| | In 1987, Jose Aviles, then a plant manager at a Brookfield plastics company, decided to set out on his own.
The company was having financial difficulties and had been laying off workers. Jose had four children to support and needed work he could rely on. He believed he had the skills and enough connections to start his own fabrication company.
Aviles began at a table in the corner of an old building behind the Aviles family home. Without sophisticated machinery, Jose struggled to convince customers he had what it took to fulfill their orders.
For the first three months, he received none. He asked his wife, Irma, to take on second shift so he could continue to call on customers during the day. With a relentless charm, he showed them examples of his precise work and asked them to give him a chance.
Finally, in October of that year, Jose caught a few breaks. As small orders started coming in, the banker who bought the building where he worked offered to sell it to him. Jose pulled together a team to overhaul the space and optimize it for efficient production. He finally had a workspace he was proud to show prospects.
Today, Aviles operates out of a 40,000 square foot warehouse and counts nationally-known companies among its customers.
“You have to believe in yourself,” says Jose. “And I had no doubt I was going to being successful. Success comes with trusting yourself.” | |
