It’s finally my time. The final step in becoming a member of the Napier Team – joining the personal article loop. Here’s to hoping I have enough to say each and every time going forward.

I grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts, in Hull. My family has lived here my whole life and have stuck to New England stereotype of being Italian (my father’s side) and Irish (my mother’s side). To say I’ve enjoyed the food we have at home would be an understatement, although holidays are always a bit much. As we have the traditional holiday food but of course must have the Italian classics as well or there would be riots in the halls. Luckily it hasn’t come to that yet. I promised John when I first started that I would bring my mother’s meatballs in for everyone to try. It’s been over a year now and I think I’m on thin ice.

When I went to college, I wanted to experience winter in a place where I didn’t have to shovel a couple feet of snow and wear multiple layers of clothes to stay warm and decided to head down south to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The Carolinas were a fantastic place between the barbeque, college sports fans that really lean into the moniker, sweet tea, and enough fried food to put you in a coma, I loved it. Southern hospitality was real and wonderful, I can safely say I made true friends for life there, and the Carolinas will always hold a special place in my heart. But after 4 years and no success in finding a good chicken parm or meatball, my Italian palate and I quickly rushed home.

You could call me a traditional gearhead. Ever since I saw the Fast and Furious movies when I was very young, I’ve been fascinated with everything about cars, from the design and styling to the mechanics, engineering, pricing, and modifying aspects. I find myself tinkering in general, whether it be cars, watches, or home projects. In my free time you can find working on my Mustang or reading endless car articles about every industry topic under the sun. Is it a bit of an unhealthy obsession, yes, but does it make me happy, also yes.

Now, I don’t want to lie to you all, and so I’ll come clean. I am a fan of the evil empire (Yankees). I know, I know, please put down your pitchforks and torches and let me explain. My father grew up in Brooklyn, New York and raised me with a love of baseball and the Yankees, but I promise it’s Boston sports for everything else. Baseball is the sport I watch the most and when I’m not tinkering you can find me watching every regular season and (hopefully) postseason game.

So that’s a bit about me and my hobbies. I’ve met or spoken with most of you at this point, but if not, I look forward to meeting and assisting you all in the future.

nick-berlen
By Nick Berlen Operations Associate Read More