A few words about Reb from his dear friend and colleague Paul Huffman:
For all those that knew Reb McDaniel, it would not be a shock to learn that our relationship began when he called to congratulate me concerning my shop's recent acceptance into the American Automobile Association (AAA) program. He did this with the knowledge that it could potentially negatively impact his business. That began a great friendship where we collaborated on business decisions and typical shop owner issues. Although, as could be expected with Reb, most of our conversations centered on more important topics, like kids and family.
Within the automotive business world, Reb's reputation as an independent shop owner was second to none. He received several AAA service awards over the years, which put Dick Watson Auto Center in the top 2% of the country. If you ever had your car serviced at DWAC, then you understand how much thought went into everything that went on there. Nothing was left to chance; he identified his customer and then designed his shop to match, from layout and function to every process and procedure. But that didn't mean there wasn't room for constant improvement. One of his rare qualities that stood out was his ability to admit bad decisions or mistakes. He was never so invested in prior decisions to keep him from rethinking it. Most of our conversation about an achievement included the failures that took place that got him to the ultimate successful outcome.
The fact that Reb McDaniel owned a business with someone else's name on it gives a clue to who he was and how he conducted himself. In these days of multi-social media platforms where folks fall all over themselves and others to take credit for things they've done and even haven't done, for Reb, recognition wasn't necessary. Reb was someone who let his actions speak for themselves. Give and you shall receive was how he ran his life.
