The Nichols Family: Turning Tragedy into a Family Success
Beaumont, Houston, San Antonio and Waco, TX Franchises
The Nichols family is the picture of success: multiple thriving franchises, a new 7,500 square foot, custom-built headquarters and a vibrant family dynamic that includes dad Joe Sr., his three children (Dee, Joe Jr. and Melisa), daughter-in-law Bonnie Nichols, and son-in-law Randy Standly. (Leah, the family matriarch, supports from behind the scenes, and watches over the grandkids). It’s a vision the family couldn’t begin to imagine in 1984, when tragedy struck the family.
In 1984, Joe Jr., then a college student, was in a serious car accident that left him a quadriplegic. But even as Joe was convinced that life would stop, it continued to move forward with the help and support of his close-knit family. With the encouragement of his family, Joe finished college and earned a degree in business. In 1990, the Nichols purchased their first franchise, along with Randy Standly and Danny Cook (who now owns the Little Rock, Arkansas franchise). According to older sister Dee, buying a franchise was originally intended to give Joe Jr. an opportunity to utilize his business skills. Instead, it has given the entire family a purpose and a sense of pride. Today, Dee says that she is the heart of the business, and Joe Jr. is the head. It’s an organization that works for everybody – including all of their customers.
From the beginning, the family was committed to creating a business and lifestyle that worked for everyone. After seeing the early success with the first franchise, Joe Sr. decided to buy another franchise in Houston. He convinced daughters Dee and Melisa, both schoolteachers in Dallas, to leave their careers behind and settle in with the family business in Houston. Other franchise purchases occurred in short order. The family formed a new corporation, with all of the kids having some ownership, and a specific role.
Their success in part is due to the belief that they are in the business of helping people accomplish their goals, not just providing them with shipping services. This attitude permeates everything they do. And it’s undoubtedly why they immediately opened their doors and resources to help out the New Orleans franchise shortly after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As Dee recalls “There was no question in our minds that we would help them out. They literally ran their business from our office for weeks, continuing to provide service to all of their customers. It was a blessing for us to be able to do that for them.”
The entire family has enjoyed the opportunities and the rewards of owning Unishippers franchises. Dee believes they couldn’t have duplicated the success anywhere else. And she promises this: “We’ll be doing this forever. Things will continue to change, and we’ll maybe even expand a bit. But we love what we do, and it’s given us all a lifestyle we never dreamed possible.”
> Find out how Ron Kornafel moved from corporate sales management into franchise ownership.
