19 RPM Hagerty March-April19 - Applied Mathematics (Brianna Wickard)

MARCH | APRIL 2019

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T H E S E R V I C E D E P T. RPM: Restoration. Preservation. Mentorship.

T H E S E R V I C E D E P T. RPM: Restoration. Preservation. Mentorship.

A high-school field trip brought Brianna Wickard SMS is an upholto Lowell’s stery lover’sBoat dream, Shop, founded with rack after in 1793, and an rack of materials apprenticeship for nearly everyin boat building. domestic under the sun. It’s the perfect place for Peters to spend his days.

RPM Foundation provides scholarRPM Foundation ships, formal provides scholtraining, and arships, formal mentorship training, andto the next generation of mentorship to the automotive and of next generation marine restorers automotive and and preservationmarine restorers ists. more at and Learn preservationrpm.foundation. ists. Learn more at rpm.foundation.

APPLIED MATHEMATICS LIFE’S A STITCH The oldest boat shop in America preserves the shipbuilding tradition

How a instilling “quarter life life”skills change took one man from healthcare to upholstery. while in young students.

SEVEN AT YEARS AGO, WHILE IN BACK AMESBURY HIGHTAKING SCHOOL, the cars and motorcycles on display the Brianna Wickard easily could have atbeen Art of “Girl the Car Concours the grounds voted Most Likely toonNever Pick Upofa the Kansas City Art Institute, Jason Peters Tool.” The self-described “musical theater had a revelation. nerd” was terrified of shop class. “I was al“I the really have anyholding career ambition ways kiddidn’t in the back, a paintin high school,” he remembers. brush and trying to look busy,” she “So says.after But I got an associate’s degree in nuagraduating, senior-year math field trip had Wickard trition and wound an up unexpected working in acourse. local hossuddenly charting pital kitchen.” From home-care is tolocated human reAmesbury, Massachusetts, on sources, a series of jobs followedRiver at St. and Luke’s the banks of the Merrimack is Hospital in Kansas City.

124Peters loved the work, but he was 30 and 120

felt histocareer clockBoat ticking.

Allthe thisbirthplace time, Pehome Lowell’s Shop, tersthe had more than afishing casual dory. interest inin clasof New England Now its sic cars.year, He grew working with his father 226th it is up also the oldest operating on the family’s Chevelle Malibu, a car boat shop in the1972 country.

“To help us learn they took to local shows and cruise-ins. trigonometry, our teacher took the class At to 23, he bought 1969 taught Ford Galaxie his Lowell’s, wherea they us to 500, row the first major purchase working at the wooden boats and usewhile sextants to measure hospital. distances from shore,” Wickard says.

“I restored car by the paycheck,” PeWickard is that a transplant from the Finger ters says, andinestimates he spent Lakes region Upstate New York $30,000 and was fixing up she the Galaxie Through14 when first laidover eyes10 onyears. the ocean.

She out the process, he had no idea you could get a degree in automotive restoration.

had some background paddling kayaks and canoes as a child, but something about rowsaw the McPherson College tent ingThen the he classic wooden dories—replicas of at the Art Lowell-built of the Car. Talking to thethe school’s the same boats, once heart rep, Peters had his revelation.

He stayed on of the Gloucester fishing fleet—spoke to her. at St. Luke’s and continued his education in “The real-world application of complicated human resources management at Kansas math concepts, plus learning that the boat City’shad Parkville University.

But in his spare shop been there since 1793—everything time, he looked at job options in mind.” the collecabout the experience just blew my tor-car world.

That was four years ago. Wickard, now entered hisplank-bending Galaxie at the Art 21,He is aalso rasp-wielding, graduof the Car the boat following year.apprentice There he promet ate of Lowell’s building RPM Foundation president Diane Fitzgergram.

Established in 2012, this after-school ald. “She has encouraged my decision enroll program quickly expanded intotoa threeat McPherson and find a career that bridged stage curriculum that now accommodates my human andalong recruiting experi“juniors” as resources young as 13, with 12 to 15 ence into something in the car-hobby restohigh-school-age students annually. There’s ration world.” also a senior-level course for grads like WickAt 34, Peters headed to McPherson ard who want to stay on asoffmentors and doand its Automotive Restoration Managecents of the boat shop’s maritime museum. ment program, a full-time that Wickard is currently a curriculum junior studying preparesand students foratrunning a shop-based French English Merrimack College. business.

He landed RPM scholarship and In her spare time, an she works at Lowell’s in the summer of 2015 traveled to Tacoma, conducting museum tours, doing member Washington, an RPMsummer internship at Leoutreach, andfor organizing programs May—America’s Car Museum. and maritime exhibits. She’s also helping inAt the McPherson, Peters quickly realized he spire next generation of boat builders. had a thing for interiors and, specifically, Owing to its incredible growth and a repuupholstery.

Aside students from the from engine tation that draws ascompartfar away ment and paint job, Lowell’s he says, apprenticeship a car’s interior as New Hampshire, is the thing that draws the most attention program received its first RPM Foundation at shows. grant in 2017.

“I love the look and about feel ofrowing classic on uphol“There’s something the stery,” he says.

“I like figuring out patterns river, interacting with this historic place in a with theboat gentle hum a sewing machine in wooden that youofmade yourself,” Wickthe background.” ard says. “Like a lot of our new apprentices, Peters graduated 2017 and tookbuilda job I came here with noininterest in boat withBut SMS Auto Fabrics in Portland, ing. the whole experience and theOregon. strong Servicing owners of every makeRight and now, modelI community here are inspiring. of domestic car from the 1930s on, SMS has can’t imagine doing anything else.”

America’s largest selection of original autoWickard sees her old self in the faces of mobilenew carpet, vinyl, leather, and upholstery. many students.

“The process of boat “If we don’t have the original stock,” building—learning the skills andinhow to he says, “we have the ability to reproduce use the tools—gives kids a strong sense of cloth in any pattern nearly every personal agency.

Youfor apply math andAmerwork ican classic.

We even door with your hands whileproduce learningcustom a real-world panels.” craft with a long history. By the end, even if 37,go Peters found rewarding work youNow don’t on tohas build and restore boats that pays well.

He has expanded his personprofessionally, you carry yourself with more al collection To of see classics, to built threeby Edsels confidence.” a boattoo, being your and a ’78 Thunderbird. own hands, Wickard argues, is nothing short He hopes to have his and of transformational.

It’s own part upholstery discovery, part detailing business in the next five years.

“Inspiritual journey, and your connection to the side and out, enthusiasts cars to past provides a rewardingwant paththeir forward.— be phenomenal,” Peters says. “I find great joy Bob Butz editor@hagerty.com in helping them make their dreams a reality.”—Bob Butz editor@hagerty.com Photo by Patrick Daly

RPM Foundation is the educational arm of America's Automotive Trust.

Toll Free: 855.537.4579 Website: www.rpm.foundation

Photo by Stefan Lombard