RRC Foundation Announces Mr. & Mrs. Bill Byers as 2022 Grand Marshal for the annual Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade
Rochester, MI – The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce (RRCC) is pleased to announce Mr. & Mrs. Bill Byers as the 2022 Grand Marshal for the annual Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade, sponsored by Chief Financial Credit Union and Rochester University. Grand Marshals are selected based on a person’s involvement and investment in our community.
The parade committee chose to honor 2021 Grand Marshals – Bill & Sharon Byers, who did not have the true holiday experience leading last year’s parade due to cancellations. Grand Marshal nomination forms will be available in 2023 for submissions.
About the Byers Family
Byers says, “All in all, I am very pleased and proud to receive this award. It is a privilege to be recognized by members of my community, for something that I have done both professionally and personally, in the area. I have always enjoyed helping others and serving my community. I believe the better one benefits their community; the more others will like their community. This will make for a nicer community to live in, and in turn will be better for business.”
Byers Wrecker Service Inc., a family-owned business has been in the area since it was started by Gene Byers in 1951. In June of 1975, Bill Byers was gifted a wrecker for his 16th birthday, forever changing his future and giving him a passion for the family business. In 1993, Bill and his wife Sharon bought the business from his father, starting with 7 tow trucks which has now grown to a fleet of over 45 trucks, with equipment at 3 locations. While headquarters remain in Rochester, Byers Wrecker Service supports other locations in Clarkston and Lapeer and serve Northern Detroit suburbs. This includes law enforcement and municipalities, dealerships, and the motoring public.
Over the years, William (Bill) Byers and his family have been heavily involved in our community. He spent 30 years, a firefighter, serving the City of Rochester and eventually retiring from Oakland Township. For 14 years, he worked as a part time Sheriff’s Deputy in Oakland County. Since 1976, one of his favorite things to be involved in is the Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade.
In 1978, Bill met the love of his life Sharon Crombez, a resident of Rochester Hills. They first met in a parking lot on Tienken and Rochester while cruising the road. Bill noticed her bright yellow 4-wheel drive pickup truck - Soon they started dating and were married in 1983. Sharon jumped in the business and started working alongside Bill in 1985, managing dispatch, office operations, and more. The couple now has a full beautiful - 3 daughters (Nicole, Tiffany, & Shelby) and 8 grandkids (7 boys and 1 girl).
Additionally, the Byers family advocates for safer roadways. Bill is the Founder and President of Move Over Michigan, a non-profit 501c3 Corporation, which was put together to bring awareness of the State Move Over Law, to the motoring public. This law says that one MUST move over or MUST slow down, if possible, when approaching a stopped tow truck, fire truck, law enforcement vehicle, or any service vehicle, with its lights on, that is working on the roadway.
For eight years, Bill served as President of the Michigan Towing Association and is currently the Chairperson for the Legislative Committee. He is also a member of the Towing Recovery Association of America, the mid-west representative of the Towing Recovery Association of America, and Legislative Advocacy Network, for eight states. He is a member of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Museum and serves on the Oakland Sheriff’s Advisory Council.
Overtime, Bill Byers and Byers’ Wrecker Service has received several awards. The awards include:
• Towing companies in the Top 100 in the country, from American Towman Magazine
• Top 10 Wreckmaster in the world, a worldwide towing training organization
• Oakland County Sheriff’s Lifesaving Award
• Towing Recovery Association of America (TRAA), a distinguished service award
• Tow Times Magazine Industry Champion Award
• Numerous awards from local Fire Departments and Law Enforcement Agencies; these awards were given to us for assisting them and training with them.
In 2017, Byers was nominated and voted into the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame, the highest honor in the world, that can be bestowed on an individual in the towing industry.
Congratulations Bill and Sharon Byers! We are excited to honor you as the Grand Marshals for the Annual Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade on December 4.
Register for the Grand Marshal Celebration on December 1 by Clicking Here!
Past Grand Marshals
1962 - Roy Rewold
1969 - James Stephens
2000 - Penny Crissman
2002 - Robert Lytle
2003 - Gail Kemler
2004 - Gus Eastman
2005 - Ed Leafdale
2006 - James & Lillie Smalley
2007 - Don Pixle
2008 - Tom Werth
2009 - Mary Lee Kowalczyk
2010 - Pat Botkin
2011 - Russ and Kathy Shelton
2012 - Ginny & Ray De Steiger
2013 - John & Mary Modetz
2014 - Bill Fox
2015 - Rod and Sue Wilson
2016 - Dr. Roger & Mary Jo Byrd
2017 - Steve & Nancy Benedettini
2018 - Dr. & Mrs. Bradley Barnes
2019 - George & Betty Seifert
2022 - Bill & Sharon Byers
About the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce
The mission of the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce is to provide leadership and resources in order to advance business development in partnership with civic, cultural and educational interests for the benefit of its members and the community.
The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce is privileged to have many community-minded businesses and organizations that are significant partners of the Chamber. Thank you: Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, Oakland University, Chief Financial Credit Union, Moceri Companies, First State Bank, PAR Pharmaceutical, Rochester University, Bellbrook, Mattina, Kent & Gibbons P.C.; & Beaumont.
As a membership organization comprised of businesses in the greater Rochester area, the Chamber has been in existence since 1955. Over the past six decades, business leaders have contributed significantly to shaping our area into a nationally recognized community, deemed a desirable place to live, work and raise a family. Members of the Chamber, our business leaders, have given their time, talent and financial resources to benefit countless community-based organizations, projects and events. With their leadership, the Chamber has created and administered many programs and events that provide direct benefit to the community.
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October 25, 2022, Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce and Rochester.Life