No matter how fast things change as a business, it’s always important to remember your roots. Lebleu’s Towing was originally started as a father-and-son towing business in 2006 by Gerald and Jeremy Lebleu in Kannapolis, North Carolina. These two were hard workers who, due to lack of equipment, had to work around-the-clock to keep up with the competition. As Jeremy Lebleu, manager (and son), can attest, expanding Lebleu’s fleet was the best decision he’s made for the business. He says, “I worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week for four years. I was never able to take a day off or spend time with the family, and now I’m able to take vacations. The business runs itself now.”
Lebleu’s Towing Snapshot:
- Established in 2006 in Kannapolis, North Carolina
- Started as a father-and-son towing business with 1 truck and 2 employees doing 300 tows a month
- Expanded to 9 trucks and 9 employees doing 1,000 tows a month
- Acquired 7 well-maintained trucks through Agero Truck Financing Perks program offered by Beacon Funding
- Expanded business 20 miles away in Charlotte while overseeing from a management role
More Trucks Means More Business
Back in 2006, Gerald and Jeremy started Lebleu’s with one truck and two employees. They couldn’t keep up with the demand for tows, so expansion was key. After they chose financing to expand, it’s grown to a full-fledged fleet including nine tow trucks and nine employees where the phone continues to ring off the hook.
Even with all these shiny new trucks, Lebleu’s has to consider the 10 other towers in the area. The business is able to keep a competitive edge through offering cheaper prices and emphasizing customer service.
“Now we have better equipment. We don’t have to worry about breaking down as much or maintenance. We’re able to keep [the trucks] on the road.”
“We call the customers before we go [to tow them]. We make sure they’re in a safe place, not blocking traffic. Keep them calm. We try to get there as quick as possible. Keep in contact with them the whole time [before we arrive].”
Lebleu’s has customer service down, but how were they able to expand to such a large fleet with financing, you ask? Beacon Funding was the answer.
A Little Help from Their Friends
In the beginning, the Lebleu family was using a roadside assistance motor club to get more towing jobs, but found another solution. They decided to become Roadside Assistance Service Providers in the Agero Network and never looked back. Not only did they find a better way to get more calls, but also they found out about Beacon because of their ongoing Truck Financing Perks program and partnership with Agero.
Jeremy financed his first truck with Beacon Funding in March 2012, and the rest is history. After nine trucks, he has the tow business that surpasses them all. Six of them, including one refinance, were from the help of Beacon and Agero Truck Financing Perks.
Agero Truck Financing Perks is a program provided by Beacon Funding and Agero that helps Agero providers like Jeremy use his Agero payments to pay off his trucks (via DirectPay) and get perks like Visa gift cards when they finance new trucks.
In August 2015, Agero set up Lebleu’s in new areas spreading them out to Charlotte —20 miles away from the business. Business was growing rapidly, so Jeremy enlarged his fleet further to cater to the bigger reach. Jeremy pointed out how this gave him a distinct advantage over the competition.
“Others were losing trucks while we were gaining. [They were] slow to respond to calls, had higher prices, a little bit of everything.”
Lebleu’s gets 600 more tows a month through Agero with the help of Beacon Funding. “We used to do 5-10 tows a day. After we got all the equipment, we have 60 tows per day,” Jeremy says.
Their Fleet Growth Continues
Even with this large fleet, Jeremy is passionate about maintaining wherewithal to get more trucks. The latest financed truck he picked up one day, drove it five hours home, then had it painted his company’s colors the next morning.
Jeremy has a commitment to his business and wants to keep growing his operations in order to serve as many people as possible. Beacon and Agero will continue to support that mission by acting as a branch to help Lebleu’s flourish further than its roots.
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Thank you to Lebleu's Towing for participating in Beacon Funding's Success Spotlight program. The Success Spotlight program gives Beacon customers and partners a chance to shine with recognition of their equipment financing success. This is achieved through enhanced exposure and free nationwide publicity through Beacon's online channels. To learn more about the program click here. Take the first step toward financing your next tow truck.