Brandon Acker of Titan Abrasive Systems On 5 Things You Need To Run A Highly Successful Family Business

Manage Generational Transitions. When the kids are ready to take over the business, let them lead. You can help, but do not try to continue pushing your management style on them. Everyone has their own way of leading; give them a shot, you may be surprised at the results, as painful as it may be at first.

As a part of our series about 5 Things You Need To Run A Highly Successful Family Business, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brandon Acker.

Brandon Acker is the president of Titan Abrasive Systems, a leading manufacturer of equipment for abrasive blasting, including blast rooms, blast cabinets, and blasting machines. Brandon is passionate about American manufacturing, the jobs it creates, the quality produced, and the bright future that lies ahead, which is why he sources Made in the USA components for all of Titan’s blasting equipment. Brandon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was born — as with most family businesses being born is the starting point. I grew up working in the family business, Titan Abrasive Systems. I attended Arizona State University and, following graduation, decided to start my own business (actually a few different businesses).

I eventually found myself back in Pennsylvania working for Titan. After several years learning all the ins and outs of the business, I decided to purchase it from my uncle in 2013. At that point, I began the process of completely redesigning and upgrading the entire product line. Now, 11 years later, Titan is stronger than ever with a focus on innovation and a mission to lead the industry into the future.

Can you tell us a bit about your family business and your role in it?

Titan Abrasive Systems has been manufacturing equipment for abrasive blasting, including blast rooms, blast cabinets, and blasting machines since 1953. Abrasive blasting is used in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, manufacturing, military, and more.

The basic purpose of abrasive blasting is to remove excess material (dirt, oil, rust) from all types of surfaces to recondition them and improve their performance, as well as creating better adhesion for paint or other coatings. Blast rooms and blast cabinets are the actual areas in which the abrasive blasting is conducted. Blast rooms are generally quite large; our standard sizes are 10' x 10' x 10'; 10' x 10' x 15'; and 15' x 10' x 25'.

My title is president, which in a family business means wearing many hats and doing a little of everything. In my position, “the buck stops here” is a highly accurate catchphrase.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

I don’t have many stories that your readers would find interesting in the usual sense of the word. My career has been very fulfilling and rewarding, but I’m not sure I can offer any anecdotes that readers would define as interesting.

Having said that, the world of abrasive blasting itself is extremely fascinating — not so much the manufacture of the equipment but the applications for which abrasive blasting is utilized. Nuclear plants use the process to clean the components of their cooling pump motors. Medical equipment manufacturers use it to smooth down the tips of hypodermic needles, so they don’t rip a patient’s skin. The process is even used to blast the heat shields on spacecraft traveling to the moon. These are just a few of the amazing applications; we’re learning about new ones seemingly every day.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

As a smaller company in the abrasive blasting space, we are much more agile and flexible than the industry “giants.” Consequently, we can provide a level of innovation and customization that the larger companies usually can’t handle. What’s more, we’re willing to take on jobs that other companies avoid, whether it’s because of the complexity, the amount of effort involved, or simply not having the requisite expertise. We work directly with our customers and are eager to solve their challenges; conversely, many companies simply want to “stay in their lane,” producing the same equipment over and over and shying away from pushing engineering boundaries.

An example would be the highly customized blast room that we built for Framatome, a major player in the nuclear industry. Framatome is heavily involved in the refurbishment and maintenance of coolant pump motor components. The reactor coolant pump set is one of the most highly radioactive components in a nuclear plant. And since the motors which drive those pumps are in the vicinity, they are subject to high levels of radiological contamination.

It was a challenge, but we devised a turnkey blasting solution to help Framatome remove the contamination from motor parts and prepare them for what’s called a Service Level 1 coating, all while helping the company meet the strict federal guidelines that govern the nuclear industry.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

We are currently working with an aerospace company to design a blast room that will be used on components of rocket engines which will one day take people to Mars. Needless to say, we take considerable pride in our contribution to the world of space exploration, knowing that we’re playing a role in helping mankind expand its horizons and its knowledge of the universe. That may sound somewhat grandiose given our relatively minor involvement, but the service we provide is essential to the efficient operation of this sophisticated machinery.

Speaking of space, I’d like to note that the name of our company pays homage to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. I don’t think that back in 1953, when naming the company, my uncle thought we would one day be blasting spaceship components. I’m sure he’d be very surprised — and proud — of how far we’ve come.

None of us is able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My wife has been by my side every step of the way. She supported me for years when I worked countless hours without taking a paycheck in order to grow the business into what I believed it could be. Certainly, there were times I wasn’t quite sure where the business was headed; consequently, it takes a special type of spouse to stick with you during those times of doubt. She was incredibly encouraging to me despite those bouts of uncertainty, no small feat when deep inside she was just as nervous as I was about how things might turn out.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I have not started any foundations or given millions to charity, if that’s what you mean. What I have done is this: assumed control of a family business and helped it thrive. In doing so, I’ve created jobs for many people who earn a good living with Titan. The success of Titan has also contributed, in a small way, to helping our customers succeed in their own businesses. So I wouldn’t say that I’ve used my success to help the world; rather, I have worked hard at being successful, and there have been many positive outcomes as a direct result of that success.

On a related note, I heard a quote years ago that always stuck with me. I can’t remember it verbatim, but the essence of it is, a lot of people want to change the world. And there are certainly enough things that need changing. But no single individual should worry about changing the entire world themselves; just focus on changing your little corner of it. If everyone commits to that small task, we’ll change the whole world in no time.

Ok thank you for that. Let’s now pivot to the main parts of our interview. How do you define a family business? How is a family business different from a regular business?

A true family business needs family members who are actively involved in the company, with at least one family member holding the highest-ranking position available (e.g., CEO, president, principal). This, of course, creates its own unique challenges and advantages. It’s not always easy to get along with family, and when you work together you often do not get a break from either family or business. It’s difficult to fire family members from your business, and you can’t just quit your family and get a new one.

In your opinion or experience, what are the unique advantages that family owned businesses have?

In a family business, you have a support system that not only will back you up professionally but personally as well. Your support network has a stake in the game; having others that live and breathe the business as much as you do can be a huge benefit. What’s more, family members are (usually) people you can trust. When you interview a stranger for a job in your company, it’s likely you know very little about them beyond their resume and what a colleague might have told you. Conversely, with a family member, you’ve probably got a fair amount of shared history. That kind of trust and dependability is not easy to find.

What are the unique drawbacks or blind spots that family owned businesses have?

In a family business, it’s 24/7; not necessarily the work itself, but if you live with one or more of your family workers, the discussion and even the tension has no break. You can’t “leave it at the office,” because the office follows you home. It’s also difficult to separate family drama from work drama. You can’t fire family, at least not without serious blowback.

What are some of the common mistakes you have seen family businesses make? What would you recommend to avoid those errors?

Most family businesses fail when the 3rd generation takes the helm. Everyone must start from the bottom and work their way up regardless of who they are. Not everyone is cut out to “run” a business immediately; you need to find out where your talents lie and sharpen them through hard work and experience. At some point, you may be ready to assume higher levels of responsibility and leadership. But there should be no “silver spoons” in the mouths of any family members. If you want it, be prepared to work for it!

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders of family businesses to help their employees to thrive?

I have a truckload of advice I could dole out on this subject, but the best counsel I can provide is this: Do not try to treat your family members as family when it comes to achieving business success. Personally, I prefer the philosophy espoused by Netflix, which compares building a business to building a sports team, rather than a family. “A family is about unconditional love. A dream team is about pushing yourself to be the best possible teammate, caring intensely about your team, and knowing that you may not be on the team forever.”

How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean with a story or example?

Leadership has many facets, but one of the most critical is bringing out the best in your people. You need to take the time to discover how people best fit into your organization and motivate them to achieve their highest level of individual expertise while contributing to the company’s overall success. Lead by example. No one is better than anyone else, we all excel in our own way; it’s up to a leader to figure this out and put people in the position that best suits them and brings out their talent.

This is the difference between a manager and a leader. A manager tells people what to do. A leader helps people reach their full potential.

Here is our main question. What are the “5 Things You Need To Run A Highly Successful Family Business”? Please share a story or example for each.

1. You need a family. It’s hard to have a family business without one.
2. You need a business. You can have an amazing family but without a business, it’s just a family.
3. Patience. It’s not always easy dealing with employees. This difficulty is magnified when that employee is also your brother, sister, cousin, father, or spouse.
4. Communication. Employees are going to get their feelings hurt at work; it’s inevitable. When they’re family members, the hurt stings much worse. Maintain a sense of unity through constant (and honest) communication.
5. Manage Generational Transitions. When the kids are ready to take over the business, let them lead. You can help, but do not try to continue pushing your management style on them. Everyone has their own way of leading; give them a shot, you may be surprised at the results, as painful as it may be at first.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

My choice would be Arnold Schwarzenegger. His drive for success is unmatched. Whatever he does, he strives to be the absolute best. He’s had his occasional failures, but it’s safe to say that whenever he has pursued something — whether it was his bodybuilding, his acting career, or his political ambitions — he has usually come out on top. Having said that, I can never forgive him for his movie, “Kindergarten Cop.” A dismal failure, in my opinion.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would convince everyone to stop eating beef. The effects on the planet will be far greater than if everyone drove an electric car, plus the health benefits are off the charts. An article in Canada’s National Observer notes that by one estimate, “…a complete phaseout of meat over 15 years would cut as much as one-third of all methane emissions and two-thirds of all nitrous oxide emissions. Water use would fall drastically. Biodiversity loss would slow down.” That’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of benefits to the planet and its inhabitants. Sorry Tesla, facts are facts!

How can our readers further follow your work online?

They can visit our website at www.titanabrasive.com and www.letsgetblasted.com. They can also follow our LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/titan-abrasive.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

It was my pleasure.