Local automotive start-up hosts car show in honor of late father

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ROSEWOOD – Levi and Logan Roderick, owners of Rodder-Rick’s Customs, LLC (RRC), hosted the First Annual Mark Roderick Car Show on Saturday to honor the memory of their late father.

The Roderick sons, graduates of Graham in 2016 and 2017, officially opened their automotive restoration, fabrication and modification shop this month, after nearly three years of planning and preparation.

The inspiration

Skilled in painting and body work, Mark Roderick opened an automotive repair shop in Christiansburg called All About Cars in 2004. Though the business closed in 2006, Mark continued to instill a love of working on cars in his sons.

After moving from St. Paris to Rosewood in 2017, the Rodericks turned their attention to a new start-up. The Rodericks attribute the business’s name, a nod to hot rod cartoon characters like Rat Fink and Mighty Mouse as well as a play on the family name, to a stray cat named Rick who often wandered around the Rodericks’ shop while they worked.

The brothers commissioned a graphic designer to craft a logo, the family purchased an LLC in December 2017, and Rodder-Rick’s Customs was born.

RRC’s mission statement is “to provide affordable solutions to common bottlenecks in the high-performance automotive industry while still guaranteeing quality parts, expertise in service, and customer satisfaction.”

Tragically, on January 20, 2021, Mark lost his life in a car accident, and the business lost a founder. But over a year later, Logan has returned home after three years of active duty service in the U.S. Air Force, and the sons have revamped their business plan and reopened in honor of their father’s legacy.

“It snapped us into a tunnel vision mindset that you’re not always promised the next day,” said Levi. “Since then, we’ve put in countless hours out in the shop and recreating the business plan without having Dad.”

“We lost a skill set that is very rare,” Logan added, referring to his father’s painting and body work abilities.

Now, the sons are taking a leap of faith to follow their father’s dream to open a shop in Rosewood.

“He’s wanted to do this for years, and he never took the jump,” Logan said. “This year has been our turning point. When my final day is here, I don’t want to look back and be like, ‘I could have done that.’ Why not now?”

Products and services

The Rodericks intend to offer services that go beyond a traditional automotive repair shop, catering to a specific sector of car enthusiasts that aim to modify their vehicles. Similar businesses in the area include Dewla Dezign Performance in Huber Heights, CIA Performance in Columbus, and Goodson Performance and Auto Repair in Troy. By possessing a knowledge of safety requirements for drag, race, and street cars as well as several years of industry-specific experience, the Rodericks can reach an untapped market in Champaign County.

Levi, RRC fabricator and welder, has taken applied technology and automotive high-performance classes from the University of Northwestern Ohio. Logan’s role is to run the administrative, customer service, and marketing side, as well as specialize as the shop’s electrical technician (a certification he obtained while serving in the USAF as an avionics technician). RRC Production Manager Alex Zerkle, lifelong friend of the Roderick family, will utilize his years of machining, quality control, and computer numerical control (CNC)/ computer-aided design (CAD) experience to handle metals while blueprinting, designing, and cutting parts.

“We all work together. We all have the same end goal, as divided as we are in our skill sets: to get the customer taken care of and satisfied,” Levi said.

Services include welding and fabrication jobs, wiring, plasma cutting, and installation of retro-fitted headlights, turbo kits, Army-Navy (A-N) products like fuel lines and fittings, and more.

The business also offers custom-made roll cages, turbo kits, tubular front ends, front and rear bash bars, brackets, motor mounts, and more.

“We’re not your average turn your wrench, do your breaks, change your oil shop,” Logan said. “You come here because you want to modify your car.”

The Rodericks aim to collaborate with as many automotive parts providers as possible to stock their shop with parts, cutting down on customer wait times and providing in-house, on-hand options for modifications. Rodder-Rick’s Customs has partnered with Finish Line Factory, a supplier of A-N lines, fittings, and couplers, among other key products. Currently, RRC is targeting a partnership with VMS Racing (a supplier of aftermarket performance parts and accessories), Hoosier Tires (manufacturer of racing tires and drag slicks), and Vibrant Performance (supplier of turbo kit accessories).

Additionally, RRC sponsors the ShadyBowl Speedway #8 race car for Zerkle, as well as Mad Scientist Auto owner Eric Jarvis’s S2000, currently on a cross-country racing tour.

1st Annual Mark Roderick Car Show, April 9

On Saturday, April 9, which would have been Mark’s 61st birthday, RRC hosted a car show in his memory at Quick Detailing in Springfield from 4-8 p.m.

RRC’s booth sold customized event t-shirts, air fresheners, stickers, and hats, and Candie Culture (owned by Aidan Morris and Colt Beam) set up a booth as well, offering apparel and vinyl stickers. The KO Shredded Chicken food truck, owned and operated by Donald Woodruff, served at the event. Raffle tickets were sold for prizes including RRC merchandise and detailing kits from Quick Detailing (valued at over $80).

Despite the unseasonable spring weather of rain, snow, and hail, RRC enjoyed a record turnout: over 40 cars registered for the competition, and the show saw over 100 attendees and spectators in support.

“Super stoked to see guys and gals of our generation coming together to share a passion, even on a day with crazy weather,” said Levi of the event’s impressive attendance. “That just goes to prove the love for these machines and the community that surrounds them.”

After judging, RRC presented trophies to the Top 10 entrants as well seven categories of winners: Best Import, Best Muscle, Fan Favorite, Best Work-In-Progress, Best Truck, Blast from the Past, and Best of Show.

Dylan Saunders’s 2015 all-wheel-drive Infiniti Q50 Sport received the Best of Show award for its special features, including airlift 3P suspension, carbon fiber accents, and a unique custom wrap.

The Roderick sons were thrilled with the event’s success, as they knew their father would have been proud.

“He’s the biggest car enthusiast that I’ve ever met, so having this car show in his name, he would be blown away, honestly. So that makes me happy,” Logan said.

RRC plans to make the show an annual event.

Future goals

Looking to the future of their business, the Rodericks are aiming high.

Within the next year, the brothers hope to spread the RRC name throughout the area–raising awareness, honing their services, and establishing their brand identity.

Further forward, into the next five years, Logan plans to become educated in tuning and offer a full-service dyno in-house. If demand leads to growth, the Rodericks will seek out a larger shop space, as they eventually hope to become a fully self-sustained operation, producing their own parts with minimal outsourcing.

“We’d like, as much as we can, to be a one-stop performance shop where you can drop off anywhere from a bare shell to a complete car that just needs dialed in,” Levi said. “That’s really what the goal for this year is: get our name out there, spread the quality that we provide.”

Overall, RRC aims to set itself apart with excellent customer service, highlighting a shared respect and care of automotive vehicles.

“When it comes to your cars, something you love and have spent thousands of dollars on, it’s tough to just leave it with someone and trust a complete stranger. That’s what separates us: we understand that. We treat peoples’ cars like they’re one of our own,” Logan said.

For more information on RRC, please visit their website at rrcfab.com or their Facebook and Instagram pages. For inquiries, please call (937) 896-6227 or email [email protected].

Logan (left) and Levi Roderick are shown together in front of Logan’s 2013 boosted/bagged Civic Si during the 1st Annual Mark Roderick Car Show on April 9.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2022/04/web1_RodBrothers.jpgLogan (left) and Levi Roderick are shown together in front of Logan’s 2013 boosted/bagged Civic Si during the 1st Annual Mark Roderick Car Show on April 9. Submitted photos

Logan Roderick loads a tune onto his 2013 boosted/bagged Civic Si.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2022/04/web1_Logan-Roderick-loading-a-tune-onto-his-2013-boosted_bagged-Civic-SI.jpegLogan Roderick loads a tune onto his 2013 boosted/bagged Civic Si. Submitted photos

Logan, Mark, and Levi Roderick are shown together in this photo from 2019. Mark lost his life in a car accident in 2021 and his sons have carried on the family business.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2022/04/web1_Logan_Mark_and-Levi-Roderick_May-2019.jpegLogan, Mark, and Levi Roderick are shown together in this photo from 2019. Mark lost his life in a car accident in 2021 and his sons have carried on the family business. Submitted photos
Hot rods and tight bonds power family through adversity

By Katie Milligan

Contributing writer

Reach Katie at [email protected].

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