Joseph Gagne

Born in 1964 in North Bay, Ontario Canada Joseph had towing in his blood. In the fall of 1983 and on his first date with his future wife Joey could not stop talking about “tow trucks”. He explained how his family had always been involved with the towing business. His family had recently shut down their operation and he was on his own, He and his future wife were now both waiters in the same restaurant.

His wife foolishly encouraged his passion for this business and fueled his fire to strike out on his own… In the fall of 1984, his mother in law co-signed a loan for Joey’s first tow truck, if you want to call it that, it was a lime green, sling truck and was probably older than Joey! Abrams Towing was now up and running and he was the lone driver, dispatcher and support staff and as they say … the rest is history.

His devotion to the business and the industry was endless. Many times he discussed involving his wife in a more prominent role, but they decided they wanted to stay married…

The business has grown from one truck to the largest fleet in Ontario with over 150 assets and employs over 200 people. It did not happen overnight and without hard work and personal sacrifices. One of Joey’s greatest assets is his ability to delegate. He knows his strengths and weaknesses and over the years he has surrounded himself with a strong support staff .He is loyal to them and in turn they are loyal to him. He has always sought to change and promote the industry from within, leading by example. He worked tirelessly to “clean up” the tarnished stereotypical view of the average tow truck driver, requiring his drivers to wear uniforms, maintain their trucks, educating them in safety and in customer relations. He had drivers take the “Dale Carnegie” course, teaching them better communication skills. He worked closely with Donnie Cruse and Wreckmaster, focusing on the importance of training and keeping his employees safe on the road and on the job site.

He was a member and former President of the Ontario Recovery Group and is a member and current President of the Provincial Towing Association. He has spent countless hours attending, speaking and negotiating at meetings with various government agencies regarding regulatory issues and legislation. IN 2014 Joey was instrumental in working with Parliament to craft Bill 15: Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Insurance Rates Act. This bill focused on regulating the towing and vehicle storage industry and without input could have been a disaster for all.

Joey is involved in his community as well working with the Ontario March of Dimes, the Toronto Police Crime Stoppers, the Juvenile Diabetes Assoc and is a Minor League Hockey Coach working with the New York Rangers AAA affiliate.

He encourages charitable work and giving back to the community at large. Every year the Abrams team is encouraged to support many charitable organizations, including Sick Kids Hospital, Children’s Wish Foundation, Toronto Food Bank and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation .Over the years they have supported many local sports teams, including soft ball, soccer and hockey.

Joey has worked endlessly with various organizations within the industry , such as ORG , PTAO and Toronto ATSSA , working on numerous committees committed to protecting the industry and those who work in it .He has had a direct hand in radically changing an industry that did not even know it needed to change . Presently, he is determined to lead a charge as the Ontario Provincial government seeks to enact a legislation which would dramatically change existing laws regulating the industry.