Passion fuels multigenerational businesses

Ron Ollis, chairman of Ollis & Co. Insurors, said that it’s rare that a family business can survive multiple generations, although his family’s company is on its fourth.

“It’s highly unusual for a family business to last for four generations. There’s difficulty in the second, and very few survive to the third,” he said. “The biggest challenge is in finding the passion the family member needs to have for the business. If they don’t really love it, it won’t work. We have family members in the third generation that didn’t have that passion, and they went in other directions with their lives.”

Ollis & Co. was started in 1885 by Ron’s grandfather, Richard A. Ollis, as a real estate and loan business.

Around 1900, the company began handling insurance. From there, it was taken over by second-generation family members Alfred M. Ollis and Ron’s father, Lawrence W. Ollis. “When my father died in 1955, my mother, Hester, went into the business. At the time, that was rare for a woman to do,” Ron said. At that time, a cousin, Larry M. Ollis, joined the company. He retired in 1993.

Lawrence and Alfred passed the company on to Alfred’s son Joe Ollis, who joined the company in 1971 and Ron, who came on board in 1955.

“(Larry), Joe and myself were the third generation,” Ron said.

In 1979, when the company moved from its first location on Commercial Street to its offices at 2274 E. Sunshine, it discontinued its real estate operations and loan business to focus on insurance. The company now handles commercial insurance primarily.

In 1984, Richard Ollis, Ron’s son, became the fourth generation in the company.

In 2003, Richard took the reins as Ollis & Co.’s president and CEO.

Richard credits his father for easing the transition.

“It takes a parent that is willing and has a desire to see the next generation succeed,” Richard said. “Dad was great to help develop me and other younger people. It takes the generation that is transitioning the business to want other people to succeed and to be humble and not self-centered. It takes both sides working together to have a positive outcome.”

There will be a few disagreements along the way, Ron said, but remembering to do what’s best for the company is how their family settles things. “It’s not a cakewalk. We all have different opinions. You have to put that aside for what’s best for the business,” he said.

Seeing his son succeed has brought a great deal of enjoyment, Ron added. “We’ve all got our own way of doing things. Richard has some strengths that I don’t have. I get my enjoyment out of seeing him progress. He’s a great problem-solver and he has an ability to look at the big picture when making decisions. He’s also very interested and he does a great job in the community.”

Since Ollis & Co., which employs 28

producers, account managers and support staff, is now an employee stock ownership company, things are a little different.

“Strictly a family business has difficulty succeeding anymore. We have to grow to accommodate clients and we need people with abilities, talents and interests that can’t all be found in one family,” Ron added.

Thompson sales

Long known as the “Thompson boys,” seven members of the Thompson family continue to run the Thompson Pontiac-GMC-Cadillac-Saab dealership, which was started in 1919 by George M. Thompson Sr. and his father, George W. Thompson.

The two men obtained a Racine Tire franchise and opened at 417 St. Louis St., selling the “Country Road” tire that was guaranteed to 6,000 miles. When Racine merged with Ajax Tire Co. in 1923, it became the Thompson Tire Co., and in 1927 moved to 423 St. Louis St. Another merger found Thompson selling McClaren Tires and that same year, they obtained the retail franchise for Cadillac. Pontiac was added in 1932 and in 1936, Dayton bought out McClearen Tires.

With the change, the business name changed to Thompson Sales Co., eventually selling mobile homes, trucks, boats and motorcycles.

The business moved again in 1955 to 727 St. Louis. Between 1956 and 1984, Thompson Sales changed very little, with George Sr. and his sons, George Jr. and Milton, listed as dealer principals on selling agreements with General Motors. Shortly after George Sr. died in 1972, tires were dropped and the company concentrated on selling cars.

At age 77, Milton Thompson continues to work at the dealership, which for the past four years has been located at 1555 E. Independence in a 78,620-square-foot complex.

The death of George Jr. in 1991 spurred changes. Milton was promoted to chairman of the board. George Jr.’s sons, Lynn and George III, were promoted to president and vice president, respectively. However, despite the titles, Lynn and George III work as equals.

Rounding out the Thompson family roster are cousins Miles and Tyler Thompson. Miles, who is George III’s son, joined the dealership more than 10 years ago and Tyler, Lynn’s son, joined the business more than five years ago.

Making a transition

Lynn Thompson said that Miles and Tyler are the future of the company and will take over “sooner than they realize,” as he and George III are working now to prepare for the transition.

“We have six businesses here under one roof,” said Lynn, including the dealership, service department, body shop and other aspects of the company. “There’s a lot to learn and it takes time.”

The transition to Miles and Tyler is happening slowly, said Miles. “There are all the different departments and we have to become familiar with all of these.”

It helps for the younger generation to watch what their predecessors have been through, George III added, and the older generation can watch them learn.

“It’s fun to watch them take over,” said Lynn. “They’ll make mistakes, and we make mistakes. The good thing is that we can bounce ideas off each other.”

Lynn said that Tyler and Miles are entering a different world than he entered into when he joined the dealership. “Things have changed so much in the last 30 years and even in the last five years,” said Lynn. “After 9-11 it changed with the buying incentives. Technology has changed things. ... They research and when they come in they know what they want. We’re more like consultants these days. It’s better for us because we can now fit their needs rather than us finding out their needs.”

Megerian’s Persian Rug Co.

Started in the 1930s by Armenian immigrant Vahan Megerian, Megerian’s Persian Rug Co. is now in its second and third

generations as a family business. The store opened with an inventory of two rugs at St. Louis and National. Vahan’s wife Pauline joined him in the business, taking over in 1978 when Vahan died, and she and her daughter Voncille decided to keep the business alive. Pauline Megerian continued to work until her death at age 90 – just four months after a birthday celebration at the store with friends and customers.

Now Voncille Elmer, who worked with her mother for 24 years, heads the operation. “I became a partner with my mother after five years. It was 50-50,” Voncille said. “Ten years ago, when she was 80 years old, she started thinking maybe she didn’t want to work all the time.”

At that time, Voncille’s daughter, Heather Reynolds, bought into the family business and became a 25 percent owner. They moved the store from 412 South Ave. to 1309 E. Republic Road.

“With my transition between Mother and I, we had different duties. I’d do the selling and she’d do the repairing and book work,” Voncille said.

Pauline depended on Vahan to be the leader, a role Voncille stepped into.

“I took over his task and she continued hers,” said Voncille.

Voncille said the situation with her and Heather is very different. “Heather is great for me. She’s the businessperson and I’m in sales. My mother wanted everything done the way my father did it. It’s not that way for me. Heather and I don’t always agree, but her suggestions are good, and I’m always open to them.”

Heather, who chooses not to be at the store full-time at this stage in her life, also raises 9-year-old daughter Hannah.

Just as each of these businesses is different, each family has its own way of separating – or not separating – business from family time.

“Big discussions take place in our family during family time,” said Richard Ollis. “We’ve been doing this so long it’s part of the makeup of our family and part of our life.”

Ron Ollis said though his family isn’t “overly consumed” by the company, it’s important to have the support of his wife. “It won’t work if it’s pulling the family in different directions,” he said.

For the Thompson clan, family time often includes business, said George III. “It’s unavoidable,” he said. “We’re working all the time. We can’t separate the two.”

Lynn agreed. “We have family time where we do things together as a family but business comes up, yes. We’re like any family fortunate enough to work together.”

But keeping business and family separate is Voncille’s and Heather’s preference.

Family gatherings are left to be just that, Voncille said.

“We try not to talk about business away from work,” she said.