Army veteran Jim Lager finds success with Pirtek

The experience in any branch of the military is something that changes someone’s life in several ways. Enlisting for a minimum of two years ensures for more than 700 days, one must adapt to a new, very specific way of life. Not only does it serve (excuse the pun) as a completely new way of living, but also influences a career and partakes in a person’s social life as well. [caption id="attachment_15510" align="alignright" width="269" caption="Jim Lager"][/caption] Concluding ones service, what happens after they return to civilian life? Do they go back to school or work –possibly both?  How does one apply these new skills they have learned in the military to civilian life?  How does the pace and structure differentiate from military life? For some, the military becomes a life career and some decide to venture out into the business world to rise as an entrepreneur. Jim Lager is an Army veteran, who spent two years stationed in Germany and four years in the reserves. Following his service, Lager took it upon himself to become an extremely successful entrepreneur as well as a top performing franchisee for Pirtek. “The military taught me many valuable life skills that I apply to my business including my work ethic and ability to work with others,” said Lager. “In any business, you must work with others to ensure your business’ profitability.” Prior to joining Pirtek in 2010, Lager was a top-performing Snap-on Tools franchisee. Lager bought his first Snap-on store after graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1991. After three years of consistently ranking in the top three in his region of about 100 dealers, the corporate office bought Lager’s franchise and hired him as a field manager. In his new position, Lager oversaw 12 underperforming stores and averaged an increase of 30 to 40 percent in sales for the group of franchisees that he was managing. Relocating to Dallas in 2005, the same year he received his MBA in Marketing and Finance through the University of Phoenix, Lager returned to Snap-on and grew his business from one to five franchises while in Dallas. In 2010, Lager decided to branch out from Snap-on and joined Pirtek. As a father, Lager wanted to be a part of a business that was profitable enough for him to hire a manager while he spent time with his family. In his first year of opening, Lager’s sales were over $1 million, and over $2 million in the second. Typically, centers are lucky to make $500,000 in their opening year. Due to his consistent success, Lager has developed a workbook that is implemented at struggling centers, and has assisted centers across the nation in improving their operations and sales. He has also hosted workshops to help franchisees and technicians. Currently, Lager has 16 vans servicing the area, which is significantly more than any of his competitors.