HR1264 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1264 LRB100 23406 MST 42431 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Nichols Paint and Fab in Watseka on the rapid growth of their business and on the success of their television show "Wrench'd"; and

WHEREAS, Justin Nichols, the founder of Nichols Paint and Fab, was born and raised in Watseka and is continuing his father's love of fast cars and flashy paint jobs; he has been building custom hot rods, trucks, and motorcycles since the age of seven; and

WHEREAS, The work of the Nichols Paint and Fab team, consisting of Maegan Ashline, Greg Huizenga, Dave Webster, Kyle Bertsch, and Nick Roberts, has been internationally recognized and showcased in publications such as Classic Truck, Street Rodder, American Bagger, Built Not Bought, and many others; in addition, the team has won numerous awards at national and international competitions; and

WHEREAS, An entertainment development professional saw a custom motorcycle from Nichols Paint and Fab on the cover of a magazine, and the idea for a television show began; soon after, crews from the Velocity channel's parent company, Discovery, Inc., descended upon Watseka; and

WHEREAS, Since the premiere of "Wrench'd" on May 15, 2018, Justin Nichols' shop has received over 200 orders for custom builds, ratings are twice as high as any other show on Velocity, and the network has already begun shooting season two; and

WHEREAS, The Nichols team has already started the construction of a large expansion to accommodate the influx of orders and attention coming from the television show; and

WHEREAS, Visitors from all over the country stop by the shop in Watseka to buy shirts, meet the crew, and see where the magic happens; not only is the attention great for business, it is beneficial for the entirety of Watseka, a town of 5,000 now receiving national attention; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Justin Nichols and the team of Nichols Paint and Fab on their successes in business and television, and we wish them continued growth in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we hold them up as an example of what can be done with hard work and dedication to a craft, and we thank them for their commitment to their community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Justin Nichols as a symbol of our respect and esteem.