Power Behind the Pull: Lee Daugherty

What should the distance be between the frame rails on a 2007 Toyota Camry? What degree of bend is in the front cross members on a Tesla Model 3? Very few people would know that information, or even where to find it. Luckily, for the body shops that are equipped with Chief measuring products, we have ensured that info is at their fingertips. As numerous car manufacturers around the world design and produce new models, Chief works tirelessly to ensure we have the data that shops need in order to make the correct repairs. Gathering the data from the manufacturers can be a daunting task, but one that is vital to our customers. Lee Daugherty, Chief’s Global Data Product Manager, is in charge of the process and knows how important up-to-date specifications are to the body shops that rely on them.

Today we talk a little more with Lee and learn more about the man who keeps the specs in the hands of our customers.   

Q: How long have you been with Chief?

Lee: I started with Chief/Rotary Lift/Forward Lift/VSG in 1996 so I am going on 21 years with the organization. I have been with Chief specifically since 2007.

Q: What do you enjoy about your job?

Lee: The collision industry is changing so rapidly that you learn something new every day. The work environment at Chief is refreshing because it is so collaborative and entrepreneurial. Every day we ask ourselves where the collision industry is going and how can we be a bigger part of it.

Q: What is your background in?

Lee: Currently I am the global data product manager for Chief Automotive. I am in charge of our measuring system products, our global data specification production and am involved with the commercial software that runs our measuring systems. I am also currently in charge of our heavy duty collision sales effort. I started with Rotary Lift as an engineer and then into heavy duty customer service, Vehicle Storage System lift brand manager, Forward Lift brand manager, western divisional sales manager for Chief, inside sales manager for Chief and then into my current role. I have done just about everything in our organization at one time or another, or at least it seems like it.

Q: What is one of the biggest challenges to your job?

Lee: The biggest challenge that I face, is the speed at which the collision industry is changing. It is constantly challenging us to adapt and grow our products and services to meet the industry’s demands.

Q: During your work career or personal life what are you most proud of?

Lee: What truly drives me in life is my love for my family. I have a beautiful wife and two wonderful children who have grown into exceptional human beings. Seeing my family succeed in their endeavors is what makes me most proud.

Q: What is one fun fact about you that people may not know?

Lee: The one thing that some people may know but many may not is that I was in Cairo, Egypt on 9/11/2001. At the time it was quite scary but, it is interesting to talk about now.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your time away from work?

Lee: I do enjoy golfing. I don’t do it nearly as often as I would like. I spend a lot of my time working around the house either putting ceramic tile down in a room, building custom cabinets or repairing vehicles.

Q: Are you a music person or a sports person? 

Lee: I am a sports person. My favorite teams are the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team, Cincinnati Reds Baseball and the Green Bay Packers football team.

Q: What product in Chief’s full line do you think is the most interesting or has the most to offer to the customer? Why?

Lee: Well, I am biased to our Chief LaserLock Live Mapping System and our vehicle specification data. Our measuring system gives our customers a way to measure a vehicle and determine if it is structurally damaged. It also provides them a method of measuring the critical points on the frame and monitor them in real time, simultaneously, while they correct the frame damage. Having this live feedback is the key to properly repairing the vehicles structure. The basis of our LaserLock system is the vehicle data that we provide. It is the life blood of how we tell our customers what needs to be corrected.