John Dobelbower
- Vice President of Franchise Development
- Pirtek USA
School Information
School: Texas A&M University
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2006
Career Information
Working For: Pirtek USA
Title: Vice President of Franchise Development
Industry: Retail
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
I lead the franchise development team for the largest hydraulic and industrial hose franchisor in the world. At Pirtek we service a multitude of industries including Construction, Recycling, Waste Disposal, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Material Handling, Defense, Agriculture, Mining and many more. With a wide variety of well established National Accounts, our owners have the ability to scale significant businesses through the partnerships that have been established on their behalf. On top of this, Pirtek supplies all of our owners with the inventory they need for every job. Having a dedicated supply chain allows our owners to focus on growing their businesses as opposed to tracking down hoses. Pirtek’s ability to train our owners’ technicians from our headquarters in Rockledge Florida allows the owners to truly enjoy an executive level ownership approach. Pirtek is primed for explosive growth in the coming years, and I am fortunate to be leading those efforts.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting allowed me to explore entrepreneurship for myself but not by myself.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
College Works Painting taught me that I had the capacity and desire to become a great entrepreneur. The lessons learned cold calling strangers, managing employees, and selling services are lessons that still are being used today in my business ventures.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
The output you desire is directly linked to the effort that you input.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
College Works Painting can be a grind. It is just like starting a business in the real world. Why would you not try your hand at entrepreneurship from a place of relative safety within the framework of a system that is proven to work?
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
The best advice that I have for students entering the career world is to crystallize your goals, make an action plan to attain them, and then pursue each goal with insatiable and unending effort.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
I remember going out on the lake with some of the other interns, and competing via wake-boarding. I soon figured out that everything is a competition when it comes to College Works Painting interns.
Last words of wisdom?
Go get ’em!