Torence White / San Antonio Business Journal
(L to R) Becky Bridges, Jessica Valero and Charlie Bridges are the family force behind the contract manufacturing firm Plan B Inc. in San Antonio.
San Antonio Business Journal - by Mike W. Thomas
In 1998, Charlie Bridges, then 58, was moving ahead with plan A, which was to work for another eight years or so at Whitmire Micro-Gen Research Laboratories Inc. in San Antonio and then retire.
But that was before Whitmire's parent company, SC Johnson Wax of Racine, Wis., decided to shut down the pest-control equipment manufacturing and repair company's local operations and consolidate them at another plant in St. Louis. Suddenly, Charlie Bridges and his wife, Becky, found themselves looking for a plan B.
Fortunately, they were able to find it through their own initiative and innovation by founding their own company, called appropriately enough, Plan B Inc., that does pretty much the same work that Whitmire had been doing.
Bridges says he was encouraged to start the new company by his old employer partly because they hadn't realized that the San Antonio office had been doing some important work for the company before being shut down.
Whitmire had been the sole supplier of parts and equipment for Johnson Wax's janitorial division and they needed someone to continue serving in that capacity.
"It was an afterthought," Bridges says. "They forgot that we were the sole supplier for their janitorial service so they encouraged me to start a company and keep it going."
So Plan B's first customer was Johnson Diversity, the commercial side of Johnson Wax. Plan B began by supplying 50 parts on consignment for Johnson Diversity in 1998 and that inventory has now grown to more than 1,500 parts.
In addition to expanding its customer base over the years, Plan B also has held on to another major client from its Whitmire days, B&G Chemicals and Equipment Inc. of Dallas — which still relies on Plan B to manufacture and service pest-control fogging equipment.
Loyal customers
Emmitt Bewley, business manager for B&G Chemicals, says he has worked with Charlie and Becky Bridges for 25 years.
"Back when they both worked at (Whitmire) Micro-Gen - Becky in the office and Charlie over the production plant — they were our sole supplier," Bewley says.
After Whitmire's local operation was shut down, B&G asked the Bridges to continue manufacturing the fogging equipment and supplies for them. They started out on a shoestring, investing some of their retirement savings, Bewley says, but they made it work and are now the firm's sole supplier of fogging equipment.
"They are great people to work with," Bewley says. "They are very personable and service-oriented. It's like talking to family. If they say something will be shipped at a certain time, you can bet it will be and probably sooner."
Charlie Bridges has now worked past his planned retirement date and says he will probably keep going a while longer. In the meantime, Becky serves as the company's president and their daughter, Jessica Valero, has come on board as the managing director.
"My parents' goal 10 years ago was to keep themselves and their co-workers employed," Valero says. "Now that goal has changed and we are gearing up for growth."
Valero says if Plan B wants to be big, it will have to start thinking big. To that end she has begun reviewing the company's work procedures and brought in a human resources consultant to help the firm re-engage its existing workforce.
"We have been laying the groundwork for growth, and we expect we will see growth next year despite the economic downturn," she says. "In our history, we have never had any layoffs and we are prepared to keep our employees and push forward with our plans for growth."
Valero graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2002 with a degree in business management and she got her MBA there in 2004. She says the idea of working for her parents was not as appealing at first as it is now.
"I'm excited now to be part of a team that is so motivated and family-oriented," she says.
Plan B employs 10 people and had revenues of $1.5 million for fiscal 2008. Valero says the company has not made any revenue forecasts for next year, but expects to see sales of their fogging equipment double in 2009.
Whitmire Micro-Gen at one time had revenues of $15.6 million. Charlie Bridges says he believes Plan B Inc. has the potential to meet and exceed those figures.
This article was originally featured in the San Antonio Business Journal