In today’s ever-evolving business climate, entrepreneurs are finding new ways to adapt and meet the needs of clients. Kupchin is no stranger to diversity and change. At age 17, he began driving the one tow truck for his parents’ Santa Fe Body Shop in Overland Park which was founded in 1963.
Over the years, he realized this was a very satisfying job for him, and he put his nose to the grindstone and now, he and his wife, Carrie, own and operate Santa Fe Tow in Lenexa. Their business has grown into a successful towing service with 68 trucks "and locations not only in Lenexa, but Blue Springs, Joplin, and Quapaw, Ok.
“We are very family-oriented and much of our staff is family,” Kupchin says. “My brother now owns and runs the body shop.”
With multiple locations, he says they can ensure quicker response times and have the capability of arriving on scene faster. “We are very versatile and diverse and can haul everything from small cars to large tractor trailers, and we welcome commercial accounts,” he says.
They take pride in their drivers, who are all uniformed and drive trucks that are well kept and up to date.
“We tell our drivers to keep themselves and their trucks as clean as if their mom was riding with them every day!” Kupchin says. “We really do treat our customers like family, and I want drivers I would trust with my own daughter.”
In the past six months, they have implemented a simple three-digit phone number so if someone is out on the road and involved in an accident or car problem, all they have to do is dial **TOW, which is **869, on any mobile device. They will then send the customer a text message, which is reassuring and comforting.
“That number will connect you to the closest location near you, wherever you are. Just plug it into your phone, and that provides an extra level of security and safety for you,” he says.
Through the years, they have seen plenty of changes and look forward to their road ahead.
Carrie says, “Technology just keeps helping us get better and better at what we do.”
As a side note, Kupchin explains that he has put together his own coronavirus care kits for drivers, including 3M disposable coveralls, N-95 masks and latex gloves in Ziploc bags.
“If we pick up someone and they can’t find alternative transportation, they can ride in the truck with the driver in that suit and keep it when we’re done,” he says.
Visit santafetowservice.com for more information.