The Schafer family from Minnesota has been towing so long, their first tow truck from the 1920s had wooden spoke wheels, no cab and a hand-crank winch. Just ask great-grandson, Josh Schafer. He’s seen the black and white photo. It often reminds
him of his family’s sacrifices to build their century-old tow company into what it is today.
“Every day, it was blood, sweat and tears,” the fourth-generation tow operator said from their Rochester headquarters. “There were trials and errors and an attitude of never giving up. They just continued to forge ahead the best
they could. That’s what our dad instilled in us. Go to work every day, grind it out, and you’ll rise to the top.”
Today, we take a closer look at the Schafers’ multi-site operation as the latest profile in our Zip’s Customer Spotlight Series. They currently run 40 trucks out of five locations across southern Minnesota. Another is situated just across
the border near Sioux Falls, SD. The family spans five generations, and they are all proud to carry on the family’s towing legacy.
“It’s very rewarding to see all these generations involved in towing,” said current owner Mark Schafer, Josh’s dad. “They are all helping to keep it going, and my grandsons are already showing interest. It’s very
humbling, but I can tell it hasn’t been easy keeping a business going that long. There have been many changes and challenges along the way.”
From left to right: Greg (grandson), Garret (grandson), Josh (son), Mark (owner) and Max (son) Schafer.
Company background
Patriarch Bill Schafer got the ball rolling in a service garage in Renville in 1920. His son Dan branched out in 1959 to Granite Falls, and in 1986, Dan and his son Mark purchased Pulver Towing in Rochester. Today, the Rochester shop serves as the
main hub for operations with satellite facilities in Austin, Stewartville, Marshall, Hanley Falls and Park Valley (SD).
Mark said he and his dad, who passed away in 2013, decided to keep the Pulver name as a nod to company founders, Jerry and Floyd Pulver. The original 1946 building still stands, but the Schafers now operate out of a new complex along Highway 52 on
the north end of town. Their fleet has also expanded from five trucks in 1986 to their current roster of heavies, rotators, wreckers, carriers and semis.
“If my dad was here today, he would be just speechless with our equipment,” Mark said. “He would be very impressed with everything.”
Keeping the family tradition alive, all of Mark’s sons work in the family business, including Josh, Sam and Max. A fourth son, Ben, was also involved in the company before passing away a year and a half ago. Two of Mark’s grandsons are
also helping out part time while in school.
Josh currently serves as Director of Operation. Like most family towing companies, he grew up in the family business, riding in the trucks, sweeping the floors and taking on other duties as assigned. Along the way, he inherited a strong ethic and
is grateful for the lessons he’s learned from those who came before him.
“My grandfather always told me to never worry about your competition,” Josh said. “Worry about your customer. If you focus on delivering a quality service that’s effective and efficient to that customer, you don’t have
to worry about your competition. It’s all about making sure your customer is taken care of.”
Leading by example
The Schafers also count among their family a staff of 28 drivers, dispatchers and office personnel. Quite an improvement from when it was just Mark and his dad nearly 40 years ago, working long hours in the Minnesota winters getting people
unstuck and back to work or home. Mark said he still marvels at his dad’s commitment to the customer.
“I don’t know how he did it. We were busy all the time,” Mark recalled of the early days in Rochester. “My dad was very honest and very kind to people. I never saw him with a temper. He taught me to keep my cool and
keep my composure. So I kind of do the same thing as he did. I just want to stay busy and continue to grow our company.”
Mark said the towing profession can be very “rewarding,” and he appreciates the dedication of his sons and their employees. He said he likes to see them reinvest in their communities with new houses and expanding families. In return, he
said he wants to make sure they are taken care of with quality equipment, good pay and safety training.
“My dad is such a hands-on leader,” Max said. “He’s more of a worker than a boss. He works right next to us. I hope to take that with me as I’m coming up in the company ranks as well. In that way, you get respect from
the guys instead of being just a boss that’s barking down people’s throats all the time.”
“One of the greatest skills I think I learned was from my dad and my grandpa was to listen,” Josh added. “It’s a skill that is overlooked. I believe in finding a resolution and solving a problem together versus being stuck
in your ways and not willing to take in other people’s input.”
Focused on safety
Despite the younger generation assuming more responsibility, Mark said he still gets up at 4:30 a.m. every day and goes to work before sunrise. Call it a force of habit. “I can’t wait to get to work to see what’s going,”
he said. “I like to help people, especially helping out the truck drivers.”
Mark said the company prides itself on heavy haul and heavy recovery services, and their fleet is built to handle that market. Within earshot of the freeway, he said their Rochester location helps generate plenty of those types of calls. They
are situated just north of Interstate 90 and about 90 minutes southeast of the Twin Cities.
Often working along multiple lanes traffic and around heavy equipment, the company places an emphasis on safety training for their employees. Josh currently oversees Pulver’s training program, and what they can’t get done in house,
they’ll cover by sending employees out of state for additional technical assistance.
Josh said they’ve also initiated a weekly ‘Toolbox Talk’ session to go over safety topics, customer service issues, advancements in towing equipment and rigging tips and techniques. He said this added investment in training
pays dividends for the company in the long run.
“Training is huge in what we do,” Josh said. “If we know what we’re doing and our employees do as well, they’re going to deliver that exceptional service that keeps the customer coming back. It helps us get referrals.”
“What sets us apart from other companies is we’re very professional,” added Max. “We do our job really safely, and we get the job done in a timely fashion.”
40-year relationship with Zip’s
A direct result of that commitment to service and safety can be seen in the growth of the company over the last 7-10 years. They opened up their Marshall location in 2017 and Austin in 2020, mixing in other sites along the way. To keep pace, they’ve
leaned on their relationship with Zip’s for equipment purchases and upgrades.
Several members of the family are on a first-name basis with Zip’s owners, Paul and David Rottinghaus, and Mark has been friends with sales rep Brian McDermott for nearly 30 years. The two first met at a tow show in Cedar Rapids in 1996, and
Mark likes that Brian is “only a phone call away.” He also said having Zip’s close by is also handy.
Rochester is located only 72 miles north of Zip’s main production facility in New Hampton, IA, and Mark estimates 95 percent of his equipment hails from there. He said he and his dad pretty much started buying from Zip’s when they moved
to the Rochester area four decades ago.
“Zip’s is not very far away from us, which is really nice,” Mark pointed out. “So when we have a problem, we can run right down there. Their service department is the best. They get things done right away for us. Everyone treats
us very well, and when it’s time to buy a new truck, they always give us a good price. They make things happen.”
“The service after the sale is very unique with Zip’s,” Josh added. “I don’t know if it’s like that with other people or like that with just us, but we have a great relationship with Brian, David and Paul. You can
pick up the phone and call these guys any time. It’s kind of like our business. Zip’s is family owned, too.”
