BULL’S SERVICE & TOWING

Bull’s Service & Towing served the Dubois, Wyoming community for many years. In 2005, the previous owners, Bill and Jean Ideker, gave Mike and Lisa Codeville the opportunity to carry on that tradition by purchasing the business. Bill and Jean even financed Mike and Lisa until they could purchase Bull’s Service & Towing themselves, and their son, Jerry Ideker, stepped in to assist with the transition to new ownership. After two years of hard work, Mike and Lisa became the owners.

The business includes a repair shop, car and U-Haul rentals, a convenience store, and fuel. However, most of the revenue comes from their towing and recovery services, which assist travelers who have been in an accident or had vehicle troubles —vitally important for the rural areas served.

A recent recovery challenge happened when a semi-truck and trailer, carrying 22 pallets of empty beer bottles, overturned and slid to the bottom of a 100-foot embankment. While Bull’s Service & Towing was flipping the trailer upright and dragging it up the embankment, the trailer broke in half, leaving them to unload 100,000+ broken beer bottles by any means necessary, which wasn’t easy.

Range’s reliable phone and internet services are vital to Bull’s Service & Towing, since they ensure that the local sheriff’s department, fire department, highway patrol, and multiple road service companies can contact them 24 hours a day when there’s an emergency.

Both Mike and Lisa entered into this business endeavor with their own valuable set of skills. Mike came from a background as a traveling mechanic and worked for general contractors across the state. Lisa was a teller at Dubois National Bank. Mike said, “I’m grateful that Lisa brought her knowledge of money and finances with her. It’s comforting to not have to worry about someone else taking care of the financial side of the business.”

The couple married in 1996 and have two sons—Matthew and Jeff. The boys grew up in the business, so to speak, spending a great deal of time behind the store’s counter while their parents worked. Matthew now works at the store full-time, and Jeff attends college at Black Hills State University.

Mike and Lisa don’t have much spare time for hobbies, but they love to go fishing, hunting, and snowmobiling when they can. Lisa also loves to spend time in her garden and greenhouse.

If you pass through Dubois, Wyoming, the little town with the bend in the road, consider stopping by Bull’s Service & Towing for refreshments and fuel (and any repairs you may need).

Get more details at towingdubois.com.

Originally published in the February 2024 Customer Connections Newsletter