How A Disabled Air Force Veteran Achieved Success Starting A Small Business

Retired Air Force major and disabled veteran Gary Peterson has always valued community service. After 23 years of serving our country, Gary retired to civilian life and found himself serving the community again, this time through his own small business. Albuquerque-based, “One Community Auto,” is a win-win for the community. The company refurbishes donated cars and sells them back to the retail lot, using the money to support local area charities. Individuals who donate their cars get a higher tax deduction, and the buyer gets a completely refurbished and inspected vehicle.

Gary’s business has been such a success that he was selected as one of three Grand Champions in the American Small Business Championship, hosted by SCORE and sponsored by Sam’s Club, and received $25,000 to help grow his business.

After many repetitive injuries from being a parachute rigger and dozens of deployments, including four deployments to OIF/OEF, Gary says, “Nothing seems to work right anymore!”. His disability notwithstanding, Gary’s time in the Air Force help build a foundation of service which he applied to his civilian community once he retired from military service.

When asked what he credits for helping him through his most challenging times, Gary said, “Resilience and a positive attitude. I grew up in extreme poverty. I learned from a young age that if I needed something I had to work for it and not let things get in the way of accomplishing my goals. The Air Force taught me to lead a balanced life. I think this is the key to getting through challenging times.”

Gary tells this story about when and how he got the idea for his business.

“I was still on active duty, stationed at Kirkland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and read an article in the paper about a local veteran’s group that needed help with a vehicle. I went over and unfortunately the vehicle was not repairable, but they had this Camaro sitting in the back. I asked what they were doing with it and they said someone had donated it years ago and they didn’t know what to do with it. I asked if I could take it home and fix it and try to sell it for them. I did, and two weeks later I brought them a check for $4000! They were floored! I asked them, ‘Hey would you hire me to do this for you?’ They said, “Yes,” and then I started planning how I could create a business to help nonprofits with car donations.

“I took advantage of all the business training my community offers and started a business to serve my community. I have used training from SCORE, and many others to start and grow my business. SCORE, mentors to America’s small business, has been particularly helpful with ongoing mentorship to grow my business, and I was honored that One Community Auto was recognized as a 2017 Grand Champion in SCORE’s American Small Business Championship.

“I continue to learn and make my business better. I just graduated from the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp (EBV) for veterans with disabilities at Purdue University, so there is plenty of training and development available.”

Gary says he’s “Always been a gear head. I started very young and bought my first car at 13, years before I had a driver’s license. I started by driving around my grandfather, Guadalupe Ortega, who served in the Pacific during WWII. He inspired me by always taking care of us and he taught me about hard work and overcoming any obstacle put in front of you. We would head to the mountains and as soon as we were out of town he would let me drive. I’ve always loved working on cars and being around them.”

Gary continued, “After I retired, I wanted to serve the community, but also do something I was passionate about, so it was a good combination. I get to better the community while being around cars, a win-win in my book!”

Gary is dedicated, and one reason why is he gets to see all the good work his charity partners are doing in the community. From homelessness and education, to veterans’ issues, there is a lot to be done to make his community better. He says, “They are on the front lines in the community and I want to help them accomplish their goals. I feel like I can do what I love and take some of the fundraising burden off of them and let them concentrate on their mission.”

Gary is about selfless service, from the military to his community.

His advice for anyone who might want to follow their passion and start a small business, Gary says, “If you want to start a business, get with the available resources, follow the plan and start your business. It may seem overwhelming, but there are tons of resources to support you, like SCORE. Our communities need our skills and work ethic; we can continue the mission in many ways.”