Q.1. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans : SINCE 1959, FILLING EQUIPMENT COMPANY, INC. HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY NATIONALLY AND WORLDWIDE.
Filling Equipment Company, Inc. manufactures, repairs and replaces liquid nozzles for virtually all types of liquid filling machines. We also build in-line, rotary and piston-type liquid filling machines (for handling from very small to high volume liquid filling, manual to fully automated), as well as capping equipment. All workmanship, on both our nozzles and our machines is guaranteed.
Q.2. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans : Over the years, we have grown from a two-man shop to a plant with 15 employees. Although we are a relatively small company, our customers range from small firms to the biggest names in each of the industries we serve.
Q.3. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans : We warmly remember the founder of Filling Equipment Company, Inc., the late Joseph Gurksnis, whose philosophy of business was to give “the best we have to offer at a reasonable price.” We continue to operate our business based on that philosophy today, and look forward to working with you soon.
Q.4. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans : Always follow your passions. Don’t be afraid to re-invent yourself. And never give up.
Q.5. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans : Dedication. Creativity. Put in the time.
Q.6. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans : 12-14 hour days are not unusual
Q.7. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans : Putting in the hours and working with a great team.
Q.8. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans : Our customer base and word of mouth have always been a cornerstone of our growth success but since the advent of the internet we have engaged in online marketing with great success.
Q.9. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans : Funding was before my tenure at the company.
Q.10. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans : We strive to deliver on our promises to our customers and that has definitely our long term success.
Q.11. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans : We will be looking to expand our facilities to accommodate a larger manufacturing and equipment storage area to handle increased capacity.
Q.12. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans : I can’t single out any one business but I have always admired the U.S. manufacturing industry and it’s great history ever since the Industrial Revolution more than a hundred years ago.
Q.13. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans : Having a great team is critical to the long term success of our company.
Q.14. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans : I stick with an idea until it’s built.
Q.15. What motivates you?
Ans : Knowing I’m creating something, building things, and providing real value to my customers.
Q.16. How do you define success?
Ans : Success is saying what you and doing what you say.
Q.17. How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans : The quality of our work is the foundation of a strong customer base.
Q.18. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans : The ability to grow the company without limits.
Q.19. What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans : I never watch the clock.
Q.20. What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans : We are dedicated to investing in our employees and training them right to be the best they can be.
Q.21. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Ans : Probably like most people, I wish I started doing this sooner.
Q.22. If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?
Ans : How can we promote more manufacturing in the United States?