2013 40 Under Forty: William R. Simpson
Simpson
TITLE: President, Smokestack Lightning Inc.
COMPANY LOCATION: Brookfield
RESIDENCE: Brookfield
FAVORITE MOVIE: “Kill Bill”
FAVORITE BOOK: “A Game of Thrones”
Career highlights:Helping bring a company from $70,000 in annual revenue to $750,000. I also rappelled off the site of the Massachusetts State House during a lightning-protection installation. Also, receiving an MBA from Babson College before my daughter turned 1 year old.
Community involvement: I served on the town’s cultural council for six years, the planning board for a half-year, the master planning committee for two years, and municipal facilities planning committee for two years. I also founded the nonprofit Friends of the Brookfield Town Hall in June 2012 to raise money and support to bring our treasured but ADA-inaccessible building back to full use.
Biggest success: After building our new office, I looked around and realized we had developed a team of good, competent, hard-working people. It is a great feeling when we get letters or calls from customers, saying that our installers were excellent to work with and they will recommend us to everyone they come into contact with.
Biggest challenge: Trying to figure out how to expand the company beyond the $1-million revenue mark, and determining how much we could grow beyond that point in a small niche industry, and in which direction. Another significant challenge is learning to be a manager after being an installer, bookkeeper, salesman, estimator, web designer, and ground rod hole digger.
Mentor: My father, who started the company after two decades as a chimney sweep. He taught me the value of honesty, learning everything about what we do and getting things done. He taught me to treat others kindly and to balance work, home and civic life.
Hidden talents: Playing music (fiddle, guitar, upright bass and drums), singing, rock climbing, home remodeling, woodworking, blacksmithing, apple-pie baking and basketball.
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2013 40 Under Forty: Liz Sheehan Castro
2013 40 Under Forty: Kate Sharry
2013 40 Under Forty: Robert R. Rucci
2013 40 Under Forty: Ben Robinson
2013 40 Under Forty: Jackson Restrepo
2013 40 Under Forty: J. Christian Rea
2013 40 Under Forty: Amanda Parker
2013 40 Under Forty: Tiffany A. Moore Simas
2013 40 Under Forty: Alexandra Montgomery
2013 40 Under Forty: Patrick J. McCarty
2013 40 Under Forty: Olga Kwasniewski
2013 40 Under Forty: Ryan M. Kittredge
2013 40 Under Forty: Heather G. Keenan
2013 40 Under Forty: Denise Kapulka
2013 40 Under Forty: Fred Kaelin
2013 Forty Under 40: Jennifer Hogan
2013 40 Under Forty: Corey F. Higgins
2013 Forty Under 40: Richard Hayward Jr.
2013 40 Under Forty: Sarah Gustafson
2013 40 Under Forty: Eric Gustafson
2013 40 Under Forty: Aldo Guerrero
2013 40 Under Forty: Thomas M. Gregory
2013 40 Under Forty: Jodie Grady
2013 40 Under Forty: Melissa A. Gleick
2013 40 Under Forty: Elisabeth Gilbride
2013 40 Under Forty: Adrien Finlay
2013 40 Under Forty: Brittany Durgin
2013 40 Under Forty: Sarah Day
2013 40 Under Forty: Ryan Clutterbuck
2013 40 Under Forty: Jared Chrudimsky
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