A longtime business owner talks about the ups and downs over his company’s 76-year history.
Name: Joe Weis
Business: Weis Builders
Employees: Around 250 at four locations
Location: Rochester, Minnesota
Tell me about the history of your business.
My father started the business back in 1939. When he passed away in 1952, my brother Eugene and I took over. We were the only two employees then. We primarily did remodeling work then, and later on we got into custom homes, affordable housing and shopping centers. My brother passed away in 1983, which happened to be right around the time my sons were coming into the business, so they took the reins. Now my two sons, Jay and Erik, own all the stock in the company, and I’m chairman emeritus, which is a fancy title with no responsibility and no authority.
What’s changed for small business during the time you’ve been involved with Weis Builders?
Certainly there’s more intrusion of government into our business. I used to think my brother and I were the only two partners, and finally I woke up one day to the realization that I had three other partners: the local, state and federal government.
What have you enjoyed most about running your own business?
There’s a great sense of accomplishment when I can drive around and say, “Hey, look at that building—we built that.” And of course being in the affordable housing business, it’s nice to know we provided a decent home for an individual who couldn’t otherwise afford it.
You’re very politically active. What inspired you to get involved?
I’ve pretty much learned that if you aren’t at the table, you’re going to get eaten. I know that’s a bit of a cliché, but I really do think everybody has to be aware of what’s going on. I’ve been involved with the National Association of Home Builders, political action committees, The Associated General Contractors of America and of course being on the leadership council with NFIB.
Why did you get involved with NFIB?
I think it was back in the ‘70s. NFIB has always covered a lot of ground in terms of small business issues. I mentioned working with the National Association of Home Builders, but obviously they’re more focused on issues that affect the construction industry. NFIB covers the whole gamut: different industries and different issues—property taxes, income taxes, workers’ comp, everything. It’s a much broader coverage of services. So that variety is one of the main reasons why we’ve stuck with them after all these years.
What’s it like having a business that’s such a family tradition?
It’s very gratifying to see my sons take over and do so well with the business. I hate to admit it, but they’re the ones who have been responsible for the majority of our growth and expansion. And now I have two grandsons who are also interested in getting involved with the business. So when it comes time for them to take over, they’ll be the fourth generation. Seeing that work out is very satisfying.
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