5 firms to compete for small-business honor

"We play to win" is the theme of this year's Small Business Week, and the five finalists for the W. Curtis Strube Small Business of the Year Award have done just that. Regardless of who walks away with the trophy, each of these local companies stands on its own merit.

Aire-Master of America Inc.

Aire-Master, a 42-year-old company based in Nixa, produces odor-control products, hand soaps and cleaning supplies. It provides restroom deodorizing and fixture cleaning services, and has 52 franchises in 33 states and Canada, and 150 distributors of its EsScents line

Douglas McCauley, son of chairman and founder Jerry McCauley, is president of the company. Walter Heinle is executive vice president and the designer of the firm's proprietary Route-Master software. Jim Roudenis is franchise director, and Doug Burton is Aire-Master's Web master and works on marketing materials and videos.

The headquarters in Nixa has 66 employees involved in manufacturing, research and development, quality control, franchise support, marketing and route servicing. Sales have grown steadily, with an 11 percent jump in sales last year to $4.4 million.

In January, Aire-Master was recognized as No. 360 on a list of the top 500 franchise opportunities in the world by Entrepreneur magazine. The firm was also ranked No. 27 among the top low-cost investment opportunities worldwide in the March 2000 Income Opportunities magazine Platinum 150 list.

Carnahan-White Fence Co.

Founded by Garnett Carnahan in 1952 as Carnahan Fence Company, the business was sold to W.E. and June White in 1958 and was renamed Carnahan-White Fence Co.

Steve White, son of W.E. and June White, joined the family business in 1964. After W.E. White's death in 1986, Steve White became president of Carnahan-White while running his own company, Ozark Timber Treating Co. of St. Joe, Ark.

In 1995, Stacey Hammit, who is married to Steve White's daughter, Carrie Hammit, joined the company. Stacey Hammit is now vice president/general manager; Carrie Hammit handles advertising for the company. Pat Giberson, with the company since 1966, is secretary/treasurer and comptroller, and Roger Piper is sales manager.

Located at 2155 S. Campbell in Springfield, the company employs 42. In 1998 the company expanded its focus to include the access-control business with the purchase of D&J Automatic, started by DeWayne Clinton, vice president and general manager, in 1986.

Additionally, the company's gate and iron shop has moved to a larger location to accommodate that growing sector of business much of it for gated subdivisions.

Environmental Works Inc.

Environmental Works was started in 1992 by environmental consultant Robin E. Melton and partner Deborah Paulsen with an initial investment of $3,500.

Melton bought out Paulsen's share of the business in 1995 when the two partners began to have different visions for the company. Since its first year, Environmental Works has grown from two to 22 employees, and sales went from $48,000 to several million dollars in 1999.

The company's services include regulatory compliance; solid and hazardous waste management and remediation; due diligence assessments; petroleum storage tank management, compliance and remediation; underground storage tank closure; subsurface investigation, drilling and monitoring; asbestos inspections; stormwater and wastewater compliance, permits and plans; emergency/hazardous materials response and industrial cleaning and field services.

Environmental Works' management team includes Rita Neff, office manager; LeeAnna Herd, controller; and Jeff Davis, technical services manager. Suzan Gonder, Greg Bischof and David Vaughan are senior consultants.

Maschino's Home Expressions

The Maschino name became part of the Springfield business community in 1903, when Schaeffer-Maschino Hardware opened on Commercial Street. E.J. Maschino, son of Schaeffer-Maschino founder George Maschino, opened his own hardware store in 1952 at 1715 S. Campbell Ave.

After attending college and working as a teacher, Nancy Maschino Brown, the third generation in the business, did all the company's bookkeeping at home while caring for her two eldest children. She later worked on the sales floor and took over managing the store with her husband, Gary Brown, after E.J. Maschino died in 1972. Maschino Brown's mother, Leola, worked in the store until 1977.

In the early 1980s, the store was renamed Maschino's Home Expressions. It caters to customers seeking high-quality, long-lasting furniture, grills and hearths for their homes, poolside, porches or lakeside cottages.

Its customers come from as far as 100 miles away from Springfield, Maschino Brown said.

Maschino's has 18 employees, several of whom have been with the company from 13 to 24 years. Gary Brown is president and Greg Nutting is general manager.

PJC Insurance

PJC Insurance is a commercial insurer specializing in trucking operations. Founded in 1968 as Darrell Proctor Insurance Services by Darrell and Danette Proctor, the company merged with Jarvis & Associates, owned by brothers Burl and Paul Jarvis in 1981. In 1985, Proctor-Jarvis Associates merged with competitor Chappell Insurance, owned by brothers Dennis and Steve Chappell, to become PJC Insurance.

PJC, which employs 45 and specializes in insuring Midwestern truck fleets from one to 200, has its own 30,000-square-foot, four-story building at 1801 W. Norton Road.

In early 1995, partner Burl Jarvis died, and Paul Jarvis sold his interest in the firm to the Proctors and Chappells. Darrell Proctor is co-owner and administrative manager; Danette Proctor is comptroller. Bret McGowne is office and personnel manager.

In 1991, PJC Insurance cut its staff from 60 to 32 when the company it used to write half of its insurance business pulled out. PJC diversified quickly, adding insurance companies to cover its existing book of business. Now the firm also serves as an insurance broker for 26 other agencies, an operation that generates about 25 percent of the firm's revenue.