CALDWELL W.Va. (WVDN) – As a young boy growing up in a small trailer park in Fairlea, Chandler Clemons began to realize he liked painting his bicycles.
After decorating many of those, he got a car when he turned 15 years old and discovered auto body in high school.
From that point forward, that’s all he did and all he wanted to do.
After completing auto body class and graduating from high school, Clemons applied to Wyotech, an automotive technology school in Pennsylvania that offered training in automotive and collision/refinishing. He was accepted and completed the nine-month program, got certified, and received two outstanding student awards along the way.
Clemons decided to head back home to the Greenbrier Valley and bring his expertise to his local community. He landed a job at Fair Oaks Body Shop and worked there for six years doing insurance work until he finally got the golden opportunity to rent a local building and open his own auto body shop, Clemons Auto Body, in Caldwell.
Having now been open for nearly two years, Clemons has established his business and is about the only shop that does rust repair and complete vehicle repaints.
When asked if he ever thought his own business would take off, Clemons did not really believe so.
“No, I actually turned down the offer twice before deciding to go for it. Was scared at first it wouldn’t take off,” he said.
When doing something you love, it may make it easier to go to work each day, and while that’s true for Clemons, the long hours he puts in can be challenging.
“There definitely is a job side of it with the long hours, but no, I wake up eager to get to work and start the day.”
And it’s those long days that make him extra thankful for his family, particularly his wife, Jordan, with whom he has been for a long time.
“My family is everything to me,” Clemons stated.
“I wouldn’t be in the places I am today without the constant love and support. Not to mention my wife putting up with long work hours, weekend working, and non-stop advice and she has been beside me for the past 15 years. Started in middle school,” he added.
If a customer decides to take their vehicle to Clemons Auto Body, one thing is for certain: it will be fixed, repaired, or painted until it is nearly perfect.
“I try to do the best job possible, and I’m very particular. I take too much pride in my work and will be honest and fair to the end,” Clemons explained.
And now that Clemons is confident in his ability and has seen his venture grow into something great, he feels like everyone needs to just go after whatever it is they have a passion for, and that Greenbrier County is also the perfect place to do it.
“If you have a dream, practice it, perfect it, and don’t give up. It may not happen fast but stay true to what you believe. Be honest and work hard and don’t be scared to take risks,” Clemons said.
“Greenbrier County has been wonderful to me and full of work. There’s plenty of work to be done and all sorts of it. Meeting new people every day,” Clemons concluded.
Chandler and Jordan have one son, Case.
Clemons Auto Body is located at 35961 Midland Trail E in Caldwell.
It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., so if in need of a professional paint job, stop by and see Chandler.
