By Ellen Samsell Salas

On August 1, Mauldin Body Shop & Towing, Cherokee County’s oldest active wrecker service, added the towing facilities of Neese Towing in Woodstock to its Mauldin's existing Canton location. These two towing companies have deep roots in Cherokee County. 

Together, the two businesses bring decades of experience and dedication to handling all types of vehicle emergencies. 

“It’s like a marriage in several ways,” said John Weaver of Mauldin Body Shop & Towing. John and his wife Debbie Mauldin Weaver, daughter of Herbert Mauldin who began the business in 1961, have carried on Herbert's legacy as part of the company for more than 50 years each. 

Neese Towing will now become Mauldin under the banner that allows greater service to the area with two locations. The Canton location is in its original building at 143 Butterworth Road, just off I-575’s exit 14. The former Neese location at 105 Neese Farm Drive in Woodstock will continue to be the base of operations in Woodstock. 

For 62 years, Mauldin Body Shop & Towing has been on call seven days a week, 24 hours a day — including all holidays — answering calls for help. Similarly, for two decades, Neese Towing has been a trusted service in the county, earning many commendations from the City of Woodstock and its fire and police departments. Founded in 2002 by Jerry and Donna Neese, the business has included son Stacey, who, in recent years, took the helm as manager; Stacey’s two sons Casey and Cameron both are drivers for Neese; and Stacy’s daughter Chelsea assists with office operations. 

Stacey wanted to spend more time with his family and decided now is the time to step away from the demands of the towing industry. 

“Our goal in this new business venture is to bring the two companies together as one, as in a family, so that the tradition started at Neese Towing and the tradition at Mauldin’s are not lost but honored,” said John.

A History of Friendly and Productive Relations

Over the years, the two companies have served not as rivals but as professionals in the industry whose foremost goal is to provide emergency response to the community. At times, they’ve worked together to ensure that the people of Cherokee County can rely on them to help during their times of need. When the companies’ ideas were not the same, they simply agreed to disagree and worked together to reach a solution that benefited all parties. 

“Our philosophy has been to serve the public, so that they know they can rely on us, and they become our friends. We have been successful because we’ve earned the public’s support,” John said. “Neese has done the same for their customers. Our commitment is to continue the same tradition under the Mauldin banner.” 

Playing a pivotal role in the day-to-day management of the Mauldin operations, John and Debbie’s daughter, Angela Weaver Mayhue, and her husband, Chad Mayhue, will expand their current roles in the growing business. Together, they will manage the two locations of the towing service and the current location of the body shop operation. 

“I feel fortunate that I get to expand the traditions and heritage that my grandfather and parents started and to hopefully pass that tradition on to my daughter, Sierra, who is only a sophomore in high school at Kings Academy in Woodstock and is already knowledgeable about the family business of towing and capable of carrying it on,” said Angela. “Joining with the Neese family tradition enrichens both businesses in serving the motoring public.” 

Both the Canton and Woodstock offices will remain open in their current locations. And familiar faces will be evident, as drivers from Neese have accepted positions to become members of the Mauldin Body Shop & Towing family. 

A distinct advantage to Cherokee County is that the fleet of light and heavy recovery vehicles will double in size. The training and years of experience with the expansive equipment will allow Mauldin’s to continue providing service for passenger cars, construction equipment hauling, and even overturned tractors and trailers. 

The two locations will also allow faster response times in congested traffic situations. The dispatch system is computer-generated call-outs, and both locations will be on the same system. After drivers receive calls, one click of their cell phone will time stamp their en route, arrival, and completion times. 

The impound/storage facilities meet the requirements for security with the Cherokee County Marshall’s Office and the City of Canton and City of Woodstock Police Departments. Currently, Mauldin is the only approved contract provider in Cherokee County with the Georgia Department of Transportation TRIP, Towing & Recovery Incentive Program, which removes commercial motor vehicles from the travel lanes of I-575 in a Quick Clearance protocol established by GDOT.

Building on Legacies of Service

Angela and Chad Mayhue will bring together the generations-long service of the Mauldin and Neese families to continue to give others professional towing service and customer care.

The Neese family has provided the community with excellent service and compassion. They have dealt with people in times of need and have helped them through many situations, showing concern and kindness. In this new endeavor, Mauldin Body Shop & Towing, having more than 62 years of experience, will continue to provide the same quality service people have come to expect.

“Our thanks to the many years Neese Towing has served the Woodstock area. To Stacey and family, we wish you the best and look forward to hearing stories of your family adventures together,” said the family at Mauldin Body & Towing.

Mauldin Body Shop, Inc.

143 Butterworth Road
Canton, GA 30114

105 Neese Farm Drive
Woodstock, GA 30188

For service, call 770-479-4851
MauldinBodyShop.com