Supplies Company Looking Out for the Little Guys

We’re highlighting small businesses from around the country as nominated by you, our readers. If your favorite small business is using Twitter to communicate with customers, let us know about it @fbsmallbiz with the hashtag #mysbc, and it may be featured as an upcoming Small Business of the Day.

Small Business of the Day: Essco Corporation

Who: Partners Doug Stemmler, 51, and Matt Sell, 43, @esscoindy

What: A personal safety supply and equipment company

When: 1995

How: Stemmler and Sell had worked for the company for several years when it was part of a large demolition and construction business. In 1995, it when the corporation separated the supplies portion of the business from the construction side, Stemmler said they approached the owners about buying.

"We decided it was a good business opportunity to buy," Stemmler said. "It was formed to lower supply costs and to sell to other contractors doing asbestos removal and other types of hazardous removal from buildings."

Where: Indianapolis, Ind.

Biggest lesson learned from a customer: "To treat the smaller customer the way you treat big customers as far as service and attention goes," Stemmler said. "We want to build a long-term business relationship. The small guys may someday be the big guys."

To view more Small Businesses of the Day, click our interactive map.