Just a short stroll east of Madison on Hwy 34 takes you to a typical body shop, with a scattering of autos here and there, a tow truck parked out front and an old dog asleep by the door keeping watch over the place. It is the home of Hwy 34 Customs and the kind of longtime business that comes with history, colorful characters and some great stories.
Ten years ago, the owner (Bill) was putting his Master’s Degree to work in the world of Information Systems and driving to Sioux Falls daily. He had purchased the property and was leasing it out, but a chain of events led him to give up his white collar career and dedicate his full attention to his new body shop venture.
“I guess it was initially fueled by a classic car I acquired while I was in the Navy and had it shipped from Hawaii back to the mainland,” reminisced Bill as he shared a faded photo of a car that had obviously captured a young man’s heart. As life happens and the price was right, Bill sold the car, but later had the opportunity to buy it back. “I did a full restoration on the car working out of my home garage. I had previous welding and fabrication experience, but that particular car afforded me an expensive education in body work and paint,” explained Bill.
The body shop business tends to fluctuate based on all things unpredictable; the weather. Hail storms, snow and ice or damaging winds are usually a good thing for body shop business as it brings steady work. In addition to collision work, Hwy 34 Customs keeps busy with towing, tire sales and repair as well as vehicle restorations. Plus, Hwy 34 Customs is a licensed automotive dealer and occasionally has vehicles to sell. To keep things humming along, it was important for the shop to have access to credit and Bill found this to be a constant challenge.
As a Credit Union member since the early 1990’s, Bill decided to bring his dilemma to Madison Branch Manager, Michael DesLauriers, at Dakotaland. “It wasn’t long before Michael had my cash flow working in my favor. I really appreciated his willingness to look at what I do and find the right solution. It took a lot of pressure off and let me get back to running my business,” Bill shared.
When you ask patrons why they choose Hwy 34 Customs, they will tell you how you can count on them to do their best to make repairs more affordable, whether working with your insurance company or paying out–of–pocket. “Regardless the job, whether it is collision body work, towing or tire repair, I feel my job is to get my customer a good deal and back on the road and that is something I can roll with,” relayed Bill.
