PART OF THE FAMILY: Barrett-Jackson’s longest-serving team member marks three decades of dedication
January 30, 2017
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Craig Jackson and Enrique Chavez – who is marking his 30th year with Barrett-Jackson – going for a spin in a rare Shelby Cobra.
Enrique Chavez was only a teenager when he came to the United States from Zacatecas, Mexico, in 1986. He initially headed to Denver, Colorado, and secured work at a restaurant. But the young man had bigger dreams. He saw a newspaper advertisement for a car restoration person in Arizona. He took a chance and applied.
He was interviewed by a young Craig Jackson. “I just needed somebody to help me do all the jobs I used to do for my brother,” Craig recalls. “Steam cleaning, sandblasting, stripping cars. Beyond my duties for the Scottsdale auction, restoring cars was my primary business back then.”
Enrique Chavez
Craig was impressed with Enrique’s demeanor and sensed he had a good work ethic, so he hired the 17-year-old in August 1987. “It was just a family business at 55th Street and Washington,” says Enrique. “I started washing off cars, prepping them for painting and helping with the restoration side of the business.”
It wasn’t long before Craig’s father, Russ Jackson, took notice of the hard-working young man, and took him under his wing. The two often went to lunch together. “Russ was good to be around,” says Enrique. “He never took life too seriously; he lived for the moment. He taught me to relax, no matter how hectic things get.” Enrique also worked quite a bit with Craig’s mother, Nellie, and his brother Brian – working on cars or things that needed doing around the family home.
“I realized early on that any job I threw at Enrique, he could do it,” says Craig. “You tell him to fabricate something, he’ll do it. He is a jack of all trades – anything he does he does well. He helped me restore cars, helped me put an addition on my house, and then in 1999, when I bought a large tent for the auction, he helped me restore the tent.”
An entire fabrication facility was established at the Jackson’s restoration shop to fix up that tent for the 2000 auction. Enrique quickly determined how all the various pieces of the tent went together, what needed to be done to fix it and how to sew canvas in order to get the job done. That was followed by an even larger tent, still in use to this day. “I think I’m just lucky – I can figure out almost anything. Except computers,” he laughs.
Today, Enrique is a key member of the Barrett-Jackson operations team, still working with those tents, as well as the cars, the stage and lighting. “I work wherever I am needed,” says the soft-spoken Enrique. “I like everything I do here – it’s never boring. Sometimes, especially during the auction, there is a lot of pressure, but overall I’m really happy being part of the team at Barrett-Jackson.”
“Enrique is not only the person who has been here the longest, but he is one of the most valuable ‘pieces of the puzzle’ when it comes to building the auction site,” says Barrett-Jackson Site and Operations Director Casey McDonald, who has been with the company 26 years himself. “He has taken ownership of every aspect of the build process and is an invaluable part of making the auction happen.”
While you won’t see Enrique in the spotlight at Barrett-Jackson, his hard work behind the scenes for the last 30 years and his contribution to the company’s success and a smooth-running operation is immeasurable. “Enrique’s work ethic and desire to do a great job provides an example for all Barrett-Jackson employees – past, present and future,” says Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis. “Enrique is phenomenal,” adds Craig. “He is truly part of the family.”