HUBBARD, Ohio – In 1976, Bill Jugenheimer and his son Larry found themselves unemployed when the company where they both worked went out of business.
They considered buying an existing business but couldn’t find what they wanted. So, they started their own business.
They opened the doors of Jugenheimer Industrial Supplies in the basement of Bill’s Hubbard home. His two other sons, Rick and Glen, joined the pair part-time and came on board full-time within a few years. Then they hired their grandfather Merle Jugenheimer as the delivery driver, completing the family affair.
The Hubbard company is a supplier of fasteners, cutting tools, abrasives, nailing, banding and packaging equipment, janitorial items, air tools and many other products.
By 1978, the business had grown too big for the family home. So the Jugenheimers purchased a former gas station on Main Street in Hubbard and moved operations there.
They moved into a 9,000-square-foot building in 1983 to accommodate their larger inventory and staff. It did not take long to outgrow that space. So they built a new building on Commerce Drive, and moved there in 1993. Within two years, they had built an addition on to it.
The company currently has 32,000 square feet of warehouse space and an inventory of more than 30,000 items.
To serve customers better, Jugenheimer Industrial Supplies has teamed up with a hardware outfit that stocks an additional 70,000 items and transfers merchandise every week to the Hubbard location.
Rick Jugenheimer has since bought out his father and brothers and runs the company with his three children.
“We are now on the third generation,” he says.
His daughter, Sarah Eicher, is vice president and treasurer; son Adam is vice president and secretary; and daughter Cathy Moore is in charge of purchasing.
“Each family member is responsible for different aspects of our business,” Rick says. “Each is accountable for their department and must communicate what is going on at monthly meetings. We don’t always agree but usually resolve most issues before leaving the meeting.”
He has some advice for others who are thinking of starting a family business.
“Do not keep family members as employees if they are not doing their part,” he says. “Also, it’s very important to have the right accountant and lawyer on your team, who understand your business and your goals.”
Pictured: The family team: Cathy Moore, purchasing; Rick Jugenheimer, president; Adam Jugenheimer, vice president-secretary; and Sara Eicher, vice president-treasurer.