I’m a HUGE Supporter of Small Businesses
And it’s not just because I am one myself, but because of where I come from.
The beauty of shopping small businesses rather than going the conventional route and shopping at a “big box” store is that behind every small business is typically a family, a legacy (sometimes even generational), in which the impact the owners make can be felt not just in their families, but in their communities, too. And when you don’t have the resources that the big box stores have, it makes what a small business does even more admirable.
I know this to be true because a small business raised me. I’m the third generation in a line of entrepreneurs who chose to make some massive sacrifices in order to live life unconventionally…to provide for their families in ways that go against the grain and at times seem like the harder path, yet yield fruits of freedom, choice, and showing their kids what it takes to run a business, should they choose to follow or not. I grew up watching my Dad, my Uncle Tom, and my Grandfather run a plumbing, heating, and electrical business. From a young age, I can remember playing hide and seek with my cousins in the tall stacks of hose that sat outside the sheet metal shop. Eventually, I started doing all the seemingly small (yet massively important, I’d like to think) tasks it took to keep their business efficient. From sorting and putting away hardware, to pricing pipe, to weighing mail, to sending out bills, to dusting and polishing what felt like millions of bathtubs and toilets, to even hauling wood and power washing hundreds of mini storage units, my cousins and I did it all. I didn’t know it at the time, but my Dad was teaching me the value of hard work. Whether it was from the sidelines as I played with my cousins, or getting my hands dirty and doing the work myself, I was fully immersed in the life of an entrepreneur. Looking back now, I can see how special that was. The gem of Prior Plumbing and Heating was real, as any day of the week you could walk in and see the Prior kids running around playing, while our dads and grandpa served the community. You don’t see that all too often now. That level of nostalgia needs to be brought back; the business model works as for 75 years, they served the tiny town of Algonac, MI and its surrounding area…with ZERO social media presence…with a legacy like that, they didn’t need any social media channels to validate what they offered.
Prior Siblings
My dad and Uncle Tom
Prior Plumbing Family
And just like that, after 75+ years, a legacy operated by the Prior family has come to an end. On June 30th, my dad (Dan) and Uncle Tom signed the business over to the new owners who plan to carry out the good work my family started without skipping a beat….even keeping the name Prior Plumbing and Heating intact! It's a bittersweet thing not to have the business that raised me and supported our life in the family anymore, yet life is full of endings that bring on new beginnings, and the new beginning this ending brings is one of adventure for my mom and dad. They just spent 10 days out in WI with us, and are now heading to adventure in Door County, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Mackinac Island, and plan to spend the entire month of September in Hawaii! It’s safe to say that a very much-earned retirement is about to treat them VERY well! I’m SO excited for you guys, LOVE YOU!
Congratulations to my dad and uncle on their retirement from Prior Plumbing and Heating, Inc…we are all so proud to have learned and been raised by both of you!
Congratulations, dad!
It’s really no coincidence that I’ve taken the unexpected path of working for myself because all my life I watched my Dad do the same thing, and I guess you could say I want to grow up to be just like him. I can only pray that I will do the title of “small business owner” justice the way my family has.
Thank you for shopping small! On behalf of all small business owners, we appreciate you!