Small Family Businesses Make Big Impacts

This Leadership Insights piece looks at what this segment of the VT industry can offer.

For more than 35 years, my mom ran her own produce business. My siblings and I grew up helping her run the business. As the customers arrived, my mom would greet everyone by calling them “Honey.” This explains why the business was named Honey’s Produce. Mom taught me the value of appreciating customers, and it was not unusual for me to see her dropping an extra tomato or cucumber into the customer’s check-out bag.

Mom ran the produce business until she became too ill, and this past January, she passed away unexpectedly from heart-related complications. I will always remember how much she loved every minute of running Honey’s Produce, and I am glad I had the chance to work alongside her. I am a stronger small business owner today because of the lessons she taught me.

When I was asked to write about the importance of small businesses in our industry, especially shortly after my mom’s passing, I was excited to have a chance to advocate for small businesses, not only as a tribute to my mom but also for the millions of small business owners who are getting up early every morning, finding ways to make ends meet, providing jobs for their local community and making a big difference in our industry. I am excited to spotlight two elevator service providers in our industry: General Elevator Solutions, based out of Cape Coral, Florida, and Albany Elevator, based out of Albany, Georgia.

General Elevator Solutions, LLC was founded by John Atherton in August 2012. Larry Hubbard Jr. was made a managing partner in 2015. Their core focus is service, repair and modernization of local elevators. Many of the family members are part of the staff in different roles within the company’s day-to-day operations. The biggest advantage General Elevator Solutions has as a small elevator business is its ability to make quick decisions and resolve day-to-day issues quickly. Atherton and Hubbard worked in the field as seasoned elevator mechanics. In larger elevator companies, the senior leaders may not have the hands-on field knowledge and experience with elevators. “Our customers know us personally and can meet and talk to us at any time, thus providing them with a level of trust they haven’t seemed to have had with a larger company,” Atherton said.

Atherton shared that running a small elevator service company requires everyone to pitch in, from answering the phone, payroll, human resource, billing, parts acquisitions, delivery, service mechanic and modernization mechanic to just about anything else you can imagine in the daily operations of an elevator company. This high level of teamwork is what makes General Elevator Solutions successful as a small business in the industry. 

Albany Elevator was founded by Jim and Nancy Thomas in April 1966. The company maintains, repairs, modernizes and installs commercial passenger and freight elevators, as well as residential elevators and vertical platform lifts. Jim and Nancy Thomas’ son, Gary Thomas, is the current sole owner with his three children working within the business. Adam Thomas, one of the children working in the business, shared that one of the significant advantages of running a small family business is the close-knit familial bond that often translates into a strong company culture. This closeness fosters trust, loyalty and a sense of shared purpose among all employees. Family businesses can make decisions swiftly due to the streamlined decision-making process. With less bureaucracy, the company can respond swiftly to market changes and customer’s needs. Adam Thomas said:

“Small family businesses tend to have a long-term perspective, focusing on generational continuity rather than short-term gains. This leads to sustainable growth strategies and a commitment to legacy-building, from which employees and customers both benefit.”

According to the latest figures from the U.S. Small Business Administration, 33.3 million businesses in the U.S. qualify as a small business, making up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses. Across the vertical-transportation (VT) industry, there are thousands of small businesses providing specialized services and supplies to drive the industry forward. Like General Elevator Solutions and Albany Elevator, every small business is making a big impact in our industry by offering customers an alternative to larger VT companies. Small family businesses are where it all starts, and they are the engine that will continue to drive innovation and increased value for our industry for generations to come. “A big business starts small,” said Richard Branson, British business magnate and founder of the Virgin Group.