Commentary

A day at Betts Industries: “Doing what’s best”

A day at Betts Industries: “Doing what’s best”

Betts Industries in Warren is celebrating 125 years of manufacturing. When I read that they were hosting an open house, I was intrigued. And boy, what a story they have to share. All I knew was that Betts made truck valves for tankers. Dear Richard and I decided to take the company tour.

Coincidentally, I had just read an article about family businesses. I learned that 65 – 70% of the businesses in America are family owned. Many of those are Mom and Pop stores, restaurants, or small businesses with only two or three employees. But some grow to become major employers, often bearing a family's name. I quickly thought of Wegman's, Bush Industries, and Cummins Engine as examples of families whose businesses are important in our lives, our local economies.

But many of those family name brands struggle to pass the company to the next generation. Statistics show that only about 30% of family-owned businesses make it to the second generation; 12% carry on to the third generation, and just 3% make it to the fourth generation. The Betts clan is doing something right - they're working on generation #6!

The first stop on our tour was a working robot, and I wondered how the workers reacted when robots arrived in their midst. It didn't take the employees long to decide that robots could accomplish the boring, repetitive chores and allow them to be more creative and flexible.

We rounded the next corner, looking both up and ahead and were blown away by the enormity of the place. The ceiling, flying an enormous American flag, looked 50' high and I really couldn't see the end of the ginormous building, it was so far away.

What began as one 60' x 90' factory has been expanded nine times since 1967 to a whopping 275,000 square feet. Five acres of manufacturing and office space - like the downtown of a small town - with a roof! A few miles away is another 30,000 square foot facility making truck lighting, and in Chester Springs, PA, 113 more employees making highway safety equipment. I'll never look at a Crossett tanker truck the same way ever again.

At each workstation, we were greeted by an enthusiastic employee standing alongside an informational placard. The placards listed the employees from all three shifts who work at each particular function, and the number of years they'd been with the company. Most stations included some employees with 21, 25, even 33 years of longevity. That stunned me at first. But speaking with each worker, it didn't take long to determine why they love their jobs.

Employee opinions are not only respected but encouraged. They are often the "hands-on" problem solvers. They receive enviable benefit packages as well as a lucrative profit-sharing plan. After talking to many of the guys, I saw smiles as they talked about their work week. If customers' order fulfillment goals are met each week, everyone on the plant floor gets Friday afternoon off. They treasure the incentive, knowing that quality cannot be sacrificed in the process. They only miss a few times a year.

We began to tire on the tour's long path. I thought we were almost to Bradford, but we'd only trekked about a third of the tour when a helpful worker found us some stools. We realized we had exceeded our ability to walk the whole circuit. Another friendly face thoughtfully ferried us back to the reception area.

After our journey, I was fortunate to spend some time talking with Clifford Betts II, the retired CEO and Chairman of the Board (Generation #4). I was gob-smacked by the sheer size and product mass I had seen. I then asked him to sum up in one sentence what they make. "Critical components for over-the-road tank truck industry," was his answer. And that turns out to be over 23,000 products!! As we wrapped up our conversation filled with my nosy questions, he said, "You didn't ask me how we made it to the sixth generation."

From our tour, I thought I already knew. He kiddingly said, "It's in the water." But then he seriously added how important their 277 employees have always been to their entire process. He spoke of 125 years of growth - thoughtful and methodical. Precision is important in all that they do. Their relationships with their workforce and their legacy with vendors are testament to this perseverance. The company's "Do what's right" credo extends beyond their fair, honest business practices to the mutual respect they share with their employees.

I have one last overriding impression of the Betts gang. They've been incredibly generous to Warren. Their family foundation supports the continuing needs of the active 20-acre Betts Park, as well as scholarships for both employees' families and local students. They support animal welfare, legal aid, human services, our historic theater, and much more. As a result, there are not many local residents who do not benefit from having the Betts family as our neighbors, "doing what's best."

Despite my weary bones not seeing all they offered on Saturday, I for one, am grateful.

Marcy O'Brien is available at Moby.32@hotmail.com.