With a "steady hand," the 81-year-old says while he knows his company will thrive without him, he’s just not ready to part ways yet.
Twenty-nine years ago, Robert Sturtz purchased Slack Chemical,
a New York-based company dedicated to distribution, packaging and warehousing
chemicals. He only had eight employees and three trucks then.
But Sturtz knew he was the type of business owner who sought
room for improvement. To put it simply, he liked to watch things grow—watch
things get stronger. Now, he has 95 employees and over 100 vehicles, and his
company now serves New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Ohio—just to
name a few.
With a “steady hand,” the 81-year-old says while he knows his
company will thrive without him, he’s just not ready to part ways yet.
Sturtz shares the lesson he’s learned to continue his business’
prosperity: giving back to his employees and his community.
What would say are some
of the issues you face as a small business owner in this particular industry?
Our drivers have to be authorized to handle hazardous materials
and [have] a developed license. One of our difficulties is finding extra
drivers.
For this rural section, we have to be competitive with drivers’
wages. We probably have a higher paid scale across the board than the majority
of businesses. Part of that, we have a lot of long-term people. Some of the
drivers have been with us for 20 years.
We put a lot of money back in. We buy two or three trucks a
year. We don’t trade them in [trucks]. We usually run them until they have very
little value. We do basic [truck] maintenance on sight. We do a fair amount of
fabricating.
What advice do you have
for someone starting his own business?
I was never very comfortable with the “startup” thing. I was much
more comfortable taking something in and making it run better.
But the real entrepreneur is the fella who puts up a hot dog
stand and eventually sells a few. And finally goes across town and goes from
there. I guess my advice would be to have a dream, first of all, but be
familiar with what the demands are going to be, and don’t let your success
destroy you. You have to pay for goods and services, but you have to put money
back to whatever business you’re in.
What would you say has
been an important lesson you’ve learned in owning this business for over two
decades?
I learned a great deal through my previous employment. I
observed what you shouldn’t do for your employers. Don’t be jealous of them. Be
trustworthy. If you have [an employee] you can’t trust, don’t keep them on. I
think we have a great relationship here with people. I no longer have to manage
the day-to-day operations personnel. My success, I think, has a lot to do with
finding the right people.
I felt somewhat guilty on not having the time to spend on a lot
of boards, even though I’ve been on several. But I have tried to give back to
the communities financially. I have a college theater that has our name on it,
and a couple hospitals with considerable fundraising plaques with our names on
it. I think that sends a good message, overall. We are able to give back and
participate in a lot of things that go on [around here].
There’s more to a job than income, but we basically go to work
to provide for ourselves. So, that’s something to keep in mind.
What’s your favorite
part about being a small business owner?
I think the freedom to make decisions. I’m not a committee
person. I do sit down with the management people and discuss what we’re doing,
and I take input. But it’s not a voting thing. I’ve done things that I could
have never done if I had a partner, as far as investing and buying and putting
money back into business.
What are your thoughts
on the way New York treats its small businesses?
If I wanted to start a business in this point and time in New
York, I wouldn’t start it. It’s heavily taxed, and the new regulations are very
strict. I believe strongly in the right to work and fund the right to work, but
money is not good in New York. New York has a strong union when it comes to the
metropolitan part of the state.
