Wade’s body shop and its owner are continuing their long rides
Wade's Body & Frame Shop has been a Waynesburg staple for 60 years.
A large body of work can be done in Wade's body shop in Waynesburg.
Mechanics Aaron Chambers, left, and Tony Staggers repair a vehicle inside Wade's.
Jim Mason, 80, has been at the forefront of Wade's operations for nearly a half-century.
Paperwork is one of many duties Jim Mason has handled at Wade's, where "Every job we do, I've done."
Jim Mason drives vehicles as much as vehicles drive him. For nearly a half-century, he has owned at least a share of Wade’s Body & Frame Shop in Waynesburg and has been as eager as any of his employees to turn a wrench, replace a muffler, fix a door and smear his hands in oil, grease and grime.
“Every job we do, I’ve done,” Mason said recently, less than a week after his 80th birthday. “I learned and I learned to do them well. I enjoy work. This is my hobby. I’ve never had time for hobbies because I’ve been too busy.”
That is his mindset, to be sure. But the boss has to be active, for Wade’s is assuredly a busy operation with lots of moving parts – literally. Sitting at 71 N. Maiden St., the shop does a variety of repairs for cars and all sizes of trucks; switches out mufflers, exhaust systems, batteries and other items; and handles inspections. Oh, and Wade’s works on motorcycles. And that’s not an all-inclusive list.
Wade’s services, in fact, extend well beyond the expected. Visit the business’s website – wadesbodyshop.com – and you will see a stream of home page messages declaring:
- ”We move mobile homes”;
- ”24/7 towing – we can tow it all”;
- ”Top diagnostics team”;
- and “Striving to be the best body shop in Waynesburg.”
Wade’s, it seems, does everything but masonry for two guys named Mason. Masonry and radiators, that is. “We used to do radiator work, but quit. You can buy one cheaper than it costs to fix,” said the owner, whose son, Herb, primarily runs the shop.
Jim Mason is a block of a man who, in his ninth decade on Earth, appears capable of lifting a small car. He is a no-nonsense owner, but a congenial sort with a keen sense of humor and an unwavering devotion to candor. “According to Jim” was a TV sitcom more than a decade ago, yet it could apply to the individual running Wade’s, who will tell you freely what he thinks of his profession, where it has gone and where it may be headed.
He is a humble sort as well, one who didn’t exactly embrace being interviewed for this story, said Lisa Mason, his daughter-in-law and the office manager. She has handled that position for six years, has known him even longer, and admires the father of her husband. “He is an awesome man. You couldn’t ask for anyone better,” Lisa said. “He’s very patient.”
Dedicated as well. Jim says he has been “pretty healthy” over the years, before adding without drama, “except for a couple of bouts of cancer, but it’s been nothing serious. According to the doctor, I’m clean.”
That most recent Big C battle, however, was in November and required surgery. Another employee said Jim was supposed to stay away six weeks, but returned to the shop after about two. “He doesn’t like to skip work,” Lisa said, smiling.
Her father-in-law has lived in Greene County for most of his life. He was raised in Garards Fort, once had a place in Mount Morris and now resides in Franklin Township with his wife of 43 years, Margie. Mason has three sons, all from his first marriage.
He graduated from Mapletown High School in 1957 and started working at Wade’s shortly after it opened in 1960. He moved on after six years, and worked in insurance then as a millwright until 1972, when Furman Wade, founder and owner of the auto shop, asked him to be a partner. Mason accepted and turned his homecoming into his second home for the past 48 years.
Wade died in 1988 and Mason has been sole owner in the 32 years since. He kept the business name and was involved with expansion of the massive building where body and mechanical work are conducted, plus the addition of a second structure nearby. (Wade’s also has a property on East High Street, where it keeps trucks.)
Incorporated as Wade’s Body and Frame Shop Inc., the company has provided many of its current services from the beginning, including framework, towing and repairs. Wade’s has moved mobile homes since 1969, and has transported some a second time. “We did AAA calls for 37 years, but stopped about 10 years ago,” the owner added.
Business at 71 North Maiden, according to Mason, has been good. “It is doing better every year, by a little bit.” Automobiles, however, are another thing.
“They’re now making throwaway cars, and I predicted this years ago. You wreck a car, it’s lost. Probably about 75% of wrecks today are total losses. That may not be right, but it’s a big percentage. Everything about cars is plastic now, with aluminum doors and fenders. It’s all different.”
Yet despite changes in materials, Mason admits that modern cars “last longer. You can get 200,000 miles out of any car today. The new technology is better. But when there’s a wreck, it’s gone.”
Without pause, Mason segued into a “bigger problem” these days – cobbling together a capable and dedicated workforce. “Nobody wants to be a mechanic or do body work anymore. There’s not enough money in it. If you can run a company, that’s what you do.
“It’s almost impossible to run a business with the help you get today. I had a secretary who worked for 45 years, I’ve had men who have worked here for 35 years. That’s in the past. Often, when you hire a young guy, he makes up every excuse to call off.”
This is from a man who, when he was 17, swept floors 44 hours a week for $37.
His rants during a late January interview were at a minimum, though. Jim Mason appreciates what he has achieved, professionally and personally, during his run in business and much lengthier run in life. He also appreciates son Herb, a former postal supervisor, who is now operating the shop for the most part and is the heir apparent to take over.
“I think he enjoys this. I just kind of fill in now and then,” the father said, undoubtedly understating his role.
“I feel blessed that the good Lord let me make it to 80. I guess I’ll have to quit one day.”
He isn’t planning on that, though.