2010 Small Business Awardees are:
Six Auto Sales & Service
Schwerdt Design Group
Lower Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning
These businesses were recognized by the Chamber/GO Topeka at the Small Business Awards event May 19, 2010
at Washburn University.
Join us in congratulating these fine area businesses!
“Quality Cars at Affordable Prices” has been Darrell Six’s slogan since the first day of business in 1993 when he opened for business with a few hundred dollars and sold quality vehicles. Today, there are 14 employees, two facilities and in 2009 they had over $3 million in sales during a recession.
Rebounding from the North Topeka Bridge replacement project and the recent economic recession, the business has remained profitable and in 2009 added a new 5,400 square foot addition to their service facility located at the north end of the new Topeka Boulevard Bridge. This expansion shows his customers their commitment to taking care of their vehicles and customers’ needs. He says his secret weapon is the ability to serve over 16 fleet accounts for businesses throughout the community.
Six Auto, located in North Topeka, has always been aggressive in revitalizing the area, leading by example by building their own modern, attractive and well-landscaped businesses. They’ve received a landscaping award from Topeka/Shawnee County Keep America Beautiful and have raised the bar for other new business developments in North Topeka, making the business community desirable and helping to increase the tax base for the city and county.
Six has served as president of the North Topeka Business Alliance, vice president and board member of the Great Overland Station, and served on the advisory board of the Community National Bank. Involved in many facets North Topeka, Six has helped with identifying funding for the riverfront authority’s master plan and design, working with the City on streetscape revitalization and helping with the banners and Christmas lights on North Kansas Avenue every year. In recent years he has gone on the Chamber’s Inter-City Visits learning how he can help the entire city. He’s willing to do anything he can to make Topeka a better place to live, work and play.
In 1990, Greg Schwerdt began Schwerdt Design Group with a staff of four. Over twenty years, SDG has diversified services and grown to be a 20-person firm offering architecture, planning and interior design services. The firm has survived the recent economic downturn with intensified marketing efforts, a backlog of work prior to the recession and development of collaborative teams with owners, developers and general cont4actors to energize projects that might have otherwise stalled.
Today, SDG has two offices, the original and largest office in Topeka and a branch office in Oklahoma City. They have designed projects in 45 states and the annual average construction value of SDG’s projects is in excess of $100 million. The firm believes that designing good buildings for their clients leads to their clients’ success and they are proud to have designed buildings from churches to large corporations as well as varied civic projects such as the Gage Park Mini-Train Depot and the Riverfront Redevelopment Master Plan.
Schwerdt and his employees participate in the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Topeka, Inc., Leadership Greater Topeka, Heartland Visioning, the Topeka Community Foundation, St. Francis Health Center Foundation Board and ArtsConnect to name a few. He and his staff have also been active in the national, state and local chapters of The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Creativity in business practices has also resulted in increased business as the firm meets the needs of their clients often with collaborative partnerships with businesses as well as developers and contractors. SDG provides pro bono or discounted design services to many area churches and non-profit service organizations to assist them in bringing their building projects to fruition. “Giving back to the community enables us to succeed in the first place.” Schwerdt says.
From one employee in 1971 to the 45 employees today, Lower Plumbing Heating and Air continues to offer personal service to all of their clients from the individual home owner to major businesses.
Established as a residential heating and air conditioning company, the firm has added plumbing construction (1978) temperature controls (1997) and residential and commercial plumbing service (2001). They now see revenues of over $9 million annually.
Lower is proud to offer two top of the line heating and air systems—Trane and Bryant, choosing not to offer a higher end and a less costly end. Their two lines allow them to offer quality and service on a daily basis….it’s “the Lower way.” The firm now offers turnkey design, installation and future maintenance to the building owner no matter the project size. Lower has retained his employees over the years as seven employees have been with the company for over 20 years, and three more have been with the firm for over 15 years.
As the firm nears its 39th anniversary, Lower believes that food financial planning to avoid economic downturns has allowed the firm to retain employees through slow times and in turn have qualified team players at busy times.
Lower is a member of the Better Business Bureau, Downtown Topeka, GO Topeka, Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors, Associated General Contractors, Topeka Home Buildings, Topeka Independent Business Association and the Topeka Facilities Management Association. He is a current board member for Community Bank. Over the years, the firm has been involved in United Way, Sheltered Living, Capper Foundation Easter Seals, Junior Achievement, Presbyterian Manor, Washburn University and a variety of service clubs. The firm has recently signed on as the Kanza Bowl Title Sponsor for 2009-2010-2011.
