Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Willis.
Hi Jason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Being a union electrician by trade, the off-road side of life was always just a hobby that allowed me to express my creative side through bending tubes and building one-off projects for myself and my friends. I never thought it would lead to a business, let alone one I have been doing for the better part of 25 years now. My first real build that gained the attention of my friends was my little Suzuki Samurai. Whenever we went to the local off-road park, I was always getting questions about it. Why did you build this? How did you do that? Through trial and error, and lots of error, I realized that I had a service that I could offer people that wasn’t available in the area. And that is how Nobbies Off-Road, A little airplane hanger behind my house, and my first shop in Joliet, IL came to be.
In 2015, after falling in love with a Tennessee transplant and a former high school friend, I made what would be one of my life’s greatest decisions. I sold off everything I had, left my job, took an incredible leap of faith, and headed south. With a few plans for work and a few job opportunities lined up, and after hanging out around the area for a bit, I could tell I was missing something. I also believed that Knoxville was missing something as well. I knew a full-service off-road shop needed to happen, and I felt it was my calling to be able to provide that. Now that the idea was there, I just needed a name. Nobbies was great back home, but it had its place, and it was time for something new. It wasn’t until I was sitting behind the goalposts at Neyland Stadium, listening to the Pride of the Southland Marching Band perform before one of the games, that the name came to fruition. This one song, Rocky Top, just stuck with me that day. Was it the song or the numerous times it was played throughout the game? Or was it the passion that those fans sang with every time the band started? No one will know, but that name kept coming back to me. Rocky Top. Rocky Top. Rocky Top. A quick search for Rocky Top Customz came up with no history, and that fall day is when the beginning of Rocky Top Customz started!
Jan. 1, 2016, we officially opened the doors to Rocky Top Customz in West Knoxville, in a 5000 sq. ft. building off of Lovell Rd. With the community’s help and outpouring of love from our supporters, our once large enough building was no longer large enough to house the needs of our everyday projects. In November 2019, we officially moved into what we hope to be our forever home, an 18,000 sq. ft. building off of Middlebrook Pike overlooking the 75/640 interchange. To date, the building houses five 2 post lifts, 2 alignment racks, a full-service tire area including balancer and changer, and a fully stocked 1200 sq. ft showroom. But the most rewarding benefit of the shop is owning a business that employs 9 full-time employees and provides a means for them to support their families. With 2023 underway, we are extremely excited to see what the future holds for Rocky Top Customz in Knoxville and the surrounding East Tennessee area!
Would it have been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Just like any business, we have had our struggles along the way. When Covid came, and the supply chain shut down, running a shop that relies on others took a huge toll on our production. Even years later, the industry needs aren’t fully up and running like it was years prior. The biggest challenge we run into on a shop level is staffing. It’s very difficult to balance sometimes with us. While we are a tight-knit group of employees turned friends, we always love to see each other succeed. Selfishly, I want to keep everyone here, but I know that is only sometimes the case. Seeing someone leave to better themselves, whether it is to start their own company doing something they’ve learned here, pursuing a new passion, or even just spending time doing something else they love, is truly rewarding. But on the back end, our puzzle lost a key piece that needs to be replaced.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Rocky Top Customz?
Rocky Top Customz is a local off-road customization shop in Knoxville, TN, specializing in lift kits, wheels, tires, lighting, re-gearing, and alignments for any Jeep, truck, or SUV in the greater East Tennessee area, as well as some of the surrounding states. We even do customer-supplied parts as well as custom fabrication. Locally owned and operated since 2016, we currently staff 9, 6 techs, including myself, and 3 front office employees. What sets us apart from others is the laid-back family vibe you get when you come into the shop. We want to believe that you’re treated like family when you walk through those doors. East Tennessee is a very hard-working area. We are not a repair shop where what we do is a need to keep your vehicle in shape but a want that you, the people, have earned. We pride ourselves in taking your vision and creating something you can be proud of for years to come. If you need anything from a quick alignment after an install, a new set of wheels and tires, or a full-blown lift kit with new gears, an engine swap, fully custom fabricated bumpers, and lighting, we can serve you promptly and professionally. It’s not just about making a vehicle stand out in a parking lot, but building something that our customers can take their families in safely and securely to explore this beautiful country that not every tourist can see.
How would we have described you growing up if we knew you were growing up?
Growing up, I was always into cars. My grandpa hugely influenced my life, taking me to car shows he was competing in all over the Midwest. I loved disassembling things and putting them back together at home to see how they worked. My first automotive passion was buying, selling, and installing car stereos. I was never a huge bass head, but I loved the competition and the clarity of a well-thought-out car audio installation. I still love a well-put-together sound system, and if you ever make it into the shop, that will be very apparent!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rockytopcustomz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockytopcustomz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockytopcustomz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/rockytopcustomz
Image Credits
Evan Patterson – Director of Marketing at Rocky Top Customz
