“We call it a 57-year-old start-up,” second-generation CEO Don Bolin says of VanTran Transformers. Growing up in and around the business, Don became CEO in 2016. He quickly brought together a team of industry veterans who shared his vision. “I knew I would need a team of ‘A Players’ to take the company to the next level.”
Actions Don took to succeed:
- Assemble a knowledgeable, passionate leadership team.
- Own your niche. As Don says, “Being a small, custom manufacturer, we excel at a different type of business than the big guys do… Our company is nimble and responsive, picking up on opportunities they can’t respond to.”
- Get as many mentors as you can, as early as you can, and never stop learning.
