B&G Towing to show their stuff at Autofest
Bill Wright (left) took over his father’s company 12 years ago. Since then, B&G Towing has moved away from the truck repair business to mostly focus on towing.
By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express
Park carefully at Autofest this year, because B&G Truck Repair and Towing will be there as a sponsor.
Bill Wright, the owner of B&G, says his father established the company in the mid-1960s.
“It’s been in the towing and truck repair business in various degrees and manners for the last 50 years,” says Wright.
He purchased the company from his father 12 years ago, and since then the towing side of the business has increased, while the size of the truck repair business has decreased.
“As our fleet grew, we didn’t have the resources to work on other peoples vehicles. So we mostly take care of our own fleet now with a little bit of outside stuff to fill in the gaps and continue to grow the towing side of it,” explains Wright.
At the 26th Autofest on Aug. 24 and 25, Wright says B&G will have three big wreckers on a couple of different displays.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure what they’re going to be yet, but we’re going to roll over an entire tractor-trailer combination in the air without it even touching the ground. We’ll be doing something on the second day that will likely involve just a trailer or a truck and we’ll swing it around with the rotator,” says Wright.
The towing company will also have some light duty trucks on site, so if any members of the Motor City Car Club have a problem, their services are free anywhere within Durham Region for the weekend.
“We’ll be bringing some gadgets and trinkets for the kids to have because the kids love the big trucks,” he explains. “We have some actual key chains to hand out. We’ll have a fair bit of equipment there.”
Wright says anything the company can do in the community involving the auto industry, such as Autofest, is positive.
“People meet each other and they remember each other, and you know, if you can offer a good quality service, it’s great for your customer base at work, as well as personal friendships,” explains Wright.
Dave Repol is one of many members of the Motor City Car Club who will be present at Autofest this year. He will have his 1935 Ford Panel Delivery on display. He says he enjoys working with B&G Towing, as they have provided many services for the Motor City Car Club. B&G Towing is located at 1726 Baseline Road West in Courtice, and is a presenting sponsor at Autofest. (Photo by Chris Jones)
He notes he made just as many friends as customers at the first Autofest he attended.
“It’s a combination of business and personal benefits for sure,” he says.
Wright’s son, Mitch, operates a 50-ton wrecker for the family business.
Wright notes Mitch made his debut on Heavy Rescue 401 last season, and will be one of the frontline characters next season.
Mitch will be at Autofest with posters to sign for anyone who is interested.
Wright and his sons will be on five or six episodes next season.
Dave Repol, a member of the Motor City Car Club, was at B&G with his 1935 Ford Panel Delivery.
“[B&G is] excellent,” says Repol. “They do a lot of stuff for us as a club.”
B&G Truck Repair and Towing is located at 1726 Baseline Road West in Courtice.