The Meaning of “Family” in a Family-Owned Business
Miron is looking forward to celebrating our centennial this coming year, and it has me reflecting on what has contributed to our success and longevity. I believe that family is one of those key success factors. Our team members are more than employees; they are family. This family feeling extends well beyond ownership to include multiple generations of family members who currently work or have worked for our Miron family. My partner, Tim, and I work very hard to ensure we maintain this sense of family in our culture as we continue to grow.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great people over the past 40 years. Looking back, I’ve learned many things, not the least of which is that working with great people makes YOU great. These lessons have given me the experience and confidence to grow, not only as a business, but as a person as well. I’ve also come to learn and appreciate the meaning and value of family. As a third-generation, family-owned business owner, I have a unique perspective when it comes to this.
Recently, we celebrated the retirement of John Gain, a superintendent and member of the Miron family who spent more than 30 years of his career with our company. The manner in which John joined the Miron family is unique. In the mid ‘80s, John was working with his father, Bill, and brother, Pat, in construction near Racine, WI. John’s father decided to come to Miron, and he brought his sons with him. As a family unit, they joined the Miron team and brought an incredible amount of skill and experience working in concrete.
Miron cut its teeth on wastewater treatment facilities, and it was evident that Bill loved working on these types of buildings. As I remember, so did John. Pat became an operator, working with our concrete pumps. The passion, dedication, and hard work these three men brought to Miron helped our organization grow and become the success it is today. I am grateful that they chose to join our team.
The wonderful thing about families is that they are there for one another in the good times and the bad. The Gain family experienced many hard times over the years. John’s father was killed unexpectedly in an automobile accident, and a few short years later Pat experienced an accident that left him partially paralyzed. The Miron team came together to donate a four-wheeler to Pat so he would more easily be able to perform tasks at home. Later, a separate accident took his life. As John experienced loss in his family, Miron shared in his grief, first with the loss of his father, and later with the loss of his brother. Looking back on those tough times, I realized that family runs deep in this organization. That sentiment is something I never want to change. I want to continue to build great buildings, serve great customers, and work with great people. I believe Miron can do this by continuing to treat people as family, and that means sharing in the good times and providing support in the difficult times.
Steve Jobs once said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
I love what I do. A large part of that is surrounding myself with fantastic people, and John is one of those people. John and his family did great work because they loved what they did. And their work showed this. More than their work product, John and his family will forever be a part of the Miron family.
Thank you and God Bless to the Gain family. Best of luck to John in his retirement adventures!
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