Owner: Jordan Schreppel
Shop: Yorkville Battery
Location: Yorkville, NY
Every professional automotive technician knows that it's much faster to diagnose a vehicular issue when all the necessary tools to do so are in one place. That's part of what helps keep Jordan Schreppel of Yorkville Battery in Yorkville, New York, efficient as he works to ensure he delivers customer satisfaction.
Schreppel has been in the automotive business for 18 years, having made the jump to full-time work in 2007. Though he originally went to college to study music, he ended up helping run the family business that began in 1975. As such, he's had plenty of time to mull over the best toolbox setup that serves him as well as his shop.
His first toolbox was a "Mr. Big" from Snap-on: the EPIQ model that he has since added a hutch on top of. It served as the epicenter for all of his additional boxes and equipment he’s added over the years. His main toolbox is 12' (144") and he's invested thousands of dollars in the setup over the years. Since his initial purchase, his setup has continued to grow somewhat exponentially.
"I kept piling more stuff on top of it until I finally realized I needed to organize it better," Schreppel says. "I got the second hutch and then two top pieces after that. I've had it for six years and have been building on it since."
The build is a multi-purpose setup that acts as much more than a place to store all of his equipment — it’s more like an additional office space.
"I've got a radio, laptop, and phone there,” Schreppel says of his toolbox. “If we're in the garage, I can cross-reference information and take care of anything right there. I use it like an office in addition to a place to store my tools."
Another area of his toolbox that Schreppel appreciates is his power drawer. It houses all the drills, impact wrenches, and additional types of tools that he uses regularly.
"The cordless impact wrench is pretty much the number one tool," says Schreppel.
In addition to all the equipment that rounds out his collection, however, there's something that makes Schreppel's toolbox stand out: its glossy, eye-catching custom coloring.
"I had it done with custom yellow. I had all of the draw pulls and moldings colored black, so everything is all yellow and black," says Schreppel. "Yellow is my favorite color."
Given Schreppel’s abundance of experience within the industry, he’s been around the block a time or two when it comes to advice for newcomers. For anyone looking to build up a toolbox like his, or aspirational technicians looking to work with customers on a regular basis, he has one nugget of advice.
"Always go bigger than you think you need," he says. "It's just amazing how much room stuff takes up and you definitely want to keep things organized. Nobody wants to spend all day looking for their 10mm [socket], you know?"
