04.30.25
Navigating New Waters: A Navy Veteran’s Path from Aircraft Carrier to Entrepreneurship
By Tyler Fischbach, Vice President of Public Relations, The Chamber
Josh Seley, Owner of Deckplate Diesel, stands in front of the Deckplate Diesel building in Fargo, ND.
Josh Seley grew up in the small town of Lake Park, Minnesota, population 600. As a kid, he loved wrestling and football, but school? Not so much. With a graduating class of 47 students, he ranked near the bottom. Yet beneath the "C student" exterior was the drive of a future entrepreneur waiting for the right spark.
"The only reason I showed up to high school was to wrestle and play football," Seley recalled with a laugh. "If I could've played sports and not gotten an education, you would never have seen me in a classroom."
After high school, he had little to no interest in continuing his education. "I am not going back to school ever," he remembered thinking. "I just wanted to get into the workforce.” He had entrepreneurial ambitions, but knew he needed to learn a trade. That's when a conversation with his grandfather, a Navy veteran, changed everything.
"We were sitting at my grandpa’s kitchen table one day and he convinced me to go talk to the local Navy recruiter. Grandpa told me they had a lot more opportunities than just floating around on the ocean, and that I could learn a trade."
The advice resonated with Josh, who had always been fascinated by cars, bikes and mechanics. When the recruiter told him he could work on the flight deck of aircraft carriers fixing tow tractors, fire trucks and cranes, Josh was sold. Three weeks later, at 18 years old, he was headed to boot camp – only one month after his high school graduation.
From Lake Park to the Open Ocean
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and is named in honor of Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi.
After completing diesel mechanic training in Pensacola, Florida, Seley graduated at the top of his class. He was assigned to the USS John C. Stennis, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier home-ported in Bremerton, Washington.
But his journey took an unexpected turn when he learned the ship had already departed for a six-month deployment. The Navy flew the Upper Midwesterner from Washington state to Japan, then to South Korea, where he finally joined his vessel.
"It was such a surreal experience. Here I was, a Minnesota kid from a small town, flying around the world. This was stuff I only saw in TV and movies."
Measuring over three football fields in length, the sheer scale of the aircraft carrier was overwhelming. "When they told me 5,000 people lived on the ship, my brain couldn't compute it. I grew up in a town of 600,” he said. “It was difficult to fathom the size of this ship, and that it would be my new home.”
Finding Purpose in the Navy
Life aboard the Stennis wasn't just about adapting to tight quarters and navigating narrow passageways. It was where Seley began to realize his potential. Watching successful sailors around him, he noticed they took education seriously.
"I started taking one class at a time. Education's free while you're in. Why not? When I finished my first college class and made the Dean's List, I realized I wasn't stupid after all."
He set a goal of earning an associate's degree in general studies while advancing quickly through the Navy ranks. "I found a place where I really thrived," he reflects. "I liked the structure. I liked the camaraderie. It felt like one big team."
Josh Seley, Deckplate Diesel, operating machinery during his time in the Navy.
After his first enlistment, Seley re-enlisted for three more years and was assigned to instructor duty in California. At just 22 years old, he was now teaching new recruits to be diesel mechanics.
"That opened up a whole new door in my head. Here I was, the guy who didn't like education, who didn't want to go to school, and now I'm an educator? What really threw me by surprise was how much I enjoyed it."
While serving as an instructor, Josh completed his associate's degree and then pursued a bachelor's degree in workforce education and development – a perfect blend of his mechanical skills and newfound love for teaching.
The toughest battle
After seven years of service, Seley faced a critical decision. At 25, he was at a crossroads: re-enlist and likely complete 20 service years for retirement, or transition to civilian life.
"If I stayed on that path, I would have retired three years from today, but I made the decision to not re-enlist. At some point, the uniform's got to come off."
That transition, however, was far from easy.
"That was the hardest thing I had to do in my life – going from being a full-time sailor to being a civilian again. I was programmed. I wore a uniform every day. I was told where to eat, when to eat, what to eat, where to sleep, when to sleep, how to make my bed in the morning. Then suddenly it's, 'Okay, now what?'"
The psychological impact was profound.
"It's not that you're indecisive, but you’re now making life choices all on your own, when previously you’ve been bound by a military contract that tells you exactly what to do. Finding where you fit is one of the toughest things."
Seley speaks with deep understanding about the alarming statistics on veteran suicide. "If you're in uniform, they expect you to be tough,” he said. “But when you get out and don't have that uniform anymore, sometimes mentally it's difficult to be that same person – that same sailor, marine, soldier or airman."
While trying to find himself, living in various places in the U.S. and overcoming new challenges, Seley returned to the Upper Midwest, eventually settling in Fargo. He has traveled the globe and lived in several states – Florida, Washington, California and Kentucky, but he says the Fargo-Moorhead community is truly one of the best in the world.
Seley’s first post-Navy job was driving a delivery truck for a beverage distributor in the Fargo-Moorhead area – an experience he calls "the least favorite job I've had in my entire life." But even this detour had value. It showed him what he did not want to do.
The Path to Deckplate Diesel
Deciding to learn more about business, Seley applied to the North Dakota State University MBA program, despite battling that nagging feeling that his academic background wasn't strong enough.
"I still felt like that C and D student like in high school. I thought everyone was going to see right through me.'"
Not only was he accepted, he thrived. His homework assignments often centered around starting a truck shop. His classmates saw his passion and encouraged him to pursue it.
"Midway through the MBA program, I took my business plan, created the LLC and filed it in May 2019. It was one month before I quit my full-time job."
Josh had planned to operate his business as a side hustle at first, but the demand for his services quickly outpaced his expectations.
"I started getting so many calls, I couldn't turn them away. I had to quit my job. Within two months, I hired two more people – another technician and an office manager. By August 2019, my business had grown to three full-time employees. I thought that I may need to pump the brakes a little bit, as things were taking off way faster than I expected."
Growing through adversity
Just as Josh was settling into business ownership, COVID-19 hit. Instead of sinking his young business, the pandemic highlighted its importance.
"The fact that we could start the business and not only survive but grow during that time tells me we're in an industry that isn't going away and that we're doing something right."
Deckplate Diesel kept trucks moving during the pandemic, ensuring groceries and other vital supplies and goods reached their destinations. This role gave Josh a familiar sense of purpose.
“While COVID was going on and we were considered an essential business, it was super fulfilling. When there'd be a truckload of groceries going somewhere and we'd fix that so it could get to the store, it felt like I was keeping America moving without my uniform on. It brought me back. I found my niche in life."
The Deckplate Difference
Six years after its founding, Deckplate Diesel employs eight people, a few of which are also veterans or are currently serving in the National Guard. The operation has outgrown its current location, and Josh is exploring opportunities to build a purpose-designed facility that will better serve his team and customers.
The business has grown steadily, surpassing $1 million in annual revenue by its fourth year, a milestone they've consistently met or exceeded since.
What sets Deckplate Diesel apart isn't just its impressive growth trajectory, but Josh's leadership philosophy, deeply informed by his military experience.
"The one thing the military really taught me and ingrained in me is to be a leader, not to just ‘be a leader’ but to empower other people to be leaders. That has been so beneficial from a business standpoint because if you're the one person who does and knows everything, you're going to burn out fast."
Unlike most shops where mechanics share computers and customers only speak with service managers, at Deckplate Diesel, every technician has a business cell phone and laptop. They're empowered to communicate directly with customers about their vehicles.
"That gives our business a personal feel. Instead of the customer getting a call from a service manager who doesn't even know what color their truck is, they speak directly with the mechanic working on it."
Josh now divides his time – 75% working on the business (strategic planning, growth opportunities) and 25% working in the business (hands-on mechanical work). He's promoted team members to management positions while maintaining that “at the end of the day, we're all mechanics." Josh is adamant that the true strength of Deckplate lies in the dedication and expertise of his team members, whom he speaks about with immense pride and respect.
Giving Back to Fellow Veterans
Seley prioritizes hiring and mentoring other veterans. As a veteran who understands the challenges of military transition, Josh has made supporting other veterans a priority. Half of his initial team were veterans themselves, creating a sense of shared camaraderie and understanding.
Recently, Deckplate Diesel partnered with the Fargo VA to create transitional employment opportunities for veterans struggling to find work after service.
"We create job opportunities that are like a transitional role. We say to them, 'Do you want to be a diesel mechanic? Come check out the shop. We'll pay you a fair salary to see if this is something you like.' If it works out after six months, we can offer them a permanent position."
The program is still in its early stages, but Josh is excited about its potential.
"They see our military experience and our fellow employees who share a lot of the same experiences. Being a veteran myself, I know the difficulties of transitioning from military to civilian life."
Deckplate Diesel also participates in community service projects, including making and donating blankets and care packages to veterans - an activity that resonates deeply with Josh.
"I would also love to find a way to send support packages to active service members. If there is anyone in the community who can help us find a path to do this, we are on board and would love to support our active duty service members in this way!"
Looking Ahead
As Josh builds his business, he's motivated by creating a meaningful legacy alongside his partner Talayia and their children Rhys, Bella and Porter.
"I still have half my GI Bill left after finishing my MBA. I toss around the idea of going back to school – law really interests me, especially business law. But I'm a dad now, and I put in 60-70 hours a week at the business. My son is growing so fast. Every day I look at him, he's doing something different, and I can't miss these moments that I’ll never get back. I can go to law school ten years from now, perhaps."
"Ultimately, life goes by way too fast, and it doesn't matter how much money you make, how big your business is or what you do. What kind of legacy are you going to leave behind? I want to leave something that my son will be proud to either take over or say, 'That was my dad who started that business.'"
Seley’s journey from small-town student to Navy veteran to entrepreneur reflects the power of military service, education and perseverance – showing that with determination, anyone can navigate new waters. What makes the Fargo-Moorhead business community special, Josh explains, is how businesses support each other even when they might be competitors.
It's this collaborative spirit that makes small businesses the backbone of the community. For Josh, joining The Chamber was another revelation that came too late: "My only problem with The Chamber is that I should have been a member sooner. I wish I would have known more about it. I've been just blown away, and all of the other Chamber members feel like a team outside of your team."
As Deckplate Diesel continues to grow, serving the needs of the region while creating opportunities for veterans to find their own path forward, Josh's story demonstrates the significant impact that military service, continued education, discovering one's passion, and entrepreneurial spirit can have on shaping both individual success and community growth. It's a testament to how our business community thrives: through mutual support, shared values and the understanding that when one business succeeds, we all benefit.
In Josh's journey from the Navy to Deckplate Diesel, we see the perfect embodiment of the dual themes that strengthen our region: honoring military service while championing the small businesses that keep Fargo Moorhead West Fargo moving.
Check out Josh's feature in the Bridge magazine below
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