Kansas State University

search

Kansas Profile

Tag: Towanda

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Brian Hansen – Dustrol

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

From a lonely highway in Montana to a busy interstate near Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, there are highways being repaired by a business which is the largest rotomilling company in the United States – and that company is headquartered in rural Kansas.

Dustrol, Inc., based in Towanda, Kansas recycles asphalt and provides other highway maintenance services across numerous states, from Tennessee to Montana.
Dustrol, Inc., based in Towanda, Kansas recycles asphalt and provides other highway maintenance services across numerous states, from Tennessee to Montana.

Brian Hansen is president of Dustrol Inc., this innovative asphalt maintenance business. Brian explained that the company was founded by Ted Dankert more than 40 years ago.

Ted Dankert served in the Army. After retiring from the military, he went to work for his father-in-law who had an asphalt paving business in El Dorado, Kansas. In 1973, he went out on his own and founded his own company to sell emulsions for sealing asphalt and controlling dust.  Because it worked so well in controlling dust on roads, he named the business Dustrol.

Ted Dankert expanded the business over time. In 1975, the company began using rented equipment to recycle asphalt in order to complement its pavement maintenence operations.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Brian Hansen – Dustrol” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Jim Farrell – Jim Farrell Studio

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

It is a classic American story: Country boy works hard on his music, goes to Nashville and finds success and love. We’ve seen that movie before. Today, we’ll learn about a different version of this story. Instead of a talented musician going from Kansas to Nashville, this musician made the journey from Nashville to Kansas.

Jim Farrell is the owner of Jim Farrell Studio in rural Towanda, Kansas.
Jim Farrell is the owner of Jim Farrell Studio in rural Towanda, Kansas.

Jim Farrell, sometimes called Tennessee Jim, is the man who made this reverse migration from Nashville. He literally grew up in the music business. Jim was born and raised in a musical family in Nashville. His father had a music ministry and sang in a barbershop quartet. His mother sang with a Nashville Symphony Chorale.

“I grew up with harmony,” Jim said. “We would be singing in the car when we went on family trips, and Dad would point at (my sister and I) and tell us to switch parts,” Jim said. This musical training came in handy. By the age of 14, he was playing and singing with adult musical groups.

“My teacher was in a southern gospel group and they needed a bass player so I joined in,” Jim said. He also took up the keyboard, guitar, bass and percussion. Soon he was doing sessions and backing artists who performed on the Grand Ole Opry. Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Jim Farrell – Jim Farrell Studio” →