Daniel Engel: Owner/General Manager

Daniel started at KDC under his father Dan Engel when he was just 13, getting paid in sandwiches!  His real journey started in 2002 working on the floor as a trailer mechanic.  Being the son of the owner is never easy, and even harder to get everyone to respect you, but Daniel did that and so much more.  He started as the Trailer Shop manager in 2010 and worked that position until 2020 when he was promoted to General Manager.  Daniel has a special gift of being able to manage a team and foster a family atmosphere.  Everyone in the KDC family has a huge amount of respect for Daniel and it makes all of us want to work hard together to make KDC the best it can be.  Daniel always puts himself on both sides of the fence, he thinks like a customer as well as the mechanic, and always want to make sure the customer gets what they pay for.  Daniel taught all of us to never have “no” in your heart and leads as such.  Daniel has been married to his wife Mel for 15 years and they have 4 beautiful children.  Skylar, Ethan, Cooper, and Evie “Baby J”.  Daniel is highly involved with all his kiddos, sports, and all aspects of their life.  He has two pups Mavis and Fiona.  He loves spending time with his family, he’s a master at Oculus Beat Saber, and loves hanging out in his garage producing creative ideas for KDC.  On top of all of his responsibilities at KDC he is also a coach for his kid’s sports! 

Ashley: Controller/Bookkeeper

Ashley came to work here with no experience in any fields that we have.  That didn’t stop her from digging in and becoming an integral part of KDC’s operation in the Trailer Shop as the Coordinator.  From building great relationships with current customers to bridging new relationships with new customers, she brought stability to a position in the Trailer Shop for years.  As the years clicked by, it was obvious that Ashley had broader horizons in her future.  She moved into her current role of Controller in 2022 and hasn’t looked back.  With many new processes to learn, she tackled it the same way she had her Coordinator position in the Trailer Shop.  She is a very positive person who brings a great approach to a very hard job. Ashley is newly engaged to her fiancé Nick, and they have 6 fur babies!  Hades, Oakley, Thanatos, Ares, Bengal and Diesel.  Her fur babies are her children and they live their best life!  In her free time, they are at the dog park, stopping to get some ice cream, or she is on two wheels enjoying her motorcycle!  Nick also rides and races his bike around the local circuit! In October 2024 she will become Mrs. Jones!

Merritt Day: Marketing Director/ Safety Coordinator/ The Hopper Queen

Merritt started with KDC in 2022 to lead a new division of the company USA Hopper Shop.  She has been in sales for the last 20 years, and her customers are her passion.  Customer service is her top priority.  Merritt has brought not just a new business endeavor to KDC with USA Hopper shop but brought a ton of good ideas.  She’s been handed many extra KDC positions to manage besides establishing a business from scratch in USA Hopper Shop.  Her attention to detail and customer follows up is 2nd to none.  From implementation of monthly birthday parties to Safety Director, there is no task that she won’t attack head on with a  “can do” attitude.  Hopefully, you get a chance to see what The Merritt Experience is like for yourself! She quickly evolved into other roles with KDC.  Merritt has been married to her husband Mike for 14 years.  She has two amazing kids, Michala who is 18, and in college at IUPUI, and Ryker who is 13, and is a middle school student at Center Grove Middle School Central.  Merritt also has a bonus daughter Bree, who also gave Merritt and Mike two beautiful grandbabies Theo and Henry.  In her free time, she loves to spend time with family, shopping, and she supports her husband who throws axes professionally for the World Axe Throwing League!  

Mark: Truck and Body Shop Manager

Mark has decades of experience in semi-truck repair and KDC is lucky to have him.  As the Truck/Body Shop Manager, he is constantly trying to find the best repair solutions for customers in the ever-evolving field of semi-truck repair.  He does a great job of blending an old school approach with all the new school tech.  There are many fires to be put out on a daily basis and Mark does his best to never run out of water.  From writing an estimate on a motor swap with axle relocation to getting elbow deep in a motor with a tech, there’s nothing Mark won’t try to tackle! He is married to his beautiful wife Ashley of 5 years and have 4 amazing children, and they live on a farm in New Castle with their chickens. 

Rob: Truck and Body Shop Foreman

Rob has become synonymous with KDC.  He’s worked at KDC for 20 years, almost the whole time KDC has been in business, Rob has been here.  His attention to detail and loyalty to his craft are unmatched.  As the Truck/Body Shop Foreman he is a huge cog in the KDC clock.  In his mechanic days, it was hard pressed for anyone to match the work he would put out.  A master at undercarriage/leaf springs/transmissions, he is able to translate his knowledge into KDC’s mechanics at an impressive level.  There’s not a tech that works here that hasn’t gotten to feel the loyalty Rob feels for this company and his craft.  Rob has twin daughters and a granddaughter that is the apple of his eye.  In his free time, he loves to work, he loves KDC.  When he isn’t working, he is spending time with his kiddos.  

Elliott: Trailer Shop Foreman

Elliott came to KDC never working on a Semi-Trailer in his life and in a short time, he earned the role of Trailer Shop Foreman.  Being at KDC for almost a decade now, he does a fantastic job of getting the most out of every mechanic and meeting customers quality expectations as well as tough deadlines.  He’s a home/KDC grown talent who is a great success story of a man just needing an opportunity.  And once he got the opportunity, he took off!  Elliott never has no in his heart and will always work as hard as he can to make the magic happen. He is a chameleon and can help with all aspects of KDC’s facets.   Elliott has been with his lovely lady P for 14 years. They have 2 beautiful children.  Elliott loves to go fishing, camping, spending time with family and hosting BBQ’s.  

Wayne: Truck and Body Account Executive

Wayne came to KDC with extensive knowledge of running a body shop at past employers.  He came here in a new role to him as a salesman but filled a huge hole that KDC needed badly.  His previous job experience served him greatly in his new role as he’s seen the business from all sides.  His attention to detail and customer service are extremely impressive.  He is always attentive to every customer need, no matter how big or small.  He is constantly focused on the solution and not the problem.  Once initial contact is made, customers are always impressed with the quickness at which Wayne reacts.  Wayne has formed many relationships with hard-to-reach customers and is always looking for a piece of the pie, not the whole pie.  Wayne has been married to his sweetheart Bev for 31 years, and they have a beautiful daughter ReAnna.  They also have a new grandbaby Briar who is the center of their whole world.  Briar loves her PAP! Wayne loves hunting, fishing, boating, and hanging with his family.  If you are lucky enough you might get to hear him sing some karaoke.  

Thomas: Truck and Body Account Executive

Thomas came to KDC with a very reputable reputation as a wreck builder of semi-trucks/buses.  It didn’t take long for him to show off those skills once on site at KDC.  For almost a decade now, KDC has been lucky to have him!  In the last year Thomas has transitioned into a salesman.  His knowledge and skills that he possessed before this transition have helped him seamlessly fit into his new role.  He has done a fantastic job of getting customers back in the door and keeping the door open for future business.  He is of high moral character and would never cut a corner if quality was to be sacrificed.  Like Wayne, Thomas is a customer 1st salesman and wants to make sure that customers get what they pay for.  Thomas has been married to his gorgeous wife Haylee for 8 years.  They have two amazing kiddos and one on the way! Thomas is a super hard worker with little downtime, but he loves to spend time with his family! 

Bo: Trailer Shop Account Executive

Bo was introduced to KDC while he was working as a parts salesman for another company in town.  He was able to impress us while working as a parts associate for another company.  Luckily, the paths crossed at the right time and KDC was able to get him to join our Trailer Shop Sales staff.  While his time here hasn’t been that long, he has made a lasting impact already.  It’s almost impossible for Bo’s positive and energetic approach to not wear off on anyone he’s around.  He’s done a great job of diversifying the customer base in the Trailer Shop and we are excited to see what the future brings!  Bo knows trailers!!! Bo has been with his lady for 4 years and has 4 amazing kiddos.  He lives in Plainfield and his greatest joy is being a dad.  He is highly involved in the kids sports and school.  He loves to tinker and play video games.  He loves music and dancing with his beautiful lady!