One Company’s Story of Surviving and Thriving in AEC

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. No one knows this better than today’s guest on the AEC Podcast, Ron Tamlyn, co-owner of worldwide building products supplier Tamlyn.

He joined us on the podcast to recount the story of Tamlyn, from its humble beginning, to its uncertain moments, to its prosperous now. Tamlyn’s story is one of many for small business owners in this industry, but the expertise, determination, and business acumen that the Tamlyn team had are what set it apart from the beginning.

With $800 of borrowed seed money and a desire to provide for his family, Ron’s father, Ron Sr., launched the small company in 1971 in the modest garage of his 1,100-square-foot Bellaire, Texas home with his wife, Jean.

“He would go out and sell product, order it, and then go in the back room of our house to box it up and deliver it,” Ron said. “One day when I was 10 years old, he dumped a box of aluminum ply clips in my bedroom and said to count out 500 pieces. That was the beginning of Tamlyn.”

Ron Sr. was a Purple Heart recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima and parlayed a little bit of military wisdom into the company’s approach to keeping up with large competitors.

“Dad would say, ‘Once you’ve had bullets flying at you, nothing will scare you,’” Ron said. “We’ve taken that to mean that we don’t have to be afraid of the big boys. We can run faster than them, and make turns quicker than them in a lot of ways.”

Through the years, Tamlyn has built a loyal customer base that values the faith-driven principles of the company and its leadership. With his father’s wisdom in mind, Ron took the reins of Tamlyn to lead it into the next generation, understanding that business is a journey.

“My dad said, ‘Learn from your failures, move on, and hopefully not make the same mistakes,’” Ron said.

Give this podcast a listen to learn how one man and one company’s journey reflects some of the hardest truths and most exciting opportunities within the AEC industry.

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