Alumnus Rob Howard '92 revolutionizes vintage car conversion to EV

It's inside this massive 100 square foot building, a former Naval base on California's Mare Island, that a new kind of revitalization takes place. "This building reflects perfectly what the company is. It was built in 1941 for the war effort and used to have trains coming right down the middle and fell into disappear when they abandoned the island in 1995. And then they slowly been revitalizing the island. And then we revitalized the building." With an engineering degree from Virginia Tech, an MBA and an entrepreneurial spirit, Rob Howard had the tools to turn his passion for restoring and revitalizing cars into a thriving business, Kindred Motorworks. "All my background added up to the perfect equation to be here." It started as a hobby, restoring his vehicle in his garage after hours. "These old cars, they look amazing, but if you ever buy one, they're disappointing. You know, they're quite dangerous as far as the brakes and stopping, the smell of gasoline in the garage. They're definitely not dependable." Kindred Motorworks uses a technology driven approach to convert these cars to electric at scale. "We've build a software platform, we call it Blueprint, and it documents the workflow and the restoration for each one of our models." Rob injects modern technology into classics, he says, making them safe and a joy to drive. "I've had, at times, I've had people follow me home because they see there's no exhaust pipe in the car and they wonder what that is. But you know, these cars are joy machines. Every time I stop and park, someone wants to talk to me about the car." Beyond business, Rob's spirit of Ut Prosim is injected into Kindred Motorworks' practice giving back to the community. "So for us, it's super natural to invest in our local schools, invest in the local community, and it helps the company in the long run too." He credits mentors with helping to guide his journey. "I'm a big believer in mentorship, and I've also now moved into a stage where I've become more of a mentor for younger folks." Rob attributes much of his success to his alma mater. "You know, the job that Virginia Tech has done in preparing me was off the charts."