AC Lockyer
New member
It was 20 years ago today, I was stuck in a K-mart in Louisianawith a broke down truck, trying to make my way home from college. Broke downwalking the isles of K-Mark with my cat in my arms, pacing, pacing waiting toget back on the road.
After some time I used a pay phone (yes one of those blue boxesmounted to a wall, you put quarters in to call people) to check in with myparents and tell them I was still alive. I had been discussing with my fatherthat I wanted to get married and needed to start a business so I could supportmy soon to be wife.
Well the family painter had just completed painting my parentshome and while doing the prep work pressure washed the roof. It was impressiveand Dad suggested that as a potential business.<o
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The rest of the drive home to Orlando, Florida was about 14 hours.I used that time to plan, strategize, and dream about the new potentialbusiness. The next week Dad helped me out and we went by Sam's and bought a$450.00 pressure washer and found a used Dodge 50, long bed mini truck for$1,500.00. For less than $2,000.00 the fledgling business was started.
While figuring everything out I used the guinea pig name ofAllstate Hope Appearance Services to operate under. Honing my skills anddeveloping the completely chemical, non-pressure cleaning system that wouldsoon become the Mallard System.
The first few roofs I cleaned I used a pressure washer and quicklyfound out that in order to remove the stains you had to bear down on the roofso hard with the pressure that aggregate began to fly off at an alarming rate.I knew then that pressure washing the roofs was going to be destructive. So Idrew on my nearly 7 years of experience working in the nursery industry and myhorticulture degree and looked at the roof top fungus as a pest not a stain anddecided to treat it instead of clean it.
Now 20 years later this industry has provided me with a greatliving. One that my educational background or personal history would notdeserve. I have put my two children through private Christian schools sincethey were in pre-school. My daughter is at a private Christian university inTexas and my wife and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary in June of nextyear. The business gave me the ability to afford the time and funds to workwith our school in Honduras, educating the poorest of it's children. Visitingthere several times over the years. It gave me the ability to take time off tosee every school play, every football game (even coaching) every event in mykids lives no matter how large or small. Even giving me that ability to follow my dreams and fish a professional fishing tour winning the national championshipwith my buddy Thresher in our rookie year. Lately the industry has given me theability to interact with other roof cleaning professionals throughout thecountry that at one time would have been viewed as competitors. Traveling tohelp them grow their businesses and see places I had never been before. It hasbeen an awesome ride!
Twenty years ago, kicked out of college, broke down in Louisiana,having my birthday in a K-Mart store, in a down economy, dreaming of marryingmy sweetie......... What does the next twenty years hold for you?
Here are some pix,
AC
After some time I used a pay phone (yes one of those blue boxesmounted to a wall, you put quarters in to call people) to check in with myparents and tell them I was still alive. I had been discussing with my fatherthat I wanted to get married and needed to start a business so I could supportmy soon to be wife.
Well the family painter had just completed painting my parentshome and while doing the prep work pressure washed the roof. It was impressiveand Dad suggested that as a potential business.<o
The rest of the drive home to Orlando, Florida was about 14 hours.I used that time to plan, strategize, and dream about the new potentialbusiness. The next week Dad helped me out and we went by Sam's and bought a$450.00 pressure washer and found a used Dodge 50, long bed mini truck for$1,500.00. For less than $2,000.00 the fledgling business was started.
While figuring everything out I used the guinea pig name ofAllstate Hope Appearance Services to operate under. Honing my skills anddeveloping the completely chemical, non-pressure cleaning system that wouldsoon become the Mallard System.
The first few roofs I cleaned I used a pressure washer and quicklyfound out that in order to remove the stains you had to bear down on the roofso hard with the pressure that aggregate began to fly off at an alarming rate.I knew then that pressure washing the roofs was going to be destructive. So Idrew on my nearly 7 years of experience working in the nursery industry and myhorticulture degree and looked at the roof top fungus as a pest not a stain anddecided to treat it instead of clean it.
Now 20 years later this industry has provided me with a greatliving. One that my educational background or personal history would notdeserve. I have put my two children through private Christian schools sincethey were in pre-school. My daughter is at a private Christian university inTexas and my wife and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary in June of nextyear. The business gave me the ability to afford the time and funds to workwith our school in Honduras, educating the poorest of it's children. Visitingthere several times over the years. It gave me the ability to take time off tosee every school play, every football game (even coaching) every event in mykids lives no matter how large or small. Even giving me that ability to follow my dreams and fish a professional fishing tour winning the national championshipwith my buddy Thresher in our rookie year. Lately the industry has given me theability to interact with other roof cleaning professionals throughout thecountry that at one time would have been viewed as competitors. Traveling tohelp them grow their businesses and see places I had never been before. It hasbeen an awesome ride!
Twenty years ago, kicked out of college, broke down in Louisiana,having my birthday in a K-Mart store, in a down economy, dreaming of marryingmy sweetie......... What does the next twenty years hold for you?
Here are some pix,
AC