A tip of the hat to Dave’s Diesel Service
By Ernest White Submitted to Corner Post
Half of all private businesses close their doors for good within five years of opening, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only three in ten private businesses celebrate a 10-year anniversary. And as years roll by, fewer and fewer remain viable. Market demands, input costs, government regulations, and competition for customers (and for good employees) can be brutal. So, it’s noteworthy when a business can celebrate an anniversary of 25 years or more.
Success starts with a good idea and the right personnel. Products and services must satisfy the needs of customers. To keep the doors open, integrity, innovation and adaptability are vitally important. And anyone who’s survived in the business world for long will admit that luck seems to play a role at crucial times, too. In this issue we salute a family-owned business in our region that just began their sixth decade of service to area farmers and businesses.
Dave Gach and his wife, Theresa, opened Dave’s Diesel Service in July 1974. “It was a big move, but we knew that there was a real need, and we were confident that we could fill it.” They were proved right, and two years later, the business moved from a shop next door to their home to a larger space on Hwy 169, near the southeast edge of St. Joseph, Missouri. It’s in that spot that you’ll find them still.
A common adage is that the one constant if life is change. Comparing its rather humble beginnings to the company today, changes have been substantial. In 1974, we started with three service bays, two mechanics and our main work was tractors and trucks from the local area. Nowadays, we have a steady stream of fleet trucks and are likely to have OTR trucks passing through the area that need work done. From complex overhauls of Caterpillar and Cummins engines to changing taillights, and almost anything in between, we help our customers get back to work.
As the volume of work has increased, so has the number of employees. You’ll typically find a staff of 30 at work on any given weekday. “The training and certifications these team members have, and the computers and tools they use, are beyond anything we would have imagined when we opened the shop.”
Their parts department stays busy providing a wide variety of needed items to mechanics within the building, as well as customers who’ve come to rely on Dave’s. Having the right parts on-hand, or being able to get them quickly, makes a big difference in minimizing downtime.
So, is there a secret recipe for not just surviving, but thriving in this business? “No. There’s no secret recipe. It takes a lot of things big and small.” Strong business relationships with customers and suppliers, built on trust and past performance has been a key element. “But we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the employees who have worked so hard to make our business what it is today.” Besides Dave and Theresa, many other family members have worked for the business over the years. And throughout the past 50 years, employees have become “family,” too.
