Showtime at Wes's Service
By GEORGE L. NITTISince owner Brian Booker took over Wes's Service in Calumet City, Ill., nine years ago (they have been in business 47 years), the company has doubled the number of trucks in their fleet, eight of which are heavy-duty wreckers.
Booker attributes their rapid growth to aggressiveness, in part due to youthful energy that has helped transform the company.
"The former owner was in his 70s when I bought the business, so it was time for a change," Booker said.
The other part of their aggressive strategy can be linked to consistently following good basic business practices, such as not missing phone calls and keeping your word.
"You can't miss calls and you have to follow up on what you say you are going to do. There is no room for laxness because there is a lot of competition in the area."
There are 38 trucks in their fleet, and a brand new twin-steer 2015 Kenworth T800 with a Century 1075 rotator joined the bunch in April.
A key focal point on this massive rotator is their refurbished logo, which states "Wes's Service" in a large, silver scripted lettering located on several distinct areas of the truck, including both sides of their blue body, the boom, the back end and on the cabin.
"We wanted to spice up and jazz up the name to get the attention of the public," Booker said.
What is particularly distinguishable about the lettering is the large shadow that mimics the shape of the letters, giving it a creative flair.
The lettering on the sides of the truck sits atop a smoky blue background, which promotes a more futuristic image. Along its powerful black front end, you will find an eye-catching red streak, and on the body, a long curved line of diamond plate of various widths that run the full length. There is also a streak of red ribbon that gets attention.
A couple of other notable graphic features include an open mouth with a long red tongue, similar to the Rolling Stones logo. Underneath you will find the words "Blah, blah, blah."
"If you are talking negative about us, we say 'blah, blah, blah.' It's our way of stopping the negativity that we frequently encounter in this business," Booker said.
Other interesting phrasing includes a "Hello" on top of the truck for helicopters that fly above.
At the very top of the boom, when fully extended, are the words, "It's Showtime."
"You can count on seeing that when we are doing a big job," Booker said.
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