DIdn't see this one so I will respond here.

Troy wrote this:
"Nope Karl, I don't put millions of dollars into the sport of cycling and neither does COX. I know they put a lot in, but I assure you, it is not millions.
As far as not hearing stories that make sense from former DW techs, I don't know what you mean. What does not make sense to you? Hey, I know most of the corporate guys and old school techs. I was one of them back in '95, so I know what I'm talking about. I was only trying to give you what I believe to be good advice. Not looking to "stir the puddin". Besides, I've got no dog in this fight. If it's security your looking for stay with 'em. If your looking for a career and long term success, check out DoorDing.com and go to the Mobile Tech Expo in January (mobiletechexpo.com).
Good luck,
Troy
PS- Rich, DW doesn't GIVE you a insurance, 401K and a vehicle. You pay for it by giving up about 50% of what an independent would earn."

Troy, I apologize if I was a little vague about where the millions of dollars Cox Enterprises has put into cycling over the years has come from. First let me ask that if you know its alot, how do you know its not millions? Or, how do you even know its alot?
Let me explain to you what I meant. First of all, there are many companies that are owned by Cox Enterprises. Several of these companies put alot of money into cycling dierctly and indirectly because of its good return on investment. Meaning that it is a cheap and effective way to get the word to the right demographic and in specific areas. I know this because I do this very advertising work with one of those companies (not to mention the other companies not affiliated with Cox I work with). In the past, I have intentionally left many of those names out of my writings on this blog because it (this blog) was not started as an advertising sceme. The reasons for my writings no bearing on this message so I will leave them out. Eventhough, I have left theses companiy names out out of the blog I will mention a few of them and you can make the connections yourself: Cox, Discovery & OLN (I realize Cox is only partial owner. If you want to do the math to see what their contribution was to these adventures its up to you), Manheim, Autotrader.com and Dent Wizard to name a few. No these are not all direct companies in the Cox family, and no I did not say they put in millions all in one year. However, the sum of the whole is great and it far exceeds a million dollars. I meant the statement as a drastic dollar amount. So, it is not necessary for you to tell me what Cox does or doesn't do. I am sure you were never involved with the company in respect to a cycling advertising adventure as I am. Why then would you question something you know nothing about.
As for the good advice, I appreciate it. But if you were a tech at Dent Wizard over 10 years ago how would you know what the corperate guys are like now? Before I worked for the company as a tech or with the company in advertising I had close friends at corperate. Neither of these guys were at DW in 1995. Not to mention Cox did not buy DW until 1998. Where you with the company more than just 1995?
I don't work with DW for security, I work there for money. The benefits a great for a job the requires no college education. As a former teacher, at higher education institutions, I can tell you thats extremely rare. Not to mention the free or should I say paid tutition. I haven't checked, but I am guessing there are not many PDR companies or colleges out there that will pay you to come and learn the trade and then give you, excuse me loan you, all the tools you need to do your job (don't the even house the out-of-towners for free during training?). I have had alot of jobs over the last 19 years and that just doesn't happen. As for the percentage that DW takes, I have done the math for the entry level guy to the experienced 5 star tech and I know the percentage breakdown. I also did the math on the truck, insurance, phone, gas and so on. No, nobody gets these things for free. They pay into them. You are absolutely right. I calculated aproximately 56%-76% of the billed dollars go to the tech in some way depending on your level and billed amount. The lowest amount is okay by me since I understand that if I was an independent I would have to buy a vehicle (I no longer have one tha runs), tools (I on't have 3K laying around), pay my own insurance (the main reason I took this job), establish my own retirement (never happen), develop a route (which I can not do here which means I would have to move) and at the end of the day I would be making nothing because I just spent every last dollar I made because I am not yet as fast as average guy.
The stories I have heard are mostly about the how the tech seems to think he got screwed on his percentage or someone advanced him because of who he is. Everyone knows there percentage when they join the company. How can it be a surprise when that is all you get? If someone gets preference over you because they know someone I think that sucks. In the same breath I will tell you I got my job because I know someone at corperate. Thats how alot of people get in. Yes, there are many more situations that have gone on and still do that could upset the work force, but I don't care about the knitting circle. I am with the company to work. I have no interest in running every aspect of a PDR business so I will leave it up to the corperate office.
So I will give you a quick and simple reason why I do what I do and who I do it for. As a person with a Masters Degree in metalsmithing my only real interest in PDR is manipulating metal. I have been forging, pouring, raising and sinking metal since 1990. Out of graduate school I did not believe I would be able to support myself as a full time Metalsmithing so I went from job to job until I found a teaching position albeit part-time. Teaching is fun and sometimes enjoyable, but doing it part-time doesn't pay the bills. I could not go any further in my particualr situation so I gave up the ghost. I still talk to a few of my former students. They are doing incredible things with the skills I helped to develop which is rewarding. But, as John Medwedef once said about what he loves about metalsmithing, "I just love to heat metal up and smash it." Well I love that too, but I haven't found a company I would work for that does that yet. The next best thing for me is sinking and raising. Thats what PDR is. So for now I will do that at Dent Wizard. And, I will continue, with the help of my friends, to further develop the Dent Wizard Cycling Team. The team that this year supported junior riders that went to Nationals, Belgium and a little jr. World Cup 9 day stage race called Tour L'Abitibi. Not to mention the 5 State Championships they brought home, or the near miss Erik Tomlinson had in the Elite race at Crit Nationals. Did I mention to total and complete support of Mindi Martin's quest to break through at Track Nationals.
Man the more I write the better the company sounds. I am sure there will be alot of crap to swim through in the company but, I think I will stick it out.
Sorry I missed your response before Troy. I hope this clears up my thinking, and I am sorry you had a bad experience with te company. That doesn't mean it is not for everyone, or that the companies we are involved with don't do great things.

Good Luck. Karl.