Born and raised in South Bend Indiana, David Ankin, AKA “Doghouse” Dave, is a hands-on entrepreneur, former stunt man, motorcycle racer, and custom motor vehicle fabricator that specializes in one-off custom builds & OEM enhancements for anything with wheels! Ankin started off his career in entertainment doing live stunts as Batman for Warner Bros. in Texas. After 3 seasons there, he moved to South Carolina to focus on building businesses. This is where David earned the nickname “Doghouse Dave” as he managed and owned several popular bars along the east coast in hot spots like Myrtle Beach and Daytona, before moving up to Reidsville, NC to focus on his true passion and open the ToyMakerz shop.
“As a child, my father could fix, build and drive anything! He was a big kid at heart and still is today. In his circle he was known as “The Iron Man” because there was nothing he couldn’t make out of metal. He was always building the coolest toys. I learned a lot from watching him over the years, and he has been my biggest inspiration.”