Today we’d like to introduce you to Star Skidmore. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Before becoming a trailblazing entrepreneur, Starlis Skidmore had humble beginnings. As a young teenage single mother, she found herself immersed in the automotive industry when she joined Capitol City Nissan. What started as a job soon transformed into a passion.
Starlis’ journey began in 2005 when she first stepped foot into the automotive world as a receptionist at Capitol City Nissan. With each passing year, she climbed the corporate ladder, steadily proving her capabilities and earning promotions along the way. By 2007, she found herself taking on the role of a warranty administrator, where she immersed herself in the intricate workings of the service department.
Driven by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and an uncompromising work ethic, Starlis dedicated herself to mastering every aspect of the business. From the crack of dawn to the late hours of the evening, she poured her heart and soul into her work, never shying away from picking up extra shifts on weekends to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Her unwavering commitment and ability to go above and beyond the call of duty did not go unnoticed, as she became a trusted and respected figure within the industry.
In 2014, the seeds of ambition that had been sown years ago finally blossomed into reality. Starlis took a leap of faith and established her own venture, Star Premier Warranty, a company that provided unparalleled warranty administration services to dealerships across the region. Her expertise, coupled with her deep understanding of the automotive industry, made her a trusted partner for countless businesses, who relied on her to deliver exceptional results.
Raised by a hardworking single mother, she learned the value of determination and resilience from a young age. Witnessing her mother’s tireless efforts to provide for her and her siblings, she developed an unwavering work ethic and an unyielding spirit. Her mother’s commitment to providing a roof over their heads ignited a fire within her, driving her to create a company that would make a difference in people’s lives.
After years of contemplating to get into the trucking industry, Starlis sought guidance from a seasoned mentor, Four Fourty Trucking. With their guidance, she honed her skills, expanded her knowledge, and embraced the challenges that came her way. In the year 2020, she took a leap of faith and purchased her first truck and along came Star Scott Logistics. She was able to amass a fleet of 6 trucks in a span of two years and the fleet continued to grow. As she saw her trucks across the open roads, she realized the immense potential that lay within the world of trucking.
She quickly learned the intricacies of the industry and discovered a hidden truth – maintenance costs were eating away at her profits. The most viable solution seemed to perform her own maintenance and fixing them was far beyond the scope of her expertise. Having spent her entire career in dealerships, working in the service department, Starlis knew that finding a solution to this problem was within her grasp. She believed that she could revolutionize and cut costs on her maintenance by opening her own diesel shop. With her warranty administration experience, working directly with technicians her entire career, and now being in the trucking industry, she combined her knowledge of both fields and combined them.
And so, 16th Phase Diesel was born. It is the first woman-owned, state-of-the-art heavy-duty diesel repair facility located in Union City, Georgia. With a laser-focused vision and a commitment to excellence, Starlis set out to create a company that would redefine the standards of diesel truck maintenance. Armed with her expertise, she assembled a team of skilled technicians who shared her passion for innovation.
She chose the name 16th Phase Diesel to commemorate the most pivotal part of her life. She drew inspiration from her own life experiences to create 16th Phase Diesel. At the age of 16, she found herself facing an unexpected pregnancy. In that moment, she believed her life was over, unaware that it was merely the beginning of a remarkable journey.
Parallel to her story, her husband’s life took a dramatic turn at the age of 16 as well. He was incarcerated and sentenced to ten years in prison. These life-altering experiences, along with the realization that many others face their own trauma or pivotal moments at this age, fueled her desire to name her business after this significant phase of life.
At 16th Phase Diesel, we understand that life can throw unexpected challenges our way, but we also know that every setback can be a stepping stone to greatness. Our mission is to empower individuals to rise above their circumstances, just as our founder did. Starlis understands how hard it can be when starting over in life with nothing; therefore, 16th Phase Diesel is a second-chance employer that gives returning citizens another shot at life with a livable wage. She will also provide on-site training where they can become a certified diesel mechanic.
Her goal is to teach them to overcome, to overachieve the way she did and make an impact in their community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road that you travel as an entrepreneur isn’t smooth at all. In fact, it can be very rocky. One of the most common misconceptions is that people think you will become a millionaire overnight or that working for yourself means working fewer hours and making more money. That is far from the truth! Working for yourself means working more hours and being ok with not making a dime. You have to be ok with working for free or more hours in order to build your brand. One of the hardest struggles is that being a business owner is very costly, and you must be prepared for the time and money that will be spent on it. Some struggles that I’ve encountered are marketing and trying to become known so that people will know who I am and where we are. When a customer comes in, the first thing they usually say is, “We had no idea you were located here”. Another struggle is keeping up with the financial responsibilities to cover the overhead when you haven’t had a single customer.
The most important struggle is having qualified, reliable technicians to show up every day and make sure we get these trucks out in a timely manner. It can be very challenging because I can’t fix the trucks myself, and with that being said if they don’t show up, then trucks aren’t being worked on, which leads to unhappy customers. In our line of business, your reputation means everything; therefore, if customers aren’t happy, then the likelihood of them returning or even referring you is slim to none. We can’t thrive without customers, that’s who pay our bills, so it is my priority to make sure they’re taken care of. And also as a fleet owner myself, I understand that the longer your truck is down and in the shop, the more you’re losing money.
We’ve been impressed with 16th Phase Diesel, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
16th Phase Diesel is a full-service heavy-duty repair facility. As a young adolescent, I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur. The last and greatest investment is the diesel shop. As my fleet grew, I saw there was a need to have a place where I could call home to repair my trucks, as maintenance can be very expensive. What sets us apart from other repair facilities is that most mechanic shops are owned by mechanics. Not only is my repair shop the first woman-owned repair facility, but I am also a fleet owner. Being a fleet owner gives me a different level of understanding to our customers. That means that I understand how it feels when my truck is down, so I understand how it feels when theirs are down. I make sure I tell my guys that the longer this truck is in one of these bays, the longer the customer is losing money because the majority of them are owner-operators.
Most mechanic shops can care less about your downtime, and that’s what makes us great and understanding. Another thing that sets us apart is the physical space, by it not being like the traditional oily and nasty shops where you don’t want to sit down or touch anything. Our facility gives dealership experience on a smaller scale with epoxy floors, very nice and clean, and a comfortable sitting area where you can watch TV and enjoy a cup of coffee and/ or water while you wait. We also have a monthly promotion where you can try your luck with a single shot at putt putt for 16% off your bill on the 16th of every month.
What matters most to you? Why?
Having a place with trustworthy mechanics to fix our trucks when they’re down and to keep up with routine maintenance. Also, to have a facility where customers can bring their trucks to be repaired but also instill knowledge in them for them to learn from us and not feel that we are just taking their money. We want them to entrust us with their vehicle and feel comfortable every time they come to 16th Phase Diesel.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.16thphasediesel.com
- Instagram: 16th Phase Diesel
- Facebook: @16thphasediesel
