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News-Sun photo by KATARA SIMMONS Dad Stanley Wells, and daughter Sarah Jane Bryant share a laugh while reminiscing. Wells' older brother Kenny Wells, and his son Scooter Wells, are also an integral part of Wells Dodge Chrysler.

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published: Sunday, June 21, 2009

Fathers as bosses

By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY

christopher.tuffley@
newssun.com

SEBRING -- All children, at some point, have to make their own way and live their own dreams. For some that path carries on the family tradition.

Stanley Wells of Avon Park, John Griffin of Sebring, and Chuck Miller of Lake Placid are all fathers who work with at least some of their children.

Wells and his family are Florida natives. His daughter Sarah Jane Bryant has worked with him for 14 years at the family business, Wells Dodge Chrysler at 1600 U.S. 27 S.

Wells' uncle, Lawler Wells, opened an auto dealership on Main Street in 1931, with a gas station out front. He sold Dodge and Plymouths.

When Wells' father Edgar, known as "E. Ray," graduated high school in Lakeland, Lawler told him he had a job in Avon Park as long as he could get there. E. Ray walked the entire way. U.S. 27 was a dirt road at the time.

Ten years later, when Lawler was killed, Wells' dad took over the business.

Wells himself began working at the dealership early. By 12 he was sweeping, filling cars with gas, changing oil and working every summer, along with his older brother Kenny.

He and his brother have long since taken over running the business. Their dad passed away 15 years ago. Wells handles the sales side, his brother the service. Kenny Wells' son, Scooter, joined the company in 1985 and now is its comptroller.

Wells and his wife had two daughters. One moved to Orlando while the other, Sarah Jane Wells Bryant, remained close to home.

Wells didn't encourage Sarah to work for the company in the beginning, it is a tough business he said.

Sarah got a business degree from South Florida Community College and worked for a local company.

Then, in 1995 Wells did ask her for help. It didn't come quite out of the blue.

Off and on, as Sarah grew up, she had helped out in the showroom, answering phones, filling in paperwork, making copies of sales manuals, sending out the company's roughly 2,000 Christmas cards every year.

But she also learned the business and her duties grew. "He's a wonderful boss," she said of her dad.

Wells is just as complimentary when talking about her. "She's just a wonderful person, with a lot of character and integrity. You can totally trust her," he said.

Sarah laughed, because that also means her father trusts her to babysit his beloved Yorkshire terrier.

The affection between then shows in the way they banter as they speak, and the playful exchange of light physical pushes back and forth.

"Even when she was a teenager we could talk to one another," Wells said. "She didn't have any of the crazy teenage problems."

Sarah laughed again, "I was scared to death of him."

A one traffic light town

When John Griffin arrived in Highlands County in 1978, he came up from Fort Lauderdale, which was rapidly changing. Without any set idea of how he was going to make a living, he was primarily interested in finding a safe place to raise his family.

In the course of his search he fell in love with Sebring. "There was only one traffic light on 27," he said and laughed, "there was a Burger Queen not a Burger King."

Griffin had been the superintendent of the composition room for the Fort Lauderdale News. He figured if he could a run a composition room that turned out four editions, six days a week, he could handle anything.

A carpet store was for sale, down near where Woody's RVs is now. Griffin bought it and grew the business as the city and county grew.

From selling and installing carpet and vinyl, the company can now help with design and window treatments, as well as providing a selection of patio furniture and gas fireplaces.

Griffin's Carpet Mart is now at 560 U. S. 27 N.

Griffin and his wife Jeanne have four grown children. The eldest, John, is a landscape architect and lives in Orlando. His two middle sons, in chronological order, Tom and Jim, have joined the family's business, as has the youngest child, and only daughter, Kelly.

All three hung out at the store growing up. The boys especially started working early, learning the business from the ground up. In fact, said Jim, when he and Tom worked for carpet stores while in college, the main things they learned were how not to do things.

All three graduated from Florida State University - the boys majoring in business, Kelly in interior design.

Griffin never pushed his kids into following in his footsteps. The most important thing, he said, was for them to be happy.

On the other hand, when they expressed an interest, he was delighted.

His pride in his children is self evident. As the family spoke to a visitor, Griffin couldn't help himself urging them to talk about their successes and public service. His sons are both past presidents of their Rotary organizations, and Kelly is the secretary of the Young Professionals and sits on Sebring's Community Redevelopment Agency's board.

That success has created a change, Kelly said, to which her father is still adjusting. "It used to be I was John Griffin's daughter," she said. "Now my dad is Kelly Griffin's father."

Their ease with one another is clear as well.

"We enjoy each other's company and always got along," Kelly said. "Even as kids we respected one another."

As for their father, Kelly said, "He instilled a strong work ethic in our lives, whether we were working here or somewhere else."

Griffin reciprocates with trust. Being able to delegate duties and know the customers and business are well cared for is an enormous relief and advantage, he said.

A reverse set up

The Millers of Lake Placid understand that too.

Although in their case, it was the son who created the business and the father who joined in.

"We're peas and carrots," Rick Miller said, referring to his father, Chuck Miller. "Not many sons and fathers can work together, but with him it's been a pleasure, a joy."

It was Rick who started Miller's Central Air Inc. in 1995, working first from his house. The business has thrived and is now at 20 W. Interlake Blvd.

Rick's younger brother, David, joined him almost from the beginning, although he was diagnosed with cancer the same year. David ran the office.

Chuck Miller, who had retired from a career with a business dealing with concrete and quarries, found himself bored. A numbers man, who didn't know an air conditioner from an electric fan, he took over the financials.

For nine years they all worked together, until David passed away in 2004.

Losing David caused such pain both men feel it to this day. But both also say with pride that he lived his life well and is remembered with love by customers and friends, not just the family.

"He had a million dollar smile," said Chuck, ever the proud father. "He made people laugh. The whole time he was sick he never complained once."

Chuck is just as proud of Rick. "I am proud of the way he's raising his children and his contributions to the community," he said. "He's a good member of his church on top of that."

Rick smiles when talking about his father. "His devotion and dedication are amazing, he constantly stays busy, in this day and age you don't see that a lot. He's the one who taught me to do things right the first time."

"I know my limitations," Chuck replies. "That's why we get along so well. I don't pretend to know things I don't."

"Ninety-nine percent of the time I support what he suggests," Rick said laughing.