You may have heard of our latest Acadian Alumni Association spotlight by his iconic nickname — one that he takes great proud in.
Though he’s retired, Joe Borel, left, called ‘Shop Joe,’ enjoys a smile with Acadian CEO Richard Zuschlag.
For almost 47 years, Joe Borel was known to pick up the phone in Fleet Maintenance with his famous line: “Shop Joe!”
Eventually, Acadian employees started to call him “Shop Joe”— leading to a nickname that he continues to proudly carry all these years later.
Shop Joe’s ability to teach and lead others propelled his career path with Acadian, and he was able to care for all of our vehicles. Despite his long, amazing career, Shop Joe’s love for Acadian went far beyond his time in his beloved shop, but rather for the people he worked with throughout the years.
Shop Joe’s talents with vehicles shaped the progression of Acadian’s growth, but his love for others shaped the lives of Acadian’s employees.
“I bled green for a long time, and I still bleed green. I was always proud to work for Acadian because I knew our end result was helping someone. This is a damn good company to work for. I never expected that being a mechanic would take me as far as Acadian did,” Joe said.
For 47 years, Joe Borel has been apart of Acadian Companies. During that time, Joe has gained a love for the people he’s worked with.
Today, Shop Joe is enjoying his retired life, travelling to Ohio to watch his granddaughter dance at Ohio State. He has three daughters and seven grandchildren and plans to spend his time travelling and being with his family more.
And while he’s no longer an employee of the company he’s known for so long, he still thinks about all the great things they have done for him.
“Get into that ESOP,” Joe said. “You’re crazy if you aren’t doing it now.”
