The Asbury's are both 1973 graduates of Missouri State University. Larry's degree was in business and accounting while Debbie's degree was in sociology and psychology.  In 1989, Larry created a minority women owned company to manage and sell assets for Resolution Trust Companies (RTC) They started with small contracts and Debbie said that the first few months they practically starved. But in the end they became a company with three billion in assets and 130 employees. In the process they became well known for managing low and moderate income housing. 

By the time their contract was finished in August of 1995 Larry said that they were exhausted. They had no children, and had made a lot of money, but Larry said, "Working with five partners nearly killed me." 

As the business was winding down, they went to Texas to help Debbie's sister find a house in San Marcos. On the way to the airport in Austin, they passed an RV consignment place; they had time so they stopped to look. Now that they were "foot loose and fancy free" they toyed with the idea of traveling in a motorhome. There were none there that appealed to them, but the owner said that she had knew of one that the couple would love---a 1988 --36 foot Rockwood motorhome. The owner had just taken it back, but it was still for sale. They went to look at it, canceled their plane tickets and drove it back to their home in Virginia three days later. 

When they had stopped at the first campground on the way home, Larry was out talking with everyone and Debbie knew that this was the life for them. Debbie said, "We were ready for a change so we leased our house and started playing winter Texans." They stayed in the Coast to Coast parks in the Hill Country during the winter of 1996. By the summer of 1996 they were on their way to the FMCA convention in Billings, Montana, when their Rockwood (gasoline engine) balked at heading up mountains especially since it was towing their jeep. Prior to that trip, it had only seen flat ground and Larry said, "It was overweight and under powered."

Once at the FMCA convention, Larry spent almost every minute drooling at the all the motorhomes. He was like a kid in a candy shop, but there were so many to choose from, he had a hard time deciding what to buy. On the last day they they decided to purchase a 6 month old Safari Seringeti which had been taken in on trade at the show. 

In October of 1997 they got caught in a hail storm which did $20,000 damage to the skin of their Safari. To have it repaired they decided to drive to the factory in Oregon, but while there saw a 1998, 40 foot Holiday Rambler Navigator with a slide that they liked. Since they were enjoying full-timing, they decided to go for the bigger engine and more room. That coach needed some warranty work, but since it was getting cold there they decided to head for the Hill Country and have the work done in Seguin at Interstate. Both Larry and Debbie were impressed with the work of the technicians at Interstate. Interstate had been a dealer which sold Fortravel. Vogue. Prevost coversions, Fleetwood, Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Airstream, National RV and Winnebago to name a few and the technicians were company trained to work on the above coaches. 

In the fall of 1998, the couple found themselves in Oregon again this time with a leak in the slide which was taken care of at the factory, but again it was getting cold so they decided to go on to Missouri for Thanksgiving and get the rest of the work done at Interstate in Seguin; they trusted the crew there. 

They pulled in to Interstate on December 2 and work started immediately. Larry remembers wondering why they weren't busy. On December 4, with his coach torn apart and while waiting for parts to arrive from the factory, police cars show up to shut down the business. Their coach was pushed out, everyone went home and rumors were rampant. 

Because Larry is a very friendly guy, he knew the technicians and with his asset management experience he wanted to help the employees who were out of work just before Christmas and who had been through the same thing with the previous owner too. Larry, Debbie and James Meyers (the present VP and operations manager) had long talks. Interstate's owner had over 1,900 creditors and as soon as the doors closed, other RV dealers were at the door like hungry wolves looking to hire the technicians. Larry and Debbie as well as James recognized the need for a true service center without the dealership part. But it took two weeks for Larry to figure out who to talk with. He searched for the bank with the biggest lean. 

On January 6, Larry learned that all the properties (there were several different locations and many RVs involved) were on one note and the bank also wanted all or nothing. Lots of bidders wanted all of the properties, but they wanted the bank to finance it; the bank had been hurt twice with the same properties and there were tens of millions in losses just this time.

Larry negotiated the purchase of just the service facility and Debbie added, "Only Larry could have worked this out and negotiated it." Part of the reason that the bank agreed was that Larry was willing to pay cash for the land and buildings at the service facility.

Larry also negotiated with the bank to allow them to open the doors prior to the final closing so they could start decorating. John Davis (JD), the shop foreman, came up with the name of Pro-tech on his way to work one day. Everyone pitched in and worked hard, even the wives of the employees. As customers popped in or arrived broken down, they took care of them because they just couldn't leave RVers stranded. The employees remained loyal even though they had been hurt before. Larry still doesn't quite understand why they trusted this stranger who was only paying them a small hourly wage in the interim. 

On April 6, 1999 the papers were signed making Pro-tech official. But the first month was a little rough. Larry and Debbie spent that time dealing with the creditors of the former company who figured that Pro-tech owed them something and no one wanted to sell them anything. They had to start from scratch and earn the trust of the manufacturers even though the technicians who were fully trained by the major manufacturers remained the same. They discovered that most RV manufacturers want RV dealers to take care of service, but Larry has turned all that around even though he doesn't sell RVs. 

They still live in their Holiday Rambler and they travel a lot, but now it is mostly to rallies and so on so they can promote their business. In fact, Larry was at a Holiday Rambler Rally when our accident occured and happened to be driving by. He stopped to help and invited us to go their facility. We were a little leery at first, but are very happy we made the decision to go there.

Everyone there is friendly, helpful and it is like being with family. Larry and Debbie feel that the customer benefits from their service only facility. Never does a new RV waiting to be delivered get in front of an RV needing service, because they are not selling RVs; they sell service. 

Larry and Debbie are very proud of the fact that they put 23 people back to work full-time. Larry said, "Our challenge for 2000 and beyond includes a small business admistration loan for the employees under the Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) and continued training of technicians and staff to insure the best goodwill with customers." They also are working to instill upon the manufacturers their name and reputation so when customers call for warranty work or service Pro-tech's name is mentioned along with dealers. 

From the moment Sandy or the other Debbie greets you at the front desk to the time you talk with Thomas in the body shop or JD or James or any of the techs you will know that these people are proud to be working for Pro-tech and that pride shows in their work.

Check out their web site and when you visit them please tell them that we sent you. 

Debbie and Larry at home