Do you have an interesting story idea or news tip to share about a local business? Ideas can be shared with business reporter Grace Nieland at grace.nieland@thmedia.com or 563-588-5647.
Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-states. In addition to this development from Galena, Ill., we will share other news in Tuesday’s edition.
GALENA, Ill. — A longtime family business has relocated its Galena operations.
Guy’s Towing & Service Inc. recently opened its new 21,000-square-foot building at 11501 AJ Harle Drive. The shop focuses on providing maintenance and towing services for heavy-duty trucks, trailers and other large machinery.
The shop replaces the former location at 11380 Dandar St., which now is used for large equipment storage.
“We just outgrew the old building,” said co-owner Ben Richard. “We’ve been planning the move for about two years now, so we’re ready to settle in.”
Richard’s parents opened Guy’s Truck & Tractor Service in 1977 in Kieler, Wis., and opened Guy’s Towing & Service in Galena in 2006. Both continue to operate under the ownership of Richard and his brothers, Aaron and Ryan Richard.
Ben Richard worked solo at the Galena location for a few years after technical school, but the team slowly started to grow as demand for the shop’s services rose.
The company’s technicians specialize in heavy truck and trailer repair, and services include preventative and roadside maintenance, trailer services and heavy duty towing and recovery.
“We’re looking forward to seeing our efficiency go up with this new space in terms of getting trucks in and out of the shop quicker,” Richard said. “We moved here with that goal in mind, as well as building enough room to continue to grow.”
Another goal with the new location is to expand staffing, using the updated and expanded facilities not only as an improvement for clients but also as a recruiting tool for future technicians, Richard said.
Technicians are tight across the tri-state area and beyond due in part to the increasing complexity of diesel engines and heavy machinery, Richard said.
“We kind of took a ‘If we build it, they will come’ approach with getting this new facility up and running,” Richard said. “The heavy truck diesel repair world is in dire need of technicians to do the work, and we’re hoping this new facility will help us attract them to work here.”
Guy’s Towing & Service is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. The new facility can be reached at 815-777-3257 or by email at benr@guystruck.com.