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Adam M. Martin '04
My career at McPherson College could not have been more perfect. I was able to dig in and get my hands on some great old cars as well as learning a thing or two about restoration business practices. If it were not for my positive experience at McPherson, I would have not found my dream job at Hagerty Classic Insurance.
From left: Bruce Meyer (Beverly Hills Car Collector), myself, Ed Schoenthaler (Chicago Car collector), Barry Meguiar of Meguiar’s Car Care products. |
I never thought of being an insurance agent, but when I get to combine my passion for automobiles and my newfound business proficiency, my position at Hagerty is perfect. McPherson gave me the tools to discover restoring automobiles. I had no idea the multi-million dollar industry existed. I loved my upholstery class; I immediately took to my ‘68 Camaro and installed a new interior. McPherson also gave me the exclusive opportunities to have some wonderful internships. I spent a summer at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles where I assisted the curatorial department set up new galleries. This meant getting to drive 1911 to 2005 Rolls-Royces! I was even able to drive a few Duesenbergs through Hollywood for a photo shoot by Dennis Adler for his recent Duesenberg book (check out pages 148 &198, those were my cars). What a fantastic opportunity!
I also was afforded the opportunity to work with Duesenberg aficionado, Randy Ema, in Orange, Calif. I was able to work side by side with some of the best restorers in the industry, not to mention that when working with Randy you have all of the original Duesenberg blueprints to work from. I even had an opportunity to join Randy on a visit to Jay Leno’s garage to do some quick maintenance on some of his Duesy’s.
Legendary race car driver Carroll Shelby and myself |
The auto restoration program is state of the art at teaching old-world techniques. One of the ways in which it stays current is with the help of the National Advisory Board. The board members offer views and opinions from their experiences in the restoration and automotive world. If it were not for the advisory board, I would not have my current position at Hagerty. McKeel Hagerty, president of Hagerty Classic Insurance, is on the board and he always takes the time to visit with students. This is where I first met him.
Fast forward a few years; I was working for a restoration shop that was being moved so I was looking for a new position. I made the trip from Minnesota to Michigan for the Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance. From my past Concours visiting experiences, I knew what kind of restoration shops and collectors go to these events. I was certain to meet somebody. Low and behold, I run into my old friend McKeel Hagerty who happened to be judging. Coincidence may have it, but they were looking for a person to fill a sales position. A quick exchange of business cards and a resume landed me the job the following week. I have now been with Hagerty for two and half years and was just recently promoted to Sales Manager for our Private Client Services department.
McPherson gave me the tools to enjoy my passion for classic automobiles. They also gave me the means to explore a newfound business direction I never new I would enjoy. If it were not for some hard work in the shop and hitting the books hard in business class, I would have never made it to where I am. McPherson College provided the environment I needed to become successful in my field of choice.
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