Still Building America: A living legend on the Detroit manufacturing scene

The latest edition of the Still Building America series explores how Andy Didorosi became a living legend on Detroit manufacturing scene, creating The Detroit Bus Co. and then transforming to help fight against the spread of COVID-19 by producing hand sanitizer. All photos provided by Any Didorosi

Before there was “Tiger King,” there was Andy Didorosi, a living Detroit legend who once helped to trap a rogue tiger at the abandoned Packard Motor plant.

Not only is Andy known as the tiger guy around the Detroit area, but also the Thunderdrome guy, the scooter guy, the Tesla rally car guy, and the guy who once accidentally bought all of the light-up tarmac and runway signs from Tulsa International Airport. He is also The Detroit Bus Co. founder guy and, more recently, the Arsenal of Clean guy. We typically call him our friend, Andy.

Andy the Bus Boy

Andy was 16 years old and bussing tables at a local Italian restaurant when he bought a ‘91 Oldsmobile Cutlass at a police auction for $200. He took on the project of fixing it up and sold it on Craigslist for $1,200. Realizing that car rehab was more lucrative than clearing tables, he quit his restaurant gig and bought a few more cars to fix up. Renting the corner of a small shop to do the work, Andy kicked off his entrepreneurial journey. He says, “I started a few small businesses before I really knew what I was doing.”

After graduating from high school, Andy started his short-lived college experience to become a mechanical engineer. He sums up that part of his life saying, “I tried.” So he continued to fix up cars and kept growing into larger shop spaces. Eventually he upgraded to an airport hangar at the Detroit City Airport, but he was kicked out by the FAA for nonaviation use.

From there Andy found a new space, and by 22 years old he opened Paper Street, a small business incubator that offered inexpensive space to other entrepreneurs. He and some friends also started a little racing series called The Thunderdrome! on an abandoned Detroit velodrome.

Andy Becomes the Bus Guy

“In 2011, I got the idea that Detroiters needed a better way to get around. The public transportation system takes hours to navigate if the buses even run a route to your neighborhood. Typical to the hustle, I bought a bus, had an artist friend paint it up, and we hit the road running a route around the city of Detroit where you could ride as much as you wanted for just $5. That’s how The Detroit Bus Company was born. I became we and the team was on.”

Andy says, “We’re growing roots to every neighborhood in the city to build a grassroots system to increase access for all the citizens. Whether that’s a simple ride to school, work, or a lap around town to explore opportunities and see new things; a ride can be a powerful thing.

“We started giving free rides to Detroit students in 2012 as a way to increase their access to the system of resources available to them outside of their neighborhoods. With one 24-seater bus, we gave 5,711 rides during the 2012-2013 school year.”

As The Detroit Bus Co. grew, it began to offer city tours and bus rentals, and in 2016 it launched the Ride for Ride program where for every tour ticket sold, a Detroit kid would get a safe ride.

“There’s a tremendous need for safe youth transportation in Detroit, yet most schools and programs cannot afford the high cost of bussing. We work closely with quality youth programs to identify the kids most in need of transportation to build true educational equality across all neighborhoods.”

The Ride for Ride program creates the possibility of better attendance and graduation rates as well as increased safety. Kids get rides to after-school programs, which include sports and tutoring - it’s life-changing.

The Detroit Bus Co. team increasingly realized what it would take to tackle youth transit issues and knew they could not do it alone. In June 2019 Ride for Ride Inc. became an official federally recognized 501(c)(3) charity.

Andy says, “With Ride for Ride being able to accept donations of vehicles, money, and resources directly, it can provide its own impact to the city without the constraints of being dependent on a for-profit business.”

As Andy’s ventures expanded, so did his heart for Detroit kids. In 2018 he came up with Play Free Bird, which gave away $30,000 in free scooters in partnership with donors, volunteers, and the Razor Scooter company.

Andy and the Arsenal of Clean

In March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the city of Detroit and hit hard. The Detroit Bus Co. was forced to shut down, but Andy and his team of 38 employees began to dream up how they could save the bus company and continue to serve the community. Wanting to fulfill a big need, they considered delivery services or manufacturing masks, but eventually decided to address the critical need for hand sanitizer.

In what seemed like an overnight effort, The Detroit Bus Co. transformed its warehouse into an efficient manufacturing facility. Using the World Health Organization standard for hand sanitizer - isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, distilled water, and glycerin - it started small. It looked like they could source enough material for only one batch. And that first batch sold out in one day.

Moving quickly to source scarce materials, Andy was able to secure enough for a second batch, and then they got an order from a major local hospital for 1,000 gal. The state of Michigan then stepped in to help the team secure a train car of ingredients from a major Michigan manufacturer. Demand was on the rise.

Just two weeks after launching the new sanitizer product, Andy said, “You don't have to have all the pieces in place to start making a difference. Just start doing something; the resources and good people will find you.”

Dozens of people stepped up to bring PPE, coffee, snacks, and even packing and production supplies. Many volunteered their time on the production line.

By the end of March, Andy said, “We're constantly increasing production and trying to get to the point where Detroit has a SURPLUS of sanitizer. This is what Detroit does. We retool. We figure it out. We keep moving even when everyone says it's impossible. We can be down but we're never out. This is the spark that you feel when you visit our block. We get it done.”

Andy Didorosi launched The Detroit Bus Company in 2011.

One month into production the team had produced over 12,000 gal. of FDA-approved hand sanitizer.

By April 27 The Detroit Bus Co. was able to hire back employees who had been laid off and it was hiring new full-time employees with paid time off, overtime, and paid health care and dental.

On April 28 the team announced the Bottle for Bottle mission. “It didn’t take much deliberation to realize that we should just keep it simple: Since Ride for Ride was such a success, why not continue the mission as Bottle for Bottle. For every bottle sold, one is donated. We wanted our donated bottles to have a huge impact in the most vulnerable communities,” Andy said.

Production continued to ramp up, and the process became more streamlined as new equipment rolled onto the warehouse floor and the orders poured in like crazy. By June a new company was created: The Arsenal of Clean. Bulk hand sanitizer is available for purchase with free shipping for orders more than $99.

“We're in this for the long haul. We're going to build on Detroit's manufacturing prowess to produce enough of this stuff that nobody is left wanting. We're going to expand into new product lines like gels, dispensers, skin care, surface disinfectants, and more. We're going to hire more people at a thriving wage. Everyone here gets health care, paid time off, and other essential benefits.”

Follow Andy, The Detroit Bus Co., and The Arsenal of Clean on Instagram and on Facebook.

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