DCT Collision expands to Steer House property
Daryn Cockram at his new property (old Steer House).
The old Steer House building is set to be transformed into repair bays and offices for DCT Collision.
By WILLIAM PAINE
Patriot Publishing
DCT Collision will soon be expanding its operations across East Main Street and into the building that once housed the Steer House, once one of Pulaski’s favorite eateries.
The Steer House building and two adjoining properties were recently purchased by Daryn Cockram, owner of DCT Collision, which specializes in body shop work. DCT Collision currently operates from the rear of the Duncan Suzuki building at 1001 East Main Street. For many years, this same location housed Tuck’s Collision and Restoration.
“I bought the body shop on Jan. 1, 2024,” said. Cockram. “Dwayne and Stacy Tuck wanted to sell out, but all the guys from Tucks stayed when I bought them out. My oldest daughter, she was one of the main reasons I bought this body shop. She wanted to venture off from the towing side and try running a body shop. I said let me buy it and see what we can do. I kind of look at it as a good retirement plan for me.”
Cockram currently employs nine individuals at the DCT Collision shop at Duncan Suzuki. After his expansion is complete, he estimates that DCT Collision will employ 20 individuals, some of whom are family members. His daughters Brittany and Jessica currently work at DCT.
“My son Matthew is in the Marines,” said Cockram. “I’d say when he gets back from the Marines he’ll help pop on the towing side.”
Cockram founded DCT in 2015, as a towing outfit based out of a lot on Bob White Boulevard. The DCT name stands for Daryn Cockram Towing. His property on Bob White is frequently filled with Volvo trucks, when they need to store their vehicles due to supply issues.
Not long after purchasing Tuck’s, Cockram began looking across the street to the Steer House, which closed its doors permanently in 2019. David Hagan, a prominent developer in Pulaski County, bought the Steer House building and refurbished the exterior.
“Me and David Hagan started talking about that property six or eight months ago,” said Cockram. “He’s been great to work with. He helped me every step of the way. We’re going to use the existing building and we’re going to add onto it. It’ll be roughly 7,000 square feet more added on to it. So, it’ll be a 12,000 square foot facility and it will have the latest, greatest stuff that’s available. Laser points that ensure your car is spot on. When it comes out of here, it’s going to be to the ‘T.’ Just like when it comes off the assembly line.”
In addition to the Steer House, Cockram purchased the adjoining properties behind the Little Ceaser’s building and the grassy knoll above the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. He plans to grade then gravel the field next to the Steer House.
Cockram will keep the DCT Collision body shop at Duncan Suzuki in operation, even as he expands across the street to the Steer House property. He plans to do bodywork on trucks and RV’s at the Duncan location, while servicing passenger cars and pickup trucks at the Steer House location. The lot beside the new structure will be used to park vehicles before and after servicing.
According to Cockram, town officials were excited to hear of the project, but raised some concerns about having wrecked vehicles visible from the roadway.
“The town asked us to put up a buffer like a shrub, so these vehicles won’t be seen from the roadway,” said Cockram. “We’re going to run the shrubs 4 to 6 feet high behind the Little Ceaser’s. The vehicles will be behind a fence that matches the building. Out of sight, out of mind.”
“This project right here, if you want to include everything that’s in there, it will exceed $2 million,” Cockram added. “The town was excited that we were using an existing building. I gave $475,000 for the old Steer House and one reason I did that was there are so many usable buildings here in town. I could have went towards Christiansburg and I could have went towards Wytheville but you know, I cut my teeth right here in Pulaski and that’s where I want to stay and that’s a very usable building.”
Daryn Cockram is married to Whitney Cockram. They have five children. Dustin and Lakyn Cockram are their youngest.
“We reside in Pulaski and we have for quite some time,” said Daryn. “My wife Whitney was born and raised in Pulaski. I was raised up in Floyd and moved over here and it’s been an adventure ever since.”
As he walked through the interior on the now gutted Steer House building, Cockram reminisced about what used to be.
“I loved the Steer House,” said Cockram. “Me and the guys from the towing side, we’d come to the Steer House a couple of days a week. We loved eating here and, in its own way, it kind of made me smile when I bought it. I’ve also looked for old memorabilia because I wanted to hang it in there. I didn’t want to see somebody buy it and tear this down. I wanted to see it continue to prosper, like it did for years.”
Cockram believes the DCT expansion will benefit the Town of Pulaski.
“Once everything is said and done, we’ll be a certified shop and it’s going to be pretty good for the town because it’s just going to bring more people into the town,” Cockram explained. “You bring people into town that’s coming to pick their car up. They want to stop and eat, and here’s our local restaurants. Just because we’re fixing our customers in town, that doesn’t mean that we’re not pulling them out of Radford, out of Christiansburg and people who are traveling on 81. I mean, it’s going to help all the way around. I’m going to have Shah (Development) do all the work using local contractors to get this knocked out. The whole addition will match the existing building and it’s going to look great. We’re using local companies for the build. Everything is staying in community, so it’s helping everybody here.”