Former Chairman, CEO and Owner, DW Distribution, Inc. 2024 Member Excellence Award Winner
Joined Vistage in 2016
When I was 13, I wrote my first business plan with my father’s encouragement. He took me to our local bank to present it to the president. I secured a $75,000 line of credit — though I later learned my father had guaranteed the note. With that money, I launched a small business raising, selling and boarding emu birds. Within 18 months, I repaid the loan in full. It was a defining moment.
During high school summers, one of my sisters and I worked for the family building-materials business. I handled physical labor in the warehouse while she focused on marketing. We commuted with our dad, leaving around 6 a.m. and returning at 6:30 p.m.
After college, I joined the family business full-time. My parents made us minority owners early on, and my father began talking to me about my future role and timeline. I became an owner before turning 30.
What I enjoyed most about running the business was continuing my grandfather’s and father’s legacy. I also loved creating a positive impact for customers, vendors and especially our team.
I never expected to sell the business so soon, but when a strong offer came, my family was unanimous. We’d known the buyer for over a decade and respected their leadership. I never ran a process or spoke to other companies, but the advice and feedback I got from my Vistage group was outstanding. If the buyer valued people and had a growth mindset like we did, I felt the financials would follow.
Our president, CFO and I agreed we had a unique chance to do something meaningful for our 300 team members. We set aside 12% of the gross sale price and created a payout matrix based on tenure (average tenure was 20+ years!), role and bonus level.
Every team member received a bonus — ranging from $50,000 to $150,000. Several told me it helped them buy their first home or become debt free. That meant everything to me.
Today, nearly four years later, the company has honored its promises. I serve on its board, stay involved and invest in its growth. Outside of work, I love traveling with my wife and daughters and spending time on our ranch — tractor, livestock, fishing and all.
