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Running head: ENTREPRENEUR INTERVIEW ESSAY

Entrepreneur Interview Essay
Megan Vissering
Ivy Tech Community College









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ENTREPRENEUR INTERVIEW ESSAY
Abstract
In an interview with entrepreneur, Thomas Wilson, I uncovered his story of building a
business nearly 53 years ago. Mr. Wilson described the impact his youth had on his business
ventures and the struggles he occurred on his way to success. Tom also shared many of the
rewards entrepreneurship offers and the mindset needed to achieve greatness internally and
externally. The interview processed the education and experience Mr. Wilson had and his
childhood dreams. Many of the interview questions regarding his business venture led Tom to
narrate the initial phases of his it all the way to todays operations. I found Mr. Wilsons words
to be inspirational as well as motivating to not only myself but others looking to find job security
in a business of his/her own. After analyzing many direct quotes and philosophies Tom shared, I
concluded that creating a company has its fair share of struggles and as an entrepreneur, many
sleepless nights, but in the end, the rewards of finding individualism and strength through ones
organization is a much greater price.







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ENTREPRENEUR INTERVIEW ESSAY
I had the opportunity to interview Thomas Wilson, a family friend and a very successful
entrepreneur in my community. Several of his companies continue to stand today and have had a
large impact on the agriculture and industrial industries. Wilson Fertilizer operates in Brook,
Indiana as a dominant fertilizer and seed distributer. Recently, Wilson Industrial and Wilson
Transportation, companies also founded by Mr. Wilson, moved from Brook to Rensselaer,
Indiana. During the interview, Mr. Wilson took a trip down memory lane to tell me more about
his journey as an entrepreneur and gave me insight on his views of business.
When the interview began, Tom extrapolated on his childhood; many of his teenage years
were spent at his fathers trucking company where he would haul loads of rock to and from the
stone quarry. Even before Tom was legal to drive, he took loads of livestock to the Chicago
stockyards. Tom told me how his parents never just gave him money, he had to work for every
dollar he made. He knew working was a part of life at a very young age. He continued to work
for his father even after graduating from Brook High School. Tom said, My parents didnt give
me a college education, but they gave me experience. Even though Tom may not have realized
it at the time, the experience of learning to drive and fix his fathers trucks greatly impacted his
future ventures. Before I moved into questions relating his young adult life, I was curious as to
what Toms childhood dreams were. I anticipated between two answers: he wanted to be a
superhero or he wanted to own his own company. I was shocked to learn Toms childhood dream
was to one day own a really nice semi. Tom explained that his fathers trucks were not top of
the line so when he had the chance to see all of the beautiful semis sitting at the stockyards,
nothing more superseded his young desires.
My questions led Tom to explain his motives of starting his own business and the
opportunities he had along the way. I was shocked to learn so much about his past and the
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struggles he faced and still faces today. The story unfolded when Tom explained that he began to
see his dad paying more attention to his personal life away from the family than promoting the
success of his business. Around the same time, Tom had back surgery: he was only 23 years old,
and while recovering in his hospital bed, Tom knew he had to find a way to make money in order
to support his mother. After he left the hospital, Tom went to see his brother Richard with ideas
of starting a business together in the trucking industry. This industry seemed to be the obvious
solution to their problems because they both knew the means of a trucking business after
watching their father throughout their childhood. Within a few days, an idea turned into reality
for these Wilson brothers. Richards barn was quickly turned into a maintenance garage and
Richards wife was set up as the businesss bookkeeper. One major problem the two faced was
having no equipment, a large factor in the success of the business.
Tom described his life altering trip to Chatsworth, Illinois. He knew of an International
dealership that had trucks suitable for the business. He found a truck that met his needs and after
talking with the salesperson, the two agreed on a price. As the paperwork was being finalized,
the salesman looked to Tom and asked how he planned to pay for the truck. Tom looked to the
salesman and said, Havent got that far. What Tom hadnt told the salesman was that together
he and his brother together only had roughly 70 dollars to their names, an amount nowhere near
the purchase price of the truck. The salesman took a good look at him and said, Cmon, and
together they went to the Chatsworth Bank to talk to the banker in charge of loans. After he
described his business plans, the banker granted him a loan for a couple thousand dollars. Tom
was walking out of the bank when the banker hollered, Wilson! He elaborated on the fear and
the stomach clinch he felt assuming the banker had changed his mind on the loan. Tom said he
walked back into the office, and the banker asked him how he planned to pay for the array of
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licensing, permits and other start-up costs. Once again Tom replied, Havent got that far. The
banker told Tom to sit down because if he was going to help Tom out, he was going to do it
right. When the trip to Chatsworth was over, Tom came back to Brook with a large enough loan
to start a real business.
Tom and Richard bought two trucks to haul limestone, their first and primary product,
and later were able to purchase two more trucks to haul steel. Wilson Brothers was becoming
very successful, but Tom explained to me the problems that arose even with booming business.
The company couldnt keep as busy as necessary in the summer and needed a way to keep
employees busy. This problem spurred the decision to buy a strip of land in Brook right off of
Highway 16. A bailing and grain system was built on this land and solved the problem to the
trickling profits in the summer. Today, this exact piece of land houses Wilson Fertilizer.
Expansion was the only option Tom saw; in my interview, he explained his belief that all
entrepreneurs have a desire for more and more. He believes entrepreneurs never settle for what
he/she has, and the idea to become bigger and better is just the way the body is wired. The need
for fertilizer in the area became extremely high. At the time, most farmers didnt use fertilizer
because they were afraid to spend the extra money without a guarantee that their yields would
increase. Tom recalled persuading farmers into buying test product, and when farmers saw an
increase of double in their yields, the idea of a fertilizer business grew. Tom and Richard opened
several other fertilizer branches, reaching their goal of seven plants but later consolidated a few.
Tom recalled a dream he had many years ago. In this dream, he saw his trucks hauling large
quantities of potash. He contacted IMC, International Minerals Corporation, and persuaded the
company to give him a contract for a large supply of potash. IMC gave Tom more than enough
potash to haul. He recalled the difficult process to get all of it moved, but in the end, he always
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found a buyer. Unfortunately, Richard died of a heart attack in his early forties leaving the
responsibilities of the business solely to Tom.
Much of what I know about the Wilson companies is the industrial side of business. I
questioned Tom on how Wilson Industrial came about and his ability to find industrial products.
Tom talked about how he knew agriculture had to coincide with industrial products. He
explained that on a trip to Michigan, he stopped by the Ford plant for a tour of the facilities. Tom
saw workers dipping car bumpers in phosphoric acid before they were sent for chrome plating
and wondered where the excess phosphoric acid went. After talking to the plant manager, Tom
learned the Ford factory dumped the phosphoric acid down the drain. The thought of polluting
landfills didnt sit well with Tom so he asked to buy the left over acid when the plant was done
with it. In time, Tom was buying phosphoric from 13 manufacturers and converting it into
fertilizer as well as compacting ammonium sulfate for the same outcome. Today, Wilson
Industrial buys, converts and sells industrial byproducts as well as virgin material.
Once much of the business history was explained, I had the chance to ask Tom several
questions on the challenges and rewards he has experienced in the 53 years he has been in
business. Tom was quick to answer that money was the greatest challenge he faced when he was
starting his business; he praised the Chatsworth Bank and the International salesman who helped
him find start-up capital. Tom believes the only way to overcome the fears and challenges of
business is to be persistent and never give up. Many times business people give up after one
person says no, but when one is an entrepreneur, he/she has to persuade or find different
opportunities so someone will say yes. Even today, Tom believes the hardest obstacle to
overcome is finding qualified people for work. In his business, time and time again trucks sit for
days because finding drivers with the necessary credentials is hard. Lawyers, Tom said, are the
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greatest risk of being a business owner because someone always wants to sue the business and
the business owner. No matter how ethical the company may act, lawyers will always find a way
to find corruption. The mood lightened when I asked Tom about the most rewarding aspects of
being a business owner. His reply was the feeling he gets knowing he has helped others and
made an impact in someones life. He recalled writing into action that 10 percent of profits each
year would be donated to charity. The companys donations to Mayos Clinic has helped many
employees and their families seek immediate medical attention.
Tom wants young people to know that success is purely found when one finds a true
passion for something and turns that love into a business. He encourages all potential
entrepreneurs to do something exciting with their lives so going to work doesnt actually feel like
work. Being in a field driven by money is the wrong way to live life so by following a passion
and putting effort into a business of ones choice will turn profits greater and greater each year.
At the end of interview, Tom remembered a conversation he had at the beginning of his ventures
with his bookkeeper, Judy, regarding profit expectations; he and Judy agreed that once the
company had made a million dollars, the business would have truly conquered success. Tom
smiled and made the comment that the company quickly reached the million dollar profit mark
and in time since, has exceeded all of his expectations.
My conversation with Mr. Wilson was nothing short of inspirational and encouraging. I
walked out of his front door believing in myself more than I ever had before because I now know
the possibilities in life are endless. I realized that money and knowledge do not have the power to
sit in any ones way of achieving greatness because determination and hard work will carry
anyone to finding success. Even though I have known Tom Wilson my whole life, I was
astonished by his humble personality and desire to help others. I can only hope when I find
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success in my life, I will act in a manner similar to Tom. In 53 years from now, I want to have
the ability to say that I made an impact in my community and the lives of others.

















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Works Cited
Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderlund, L., & Brizee, A.
(2010, May 5). General format. Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/