Firefighters, police, doctors, nurses, paramedics, 911 operators — are all part of a core group of individuals at the ready to keep us safe during the holidays. But in Pacifica, we also look to the individuals at three local businesses — Miller & O’Brien Towing, Big Guys Towing and Tom’s Auto Body & Towing — to help us on the road.
Jeff Brammer, president of Miller & O’Brien, Inc., has owned the 24 Hour Towing & Auto Repair for 12 years. (Located on Francisco Blvd., Miller & O’Brien started as the Miller & Peterson Dealership in 1958.) Including Brammer, there are five individuals on auto repair and one administrative person in the office. During the holidays two or three drivers are on call.
“People are a little more stressed when they have car issues during the holidays,” Brammer said. “But anytime people have to call a tow company, it’s generally not their favorite day. Sometimes we can fix it on the spot — their keys are locked in the car or maybe they need a jump start. If they need a tow, we load them up in our cab — pets, groceries and presents too if they have them — then take them where they need to go and their car where it needs to go. Our goal is to make the experience as pleasant as possible for them. “
During the holidays, Miller & O’Brien trucks wear holiday wreaths on their grills. As to the distances their trucks go, it’s all over California. One of their trucks, just a year old this November, already has 90,000 miles on it.
“Whatever day it is, we want to treat our customers like we want someone to treat our family members,” Brammer said. “Everyone has those tough car days.”
Keith Smith has owned Big Guys Towing on Palmetto Ave. for 11 years. He has five members on his crew. They work locally, keeping it primarily in the Bay Area. Like Miller & O’Brien, they tow 24/7.
“During the holidays there can be situations,” Smith said. “Unfortunately accidents happen. We feel sorry for the people but we also know we have to get the job done safely and in a timely manner.”
“The crew that runs the late nights and early hours, they deserve a lot of credit,” Smith went on to say. “It’s a lot of hard work.”
As the shop owner, Smith doesn’t tow much anymore, but he remembers a Christmas towing story.
“We had all the family and their presents and we dropped them off where they needed to go,” Smith recalled, “and we took their car to the body shop. They were safe and enjoyed their Christmas and we were back in time to enjoy our Christmas too.”
“The guys here always decorate the tow trucks,” Smith added. “You have to keep it fun and show the holiday spirit.”
Tom Spruitenburg, owner of Tom’s Auto Body & Towing on the Coast Highway in Vallemar, is the second generation of his family in the auto body shop business. (His dad’s shop was Joe’s Auto Body.) Tom has been in business since 1995 and has been in the towing business since 2010.
Tom’s shop has two tow truck drivers and they are also on call 24/7, every day of the year. Generally they work within 100 miles, but they are not limited by that.
Bob Wozniak, known in the shop as the “Tow Guru,” has been with the company 27 years. He started working for the shop when it was owned by Tom’s dad. His specialty is recovering cars in challenging situations.
“Ever seen a car stuck in a tree?” Wozniak asked. “I have, off Sharp Park Road. Thankfully the people were okay and they were able to climb out of that tree. They were happy to see me, I was happy to see them and I was also happy I was able to get their car out of that tree.”
“As to holiday stories, back in 1996 a lady wrecked her Mercedes on Devil’s Slide,” Wozniak continued. “It was between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it was raining, and she had her two kids in the car, they were about seven and eight. When they saw me coming along with candy canes and tinsel on my grill, they just started smiling. I brought the family and their car to our shop and they called dad, and everybody remained really cheerful. They had a hard day but together we made the best of it.”
Jean Bartlett can be reached at [email protected]
