Youngs learned lessons of business and life from their father
Wed, 06/24/2015 - 06:00
AvoyellesToday.com
"In Their Father's Footsteps"
{Editor’s Note: As we did last year, we are honoring all Avoyelles Parish fathers with a special feature that looks at a father’s influence on his sons. We call this “In Their Father’s Footsteps.” We hope you enjoy reading this year’s Father’s Day feature as much as we enjoy bringing it to you. This feature ran in the Avoyelles Journal on Father's Day, this past Sunday}
By RAYMOND L. DAYE
Every aspiring entrepreneur hopes that someday he’ll “clean up” in his business. For Ervin and Chris Young, the term is both literal and figurative.
The Youngs learned the lessons of the janitorial business and their lessons of life from the same teacher -- their father, Melvin Young.
Ervin said he and Chris learned early on from their father the value of working hard and doing a good job at whatever you chose to do.
The brothers helped Melvin every day after school and sports practices, cleaning offices at night. They were joined by their other brothers -- Robert, Bruce, Chuck, Trent and Cory.
The Young brothers started Young & Young Associates janitorial service in 2007 and were recognized by Jani-King as a Crown Club winner for February. Robert owns a Jani-King franchise in Dallas and Bruce works part-time for the Youngs.
Melvin is still cleaning offices in Marksville and the surrounding areas. His sons, whose office is in Alexandria but whose homes are still in Hickory Hill, also have several customers in the Marksville and Bunkie areas.
Melvin said his wife, Irma, was the driving force in starting Melvin & Irma Young Janitorial in 1974.
“We started with one office and grew,” Melvin said. “In fact, we had so many customers at one time that we had to turn people down.”
Irma said all of the children in their combined family helped in the business.
“They are very good at it,” Irma said. “They all used to work with us. When they started going to college and the military, we tried to keep up as best we could. With my other job, I just couldn’t hack it any more so I stopped. Melvin is still at it, though.”
When Ervin and Chris decided to go out on their own, Melvin recommended they consider a franchise agreement with Jani-King.
Ervin said that, too, was wise advice from a man who had given him so much wise advice before.
He said what he holds most dear in his relationship with his father is that “he was always there for us. Even when he and our mother divorced, he was there for us. Our mother, Ethma Andrew, just died this week and he was right there with us, giving us his love and support.”
Ervin said Melvin’s lessons of business that he and Chris follow to this day include “go in, do your work and get out. He would inspect our work to make sure we did a good job.”
Lessons of life include “always respect everyone and not to get in trouble.”
Chris said the cleaning business “came easy to us since we had been doing it for so long. I continued doing it afterhours when I was in the Army. When I retired from the Army, what I wanted to do was come home and open a cleaning business.”
Ervin said he and Chris “already knew how to clean, but with Jani-King, we receive support from the Alexandria office, which helps us to get accounts, bid and also access equipment.”
The Young brothers have continued the family tradition of getting the whole family involved in the business, with their wives and children involved in cleaning. The company has grown to a staff of 13 employees and 32 clients, mostly in Alexandria, Pineville, Marksville and Bunkie.
Melvin said he hasn’t really thought much about retiring.
“I guess it could happen any day,” he said.
Ervin smiled at his father and said, “If he retires, we’re going to get him to come work for us.”