Business: After seeing the world, local business owner chose Emporia

Clint Drake was born and raised in Emporia, and is proud to call the town his home after touring the world with the U.S. Army.

“I went to William Allen White Elementary School,” Drake reminisced. “Miss Dalton, who was my pre-kindergarten teacher, was my favorite.”

Drake continued his education in the Emporia school system, and graduated high school with varsity football running back and linebacker honors. His father, who raised him, encouraged his love of sports. The senior Drake still lives in Emporia, too, and has recently retired.

Clint Drake spent six years on active duty with the U.S. Army. He was first deployed to a helicopter base in Kuwait. He was given a sign-on bonus for taking the job of IED Specialist, but spent most of his time with a helicopter assault battalion. During his Army career, Drake toured the world from Germany to Canada, Ireland to Amsterdam.

“I got to see the world a little,” he said, “and got to compare a lot of places. It’s good to see big cities and faraway places when you’re young. But when you’re ready to settle down, it’s good to be from a smaller, friendlier, safer place.”

Drake married a hometown girl before he was deployed to Kuwait, and their daughter was born just a month after he was honorably discharged. After returning to Emporia, Drake learned from a friend that a local wrecker service owner was looking for someone to manage the business. He landed the job, became good friends with the owner, and managed several other businesses for the man.

“It’s a 24/7 business,” Drake said. “It can take a lot out of you.”

When Drake was just 28 years old, he was offered the opportunity to buy the business, Williams Towing & Recovery. Over the years, owner Rex Williams had trained and mentored not only Drake, but others who had worked for him, earning their trust and respect.

Williams Towing & Recovery began in Emporia in 1989 as part of Williams Automotive. In 2018, Clint Drake purchased the business and established the company as its own entity. Services continue to expand from simple towing and roadside assistance to encompass recovery services, load transfers, equipment transportation, and in-house diesel repair.

The company’s philosophy is that no job is too big or too small, and each employee strives to assist every customer in the best way possible.

Fast forward five years, and Drake is firmly settled into his life in Emporia. He says his kids and his dad are what keep him here now. He has good business relationships, good friends, and takes pride in his community.

“I do my best to give back to our community,” Drake said. “I support local educational, law enforcement, public safety, and military organizations and activities. These are all parts of what makes Emporia such a good place to live. These are people who really care about our community.”

Williams Towing & Recovery was named the SBDC 2021 Existing Small Business of the Year, and was voted Best Truck Shop in the Flint Hills, among other honors.

“There’s a happy medium here,” Drake concluded. “You get that small-town feel that I truly appreciate as well as the amenities of a larger city. You know your neighbors, traffic is not terrible, and there’s a certain calmness that comes with living in a more laid-back place.”