NFIB

Since the founding of Willson Builders in 1981, the company has grown from a small carpentry sub-contracting company to a $40 million operation that now specializes in general contracting and construction management. Over the past 26 years, brothers Paul "Bud" Willson and John Willson have grown their business to become a leading commercial and industrial contractor in Northwest Ohio. The company now has 65 team members, including five family members, and take on projects ranging from small office renovations to large out-of-the-ground commercial buildings.

In 2000, Willson Builders joined NFIB with the hope of having greater access to legislators and more information on the issues related to their business. 

"We perceived that NFIB would provide for us a more direct conduit to the Statehouse for issues which have a great impact on our day to day business operations," said John Willson, president of Willson Builders. "Now we are able to stay close to legislative issues which may affect us. We also feel we can voice concerns through NFIB and those concerns will be heard in Columbus and Washington, D.C." 

As a member of NFIB, Willson Builders understands that not all small-business owners participate in the legislative process, so it is important that they do their part to speak up on behalf of businesses like theirs.

"We continually try to bring issues to light which are not unique to our business. It is our hope that the businesses who do participate in the process will help everyone to benefit from positive change," said Willson.

Like many small businesses in Ohio, Willson Builders finds the workers' compensation system and the tax structure to be difficult to navigate at times. 

"Workers' compensation costs are high and continue to rise year after year. Because of how Ohio's system is set up, it is difficult for small businesses to become self-insured, thus having to pay huge premiums into the system," Willson said. "Additionally, the county to county differences in sales tax and the overall complexity of tax law are also huge struggles for our business."

At the end of the day, the team at Willson Builders can feel a sense of accomplishment because they continually help clients realize lifelong dreams by providing quality workmanship on their construction projects. 

"In addition to providing our clients with a quality product, we enjoy providing jobs to our employees and giving them the opportunity to continually grow in their careers," Willson said.