In the summer of 2002, two men stood at a snow cone stand discussing the weather, discussing the joys of owning a snow cone stand, and how one of the men needed his driveway sealed by the other.
Debo, the owner of the snow cone stand, loved serving colorful, frozen ice to happy people all day long while sitting in the comfort of shaded trees. What he no longer enjoyed was sealing driveways in the hot sun.
Bill, a 28-year-old garage door business owner, really wanted his driveway sealed by a reluctant Debo. What to do?
Debo says to Bill, “Go get my rig, pick up a load of sealer, and I will meet you back at your driveway and help you seal.” Bill happily does as Debo directs, pulls into his driveway, and waits. And waits. And waits.
With Debo nowhere to be found, our young, smart, capable entrepreneur proceeds to use the skills he’s honed over the years in the construction industry to seal his own driveway. And makes a Terrible. Awful. Mess.
As Bill stands back viewing his handiwork, who decides to finally show up? You’ve got it…MIA Debo.
Debo stands there in silence for a moment and then says, “Well……you need a bit of practice, but I’ll teach you. If you learn the trade quickly and do a good job, you can seal a few of my customer’s driveways. I will keep the customer payments, and you can keep the rig. I’m going out of business and am sticking to selling snow cones.” Deal made.
That year, Bill does learn quickly and begins to use his rig to seal driveways for friends and family on a part time basis while still hanging garage doors. Word gets around, Bill makes a bit more money, and buys his first spray rig.
What does the movie reel look like for the next 21 years? Garage door business closed; residential work throughout the DMV area; commercial work at schools, government offices, local businesses, and neighborhoods; bigger, better rigs; newer equipment; LOTS of trucks; incorporation as ASCO in 2009; employees; clothing dryers ruined by sealer; business partnerships; worn tire tread; smiling, repeat customers.
What does this morning look like? An older, highly skilled, successful business owner talking to his customers, working alongside his employees, devoted to reinvesting in his company, and committed to not making a Terrible. Awful. Mess.
ASCO…more than fifty years of combined experience in the industry, hundreds of happy customers, great service, quick scheduling times, top notch equipment, and experienced workers. We are your neighborhood business located in Huntingtown, Maryland and we look forward to working for you!
Your Southern Maryland Neighborhood Residential and Commercial Pavement Maintenance Company