November 11, 2013
Shop Talk
Q&A With Susan Mailman Of Coghlin Electrical Contractors & Coghlin Network Services
Susan Mailman, President, Coghlin Electrical Contractors & Coghlin Network Services, Worcester
By Rick Saia
When Sue Mailman was a rebellious teenager, she never thought she would one day assume control of the family business, soon to enter its 130th year of operation. But as she has proven, you never know what kind of path will beckon you.
What’s the most rewarding thing about running a family business?
There are several things. The most rewarding thing is to be part of a community where people recognize your name. They know the good work either our family has done in this city or people who have worked here have done in the city. I love construction, so we can look around every day at the buildings that we've built and where we've had our imprint (with) electrical contracting and telecommunications and networking.
Flip side: What’s the most challenging thing about running a family business that other businesses don’t really have to deal with?
The challenging part is to work through — probably specifically in construction, but certainly as a union contractor — very challenging economic times. If people feel that all business is going to go away and it's just going to become large corporate cultures, then there is the feeling that a family-owned business in a city like Worcester isn't viable, and can employees that are going to come to work here believe in the future of that business? I think they will and I hope that they do.
You’ve seen this company as it was run by your father. What’s different today about running a business such as this one?
I think our customers are smarter, our general contractors are smarter and I think that — he won't like to hear this — but I think that the ability to make a dollar 30 years ago is different than the ability to make a dollar today. Our people have to be very technically savvy. It is very competitive; margins are tough. On the other hand, it makes us shine. Because we succeed at it, we're proving that it can be done.
Many people wind up in roles that they never envisioned taking when they were younger. Such was apparently the case with you. What does that say to both young men and women who are trying to figure out what they want to do later in life?
Sometimes, we as young people think there's going to be this nice plan or something's going to happen, or it's going to be laid out for us and we're going to work a particular path. I guess I think that we really have to be open to life as it happens to us, and that sometimes, when I came to work here, I didn't anticipate running this business. That wasn't my plan, but that's what happened. So be open to what's happening to you, and it's not going to necessarily always be to plan.
There’s a lot that has been said over the years about the value of a college education. But has that caused a gap in technical skills that are needed to run businesses such as Coghlin?
The most important qualities that we bring are probably qualities that are innate to us, and some of those qualities might be integrity, hard work … and they might be kind of the intangibles. Integrity is a big thing. Learning management skills — there are books all over the place. But the electricians that come to work at Coghlin's have got to be technically challenged in their schooling. When they come to work here, they have to be ready to go to work. So our apprenticeship programs are critical to their success.
Have you given any thought about the next generation of Coghlins running the business?
Yes, we have a large extended family. At 51, I still consider myself a youngster, and we're going to see what happens. There are lots of opportunities for family and non-family members and I look forward to what will happen.
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Shop Talk - Susan Mailman, Coghlin Electrical Contractors & Coghlin Network Services
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