You could make the case that Dan Hanlin’s career began the first time a piece of equipment broke down on the family farm.

It was the mid-1970s. His parents had just moved their three boys from Ohio to a stretch of land outside Byron, Illinois, where they raised corn, pigs, cattle, and a deep respect for figuring things out yourself. The kind of farm where you made one pass in the field and then spent the next few hours fixing what broke.

“We called it pit-stop farming,” Dan laughs. “You worked the land, and then you worked on the equipment.”

That ethos stuck. It seeped into Dan’s bones. His mom was a big part of the farming operation. His father, a brilliant engineer, opened a small machine shop in town. His oldest brother runs Hanlin’s Repair, a welding and machine shop. His middle brother started a concrete business. And Dan? Dan became the guy who could fix almost anything with wheels—and built a reputation that’s now spanned nearly three decades.

“I was trades before trades were cool,” he jokes, echoing a sentiment shared by many small-town kids who learned early that success often comes from showing up, asking questions, and staying curious.

After graduating from Byron High School in 1985, Dan attended Wyoming Technical Institute, a top-tier trade school in Laramie. “I’d already been pumping gas at the local Sunoco,” he says. “Back when full-service meant checking your oil, cleaning your windshield, and knowing your customers.”

From there, he worked at a Chevrolet dealership in Rockford for more than a decade, earning master certifications and honing his diagnostic skills by day while fixing friends’ cars in his garage by night.

“It got to the point where I was working all day, then wrenching until 1 a.m.,” he says. “I missed some time with my kids—but I was building something.”

That “something” became his own shop, which he opened in 1997 in his father’s old welding space. Twenty-eight years later, Dan’s still going strong—at a new, larger location, with a loyal customer base that now includes three generations of Byron families.

“Parents send their kids to me. Then their kids send their kids,” he says. “That’s trust you don’t take lightly.”

Keeping up hasn’t been easy. The auto industry has transformed dramatically since Dan first opened a hood. Today, his job demands constant training, high-end diagnostic tools, and the wisdom to know when to say no.

“There are things now—especially with EVs—where I have to say, ‘That’s above my pay grade,’” he admits. “Some of the equipment alone costs $10,000 just to safely remove a battery. You can’t fake it.”

Still, he stays current. He’s taken hybrid training classes, adapted to new standards, and still shows up every day to make sure Byron residents can get safely down the road.

But Dan’s story isn’t just about the cars. It’s about commitment—to a craft, to a community, and to a family.

Dan  raised two sons—Travis and Tyler—both now grown. Travis lives nearby, and Tyler works in IT near Chicago. Dan also has a granddaughter now, and suddenly, the man who once thought he’d retire south is realizing just how much warmth one small child can bring to even the coldest Illinois winter.

And yes, he’s got financial advice, too. A fan of Dave Ramsey, Dan is debt-free and proud of it. “If I’d followed that advice earlier, I’d be on a yacht in Florida,” he jokes. “But I’ll settle for not owing anyone a dime.”

What would he tell today’s graduates?

“Work hard. Stay out of debt. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. It’ll pay off.”

Dan Hanlin didn’t wait for the trades to become trendy. He just kept learning, kept building, and kept showing up for the people who counted on him.

And in the process, he’s given Byron something to count on, too.