Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitchell Peterson.
Hi Mitchell, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m Mitchell Peterson, owner and operator of Blue Collar Detail Co., a mobile detailing business based in Junction City, Oregon.
Before starting the business, I spent years working in scaffold erection, carpentry, welding, excavation, septic work, the tire industry, and other hands-on trades. That background taught me how to show up, work hard, solve problems, and stand behind anything with my name attached to it.
For a long time, I was chasing what everyone else seemed to consider “successful.” Eventually, I realized how much time with my wife and our two little girls that version of success was costing me. I didn’t want to spend my life chasing the approval of other people while missing what mattered most to me.
More importantly, I didn’t want my daughters growing up believing they needed someone else’s validation to be proud of themselves. I want to show them that if they want something and it makes them happy, they should go after it. Who cares if other people don’t understand? Work hard, build something you’re proud of, and you can’t lose. In a lot of ways, I’m doing this for them by finally doing something I am proud of.
My perspective on life didn’t come from nowhere. As a child, I spent a lot of time in and out of Doernbecher Children’s Hospital because of a rare blood disorder. I spent months in intensive care units and emergency rooms. I have even flatlined for several minutes and was fortunate enough to come back. Then, at 21 years old, I was diagnosed with cancer.
Those experiences changed my priorities for the better. They didn’t make me stop wanting to work hard. They changed what I was willing to work so hard for. Time isn’t guaranteed, and I want to spend mine building a life that means something to me and the people I love.
Blue Collar Detail Co. came from all of that. I built the truck, mobile setup, website, and business from the ground up. It gave me a way to take the work ethic I developed in the trades and put it toward something of my own. Today, I get to serve people throughout Junction City and the surrounding communities while providing honest work and results I’m proud to put my name behind.
I don’t need my daughters to follow the same path I did. I just want them to choose paths they can be proud of. If they grow up knowing their time matters, hard work matters, and their own opinion of what they build matters more than outside validation, then this business has already accomplished something bigger than detailing vehicles.
That is what “Where hard work meets high standards” means to me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road. I knew how to work hard, but running a business meant learning a lot of things I had never done before. I had to figure out pricing, scheduling, customer communication, marketing, bookkeeping, and equipment maintenance while still doing the work itself. Being a one-man operation means there is nobody else to hand a problem to.
Mobile detailing in Oregon comes with its own challenges. Weather can force me to reschedule an entire week, and one broken piece of equipment can shut down the day. I have underpriced jobs, overbooked myself, spent money on things that did not work, and learned the hard way where I needed better systems and stronger boundaries.
Those challenges are still there, but I handle them better now. A difficult day or problem behind the scenes cannot become the customers problem. If my name is on the work, the standard stays the same.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
There is not one type of vehicle or one kind of job that defines Blue Collar Detail Co. I may spend one day resetting a family vehicle or cleaning a work truck, and the next correcting and coating a nearly new vehicle, classic, or show car. I also maintain personal vehicles and commercial fleets so their condition never gets too far away from them. That range is one of the things I enjoy about most about the work.
My services are built around improving, protecting, and maintaining vehicles based on how they are used. That includes interior and exterior detailing, paint correction, ceramic coatings, recurring maintenance, fleet work, RVs, and equipment. I bring my own water and power to each job because being mobile should never mean lowering the standard.
The feedback that means the most is not only that the vehicle looked good. Customers talk about being kept informed, knowing what to expect, and seeing the care put into the work. To me, the experience surrounding the detail should be just as solid as the finished result.
I am not interested in selling every customer the most expensive option. I would rather explain what their vehicle actually needs, set honest expectations, and deliver what I said I would.
What I am most proud of is that the reputation matches the brand. “Where hard work meets high standards” is not just a line. It reflects what customers say they receive: honest communication, thorough work, and a result I am proud to put my name behind.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I learned early that some parts of life are completely outside of our control. Spending a lot of my childhood in and out of hospitals, and then being diagnosed with cancer at 21, were not circumstances I chose. At the same time, I was fortunate enough to make it through those experiences.
That combination of bad and good luck changed the way I look at control. I cannot guarantee what happens to my health, but I can pay attention to my diet, exercise, remain disciplined, and make better use of the time I have been given.
The same applies to business. I cannot control the weather, an equipment failure, the economy, or whether every opportunity works out. I can control how prepared I am, how I treat people, the quality of my work, and whether I keep my word.
I have been unlucky in some ways and unbelievably lucky in others. Either way, I try not to waste the part that is up to me.
Pricing:
- Mobile detailing packages starting at $249.99
- Paint enhancement starting at $399.99
- Paint correction starting at $649.99
- Ceramic coating packages stating at $849.99
- Final pricing depends on vehicle size, condition, and preparation required
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bluecollardetailco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluecollardetailco?stkn=dHR0a3ZuY2Vmb2xo&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61554855127236/
