Clyde Polk knows the meaning of a good work ethic and paying it forward.
Running track and cross country in high school as the team’s captain served as a foundation for Polk.
“That was my fun,” Polk said. “After we’d practice, I’d go home and work. My dad made sure someone picked me up and got me home so I could go to work. That’s where I learned my work ethic and to treat people the way you want to be treated.”
Kevin Addington graduated from Elizabethtown High School with Polk and remembers running track with him.
“He was a tremendous athlete,” Addington said. “I have always known him to work hard, and he is a savvy businessman.”
There isn’t a time Polk doesn’t remember working.
“I can remember when I was 2-years-old, I had on a blue plaid shirt, jeans and work boots, and I was carrying one brick. I remember it vividly,” Polk said. “We were moving a pile of bricks, and I was helping one brick at a time. I remember that like it was yesterday.”
Polk’s hard work and determination have paid off in a big way. Starting with an unlock service, he now owns his own towing service.
“I was always fascinated with cars and doors and stuff like that, so I wanted to look a little bit closer at the insides of the doors,” Polk said.
His father owned a demolition company, which provided ample opportunity to test his skills.
“At the junk yard when we were kids, we could do whatever we wanted to do. Dad would always tell us if we could fix a car and get it started, we could drive it. His only rule was don’t hit the barn,” Polk said with a laugh. “I remember it like it was yesterday; there were five of us, and we had a blast.”
Polk started his own trucking company years ago, an endeavor that landed him a lucrative contract with Fort Knox.
“I bought some trucks and turned them into nice trucks and eventually got some big contracts out of Fort Knox delivering Army equipment,” Polk said. “My life is kind of here, there and everywhere. From there, I got into the towing and recovery business, and I enjoy what I do.”
Clyde credits his success to the blessings of God and being surrounded by good people.
“I wouldn’t have any of this if it wasn’t for God, and I know that,” Polk said. “I’ve always had good people around me.”
Polk pays if forward by giving of his time and talents. As a director of the Lions Club, he has volunteered his time doing whatever it takes, from barbecuing chicken to sponsoring golf scrambles, to make their events a success.
Willie Oden, president of the Lions Club, observes Polk working behind the scenes.
“Clyde does a lot for people that they don’t even know about,” Oden said. “When he arrives on the scene of an automobile accident, he always makes sure everyone is OK. I’d call him an unsung hero.
“It’s not always about the money even though it’s your profession,” he added. “Sometimes it just comes from the heart, and that’s Clyde.”
Some of Polk’s fondest memories are of the car club he and his friend started in the ’90s.
“We had one of the first car clubs in Elizabethtown, Hittin’ Bottom Auto Club, and we had pretty much every kind of car you can imagine,” Polk said. “I was president of the club, and we had over 100 cars and did 19 car shows at Freeman Lake.”
Eventually, as the guys grew older and started families, the club broke up.
“We thought about doing another car show a few years ago, but I didn’t. Who knows, we might hold a 20th anniversary show some day,” Polk said.
Polk said the true purpose of the club was to help others.
“We were probably one of the first organizations to help people out,” he said. “There was a family in New Albany whose house caught on fire, and we collected stuff and took it up to the people. That’s what it was all about. We’d buy toys for kids at Christmas. It wasn’t about me or the club, it was about helping other people.”
Former Lions Club president and close friend of Polk’s, Brain Dennis, continues to see Polk’s desire to help others.
“I’ve known Clyde for over 20 years, and I think the best quality is his humility,” Dennis said. “I’ve never heard him brag, take credit or even acknowledge what he does for the community. I couldn’t count on both hands how many times I’ve personally seen, or at least heard about, him stepping up and taking time out of his busy schedule to help another person.”
Sometimes all it takes is Polk knowing a need is there for him to lend his support, Dennis said.
“All you have to do, in most cases, is casually mention a need in the community,” Dennis said. “He’ll never raise his hand to volunteer or commit to a project, but you can almost guarantee he’ll be one of the first people to arrive with a helping hand.”
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