APE APE Issue 0419 | Page 30

INDUSTRY NEWS From Grit to Great: Commitment to culture carries LeeBoy beyond its family roots his is the story about the build- ing of an iconic American brand. A tale of a farm boy who uses his ingenuity, grit and entrepre- neurial spirit to build a company that created an industry. In the company’s 55-year history are lessons of survival that hundreds of family-owned small businesses in the commercial paving in- dustry can relate to. Lesson 1: What’s your vision? At its core, the story of LeeBoy is about culture—of a time, of a place and From Left to right: Eric (son), Nelda (wife), Mike (son), Sissy (daughter), Keith (son) and Mr. BR Lee. of a man; and how that culture drove the development of a successful com- pany, enabling it to make the transition from a family-owned mom-and-pop operation to a corporation that domi- nates the domestic commercial paving market. Of course, Billy Robert (B.R.) Lee wasn’t thinking about any of that when he got out of the Army in 1962. He was 29 and wondering how he was going to support a young growing fam- ily in rural North Carolina. “In the army, Dad ran a motor grad- er. When he got out, he did grading for CUT STRIPING TIME BY 50 % Add the GL 1000 Laser Guidance System onto your existing equipment! AR • One Person Operation 3 0 DAY • NO Chalk or String Lines NEY BA MO ANTE E S FASTER - STRAIGHTER - EASY TO USE MANUFACTURING, INC. www.laserlinemfg.com 541-548-0882 For More Information On This Advertiser Please Visit www.CallAPE.com/e-inquiry www.callape.com [30] 1.800.210.5923