Lombard, Ill., Sept. 25, 2017—The first full day of the Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference was filled with networking events, sessions and panel discussions.
The day got a jumpstart with Purple Heart recipient John Kriesel’s keynote speech, “Still Standing. Still Smiling.” Kriesel lost his legs when he was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
"It was nearly 10 years of good times and one really bad day," Kriesel said of his time in the military.
Kriesel died three times on the operating table, but after four hospitals, 35 surgeries and nine months of rehabilitation, Kriesel walked out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center with a renewed outlook on life.
"I got a second chance at life," Kriesel said. "I wasn't going to waste it."
Kriesel brought the room to their feet with his speech on overcoming obstacles through adversity.
After the keynote, attendees enjoyed a full day of sessions, panels and Ratchet+Wrench Talks, which are a way to provide attendees in-depth conversations about the industry’s most pressing issues.
Ratchet+Wrench columnists Joe Marconi and Mitch Schneider, along with shop operators Ron Haugen, Bill Hill and Leigh Anne Best, were among the featured speakers.
The day concluded with the event’s official reception party at Pinstripes. Bowling, bocce ball, food and drinks capped off the day.
The Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference is a three-day, hands-on educational event for owners and operators of auto service businesses. The event closes Tuesday with a full slate of business-building breakout sessions led by some of the industry’s top operators. For more information on the event, and a full schedule of events, visit rwconference.com.
