Dan Miller, founder, and his son, Ryan, vice president of operations at Dan's Service Center

A Draw-Tite Partner

Hitch Pro
Dan's Service Center
Elkhart, Indiana

Dan's Service Center, located just north of Interstate 80 in Elkhart, IN, is typical of the businesses that work as partners with Draw-Tite. Draw-Tite takes the cream of their customer crop and offers them an opportunity to be designated Hitch Pro. This is Draw-Tite's elite group of about 150 Hitch Pro locations throughout the country. And Dan's is a Hitch Pro. It's a good relationship because Dan Miller, founder of Dan's Service Center, is a pro and probably knows as much if not more about installing hitches as anyone in the country. To be the top hitch installer in the town that is called the heart of the RV industry requires more than a passing knowledge of towing and hitch installation. As a matter of fact, of the dozen RV dealerships in Elkhart, ten have selected Dan's to do all of their hitch installation work for customers -- and the other two dealerships use Dan's more or less on a regular basis. And other regular customers are automobile and truck dealerships within about an hour of Elkhart.

And if you have the opportunity to meet Dan Miller and his son Ryan, vice president - operations, you'll understand that they earned the title 'hitch pro' honestly through a lifetime of caring for customers and providing service and advice to tens of thousands of RVers and towing customers -- long before Draw-Tite thought of the designation.

Dan Miller in a familiar environment surrounded by hitches and towing accessories.

Dan is a quiet, unassuming man, and if you didn't know better, you might think he's one of the installers rather than the driving force behind the company. He admitted to RV News that he would rather be out in the shop welding than working behind the counter in the well stocked parts and accessories store. Yet, he exhibits a presence that builds your confidence in his ability to give you the best advice about towing products and will give you top quality service.

Dan has turned most of the day-to-day business matters over to Ryan who has worked in the business since he was in high school so he knows the business inside out as well. And the common ingredient that both Millers have is a dedication to customer service.

Dan learned the hitch business while working for Reese Products, a sister company of Draw-Tite. Reese is headquarterd in Elkhart up the road about a mile from Dan's.

Dan remembered that in the 1960s, when he worked there, Reese was the largest hitch installer in the region. And Dan credits Reese with more than giving him a technical background in hitch installation. He said, "I did not expect when I left Reese that I would be putting on hitches for all the dealers in the Elkhart area. I expected that my Dad would do a little bit of work and my wife could do a little book work, and I had a couple of boys coming along who knew how to put on hitches, and I would just do the small things.

"When we opened, it was apparent to me the first week that I needed to start hiring as rapidly as I could get good people. My sons were in high school at the time, but nevertheless, they came aboard. After school they did what they could because they already had a touch and feel for the program. Ryan, when he was seven years old, could do some cutting and burning in the shop. He can do bench welding and that type of thing now. Welding is the thing that I love to do. Last Friday I welded on two fifth-wheels and one motorhome hitch before noon. Then I devoted the afternoon to other things that needed to happen."

And through the years Dan's has not only been known for excellent work but integrity as well. And that's important to Dan and Ryan. Dan said, "We have found that over the years that we can sell just about anything we want to sell customers. We have the reputation."

So just selling a hitch is not as important as providing good products and safe products.

When RV News decided to feature Draw-Tite in this issue marking their 50th Anniversary, we asked them to recommend one of their customers who we could talk to about doing business with Draw-Tite and they recommended Dan's Service Center -- we are glad that they did. Meeting Dan and Ryan was not only a pleasure, it provided us with more insight than we expected about the installer side of the industry.Continued