Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Holloway.
Joey, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I worked at an auto-parts store in Lawrenceville, Georgia when I was twenty-two, at the time if you needed a hydraulic hose replaced you had to take it off yourself, bring it to a shop to have it remade, and then take it back and put it back on the equipment. The process could take up an entire day for just one hose. One day while at work, a customer came in complaining about how long the process was to have a hydraulic hose replaced and that’s when I had the idea for Mobile Hydraulics.
I realized that I could fit all of the hydraulic equipment needed for any type of repair in the back of a box truck. So I began building a business plan for how I could make this idea work. When I went to the bank to get a loan, I was laughed at, simply because it had never been done before. I went to eight more banks before I was finally able to secure a load to begin my business in 1989. Starting out, it was just me, one Mobile Hydraulics truck, and a home office. I bought my second truck in 1994, my third truck in 1997, and moved into my first office space in 2000. Over the years Mobile Hydraulics has grown, we now have a fleet of MH Mobile Workshops that cover all of North Georgia, as well as two locations in Winder, Georgia and Covington, Georgia.
Has it been a smooth road?
If it were a smooth road, I wouldn’t be the businessman I am today. We have had several difficulties along the way but they have all made us a better business. The recession of 2008 was a tough road for us at Mobile Hydraulics. We kept hoping that each month would get better, but we were forced to choose whether to pay our employees payroll or other business expenses. I went from an eleven-man crew and an office staff down to one employee and myself. I have always said that if you have good customer service and a good product, then your customers will always use your business and I am nothing but thankful for those customers that got us through that time.
Another thing that continues to be a struggle for us is that in the complexity of our business, our personnel has to have multiple talents as both mechanics and salesmen. Each of our employees wear multiple hats and it can be hard to find a crew that can do that. Being a small business owner comes its own set of challenges. I chose to face all my companies problems head-on and with a lot of prayers. Over the last thirty-one years, I have been in business, I have learned not to procrastinate in fixing any dilemma. You have to take care of it as soon as possible or it will grown into a much larger problem.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Mobile Hydraulics – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Mobile Hydraulics is an on-site hydraulic repair and assembles company, we are proud to have been the first mobile hydraulic company in the state of Georgia. We specialize in hydraulics hose manufacturing across all of North Georgia.
I am most proud of how my company has the ability to make any hose either on-site or at our warehouses with excellent customer service and the ability to get our customer’s equipment up and running in a timely fashion. I believe it is our customer service that sets us apart from other hydraulic companies. We train our employees to treat our customers how they would want to be treated and that philosophy has gotten us to where we are today.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Atlanta is my home. I have always liked the southern hospitality and the diverse culture of our city. We have nice weather mostly all year and immense business opportunities through our constantly growing city. One word to describe my dislike for Atlanta is traffic. I’m sure this is number one on many people’s list, it makes it harder for Mobile Hydraulics to perform business in the best way possible. But no matter how big my business gets, Atlanta will always be home.
Contact Info:
- Address: 30 Business Center Dr. Winder, GA 30860
8279 Hazelbrand Rd. Covington, GA 30014 - Website: hydhose.com
- Phone: 7704934673
- Email: joey@hydhose.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HydHose
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hydhose
Image Credit:
Victoria Holloway
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