IRVING, Texas — Jeff Snowden, one of the early advocates of paintless dent repair (PDR) and a longtime employee of Dent Zone, was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 International Mobile Tech Expo in Orlando. Snowden was recognized for his more than 25 years of service and leadership in the PDR industry.

Snowden has been with Dent Zone, which is part of the Nobilis Group, since its inception in 1991.

“Jeff’s technical knowledge as well as his relationship and networking skills have played a role in growing the industry into a nationally recognized field,” said Kevin Halewood, Mobile Tech Expo founder and show director. “He has been both a proponent and promoter, as well as a connector of people.”

Snowden was an influential contributor to the industry from the beginning. He began his career as one of the first technicians in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, fixing hail damage through paintless dent repair. In the early 1990s, he met Troy Good, president and CEO of Dent Zone, and they began their business partnership in the PDR marketplace.

Snowden was instrumental in developing Dent Zone’s national network of mobile fulfillment technicians. That network was a key factor in the company’s successful introduction of the industry’s first PDR service contract in 1999 and the subsequent launch of PDR LINX Hail Group in 2006. Snowden recruited and trained teams of certified repair technicians across the country, especially in the hail damage market, as Dent Zone developed the largest network in the industry.

“Jeff displayed a commitment and determination that created a paradigm for PDR that resulted in its wide acceptance as a superior method over conventional dent repair practices. He has had such a positive impact on the industry as a mentor and teacher to the hundreds of technicians he has trained and influenced over the years,” said Good. “Not only did he embrace this non-traditional practice, he saw its limitless potential.”

Snowden still works within the Dent Zone family, serving as senior director of agent development for AutoBodyGuard. During his tenure at Dent Zone, Snowden has twice beaten cancer, including a successful recovery from a potentially devastating Stage 4 diagnosis in 2015. Snowden credits his faith, his family and the company he helped build with the success he has experienced both personally and professionally.

“The ability to start a business and grow it while surrounding yourself with good people is something I’m proud of,” explains Snowden. “And what’s more important is that I have had the support of my wife and kids and made hundreds of good friends over the last 25 years in this dynamic and competitive industry.”