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FenderBender Makes an Impact

By Michael Lotti

Q&A with Publisher Jay DeWitt

Jay DeWitt is a rarity. He’s a successful publisher—rare enough, to be sure—but he has no formal training in journalism or communications. His magazine, FenderBender, is distributed to thousands of collision repair shop owners throughout the nation.

Q: How did you get started in the trade magazine business? FenderBender in particular?

In 1998, while working as an accountant in Charlotte, N.C., I met a couple through a mutual friend who ran a tabloid newspaper serving the collision repair industry in North Carolina and South Carolina. Through discussions with them, they indicated there might be a market for such a publication in Michigan and Northern Ohio. With no publishing experience, I set out to launch FenderBender Times in that market with $1,200 and a credit card. I did everything: editorial, sales, accounting, and design. To become a viable business, I eventually had to expand to Indiana, Southern Ohio, and Illinois. It worked.

Q: What's the best part of working in the trade magazine industry?

It’s rewarding to know that we are making a positive impact on our audience. Our audience is comprised of many businesses that are similar in size to our business, so I can relate to many of the standard business challenges they face. To hear from them that we are making a difference in their businesses is very rewarding.

Q: What's the worst part?

Finding the right editorial staff has been a challenge over the years. Our readers know how to fix cars; what they don't know is how to do sales and marketing, manage finances, develop solid HR practices, and so on. They typically have not been exposed to foundational business principles. So that's what our editors have to know in order to add the most value to our readers. Today, we have an excellent staff of editors, but finding journalists with even a rudimentary understanding of business practices has been a bit of a challenge.

Q: Where do you see the trade magazine industry in a few years? In 10?

In addition to being a magazine company, publishers have to view themselves as data companies, event companies, and digital companies.

The trade magazine industry is also going to have to focus on building audience files that are much more “information rich.” Only then will a trade magazine company truly know how their brand is being consumed by their audience. The ones who don’t offer high-quality content—and there are many who are cutting back on it because of budget constraints—will ultimately lose the trust of their audience.

Q: What are the big challenges and opportunities facing FenderBender?

Our biggest challenges are moving into new product areas, such as live events, video production and webinars. The learning curve on these products is the real challenge, but we’re a small, nimble company that isn’t afraid to make investments into areas of growth.

Q: What do you read regularly?

I do not spend a lot of time reading online. I still prefer to do my reading from a magazine. I regularly read B to B, B to B Media Business, Folio, and Inc. magazines.

Q: Are there any gizmos or apps that you just can't live without?

I can’t live without my BlackBerry, as I do prefer to be tied to my business 24/7. To me, that’s a comfort and not a burden.