By Bonnie Culverhouse
It’s the end of an era, but the rebirth of one in memory of the person who started it all.
Cathy Corley and her sister, Gwen DeLoach inherited Toms Service Center on Shreveport Road in Minden after the death of owner Carroll Toms in 2021.
“We practically grew up down here,” DeLoach said, “with our brother, our parents. We were here all the time or going on vacations with Carroll and Glenda.”
Toms Service Center may have been most frequented over the years for vehicle inspections.
Now with recent changes in the inspection sticker law – private and non-commercial vehicles will no longer be required to have stickers – business at Toms has also changed.
“Carroll opened the business in 1959 and started inspecting cars in 1990, but they were being done since the 1930s and 40s when they (mechanics) worked on cars,” Corley said. “But mostly car dealerships did them.
“This (inspections) is our livelihood,” she continued. “You inspect a lot of cars, you can pay your electricity, gas and all. This (new law) is going to affect a lot of businesses just like us.”
But commercial vehicles, student transportation and some specific types of vehicles still require inspection, and Corley said they can and will still handle those.
DeLoach said they are awaiting information concerning the law, which will come from the state.
“We will know more about it when we get that,” she said.
In the meantime, the sisters have brought back Toms Wrecker Service, a business Toms sold to another service in 2014.
DeLoach’s son Edward Pittman came to his mother and aunt recently to announce his interest in the business and desire to bring back the wrecker service side, saying it was something that had always interested him.
“I just wanted to do something to help the business, but more because of Carroll,” Pittman said. “I wanted to do something special in his memory and keep doing something he did.”
Feedback was good, so in February Toms Wrecker Service was reborn with the purchase of two trucks.
“We are hoping it will make up for revenue loss from the inspection stickers,” Corley said.
Toms Wrecker Service is on the non-preference rotation with emergency responders but can also be directly contacted. They will answer the call anywhere in Webster Parish and Minden.
“You have to be in business for a year before you can answer state police calls,” Pittman pointed out.
When Toms was still alive, the service center was a hub of political discussions and a place to gather, tell and listen to stories. The memorabilia is still there – political and otherwise.
“It’s the end of an era. People think we are closing, but we are still here,” Corley said. “You can still come down here and visit … remember what Carroll was all about. We aren’t planning on going anywhere.”
The physical address remains 1542 Shreveport Rd. Minden, LA 71055. To contact them, you can still call 318-377-9960 or 318-299-5599 (the wrecker service).
