Talk to Phil Roland, who opened the doors to his rep firm a good 36 years ago, and before you know it, you’ve received a healthy dose of enthusiasm, confidence, and an appreciation for the necessity to embrace change. In effect, perhaps his agency’s company philosophy is best incorporated in the following: “‘Wait’ is a four-letter word we do not tolerate; we constantly push ourselves, our principals, and our customers. We are not for everyone — we are an ‘acquired taste.’”

Roland founded Aquest in 1986 as a natural outgrowth of his always wanting to work for himself. “Following an undergrad degree in engineering from the University of Massachusetts, I got my start in sales and technical training with Honeywell and ABB, and then the big move came to open Aquest. I’ve always been an engineering and sales guy. The financial stuff didn’t interest me all that much. The cornerstone for my interest in being a rep was that you got to sell something, got paid for your work and were always changing. I gravitate to change just like a chameleon.

“From the start, we established ourselves as a leader in the design, engineering, equipment application, installation, and field services in support of air pollution control products. We have steadily expanded our expertise over the years and today can offer both indoor and outdoor quality solutions that exceed industry standards.” He adds, “Today we pretty much dominate the region that we work in.”

Recalling the early days of his business, Roland says his first two investments were a Smith Corona typewriter and a fax machine — both of which have seen better days. With that fairly modest beginning, today, the agency with a staff of eight operates out of two locations (Somers, Connecticut, and Saco, Maine) and serves the industrial air filtration and environmental containment marketplace in New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Succession in Place

Among the staff of eight is Roland’s son Steven, the anchor for his succession plan which calls for the son to buy out the father over time.

According to Roland, who has three sons, the first two sons decided upon other career plans. “Number three, Steven, has been with the agency for 15 years and he’s killing it. He started with us when he was young — we dressed him up to look older. He came to work for Aquest after college and today he’s our president. He’s very mature and there’s not a day when I’m not impressed with what he’s been able to accomplish. He’s basically running the operation in addition to handling the books and taxes. When your children turn out to be better than you are at what you do, you’re obviously a very proud poppa. Last year, he absolutely crushed me when it comes to sales.”

In terms of developing a succession plan, Roland explains that he hired an attorney two years ago to start the plan. “With the assistance of my accountant, we developed two outside valuations of the worth of the agency making use of five years of sales. We came up with a number. I sat down with Steve and said, ‘Here’s the number it’s worth. I will give you a family discount.’ We both thought it was reasonable and when the time comes, we’ll put a contract together. When the time comes for me to depart the agency, he’ll pay me over a 10-year period that calls for me to get passive income that doesn’t crush a family member with debt.”

For the time being, however, Roland maintains, “At 70 years old, I admit that I’ve had a good run, but having said that I know I have several more years left. Right now, I have no reason to retire. The day I do not get excited when the phone rings with the possibility of another great customer opportunity, then I know it will be the day I should walk away. I still get a buzz for business each and every day. I truly love my job, my employees, my principals, and my customers. I’d add that when you do get to an age when perhaps you don’t care, then it’s time to leave.”

Common Concerns

After well over three decades in the business and while he’s still in the business, Roland has no hesitation when it comes to sharing his thoughts on a number of subjects that he and all reps share.

Principals — “There are any number of principals that have absolutely no idea what their reps perform for them. They continue to raise their prices with no understanding that when selling through reps they have no sales costs. Those principals who have chosen to work through reps sometimes compare their prices to the ‘direct guy.’ When they increase their prices, they expect the rep to absorb the increase with no increase in commission, and that affects the rep’s margins. Once the principal’s pricing is unsustainable in our market, we look elsewhere for a new principal.”

Market Development Fees — “I think getting money up front is a crazy idea. Here’s what we do — we go after new principals on need. We’re the air filtration experts focused on the industrial market. If we see there’s a business opportunity, we simply go out and get it. We know ahead of time that we’re going to sell the product and be able to reward ourselves and our principals. We’re in a position where we get inquiries from all over the country. We’re not looking to take on accounts for their leads. We control our own destiny and don’t sit back and wait for something to develop.”

Covid Impact — “When Covid hit, Steve and I had a conversation about how it would impact business. My words to him were ‘Your father was made for this.’ We didn’t let any employees go. Covid had zero effect on us.”

Change — If there’s any area where Roland’s philosophy of life and business comes through, it’s his views on change. According to Roland, “Embracing change is the cornerstone of our agency’s success. We make major changes every year whether it’s new principals, new markets, upgrading technology, or dropping old, underperforming principals.

Accepting Change

“If you’re not willing to change, you lose great opportunities on both the personal and professional sides of your life. I don’t know why people fear change. If people don’t change, they show they’re not willing to adjust, they’re tired. I change all the time. Every year, for 36 years, everyone here knows that I’m going to change something, whether we’re going to start painting the offices or change the furniture. Our website undergoes a change every 12 to 18 months.

“By changing we show others that we’re the top dealer. I look at our principals every year. If something isn’t working with them, I pick up the phone and tell them it’s not working. If our relationship with someone isn’t going well, we’ll fix it, or let it go.”

Confidence — According to Roland, “Confidence can easily be confused with arrogance. We’re confident. Aquest and our entire team is built upon a foundation of confidence. All employees know the products, our markets, our territory. They all know how to sell, how to design, how to install, and how to service. When a client selects Aquest, they get the very best and we work hard to blow them away. We demand greatness from ourselves and from all of our principals.”

MANA — According to Roland, “About five years after I opened the agency in 1986, I was lucky enough to find MANA. I remember finding a copy of Agency Sales while I was in a waiting room on a sales call. I got enthralled and admit that I took the magazine with me. Shortly after I became a member of MANA. The association has been great for us over the years. MANA has provided me with excellent contacts, but more important, its monthly magazine (Agency Sales) and its articles prove extremely helpful for a ‘one-man-band’ like myself. When I read something valuable, I make sure to tear out the article, make a copy of it or email to everyone in the agency. It might be something on sales training or something else of value for a small company that has no opportunity to access broad visionaries or consultants. It serves as our mouthpiece. It really kept me from becoming myopic in my sales and management vision. We have really depended upon MANA and Agency Sales over the years.”

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].

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The Aquest Corporation File

• Locations: Somers, Connecticut, and Saco, Maine
• Founded: 1986
• Website: www.aquestcorp.com
• Products and Services: Air filtration equipment for the control of particulate, gas, odor, mist, moisture; recycling/volume reduction: shredders, choppers, balers/air conveying
• Territory Covered: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
• Trade Associations: Technical Association of Pulp & Paper Industries (TAPPI)