RPM Sept-Oct 2019

55 purpose it might be, whether it’s outfitting it with toolboxes, GPS tracking systems, seat covers, or cell phone boosters and inverters so they can run their printers and computers inside their truck,” he adds. Custom Showcase Perhaps what is most special about High Caliber Motorsports is that they represent a trifecta in the aftermarket—selling and installingautomotive aftermarket accessories, offering professional contracts at the fleet and dealership level, and providing impeccable customwork that has received recognition on the national stage both at the Keystone BIG Show and SEMA. After High Caliber Motorsports beat the odds of disaster with their first builds at the Keystone BIG Show, a true Cinderella story that you can read via The SHOP Magazine archives, “We were contacted by Klearz, a company out of Canada, that asked us to build their Tundra for SEMA 2017,” says Bride. “Every shop’s dream in the automotive world is to showcase its stuff at SEMA. To have a vehicle there is huge. We built that truck for Klearz and partnered with some of the biggest brands in the aftermarket, such as American Force, Bulletproof Suspension, S&B Intakes, Interco Tires, etc.,” he says. “And again, just like the situation at the BIG Show, we had our backs against the wall. People that were supposed to be part of the project ended up backing out, so we basically completed the entire build on our own. We earned a lot of respect and trust when we pulled that off, which led us right into SEMA 2018 where we had our very own 2019 RAM that we manufactured parts for and custom fabricated,” adds Bride. Come SEMA 2018, it was important for Bride to secure a truck with a new body style— something that was fresh, something that was going to be challenging, and something that wasn’t going to be overly done so High Caliber Motorsports could flex its skills on the world stage. “We knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of products available for the 2019 RAM. If we could even find some products and build the rest for the new chassis, we knew that we’d have one of the only new RAMs in attendance,” he adds. The Right Team Can Overcome Any Challenge At the heart of such success is the people. “It’s very easy to get burnt out in this industry. I’ve had a lot of really, reallygood employees come and go because they tell me that they were just burnt out. The stress and the pressure are overwhelming,” says Bride. “Everybody who observes from the outside looking in says, ‘Wow, you get to work on really cool stuff every day! That must be a dream job,’ and yes, it definitely is. But that grind can really wear on your team,” he adds. So wherever possible, Bride makes sure to align each employee with projects that highlight their strengths. “I want them to feel comfortable and enjoywhat they do.We have it broken down to about seven or eight core positions and each guy that is in his relative spot, I think, has a true passion for what he does,” says Bride. “We have a Jeep enthusiast named Chris. While he doesn’t get to work on a Jeep ® every day, when they come in, he really excels. You can hear the passion and the drive in his voice when he talks to customers or even us about the project. Making sure he gets a fair amount of the work that he enjoys doing allows him to find the motivation to grind through some of those rough days when he’s not really doing exactly what it is he dreams about,” adds Bride. “Same with Josh, Kelly, or Ethan. They each have something that drives them. Ethan is into 12-volt, wiring, and the car audio side of things. When he gets a job doing a new stereo or something like that, that’s his time to shine and kind of show off what he can do,” says Bride. “When it comes to Josh, he loves diesel engines. He gets to work on the newest diesel trucks that come out, with the coolest diesel parts that are available— from compound turbo systems to really cool upgrades for the transmission, or whatever else it might be,” he adds. “When I catch my guys taking pictures of the project or the parts they’re working on and posting it on their own social media, you know they’re excited to show off what it is they’re doing each day.” Incredibly bright, talented, and accomplished, Cory Bride is a trueAmerican story. He proves that success has no age requirement whengrit, leadership, and perseverance are involved. “This ride has been nothing short of a crazy rollercoaster. We’ve had some amazing highs and some awful lows, like any business. But there’s only one direction we can ever move, and that’s forward.”