Andy Dingman, 31, grew up in his father’s collision repair business, just as his father, Boyd, grew up in his own father’s shop. The family started in the collision repair industry nearly 75 years ago, with roots in Iowa growing into a solid presence in Omaha today. The family’s tenure in auto repair dates to the 1930s, when Andy’s grandfather Francis Dingman started fixing cars.
In 1960, Francis opened a shop in Garner, Iowa, and launched the family tradition of honesty paired with excellent work and service. The shop had to be good, because north-central Iowa was a place where “people had to look for someone else to run into,” says Boyd Dingman.
Boyd grew to love collision repair by working for his father as a technician. When he opened his own collision center in 1983 in Waverly, Iowa, he aimed to operate with integrity.
Running Dingman’s with the goal of protecting customers’ investments in their vehicles, Boyd kept business humming until the 1990s. When the Iowa Department of Transportation acquired the shop’s land to make way for a highway, Boyd and Diana Dingman decided it was time for a change of scene. They settled on Omaha for “chapter two” of Dingman’s Collision Center.
It’s a family affair through and through: Andy, Boyd and Diana tend the company’s books. Darcie Dingman, Andy’s sister, handles marketing and human resources. And while brother Travis is serving in the United States Marine Corps in Japan and hasn’t settled yet on a career path, three generations of Dingmans have built a strong foundation for their family’s business—one they hope stands for generations to come.
