Ameri-Cal Corporation is a family-owned business of 15 employees located in Medina, Ohio. The company has been supplying high quality custom adhesives and pressure sensitive products to the printing, laminating and converting industries since 1968. Jessica Heid is a third-generation leader at Ameri-Cal, following in the footsteps of her grandfather who founded the business and her father, CEO and President Jay Vigneault, who has been running the business for 46 years. Jessica is a member of The Alternative Board (TAB) Western Reserve “Next Generation” peer advisory group for small business leaders to share support and practical ideas as they prepare to transition into ownership roles.
How did you end up joining your family’s business?
I went to college to become a teacher but didn’t get a job my first year after graduation, so I worked at our family business fulltime that year. When I got a teaching job at a Catholic school, I couldn’t afford to have just one job, so I kept working for Ameri-Cal in the evenings.
After several years, I had a serious talk with my dad about the future of the company and how I could be part of it. I eventually left my teaching career and decided to go all in with the family business. My brother is the director of sales, my sister is an executive assistant, and my husband is the coatings supervisor. I am currently VP of Operations but in the summer of 2020, my dad will transition into the role of CEO and consultant and I will become president of the company.
What inspired you to take a leadership role in the business?
At 29 years old, I found out I had thyroid cancer. It was really a life-altering moment. I knew I couldn’t continue teaching and also work in the family business – but I wanted very much to continue the family legacy started by my grandparents. I recovered from the cancer and I’m fine now – but that experience made me reflect on what I really wanted my life’s work to be. It is an honor and privilege to be involved in a family business. I didn’t want to pass that up or think of my dad selling it to someone outside the family.
Why did you join the local TAB peer advisory group for Next Generation business leaders?
Joining the TAB group has been the single most important thing I’ve done in my entire business development! I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up. Mark Dorman invited me to a meeting, and I was sucked in right away – this was exactly what I needed! My dad never had that when he took over the business.
In TAB, you learn so much from other people. It’s about sharing your own insights and expertise and being helped by others also running a small business. There are currently 8 of us in the Next Generation group, working in businesses that range from a laundry equipment distributor to a manufacturer of woodworking tools, a cheesemaker and a landscaping supply company — from very small companies to four times the size of Ameri-Cal.
Any golden lessons you’ve learned from your Next Generation TAB group?
The TAB group has helped drive me to continuously solve problems that would be overwhelming otherwise. We challenge each other and learn best practices from others who’ve gone through similar issues. There’s a business education aspect to the group as we learn about communication, organization and time management. We share books and teachable moments from seminars we’ve attended. Speakers come in and talk about issues like selling a small business, tax laws and other important topics. We meet once a month and our facilitator Tim Turrittin also coaches us in one-on-one monthly meetings.
Why would you encourage other small business owners to join a TAB group?
When you accept the challenge to run a business, it’s difficult – but you don’t have to do it alone. An outside advisory group and support system like TAB can make the difference between success and failure. Your decisions impact a lot of people. I can’t imagine the disaster it would be without the guidance of this group as I transition into leading and eventually owning our family business.
TAB is also a support group for my personal growth, making sure I don’t lean toward workaholism or burn-out. As a female in the male-dominated manufacturing industry, it’s been helpful to meet other women who will be taking on ownership of a small business. But TAB primarily helps us improve our bottom line as we all set and track key performance indicators. The ultimate goal of the group is to grow our businesses.
How important is it to have an exit strategy?
Planning is a key component in the future of a small business – and the further along you go in generations of a family-owned business, the more likelihood of failure. Statistics for 3rd generation owners are not great! Financial and operational planning is essential in successful transition of ownership and future survival of the business.
Biggest lesson learned about achieving success?
At Ameri-Cal, we’ve achieved success by staying true to the core values my grandfather started the company with – integrity, innovation and passion. We stand by these in the culture of the business, our service to customers and the way we treat our vendors. These values guide all our decisions and it’s why we’ve been successful.