Joshua Kays began as an auto technician for DeBoer's in January of this year. He brings more than 12 years of work experience in a variety of fields. Right out of high school, he was a subcontracted machinist at M&M Mars in Hackettstown, NJ; then worked as an electrical technician for Kane Electric where he wired new residential construction in Crystal Springs and from there became an auto technician for Firestone. During his auto career, Joshua has performed more than 4200 alignments.
Going Back to His Roots
When the housing market began crashing in 2006, the decline in new construction made Kays decide to go into the automotive field. His love of fixing cars began when he was five, climbing under cars with his jack-of-all-trades father, who was always working on cars for family and friends. He learned a lot from his father by following him around doing all sorts of odd jobs around the house. He then went on to study auto mechanics at Sussex County Vocational School. Kays felt going back to his roots as a mechanic was the best decision for him and his family.
Small Company Over Big Corporation
After seven years with Firestone, Kays decided to pursue a job that had more personal involvement with the customers. He said, "I wanted to get to know the customers – not just be a guy in the back that works on your car." He has found that personal experience in DeBoer's and really enjoys being a part of their close-knit team. "Working for a smaller company feels like family. It's a totally different environment than working for a big corporation."
Fun with Family and Sports
Kays is a big family man and spends much of his free time with his wife, Kelly, of nine years and his two daughters, Maggie, age five, and Ella, age 22 months. He is also an avid sports fan, bowls on two bowling leagues, where he has earned six 300 rings for bowling perfect games, and plays adult softball.
