Precast Inc. - November/December 2008 - (Page 37) said. “They wanted to get away from the high level of responsibility and be able to take vacations.” Mario and Scotty were looking for options in 1992 and considered selling the company. They discussed their feelings with Dominic. “My father’s talk of selling Hy-Grade really caught my attention,” Dominic said. “After 12 years in engineering, working for big corporations where one person had little impact, I knew that I wanted to run my own business. It had always been in the back of my mind to have my own company. So I made a proposal to my father and uncle to buy the company.” Dominic also discussed his intentions with another uncle, Marino Girotti, who was always the entrepreneurial force behind Hy-Grade’s management and growth as a company. Naturally, the elder Girotti brothers were pleased and excited about the idea of keeping their precast operation in the family. Dominic left his home in Ottawa where he was living and moved to St. Catharines to take on his new role. “I purchased the company from Six Brothers Ltd., the parent company, in 1992. Scotty’s son, Michael, my cousin, was my business partner,” Dominic said. Mike was the national sales manager for a company that manufactured parts for rail cars. “Mike and I were partners until three years ago, when I purchased his interest in the company.” After turning over ownership, Mario and Scotty stayed on for three more years helping Dominic and Mike to learn the business. “Customers knew Hy-Grade as a company with integrity. The Girotti brothers had a reputation for doing what they said they would do,” Dominic said. “They stood behind their commitments. I was fortunate to take on a company with established products and a stable, mostly local, customer base.” SIX BROTHERS INC. STARTED THE FAMILY BUSINESS IN 1948. IN THIS PHOTO TAKEN IN 1975, THE SIX BROTHERS ARE (SEATED LEFT TO RIGHT) SILVIO AND NELLO AND (STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT) MARIO, GUERINO (AKA SCOTTY), MARINO AND DINO. CIRILO RESPICIO, CENTER, HY-GRADE QC MANAGER, LEADS A DISCUSSION WITH TEAM LEADERS AND SUPERVISORS DURING THEIR WEEKLY QUALITY CONTROL MEETING. Turning points for a man and a company Taking over Hy-Grade was a significant turning point in Dominic’s life. He launched a completely new career and accepted a high level of responsibility. When asked how he felt about stepping in to manage a company, Dominic admitted, “I was really afraid. I had signed up for a lot of debt and really wasn’t that confident that I could run the business. I had come from a totally different industry.” Was this the right decision? “CUSTOMERS KNEW HY-GRADE AS A COMPANY WITH INTEGRITY. THE GIROTTI BROTHERS HAD A REPUTATION FOR DOING WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO. THEY STOOD BEHIND THEIR COMMITMENTS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO TAKE ON A COMPANY WITH ESTABLISHED PRODUCTS AND A STABLE, MOSTLY LOCAL, CUSTOMER BASE.” – DOMINIC GIROTTI NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 | WWW.PRECAST.ORG 37 http://www.precast.org
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