INSIGHTFUL TALK BY DAN MESSINA ///
A
fter twenty-five years in the towing industry, I finally figured out the strength of the industry, it is the people. When I would do seminars at tow shows I would tell the towers, any of you can walk out on the floor and buy any of the following: 1. You can buy a truck 2. You can get it financed 3. You can get it insured 4. You can buy all the equipment for it 5. You can even register with motor clubs to get tows The only thing that makes you different from the guy sitting next to you is your employees. I can remember when I started my tow company, I needed to hire dispatchers, drivers, and other employees I did not even know I needed. I was new to the industry and had no idea the type of people I needed. I did know who I was and what I wanted my company to look like. I was a competitor in sports, and I built a lot of successful teams, so I figured building a tow company cannot be any different. 20
Tow Professional | Volume 9 • Issue 9
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I wanted: 1. People skilled in the positions I needed 2. I wanted all my trucks to be the same 3. I wanted all my employees to look good and wear uniforms 4. I wanted the best accounts that generated tows 5. I wanted lots of bling with everything in my company. As I started putting it all together there were a lot of people to help me. Even my competition showed me the ropes of the industry. We all worked together and became friends. I remember sending my wife to a tow show in Florida one month after we opened the doors. Everyone was great and extremely helpful. It did not take long for me to be where I wanted to be. After running my business for a year, the state of Texas was making changes on how they would regulate the towing industry. I decided it was time to start a towing association. My wife and I jumped in the car and drove all over Texas meeting with hundreds of tow companies and letting them know how we would be
