Garage door industry magazine for garage door dealers, garage door manufacturers, garage door distributors, garage door installers, loading docks, garage door operators and openers, gates, and tools for the door industry.
Issue link: https://idoi.epubxp.com/i/255259
36 International Door & Operator Industry™ With those timeless lessons learned through frsthand observation, Jonathan Stewart and his parents began discuss- ing succession in early 2012. The deci- sion has been made, Jonathan said, that he will one day own the company, but there remain details to be determined and in the meantime, he is gaining ad- ditional responsibilities and becoming the day-to-day manager of the business. His background as a hard-working employee of the company is invaluable as a manager. "I worked my way up, and any busi- ness owner would beneft from that experience," Stewart said. "You learn that if you take care of the details, the big picture takes care of itself. You know what your people are dealing with because you've been there. You understand what customers are like because you've worked with them." Another quality that Jonathan has learned from his father is industry leadership. Dewey Stewart was an original member of the Central States Door Dealers Association and an six-year member of the IDEA Board of Directors. He was the central fgure in creating the industry's Apprenticeship Program marshalling it through to approval by the U. S. Department of Labor. He has been a frequent seminar leader at regional events and the IDA Expo. Jonathan, meanwhile, has followed that same path. He was elected a year ago to the CSDDA Board of Directors and more recently has been selected as the next President of the group's St. Louis Chapter. He aspires to serve on the IDA and/or IDEA board of directors in the future. With regards to the future, Jonathan Stewart says the lessons learned from his father are his guiding force. "Dad always taught me how important it is to be honest with your customers, good to your employees and active in your industry. I think that formula is good. My dad would never set his kids up to fail. I'm going to stick with the road we're on." Big Shoes to Fill, Big Expectations CINCINNATI, OH – When Adam Weber made the decision to pursue the family business as his career, he knew there would be expectations of him that would go beyond a typical father- to-son succession plan. Bill Weber, the founder of AE Door & Window, is more than the company owner. He's a local celebrity. So are, in a manner of speaking, Adams's sisters, Amy and Erin, whose names form the "AE" company name and whose im- ages and personalities have for many years been central to the company's massive advertising efforts. They are part of the company's logo. So, when Adam Weber concluded a successful competitive waterskiing career at Florida Southern College in 2006, he knew that flling his father's shoes was not going to be a simple task, nor was a he even certain he wanted to do it. After competing in four national waterskiing champion- ships and earning a degree in Com- munications from the Lakeland-based college, Adam, had acquired a different set of skills than those possessed and polished by his famous dad. "I had worked here (AE Door & Window) in high school, in the warehouse, as an installer and later as an operations manager," Adam Weber said. "When I returned as an Assistant Operations Manager in 2006, it took another year for me to decide I wanted to stay in the business." Bill Weber, whose high profle televi- sion and radio advertising campaigns include sponsorships of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals, has been an indus- try-leading trendsetter in building a company and family image, noted that the two namesakes of the company had already decided to go in another direction, yet he couldn't force his wishes on Adam. "My dream was that he would take over the company, but I had to make sure that's what he wanted to do," said Bill Weber. "And, I couldn't dangle privileges in front of him to entice him to want to do this. He had to want it for himself. That's the only way it could work." Adam was encouraged to use his talents for the beneft of the company. One area in which he brought a new perspective was in technology and au- tomation. He took the company from pen and paper to keyboards and digital screens; from handwritten directions to GPS technology. It wasn't an easy task as many within the company had to learn new ways of doing things, but the advantages were clear. Adam's touches on the company were having a positive impact. "He brought a lot of new thinking to the company," said Bill Weber. "He had expertise I didn't have in technology and he brought us a lot of innovation. After six years, Adam had earned his stripes." Adam spent six years in management before he was granted senior management status. He was often kept on the other side of the door from senior management meetings, and he didn't always understand why, but it was for a good reason. The perception that the owner's son was being handed the company was one that Bill Weber (continued from page 34) Continued on page 38 Bill and Adam Weber MANAGEMENT 1/24/14 10:51 AM