As many of you know, Amerivet Services was started on an untied shoestring. I’ve never wanted to be seen as “that redneck from Howell,” so there has been a continuous effort to make Amerivet Services a “legitimate” business. It has been a daunting, expensive task sometimes, but I work hard to make it happen.
What does it mean for a business to be “legitimate”? In my mind it depends on a number of factors, like the type of work you do, who the customers are, and what standards you have to meet. It depends what government agencies can exercise oversight of your activities, and what kinds of employees and equipment you have.
On the very first day that Amerivet Services was in the welding business, legitimacy meant “groceries in the refrigerator by tomorrow.” As the company has grown the definition has changed dramatically. Sometimes the burden of staying legit is bigger than running the business itself. At every turn there is something threatening the legitimacy of the business, even though Amerivet Services is comprised of the most honest, hard working people you’ll find.
Last week as Tyler was putting together a Weld Procedure Specification for our portable welding activities, I had to think back and look at how far things have come. Ten years ago, there is no way I could have qualified to do the kinds of work we do now. There’s no way I could have gotten the old truck I had in those days to be seen as a legitimate commercial vehicle. The rusty portable welder I had then was strapped to a trailer that had a rotten wood deck. There’s no way I could have hired such fantastic employees and offered them a suite of benefits. Things have come an incredibly long way!
Last month we added another new service truck to the fleet! We’ve been incredibly busy and transportation has been a huge issue for a very long time. We just couldn’t move forward without better ways to get people and equipment around. So now we’ve doubled our transport, fabrication, and service capacity, and doubled our “legitimacy.”
The one thing that makes Amerivet Services more legitimate than anything, is our incredible team. Last month we doubled the size of The Team, and I couldn’t be more proud of our new team members! Janet and Garrett are a perfect fit for what we do, and they bring talent and ambition to help us meet the challenges of a rapidly growing business and customer base. Please welcome them to The Team!
For our parting shot, check out our new service truck! If we can get the weather to act right, I’m hoping to get a picture of The Team and some of our equipment within the next week or two.
