In December 2007, we introduced you to the VanPolen Family of McBain, Mich., as they were coming to grips with the death of father and husband Bill VanPolen, the rock solid foundation of their family business, VanPolen Portables.
It was a sad, but inspirational holiday-season story about Bill’s struggles with serious illness and how his wife, Dollene, and in particular, their spunky daughter, Mary, worked hard to preserve the business in a tough situation. They persevered, and a year ago we caught up with them to find Mary contemplating whether or not she would throw herself full-bore into portable sanitation or choose a different career path.
Candid in her response to finding herself immersed in her parents’ business, Mary admitted she didn’t know how she wanted to proceed back then. Dollene, dealing with grief while the business phone kept ringing, also didn’t have any answers about the future of the company.
It was the kind of story anyone who operates small businesses could relate to. I suspect the VanPolens’ plight sparked more than one kitchen table discussion among families who could imagine themselves in the same situation one day. I know hearing of their struggles firsthand made me pause and reflect about the fragile web that holds a family business together.
THE NEXT STEP
Closing in on two years after Bill VanPolen’s death, there’s a resolution to the story. It’s a tale of the strength of a mother-daughter relationship and fidelity of extended family that is rare in a day where people are constantly on the move.
Last fall, Mary VanPolen told her mom she wanted to return to her past career as a dental hygienist and leave the portable sanitation business. Dollene respected her decision, but had made it clear that if Mary left the business, she would get out as well. As luck would have it, Dollene found a buyer just a few miles down their country road, as her nephew Ken VanPolen and his wife, Landa, jumped at the opportunity.
Discussing how to go about selling the business, Dollene’s son, Scott, wondered if his cousin Ken would be interested.
“We gave him a call on a whim, and he was over here within the hour, so I guess he was quite interested,’’ Dollene recalled. The two families informally plotted out a transition over the winter, and Ken took over the business in February. “And he didn’t have to change the stickers on the door or the name anywhere. If my ads are still in the Yellow Pages, the phone number is still correct,’’ Dollene said.
The opportunity to carry on his uncle Bill’s business made a lot of sense to Ken VanPolen. Working in a machine shop that served primarily the auto industry, he was uncertain what the tough economy would bring. Being handy with tools and growing up working hard on a farm, Ken knew he would be cut out for the new job. And he admitted an emotional motivator.
“Uncle Bill was always my favorite uncle,’’ Ken said. “He was always good to me. We grew up on the farm with him being around and I really respected him. He always looked out for our interests, and he sure left a hole in this community (when he died).’’
Ken admitted he’d never considered getting into portable sanitation until Dollene’s call. But it didn’t take him long to see how it might be a good move.
GOOD CAREER MOVE
“The automotive industry has been tough the last four or five years. A lot of companies went bankrupt and there were other companies in a lot of turmoil,’’ he said. But much like a side business he already ran making seamless gutters, Ken saw portable sanitation as a necessary service that might weather a bad economy better than automotive-related businesses.
That’s not to say portable sanitation is booming in Lower Michigan. Quite the contrary, VanPolen Portables, with about 175 portable restrooms, has suffered just as restroom companies have almost everywhere. Dollene said the recession devalued the business, and probably didn’t make this the best time to sell.
For Ken and Landa, there is a small silver lining to the economic downturn. It’s given them a chance to ease into a business they knew nothing about.
“There’s a lot more to it than I anticipated,’’ Ken said. “It’s kind of new to us and we’re learning the ropes. The bookwork has been a little overwhelming. That’s never been one of my gifts.’’
The couple will both run service routes, and their 16-year-old son, Ryan, and 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, will do what they can to help out. And the former owners have pledged to help ease their cousins into the tough jobs.
What also makes the transition easier is that the inventory and equipment will stay put on Dollene’s land. For the time being, the families have agreed to let the yard stand pat, while Ken moved the office down the road to his kitchen table. Dollene will be around for the inevitable questions that come up, and she’s happy to lend a hand in the transition.
Dollene said she told Ken, “I have a head full of information, but I’m not going to give it to you until you need it.’’ She knows the business she and Bill worked so hard to build is in good hands … and there’s something reassuring to her about it remaining in the extended family.
MARY MADE IT FUN
She thought she’d be upset about giving up the business, but Dollene hasn’t felt any regrets. She said she will miss catching up with industry friends met at the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo over the years. Though she and Bill didn’t spend much time discussing what would happen to the company when he was gone, she thinks he’d be surprised they kept it going as long as they did.
The bottom line for Dollene was the precious time she got to spend working with her daughter.
“Without Mary, it’s just lost its pizzazz. Without her, I didn’t have any desire anymore,’’ Dollene said. “We worked together wonderfully, and I couldn’t have asked for better help.’’
