Larry Lancaster
What began as a young man’s love for cars, eventually spanned into a 46 year career and the building of one of the most successful towing businesses in North Carolina. In 1958, Larry Lancaster started up an auto repair business in Concord, North Carolina. Eventually, as he began to repair more and more automobiles, he also began to tow more vehicles to his garage. He discovered that he had a true interest in the towing process and decided he wanted to go into this field. Thus, he began his towing and recovery career.
Initially, Larry found that he had a knack for building his own equipment. He could cater the pieces to his specific needs. However, as his business grew and took more time, he began to buy factory made equipment. Larry also began to look into other avenues of towing.
In 1978, he attended a school on air cushions, taught by Bill Jackson in West Palm Beach, Florida. Throughout the years, his knowledge of use of air cushions has developed greatly, and Larry is considered one of the more well-informed air cushion recovery experts in aircraft and big truck wreckage.
In the early 1980’s Larry became a charter member of Towing an d Recovery Professionals of North Carolina, and he served on the board of directors several times. He was also a member of the legislative committee, a member of American Towman 500, and is wreck master certified. He joined the International Hall of Fame in 1991 and was voted North Carolina Towman of the Year in 1994. More importantly, throughout his career, Larry Lancaster has been known for his emphasis on safety and does not believe in taking short cuts in this work. He has acted as a mentor for other tow operators learning the trade and has acted as a consultant for various manufactures in the area of hydraulics.
He has also been a well-known figure in the local community. He was born in Concord, North Carolina to William and Margaret Lancaster and married Fran Wentz Lancaster. They have four children: Lori, Scott, Lanny, and Ladd. At some point, every one of his children has worked at Lancaster’s Wrecker Services in some capacity. Presently, his youngest son, Ladd, is involved in the business. Fran and Larry have 8 grandchildren with whom they are close, and if you stop by the business, you can usually see one of them helping their grandparents. In addition, Larry has been involved with local affairs. His community work includes sponsoring little league for over 20 years, being a volunteer fireman, helping MADD, Hospice, and Habitat for Humanity.
Larry’s business and community work has spanned the course of four decades. He is constantly striving to improve and better the field of towing and recovery work while also fostering a love for his family and local community. He was truly one of the forerunners in the advancement of towing and recovery and has made a valuable impact in the towing industry.