Spring 2012 - Jerr-Dan

MEET PAUL BEST // EXPO REVIEW // TOWING HISTORY // EVENTS CALENDAR
An Oshkosh Corporation Company
FOR HARDWORKING TOWING PROFESSIONALS
FOR HARDWORKING TOWING PROFESSIONALS
Baltimore expo:
Rave
Reviews
FOR HARDWORKING TOWING PROFESSIONALS
Inside SPRING 2012
PG. 4
FOR HARDWORKING TOWING PROFESSIONALS
Meet the YOUser: Paul Best of
East Coast Towing
PG. 6
the tiedown
Joel Amsley is Senior Vice President of Jerr-Dan Corporation
Welcome to the new re-designed look of Run Hard! We
know you’ll love the crisp, clean look with an emphasis on
YOU—our user. We truly value and appreciate you for all
your dedication to the towing and recovery industry!
While this issue includes a wrap up of the 2011 Baltimore
Show, we’ve now turned our attention to planning the 2012
Florida Tow Show. In fact, let’s make this interesting…
Find me in the Jerr-Dan booth at the Florida Show, shake
my hand and give me your business card. I’ll enter the card
into “Joel’s Drawing.” I’ll draw one card at the end of each
show day and the winner will receive $500 Jerr-Dan Bucks
from me.
I’m looking forward to seeing you and shaking your hand!
Joel
New Jerr-Dan Equipment Pulls
In Rave Reviews at Expo
PG. 7
Meet The Distributor:
Worldwide Equipment Sales
PG. 8
Taking A Turn At Being A
Piece Of History
PG. 10
Towers with a Cause
Run Hard magazine is your source for new products, trends,
and technical information pertaining to Jerr-Dan towing and
recovery equipment. Run Hard is published quarterly for all
employees, distributors and customers of Jerr-Dan.
The magazine is distributed nationally, featured in
American Towman magazine and on the Jerr-Dan
website, www.jerrdan.com.
LTD Creative, Design and Production
Cygnus Custom Marketing, Editor and Correspondent
JERR-DAN STAFF
Joel Amsley, Senior Vice President
Weldon Wright, Director of Sales
Tracy O’Dowd, Marketing Manager
Brandon Tucker, Director of Engineering
Mike VanAken, Customer Support Manger
Richard Puglia, International Sales Manager
Phil Hammond, Motor Club Manager
Shane Coleman, Heavy Duty Sales & Market
Development Manager
Denny Buhrman, Product Specialist
Gene McKinney, Regional Sales Manager
Rocky Certaro, Regional Sales Manager
Joe Osterman, Regional Sales Manager
Dan DeAces, Regional Sales Manager
Mike Cherry, Retail Sales Specialist
© 2012 Jerr-Dan Corporation, An Oshkosh Corporation Company.
All rights reserved. Run Hard is a publication of Jerr-Dan Corporation.
2 // RUNHARD // SPRING 2012
13224 Fountain Head Plaza
Hagerstown, MD 21742-2678
Corporate Office: 800.926.9666
Fax: 301.745.5375
www.jerrdan.com
www.facebook.com/jerrdancorp
PLUGGED IN
EVENT SCHEDULE
March
April
June
National Truck
Equipment Association
Work
Truck Show
Indianapolis, IN
Samsung Mobile 500
Weekend Texas Motor Speedway,
Ft. Worth, TX
Empire State Towing &
Recovery Association
Tow Show Lake George, NY
17-19
Professional Wrecker
Operators of Florida
Tow Show Orlando, FL
South Dakota
Professional Towing
Association Tow Show
& School Sioux Falls, SD
7-9
18-19
Firestone 550 Race
Weekend Texas Motor Speedway,
Ft.Worth, TX
6-8
12-14
Towing & Recovery
Association of
America Legislative
& Leadership
Conference Arlington, VA
22-24
Mid-America Truck
Show Louisville, KY
16-18
Bristol Race Weekend Bristol, TN
19-22
May
Charlotte Race Weekend
Charlotte, NC
1-3
19-20
New Hampshire Towing
Association Beach
Tow Show
Hampton, NH
26-27
Charlotte Race Weekend
Charlotte, NC
Would you like to receive Jerr-Dan news and updates by email?
Drop us a line at [email protected] and tell us to add you
to our e-news list! Also be sure to add us to your safe senders list!
www.jerrdan.com // RUNHARD // 3
Meet the YOUSER
Paul Best
East Coast Towing
Above: Paul Best, Owner of East Coast Towing
P
aul Best knows the formula for success when
it comes to owning and operating a top-notch
business…hire the best people and provide them
with quality equipment for the job.
Best fell in love with the towing business after working
in the industry for several years. In August 1989 he started
East Coast Towing and soon after expanded his business
by purchasing two existing towing companies. East Coast
Towing is currently based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with
another location in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
East Coast Towing is a preferred provider with the AAA Motor Club and
has twice won the club’s Service Provider of Excellence. The company
also earned a 5-star rating from American Towman magazine.
As Best began to build his company, he turned to
distributor Eastern Wrecker Sales in Clayton, North Carolina,
to grow his fleet of towing equipment. Today it includes 52
standard- to medium-duty pieces of Jerr-Dan equipment. East
Coast Towing has 80 employees; 60 are tow truck operators.
Employees are No. 1 priority
East Coast Towing has taken the ECT initials in its company
name and expanded it to encompass its corporate
philosophy—Employee, Customer, Team. “We are very
employee focused,” stresses Best. “A few years ago we
4 // RUNHARD // SPRING 2012
changed the nature of the business to focus on the people
who take care of our customers,” he said. “I spend the
majority of my time making sure our employees have
everything they need, and most of the rest of it takes care
of itself.”
Best credits fun and lightheartedness as key factors in
successfully building his company’s team and maintaining
quality employees. “We enjoy what we do and we have fun,”
he says.
From tragedy to triumph
Two years ago the company pulled together to get through
a difficult situation. The main East Coast Towing building
burned down on New Years Day in 2010 and four trucks
were lost in the fire. “Eastern Wrecker Sales staff stepped up
and delivered two replacement trucks within two weeks,” he
recalls. “Jerr-Dan employees were also extremely supportive
and they helped any way they could.”
East Coast Towing employees banded together and the
company operated out of a hotel room for two weeks until
a temporary office could be set up. “We bounced back
and ran our heaviest volume day just two days after the
fire,” notes Best proudly. “Never once did we think the fire
would ruin us.” Ten months later, ECT moved back into its
headquarters.
East Coast Towing continues to grow and find new ways to
make a difference. Its newest piece of equipment is a JerrDan wrecker sporting a pink/camouflage paint scheme. A
portion of the profits from every call will go to an organization
working to find a cure for breast cancer.
HOOK UP WITH US
East Coast Towing
Phone: 919.835.0705
Web: www.eastcoasttowing.com
New Jerr-Dan Equipment
Pulls In Rave Reviews at Expo
Jerr-Dan proved at the 2011 American Towman
Expo in Baltimore that a glitzy and glamorous display
isn’t necessary when showing off top-notch towing
equipment. The equipment itself is all that’s necessary
to draw existing and potential clients into a booth.
Show attendees were able to get the first look at two new body
options from Jerr-Dan aimed at making the recovery job more
efficient. The 50-ton rotator was at the center of the display,
and impressed everyone with its aluminum fire service-style
body. Jerr-Dan, Stepp’s Towing of Tampa, Florida, and Pierce
Manufacturing of Appleton, Wisconsin, a sister company to
Jerr-Dan, all partnered on the rotator venture, which is designed
to be an incident command center and incorporates roll-up
doors and efficient, unique storage options.
Developed in conjunction with United Plastic Fabricating
and Mark’s Towing in Frederick, Maryland, the second new
body option introduced at the show is the PolyBody® for
the 16-ton wrecker. Jerr-Dan engineers designed this body
with more storage capability, state-of-the-art lighting and
new tool management systems that expedite on-scene
recovery efficiency.
Both new body style options caught the eye of many
attendees. “The feedback was extremely positive,” says
www.jerrdan.com // RUNHARD // 5
The Heavy Recovery System built by Oshkosh
Defense in conjunction with Jerr-Dan
engineers as a solution to fill a customeridentified gap in recovery vehicles.
Weldon Wright, Director of Sales for Jerr-Dan. “Attendees
enjoyed seeing the new, innovative products—not the same
units painted different colors.”
Mesmerized by the rotator
Of all the trucks displayed at the show, the one that hooked
the most interest was the 50-ton rotator with the fire servicestyle body. “Nothing has been brought to a show in many
years as forward thinking and innovative as the rotator unit,”
Wright notes. “There were more tool management systems
and ergonomic storage devices in the body than have ever
been displayed by any
manufacturer. Every
door opening produced
something different and
unique. The attendees
were literally spellbound.”
Attendees also had
the rare opportunity to
see The Beast—a Heavy
Recovery System (HRS)
built by Oshkosh Defense
in conjunction with
Jerr-Dan engineers as a
solution to fill a customeridentified gap in recovery
vehicles. The HRS assists
with retrieval of armored,
IED-damaged vehicles.
Oshkosh Defense
engineers started with
their battle-proven Logistics Vehicle Replacement System
(LVSR) platform and then integrated Jerr-Dan’s cuttingedge rotator wrecker technology. The result is a vehicle that
integrates the levels of troop protection required in current
world conflicts and offers improved crew survivability.
From an engineering standpoint, Jerr-Dan proved to be a
front-runner at the show.
“The HRS and the Pierce body are great examples of
what can be achieved when two or more Oshkosh Product
Development organizations work together,” says Brandon
6 // RUNHARD // SPRING 2012
Tucker, Director of Engineering for JerrDan. “These products clearly stood out
and showed Jerr-Dan’s commitment to
innovation and demonstrated the collective
power of Oshkosh Engineering.”
Wright agrees and notes that several customers said they
believed the technological innovations seen at this show
have surpassed anything ever offered in the towing and
recovery industry.
“We’ve set a new bar for organization on towing and
recovery equipment, which will translate into more efficient
incident management for the user,” says Wright.
He adds, “We know that people are drawn to something
new, so it’s imperative that we continue to offer new product
models and towing solutions to maintain our edge.”
Jerr-Dan also showed its appreciation for its customers
by raffling useful tools for
small businesses including
iPads, GPS devices and
digital cameras.
Jerr-Dan also presented
Bill Graztianna and Troy
Barnett of the International
Towing and Recovery Hall of
Fame and Museum (ITRHFM)
with the restored prototype
of the company’s first
heavy-duty 25-ton wrecker.
This wrecker sports the
industry’s first body
constructed of
composite material
over an aluminum
structure. Jerr-Dan
also presented the
museum with a
$5,000 donation
for the Survivor
Fund.
Center: The 25 Ton Integrated Heavy Duty Wrecker on a 2012
Freightliner 114SD.
Inset: Jerr-Dan’s Tracy O’Dowd and Joel Amsley present Troy Barnett
and Bill Graztianna of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of
Fame and Museum with a $5,000 donation for the Survivor Fund.
Meet the Distributor
Worldwide
Equipment Sales
Rich Rezutka, Pat Winer and Rich Palombo
stand in front of Auto Beautifiers’ custom MPL40
P
at Winer knows how to
put together a successful
business—piece by piece;
turn by turn. With his wife,
Cathy, as his business partner, Winer
built Worldwide Equipment Sales,
LLC into an impressive Jerr-Dan
distributorship. The Rockdale, Illinois,
company provides new and used
trucks and trailers to customers in
the Chicago area.
Winer got his start in the towing
industry more than 30 years ago at
his first job on the assembly line at
Challenger Wrecker Manufacturing in
Elkhart, Indiana. After spending time
on the line, he switched gears and
began working in inside sales and
built a career. For a few years, Winer
worked at B&B Industries in Chicago
until the owners made a change
in product lines, but Winer always
wanted to sell Jerr-Dan equipment.
Jerr-Dan hired Winer as a territory
manager for 11 states until he had
the opportunity to open his own
distributorship. His knowledge of the
nuts and bolts of the towing industry
served him well and within six months
of his opening in 2003, Worldwide
Equipment posted several million
in sales.
Growth, growth, growth
By 2011, Worldwide Equipment Sales
reported a fivefold increase in sales—
a success story Winer attributes to his
22 hardworking and knowledgeable
employees, thousands of loyal
customers and an excellent product
line. “We believe our customers are
No. 1 and we are here to cater to their
every need,” he states. “We are not
just a cookie-cutter dealership. We are
able to fabricate just about anything
a customer can dream up. Our shop
builds standard-, medium- and heavyduty wreckers and carriers. Customizing
is our middle name,” he adds.
Worldwide Equipment Sales is
currently building a Jerr-Dan MPL40
wrecker mounted on a 2012 Ford F550
4x4 Crew Cab, for Auto Beautifiers
in Rockford, Illinois. The truck is
customized with a $5,000 white pearl
paint job on the wrecker body and
incorporates more than 185 additional
LED lights, custom power distribution
panel (manufactured at Worldwide),
4-camera system, DVD recorder, backup
sensors, custom push bumper, Whelen
fully loaded light bar, Whelen arrow stick
and more.
Something special
Winer’s networking recently created
a rare opportunity for one of his
customers: during the filming of
“Batman,” a crane was needed for a
scene in the movie in which a semitruck rolled over and slid down the
street. Winer was able to connect this
customer, who owned a Jerr-Dan 85ton rotator, with the movie equipment
manager. The scene went off without
a hitch.
In addition to Jerr-Dan equipment,
Worldwide Equipment also sells Landoll
Slide Axle & Detachable Trailers and
Wells Cargo Enclosed Trailers. Its
newest venture is Driver Locate, a
GPS fleet management system.
HOOK UP WITH US
Worldwide Equipment Sales, LLC
Phone: 815.725.4400
Web: www.newtowtrucks.com
www.jerrdan.com // RUNHARD // 7
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A Jerr-Dan 85-ton rotator assists in the reconstruction of
the U.S.Airways’ Airbus A320 that landed in the Hudson
River. Once reconstructed, the plane will be displayed at
The Carolinas Aviation Museum.
Taking a
Turn at Being
a Piece of
History
Most calls that come into a towing
company are routine. Every once
in a while a call comes in that is
far from ordinary. One driver from
North Carolina took that special call
and is proud to have been a part of
American history.
8 // RUNHARD // SPRING 2012
It’s not often that a tow truck driver has an opportunity to be
a part of history. When Eric Hartsell of Hunter Auto & Wrecker
Services in Charlotte, North Carolina, had the opportunity to
work on a once-in-a-lifetime project, he grabbed the keys to
his Jerr-Dan 85-ton rotator and went to work.
His destination: The Carolinas Aviation Museum (CAM). The
museum was the new home of the Airbus A320 airplane that
made a historic landing in New York’s Hudson River in January
2009 with U.S. Airways pilots Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger
and Jeff Skiles at the helm. The museum plans to display the
fully-assembled aircraft as it was when it was pulled from the
river. The flight now known in history as the “Miracle on the
Hudson” originated in New York and was bound for
North Carolina.
Hartsell, a heavy-duty tow truck supervisor and operator,
first became involved in the project when Creason Automotive
& Wrecker Service asked him to help disassemble a gantry
crane after the airliner was first brought to North Carolina in
June 2011. Since then Hartsell has been involved in assisting
engineers and mechanics with putting the tail section onto
the plane, as well as unloading the wings when they were
delivered. He also plans to use his rotator to assist the team
when the wings are ready to be mounted onto the fuselage.
The airplane is being reconstructed in Charlotte in a hangar
owned by CAM.
7
The rotator hoists up the pieces of the plane, including the wings, and holds them steady while assembly workers bolt the pieces back in place.
Rotator: an everyday piece of equipment
The heaviest piece of equipment moved by the rotator was
the 8,500-pound gantry crane, Hartsell explains. “We’re not
dealing with that much weight with the plane…maybe 2,100
pounds,” he adds. The rotator, which is the only one of its kind
in North Carolina, was used to hoist up the pieces of the plane
and hold them in place while the assembly workers bolted the
pieces back in place. For the wings, Hartsell rigged them up
and placed the pieces on a platform until they were bolted on.
While the rotator, affectionately nicknamed the “Black Beast”
or “Triple Beast,” can handle this impressive type of workload,
it’s not only used for the biggest jobs. “We run it every day,”
Hartsell says. “We use it for small crane jobs, to deck and
undeck trucks and all major tractor trailers, and we tow with
it. It’s a truck that pulls its weight every day. Whatever we
have to do with it, we do with it. It’s not just used for special
occasions.”
Hartsell says he’s honored to be part of this historical exhibit.
“This isn’t a job everyone will get to do in their lifetime,” he
concludes. “This is something that later down the road I can
share with my little girl and say ‘look what your father did.’ To
me it’s a special job that I’ve really enjoyed.”
www.jerrdan.com // RUNHARD // 9
Towers
with a
Cause
“Towing for Ta Ta’s” increases awareness
for breast cancer and raises money
towards breast cancer research.
The world of towing is much more than
the sum of its parts. Equipment, chrome,
hitches, etc. are just tools in the toolboxes
of the men and women behind the wheel.
The men and women who make up the
heart of the towing industry are the same
men and women who give from the heart.
The companies detailed in the next two
pages have hooked into the needs of their
communities and made a difference that
goes beyond selling trucks and towing
vehicles. They give from their hearts so
others may benefit.
“Tow Trucks for Tots” provided
10,000 toys to children in 2011.
10 // RUNHARD // SPRING 2012
A Haul of Hope
Tow truck parades have been around for years, but the
origin of the parades can be traced back to events honoring
tow truck company owners and operators who have passed
away. Pat Winer of Worldwide Equipment Sales, LLC of
Rockdale, Illinois, found a way to turn these parades into
positive memories.
Worldwide Equipment Sales’ “Tow Trucks For Tots”
originated to put towers in a better light through helping
others. The “Tow Truck for Tots” program encourages towing
companies to collect toys for less fortunate children in the
months before Christmas. Towers join together for a parade
to deliver the goods to Toys for Tots, which then disperses
the toys. “We wanted to show that towing companies are
good, family-run businesses,” Winer stresses.
In organizing this effort, Winer had another goal: To earn a
spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest
parade of tow trucks, which at the time was 84 trucks.
In its forth year, Worldwide Equipment Sales “Tow Trucks
For Tots” has achieved its goal with a parade of 324 tow
trucks! The parade route covered 42 miles around Chicago,
and the trucks themselves accounted for nine miles worth
of equipment. Towers came from as far away as Indiana,
Missouri, Michigan and Wisconsin. Bob’s Radiator Service
of Atco, New Jersey, traveled 797 miles to be a part of
this exciting adventure. All the towing companies either
collected toys or raised money for the purchase of toys
through the program.
Naturally, it’s difficult not to notice a parade of so many
trucks. In fact, a local newspaper called it a “caravan of
chrome,” Winer recalls. Due to its impressive showing, roads
were closed and the trucks were given a police escort along
the route. Thousands of people watched in support and
waved. One lone Marine gave each operator a full salute.
Tower Honors Soldiers
This One’s for the Girls
There’s no denying that the towing industry is male
dominated. Danny Horton, Director of Towing and
Recovery Sales for Atlantic Emergency Solutions in
Manassas, Virginia, has found a meaningful and charitable
way to include “the girls.”
“Towing for Ta-Ta’s” made its debut at the American
Towman Expo in Baltimore. The eye-catching, pink-splashed,
vinyl-wrapped, standard-duty wrecker sold by Atlantic
Emergency Solutions, a Jerr-Dan distributor, has received
the attention of towing companies and consumers alike.
Towing for Ta-Ta’s is Horton’s way of increasing awareness
about breast cancer, as well as raising money for breast
cancer research. Horton feels that everyone can relate
to breast cancer as so many have friends or loved ones
affected by the disease.
Joe Pack, President and CEO of Atlantic Emergency
Solutions, didn’t hesitate when Horton proposed the idea,
and eagerly embraced the opportunity to build awareness
for this cause across the country. Horton explains that
the idea immediately became a team project at Atlantic
Emergency Solutions.
At the show, the truck drew people in and they openly
shared with Horton their personal stories. “I
received a lot of handshakes and hugs, and
even a few tears,” he recalls.
Craig Goldstein, owner of Westway Towing
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, purchased the truck
at the show. After the show, the truck returned
to Rock Star Wraps to have Westway’s name
put on the truck along with the name of a close
personal friend who lost her life to the disease.
Goldstein has committed one dollar for every tow
made by this truck to the Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation. With the purchase, Atlantic
Emergency donated $500 in Goldstein’s name to
breast cancer research.
Action Towing and Service owner Craig Camp knows firsthand
the importance of supporting our troops. As a former M1A1
Abrahams Tank Mechanic and recovery specialist in the Army,
Camp learned the towing industry in a much more hazardous
environment than the streets of his current location in Henrietta,
New York.
After his discharge from the Army, Camp completed his
education at Ithaca College and started his own towing and
automotive service business. Today he remains involved in
promoting the Army through a group called the Upstate New
York Community advisory board, and works closely with the
Rochester recruiting office. The board’s mission is to promote
the Army’s positive presence in the community.
Camp, who was scheduled to build a new wrecker for his
fleet in March, opted to turn the truck into a promotional tool
for all Armed Forces. The Jerr-Dan MPL40, mounted on a
2012 Ford F550 Crew Cab, is decked out with the badges of
the five branches of military, murals of soldiers in action as well
as yellow ribbons. The wrap is embossed with the Army Strong
logo and is anything but camo stealth.
The “Support Our Soldiers” truck is “just another way to say
thank you to everyone who served this country,” he says.
The truck also has representation from the Wounded Warrior
Project and Buy Veteran, two organizations supported by the
Action Towing and Service.
Being active in the community is important to Camp, and
he hopes that this truck sends the message to others that
everybody can do something.
“We are all impacted by the sacrifices this country’s men and
woman have made. I wanted to do something for the troops
for all they do,” he says.
“We hire a lot of veterans so it seems like a fitting truck to put
out there,” Camp notes. The truck has been invited to many
events supporting soldiers and their families and has been
offered to help transport troops and families returning home.
Camp hopes that his “mission first, people always” credo
adopted from his time in service will help both his employees
and his company stand out and make a positive impact.
The truck has certainly been noticed—it took First Place for
its design at the recent American Towman Expo.
The “Support our Soldiers” truck is painted with
the badges of the five branches of military, murals
of soldiers in action as well as yellow ribbons.
www.jerrdan.com // RUNHARD // 11
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This true incident command
center tackles your biggest
jobs and features increased
storage capability, stateof-the-art lighting, and
a variety of new tool
management systems to
expedite your on-scene
recovery efficiency.
He
Contact our Heavy
Duty
Sales and Market
Development Manager,
Shane Coleman
for more information,
[email protected]
or 248-227-4465.
13224 Fountain Head Plaza
Hagerstown, MD 21742
800-926-9666
717-597-7111
www.jerrdan.com
[email protected]