From Humble Beginnings to New Horizons: The Story of Danny and Cindy Kosolofski and Dancin Oilfield Services

September 13, 2023

6 minutes read

Rain or Shine, for almost 27 years, Danny and Cindy Kosolofski have run an incredibly successful oil service business. Their story is one of determination, hard work, and the power of working together.

How did it all begin? Well, originally a welder by trade, Danny was working in production when the company he worked for was sold, which spurred him to branch out on his own.

“This was when I decided to start Dancin, and Cindy supported the idea. When we started out, we had one vehicle between the two of us, a half-ton truck. And I borrowed a truck box trailer, bought an old Miller 400 welder, and a Rubbermaid container for my tools. Every socket and hammer I bought was important because we couldn’t afford anything else. Now, as you move through life, those are the sort of things you take for granted,” shared Danny.

The early days saw them juggling family responsibilities and working on-site, with the children often accompanying them to the shop. “When we started out, Cindy had to gear everything at home to work with what I was doing. We only had one vehicle, so she got it once a month to get groceries. If she needed a haircut or anything, she took the kids with her. It was tough at times, but we made it work. And then, as time went on, we were able to get further into the industry by renting some equipment and some shop space and so on and so forth, and it just went from there.”

As the years went by, Dancin Oilfield Services grew steadily, expanding to include a large team of hardworking individuals who shared their dedication and work ethic. Danny and Cindy also diversified the company’s services and embraced new opportunities that came their way.

“I think the diversification came out of staying busy. We’ve seen a lot of ups and downs in this industry since we started, and there were many before that we didn’t see, and probably harder times than we’ve seen. Our focus was trying to stay busy and being diversified enough that if the oil patch was slow, we could do this. If the welding was slow, you could do that. And it kind of grew on its own out of those necessities,” explained Danny.

Danny and Cindy also give credit to the unwavering support of the local community and businesses. “We wouldn’t have been able to do what we’ve done without the support of those in the community, and we just want to really say thank you to all the businesses we have worked with. For example, Rick at Beck’s, he would let me charge fuel and pay it at the end of the month. Acklands Grainger at the time was also huge for us. Our local banks helped us through the years. No business starts without financing of some sort, and we were lucky we had some incredible bank managers over the years. Sometimes I would be out in the field all day and couldn’t get in during banking hours so, one of the loan managers would bring the papers over. Even if it was 9:30 at night, he’d stop in and go over it with me.”

Over the years, Dan and Cindy’s commitment to their employees has remained constant. Their employees are treated like family, with their well-being and livelihoods always a top priority. The company’s success is a reflection of the strong relationships they cultivated over time.

“We’ve been blessed with some of the best employees that a person could ever ask for. We’ve talked about it many times, and you look back at how many incredible people we worked with and are still friends with, even though they’ve moved on. I have a big sense of pride in how successful a lot of our past employees have become; it’s great to see what they are capable of,” said Danny.

As the company evolved, it eventually reached a pivotal juncture. After more than two decades of dedication and hard work, Dan and Cindy have made the decision to transition to a new phase in their lives. The business has grown, the children are grown, and the time had come to slow down and enjoy their hard work.

“It feels like the right time. We know our employees are not going to have a hard time finding a job, and for us, it’s time to slow it down, so we are winding things down,” said Cindy.

“We are happy to announce that we have chosen Ritchie Brothers to represent and handle our auction as we felt that they could do the best job of representing our business and marketing it to as many people and companies as possible.”

The Dancin/Ritchie Brothers online auction is set to open on September 8 and close September 14. “Everything will sell on the 14th. All the equipment, trucks, everything inside the shop, but not the shop it’s self. All the welders, the hand tools, all the specialty equipment, everything will be going. This didn’t really hit me until the other day when I walked in there, and you think back to the first socket set you bought and that Rubbermaid container and how important that was to you. And I don’t think anyone realizes what that does to someone when you see all your stuff, every piece that was hard-earned and important to you, laid out knowing it’s gonna go. I went into the shop the other day and I thought to myself, I remember the first day we all stood in here after the cement was poured and we were like, wow, this thing is big!” shared Danny.

But even though things are changing for Cindy and Danny, their place is still home. “It will be strange to see the shop empty, but this is the next step,” shared Dan. “Now is a good time to say ‘whoa not, go, go, go.’ We are looking forward to doing a few things that we haven’t done in forever. I remember we took our honeymoon ten years after we were married. That’s how long it took before we could go take a little holiday somewhere. So now we are going to catch up on us and then take a breath, and then we’ll figure it out! But I’m not retiring. We’re not in a position to retire, but our kids are all grown up, they’re doing their own things, so everything kind of lined up. We’re gonna take some time, but we’re going to continue working. I’m actually looking forward to working for somebody else!”

“Anybody that knows Danny knows he cannot sit still, so I’m sure there’s many things he will do. But things right now will be more geared around us. We want to get back to doing a bit of ranching. So, when you’re doing stuff like that, you’re never out of work, right?” laughed Cindy.

Although the decision to step back from the business was not an easy one, it was made with careful consideration. Through their dedication, Danny and Cindy created a business that provided for their family, supported their employees, and contributed positively to the local community. As they embrace this next step, they do so knowing this is only the start of their next chapter.

***We would like to thank Kindersley Social and Murlin Electronics and all their team, for all their support throughout the years and giving us this opportunity to tell our story and say thank you. We want to send a huge thank you out to all our clientele, the many, many people who helped us continue working through all the tough times, as well as the good times, there are far too many to list but you know who you are. Thank you to all the amazing staff we were blessed to work with throughout the years, and most of all, our kids who sacrificed many things to allow us to spend the time required to manage this company as well as working for Dancin Oilfield at times as required. It was a privilege to have shared our journey with great friends and family. We thank God for watching over us and our personnel and keeping us safe. Good luck to the next generation of entrepreneurs and all our local businesses. We wish you all the best.
– Dan, Cindy, and family***