Marvin Spees | Local Leaders Achieving Success
Seven local entrepreneurs share their journeys from humble beginnings to thriving businesses. Discover the challenges they faced, the breakthroughs that fueled their growth and the insights that drove their success.
Marvin Spees
Capital City Oil, Inc.
What was your first job and how did it impact you?
I sold popcorn at Municipal Auditorium. I earned 70 cents per basket (30 boxes at 15 cents per box). It taught me how to make change and take care of my money.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to run their own business?
I have a quote on my computer monitor that says: “People are the most important thing. Business model and product will follow if you have the right people.”
What qualities do you believe are most important in a business leader?
A solid set of values. Decisions are easier when you have values and ethics that you won’t compromise.
What strategies have been most effective for growing your business?
Take care of the customer. If they’re not successful, we won’t be successful. In our case, the price of fuel becomes secondary if we let them run out and they have to send their crew home for the day.
What is your proudest business achievement?
Over the course of 40 years, taking a company that was doing a million gallons of product to a company that does over 100 million gallons of product. We now support about 150 families with good wages and benefits between two companies.
