Dirks is a self-made businessman
Staff writer
Beneath his ruff and gruff exterior, there is a softer and gentler side to Wendell Dirks, who loves his grandkids and is devoted to his family.
Born in Elmo, Wendell grew up in Durham. He graduated from Durham High School and attended Tabor College for one and half years.
"My mother thought I should be a school teacher," Wendell said, "because she was a career teacher."
After a reasonably short time, he found out that teaching was not for him.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After basic training, he was stationed on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska in 1962 and was in the U.S. Air Force Security Service.
The island is located between Alaska and Russia.
"That was an interesting place," Wendell said. "We were basically keeping tabs on the Russians back then."
A year later, he was transferred to Columbus, Miss. In Columbus, Wendell worked in the computer room as a key punch operator. The job was too confining for Wendell.
"I would look out at the prisoners from the stockade, who were mowing grass, and wish I could trade places with them be outside."
He worked as a key punch operator for the U.S. Air force for two and half years.
On March 14, 1964, he married Raye Matranga, whom he met while he was attending tech school in Biloxi, Miss., before he left for Alaska.
After he completed his tour of duty in the military, Wendell opted not to sign up again.
"I had a three-month-old daughter, and I choose not to sign up again," he said.
In 1965, he moved his family back to Kansas and settled in Durham where he grew up.
While living in Durham from 1965 to 1977, Wendell worked for Farmer's Cooperative Grain as an assistant manager.
"An assistant manager pretty much does what nobody else wants to do," he said smiling.
He worked for the company for one and half years before accepting a position at Donahue Corporation. He worked at Donahue for 10 years, starting as office manager and working in sales and the purchasing department..
Wendell and his family then moved to Bastrop, La., and stayed there for two years.
"At that time, we had lived in Kansas for 10 years, and my wife, Raye, wanted to move back to Louisiana," Wendell said. "She didn't really like Kansas."
While in Louisiana, Wendell worked at a John Deere dealership.
After staying there for one and half years, the family moved back to Kansas.
"Raye said, 'We're going back to Kansas,'" Wendell said.
Where they were living was in the northern part of Louisiana and Raye was from southern Louisiana.
"So it really wasn't home for her," Wendell said.
Wendell went back to work at Donahue Corporation, but this time the family moved to Hillsboro.
He worked as a sales manager and traveled nationwide. He traveled as far west as California, as far east as Ohio, as far south as Texas, and as far north as North Dakota.
In the early 1980s, Wendell accepted a position as district sales manager at Hillsboro Industries, which at that time sold mostly livestock and flatbed trailers.
Wendell's sales area included five states: Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Iowa.
Wendell decided he needed to make a career move, but wanted to live and raise his family in the Hillsboro area.
So in 1987, Wendell along with friend Vince Driver ventured out to start their own trailer business.
"Vince came up with the name and logo for Circle D (the D standing for Dirks and Driver)," Wendell said.
The company began with as few as three employees and now employs 30. Since those humble beginnings, they have added on to the building four times and have built three other buildings.
"This building was originally built as Hillsboro Industries, until they moved out the Industrial Park," Wendell said.
Initially, the company concentrated on providing livestock trailers for cattle. But now, they offer flatbed trailers, horse trailers, and flatbeds for pickups and one-ton trucks.
"We've been blessed," Wendell said. "We've had 17 really great years."
Wendell credits his employees for the company's success.
But, as with most companies these days, Circle D has been hit hard, especially with the price of steel increasing.
"The price of steel has nearly doubled since last November," Wendell said.
He bought out Drive five years ago and is now sole owner, CEO and president of Circle D.
Wendell has long list of community involvement that includes serving on the city council and as the mayor of Durham; serving as a Hillsboro city council member; and serving as a member of the American Legion.
He currently serves on the board of directors of Hillsboro Community Medical Center.
He is a member of the United Methodist Church in Hillsboro and serves as Sunday school teacher; has served on several committees, including administrative board chairman; and lay leader.
Wendell likes to garden, but because of knee surgery, some of that has been curtailed. He also plays a little golf and used to collect old cars.
"My real hobby is my grandkids," Wendell said, proudly. "We spend a lot time together as a family."
"Raye cooks for the kids several times a week," he said. "She loves to cook and is the best in town."
He and Raye have two children, Amy Simmons of Neosha Rapids and Shelby Dirks of Hillsboro. The couple have four grandchildren, Ashlyn, Jordan, Brenna, and Alicia.
To sum up his philosophy of life, Wendell said that he uses a quotation in his business and for his life from Mark Twain; "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
"Just try to do your best to treat people right," Wendell added.
