that he was excited to see such a unique car. This ignited in him an appreciation for custom vehicle design. At just 9 years old, he was hooked.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY
By 12, he was old enough that he wanted to start saving for his own vehicle, so he asked his grandpa if he’d put him to work. He let Rob manage the islands, washing windows and checking tire pressure for $7/hr at his gas station and auto repair shop. Every once in a while his grandpa would let him pull his car in and fill it up. After getting in that driver’s seat, he knew he’d own a car like his grandpa’s one day.
GEAR HEAD TO INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
After working his way through high school at his Grandpa’s auto repair shop, he enrolled in an electrical apprenticeship through his local community college. His electrical career took off quickly. Over the course of 14 years Rob went after every certification and license he could and was a leader in growing companies and teams to complete some of the most complex industrial projects in the country.
BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR
Rob has always had the entrepreneurial spirit, starting companies, investing in real estate and always challenging himself to do big meaningful things. He started an electrical company operating in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona, working closely with oil companies, power plants, food processing facilities, and semiconductor manufactureres on industrial electrical automation and system integrations. As his electrical company expanded, he began to consider business ventures that could get him back into the automotive industry. In 2018, seing the potential for electrification, he knew this was where he could bring value.
“I love building things, seeing an idea turn into a business, and a business turn into a solution that the industry really needs, and watching a team set goals and reach their goals. This gets me excited!”
Starting Legacy EV allowed Rob to combine his professional experience in electrical engineering with his passion for custom vehicles. His understanding of complex electrical systems and his leadership experience in multiple companies granted him the knowledge and background to address electrical systems integration and develop innovative business visions around them. Legacy EV is now the face of the aftermarket EV industry, working with over 60 manufacturers to distribute turn key EV conversion kits at an international scale. Working with government entities and industry leaders, Legacy EV has also created the first of its kind Certified EV Technician Program to prepare technicians to build, service, and maintain electric vehicles. This innovative workforce training gives technicians a product agnostic foundation to grow their own customer base and welcome new vehicle technology into their shops, businesses, and training facilities.
“The success our our training programs put us in the White House last year for the top talent call to action. The first week of November, Mavrick (co-founder) and myself had to divide and conquer!”