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Sign up for our daily newsletter here When FRANK AMBROS can find the time, nothing beats a quick lunch trip to a food truck for a tasty to-go order. “But the truth is, I am in year two of building this business,” he says, “so more times than not, I skip lunch.” Business is good for the CEO and founder of Champaign’s V.
I.D.A.
Bottega LLC, which piled up the second-most votes among 15 entries in the competitive car-detailing category of The News-Gazette’s People’s Choice contest. And Ambros is just getting started after taking the long way to running his very own small business. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and raised in Chicago, he’s an honorably discharged Navy veteran who served in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (2004-08), worked in IT for the local U.
S. Army Corps of Engineers, obtained his associate degree in automotive technology from Parkland College and co-founded and co-owned a local automotive service business for four years before deciding to branch out on his own. Ambros took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 249th installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and sma.