Three generations of the Baker family have been taking care of customers in central and western Michigan for nearly 50 years for Jerry’s Towing.
Starting out in the auto repair business, namesake Jerry and Judy Baker founded the company in the mid-1970s, and now son Keith owns the multi-location operation with grandsons Brent and Brandon heavily involved in the business
as well.
“We are currently under our second generation of ownership with the third generation on deck,” explained Operations Manager Brent Baker.
Jerry’s Towing currently operates 10 locations in western and central Michigan in a primarily rural market. Their fleet consists of 46 towing and support vehicles, plus trailers, specialty equipment and other machinery.
The Baker family employs 31 drivers, 11 dispatchers and five office staff.
Like most towing companies, Jerry’s Towing operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They offer rotator and offroad recovery services as well as lifting, transportation and secure storage yards. Their roadside assistance efforts include mobile
fueling and remote repairs for trucks, trailers and equipment.
Diversification is key to their company’s success. Jerry’s Towing specializes in water recovery with a dive team, and the staff there is also trained in hazmat/environmental spill and clean-up remediation. They also own a set of air
bags for uprighting overturned semis and can also help with load shifts and reloading.
“There isn’t any job we cannot handle. We can literally do it all," Brent said.
The Bakers said the most rewarding aspect of their business is having customers call them in a moment of need and then to have “our awesome team” help them through that hardship with professional and courteous customer service.
“It's even more rewarding to read all of the reviews of our team's great work out in the field,” Brent said. “We
understand our customers are not having a great day in the midst of calling us for service and a thank you goes a
long way anymore!”
Over the years, Jerry’s Towing has purchased 16 trucks from Zip’s Truck Equipment, and the Bakers work closely with professional sales consultant Aaron Lippert from Zip’s suburban Detroit location. Brent said the
experience with Zip’s “has been incredible as you feel like you're valued.”
Brent said his family’s company also relies on Zips.com to purchase parts and apparel. He said he especially appreciates the parts schematics, which help narrow down the search for the right part for the right piece of equipment.
“The ease of filling your cart and having the order processed in a couple of clicks is critical to our day-to-day operation,” he noted. “Zip's customer service goes above and beyond to get you same day answers and
solutions.”
