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Small Business of the Year Finalists
ANDGAR CORPORATION
MT. BAKER MOTO-SPORTS, LLC
PARTS WAREHOUSE, INC.
SEA SPORT BOATS, INC.
SECURITY SOLUTIONS NW
ANDGAR CORPORATION
Gary VanLoo and Andy Mellema of Andgar
Corporation in Ferndale
When you ask the folks at Andgar Corporation in Ferndale to describe their core business, be prepared for a mouthful.
Though it keeps its focus on the products and services that it made its name on – namely heating, air conditioning and architectural metals – Andgar’s years of growth and success have also given it the opportunity to diversify into several other areas, including the manufacture of food-processing and factory line equipment, and the construction of high-tech sorting machines and even biogas digesters that turn methane into energy.
Andgar President Gary VanLoo and Vice President Andy Mellema took over the 70-year-old company in 1973, and said its only limitations are the capabilities of the equipment it uses.
“I used to say, ‘the equipment doesn’t know what job it’s doing,’” he said. “Some people might specialize in one area – most everything we do is related to working with metal in one way or another – but the equipment we have is capable of these other things too.”
VanLoo added that Andgar’s ability to wear so many hats so comfortably is both a testament to the talents of its talented employees and a result of constantly looking for new opportunities.
“Back in ’73, we never thought we’d be building manure digesters or high-tech fruit sorting equipment,” he said. “Without our mainstays – heating, air conditioning and architectural metals – we never would have had the opportunity to explore these other areas. Anything high tech or new is a result of the hard work continuing to be done in those areas.”
Andgar recently completed construction of a biogas digester for Vander Haak Dairy in Lynden, and now is a finalist for the 2004 Small Business of the Year award. Andgar has the West Coast rights for biogas digesters designed by GHD, Inc. of Wisconsin, and VanLoo said they saw methane digestion as a way to help his clients and the environment at the same time.
“We’re always looking for ways to increase our services, and from an environmental standpoint, this was a good idea,” he said. “There are other (digestion) systems out there, but this is a cost-effective way that’s proven.”
VanLoo said their customers can only expect Andgar’s diversity of products to increase.
“We just want to continue to be a service-oriented company, meeting the needs of a changing world,” he said. “We are proud to be able to serve our quality clients.”
MT. BAKER MOTO-SPORTS, LLC
Dana and Diana Johnson of Mt. Baker Moto-Sports
in their new, expanded showroom of motorcycles,
quads and Jet-Skis.
It may still be a little chilly to drag out the Jet-Ski, but if you bought one in the last three years, there is a good chance you got it from Dana Johnson at Mt. Baker Moto-Sports.
Johnson bought out Steve Baker Kawasaki in 2002, then located on Meridian Street. The motorcycle, quad and Jet-Ski dealership doubled its business for each of the next three years, changed its name and last year moved to a larger, more accessible site on Home Road.
Johnson said the company looks forward to continued growth, but said he is proud of the major goals it has already realized.
“Becoming a bigger and better business and getting a bigger and better location was always our plan,” he said.
Johnson added that part of what makes Mt. Baker Moto-Sports successful is the fact that, despite its growth, it hasn’t lost the personal touch of a smaller dealership.
“We have a friendly, knowledgeable staff,” he said. “We’re a bigger shop with a smaller-shop mentality.”
With growth, however, does come some adjustment. The dealership is still getting used to its new home, and a new computer system designed to streamline its operations.
“We came from no computer to one that’s very tough,” he said.
Johnson said the company’s expansion to a larger site has allowed it to increase its line of products and its ability to meet its customers’ needs.
“We’ve been able to grow and serve the public better,” he said. “We’ve become the business people come to, rather than the little guy down the block. We’re not Wal-Mart and that’s not where we’re headed, but we’ve gotten to the point where when someone comes in looking for something, we’ve got it.”
It is this continued growth and Mt. Baker Moto-Sports’ commitment to integrity in its dealings that make it a finalist for the 2004 Small Business of the Year award.
PARTS WAREHOUSE, INC.
National Sales Manager Jim Anderson, Operator
Cindy Heins and President Al Kennedy
When staring up at the blinding fluorescent bulb from at
Parts Warehouse, Inc. in Lyndena dentist’s chair, drooling from novocaine and fearing the worst, you probably are not asking yourself who built the high-tech equipment invading your mouth. However, there is a good chance that some of it came from right here in Whatcom County.
Parts Warehouse in Lynden has manufactured and distributed dental equipment service parts to dealers and manufacturers throughout the United States and around the world since 1996, and its continuing growth and success has now spurred the construction of a new building, scheduled to be finished in August.
“Right now, we’re wall to wall, floor to ceiling,” said partner and sales manager Jim Anderson.
Parts Warehouse moved out of two small rental spaces to its current location in 1998 to accommodate its expanding operations, and just seven years later needs even more space.
“At that time (the current warehouse) looked huge,” Anderson said. “This has been quite a growing process making this work.”
He added that he and his partners, President Al Kennedy and Controller Cindy Heins, enjoy the fact that good news for Parts Warehouse is also good news for the community and the local economy.
“It’s win-win,” he said. “We increase our business at the same time as helping the community by providing new jobs.”
Parts Warehouse now employs 21 people, and each gets a day off each month as well as the occasional “get out of jail free card,” another personal day given in recognition of hard work. In return, Anderson sees low turnover.
“Our turnover has been very gratifying,” he said. “Most of our employees have been here for some time.”
When asked what achievement he is most proud of, Anderson said the fact that his company is still in business is good enough for him.
“Starting a new business and getting over the ‘hump’ years is pretty gratifying in itself,” he said.
What makes Parts Warehouse unique as a supplier is its commitment to selling only dental service and repair parts, and its non-competitive approach to its dealings with customers. An introductory message on its Web home page puts it best:
“Our directive is clear and unfettered, our aim is true – we resolve not to compete with you. We view ourselves solely as a support system for dealers and manufacturers alike. Clear, focused and dedicated.”
Congratulations to Parts Warehouse for its continued growth and success, and for being a finalist for the 2004 Small Business of the Year.
SEA SPORT BOATS, INC.
Sea Sport Boats Vice President Scott Boyson shows
one of the company’s signature sports boats.
Some would say Sea Sport Boats, Inc. deserves an award just for surviving 50 years in the boat-building industry.
But a brief chat with President Jeff Lindhout and Vice President Scott Boysen is enough to explain why the family-owned company is up for the 2004 Small Business of the Year award.
“If you have anything but your pride in the product on your mind, you’ve missed the boat,” said Boysen.
Lindhout said that philosophy, coupled with a commitment to honesty and integrity in dealings with both customers and employees, has allowed Sea Sport Boats to thrive in a traditionally boom-and-bust market.
Frank Wright founded Wright Manufacturing Co. in Bellingham in 1955, building 12-foot car-top dinghies and selling them through the Sears catalog. Over the next 50 years, the company expanded into the manufacture of larger pleasure craft, gaining in popularity as Wright Bros., Inc.
In 2000, the Lindhout family – veteran Sea Sport dealers at the time – bought the company.
Sea Sport Boats now counts 65 employees, and manufactures approximately 120 boats each year from its Meridian Street facility. In fact, said Lindhout, the company would need to move, or expand, to handle any more volume.
“We’re maxed out,” Lindhout said. “We’ve got 16 boats (under construction) at any given time with a six- to eight-week turnaround.”
Boysen said part of the reason the company has done so well is that it has never tried to get ahead of itself.
“It’s relatively easy to start a small boat-building company,” he said. “But there are a lot of people out there who find themselves with a lot of orders, so they expand without any foresight.”
Boysen added that the company always tries to spend its money on improving its products and processes rather than on marketing and advertising, which he calls “fluff.”
“What gets you through the lean times are your repeat customers and word of mouth, not marketing and advertising,” he said. “We’d rather spend our money on keeping up with new techniques.”
Lindhout said they also make sure the company doesn’t overextend its capabilities.
“We’ve never tried to be anything we’re not,” he said. “We know what we’re good at and we never stray from that. First and foremost, we adhere to the principle of building the highest quality boats we can. If we do that, we have customers.”
And they do have customers, lots of them. Last July, Sea Sport Boats had its First Annual Boating Rendezvous at Roche Harbor, a social event in which owners of Sea Sport Boats got together to talk shop and check out each other’s boats.
Sea Sport filled every open slot, and Lindhout said the event’s success was due in part to the pride Sea Sport Boat owners take in their boats. He likened the occasion to a Harley-Davidson or classic car convention.
“There really is a sort of cult following for Sea Sport Boats,” he said.
So, do Lindhout and Boysen ever get a chance to boat?
“Being in the manufacturing environment, it can be hard to get out there on the water and see the fruits of our labor,” Lindhout said. “But we love it when we can.”
SECURITY SOLUTIONS NW
Tobey, Jamie and Jim Vos of Security
Solutions NW in Bellingham.
2004 Small Business of the Year finalist Security Solutions NW has been around almost as long as Bellingham has. Right around the time Whatcom, New Whatcom, Fairhaven and Bellingham consolidated into what is now Bellingham, Charlie Stanbra and Hugh Diehl opened the business as a gunsmith, locksmith and bicycle shop.
Over the next 100 years, the business continued to grow, and in 2004 officially introduced its new name, Security Solutions NW, to better reflect its broad range of services. Security Solutions is now a full-service residential and commercial security company providing everything from burglar alarms and fire-suppression equipment to keyless and card entry systems. In fact, it was one of the first companies in the area to offer any electronic security products. Bellingham Lock & Safe, a name most people in the county are familiar with, still operates as its retail mechanical security store.
Manager Jamie Vos said the company’s growth from its focus on locks and safes to its expansion into other security products has all been a result of customer feedback. He said listening to customers has been an important part of the company’s culture since his father Jim bought it in 1971.
“My dad bought the business in the 70s and he was very customer oriented,” he said. “So we just grew in the direction our customers asked us to. It sounds cliché, but we just listen to the customer – it’s about solving problems.”
He added that part of his job is to make sure to sell the right product to match a particular security concern, so he spends a lot of time making sure customers know what they are buying.
“Educate, educate, educate,” he said. “If someone wants Fort Knox just because they’ve been broken into, we often end up down-selling so they don’t end up spending $10,000.”
Security Solutions now employs 30 people, and Vos said they are the backbone of the business.
“I’m really proud of our employees,” he said. “They really focus well on working as a team. It’s really exciting to see that mindset of wanting to get the customer what they need.”
So, after 100 years in business, what next?
“Positive growth. As the market around here builds, I really feel that electronics is where things are going.”
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