Rebuilding Towns to Restoring Homes: 24-Year Veteran Opens Franchise

Gary Mackelprang knew he was destined to have a long career with the U.S. military. Coming from a family of veterans, Gary watched his father, uncles, and later his father-in-law all make the pledge to serve their country. So it seemed only natural that Gary would join the military and follow in their footsteps. In 1975 Gary joined the Air Force spent the next 24 years traveling the world, visiting places like Germany, England, Switzerland, Haiti, and all corners of the United States. During his time with the Air Force, his duties extended from troop recruitment to construction repair to transporting equipment. One period that stood out in Gary’s career, was the time spent in Haiti helping to rebuild local towns. For three years, Gary was a part of a task force that was sent to help rebuild infrastructure in Haiti after the military regime was kicked out of power. During each six month rotation, Gary and his fellow military servicemen and women, in conjunction with NATO, were able to assist in rebuilding roadways, freeways, university hospitals, and six schools, among other infrastructure in the area. “This work really impacted me,” said Gary, “and looking back now, it kind of foreshadowed what was ahead of me in my career.” After 24 dedicated years of service, Gary retired from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant, but wasn’t finished working. He had always dreamed of opening his own business, but hadn’t settled on what industry was right for him. A friend suggested that he try out working for his restoration company in his hometown of Las Vegas. Gary agreed to try it out for six months and quickly found it was the right industry for him. He offered to buy the company from his friend so he could run the business on his own. Gary’s company, Rapid Response Repair, became very successful within the Las Vegas community. After running the company for 13 years he had become a staple around town, but Gary dreamed bigger. He wanted more exposure on a national level and knew that partnering with a franchise brand was a way to get there. He began researching different opportunities for several months, but it quickly became apparent that The Dwyer Group’s Rainbow International outshined the competition. “I did a lot of research on my own because I wanted to join a company that was going to get me to the level I wanted to be at. I called the owners and past-owners of several companies and everyone at Rainbow International had such positive things to say about the support on all levels,” said Gary, “I knew this was the right fit for me.” With the help of the VetFran assistance program, Gary opened his business in March of 2011 and hasn’t looked back since. “My military experience absolutely prepared me to become a better business owner. My work as a recruiter prepared me for the sales element, the experience in infrastructure repair gave me more in depth knowledge about the restoration industry, and the discipline and training I was taught over all 24 years gave me the tools to run a solid business. I feel much more confident as a business owner with my background and am confident it has helped me succeed.” And what does Gary love most about this industry? “I love going into someone’s home after a disaster and being able to help them and give them the confidence that they hired the right people. Knowing that we were able to help them return to normal life is why I’m in this business.” by Brooke Wylie