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Carol Stillwell - Business Leader, Philanthropist, Equestrian
10/27/2009 - By Tobi D. Tesoriero
Photo by Linda Rowe
Carol Stillwell
Putting Her Passion and Drive into Success in Business, Charities, and Horses
The year 1969 was a raucous one for America. We were a nation in flux. Rumblings of change were beginning, but our institutions and mores were set firmly as part of the fabric of our society. Richard Nixon had just become President; the nation was embroiled in Viet Nam; students were protesting on campuses throughout the country; and we landed the first man on the moon that year. The feminist movement or “Women’s Liberation” was in its infancy. We were a nation poised for change. We were making changes, both socially and technologically.
Carol Stillwell came of age at this time. A young woman with dreams of entering the field of construction – a profession that was strongly male dominated – Carol remained undaunted and focused. She used whatever opportunities were available to her to build a career and follow her dream. Rather than accepting being told “no,” Carol saw what she could make possible. She worked her way up and made her dream come true. She is now at the helm of an award-winning business in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Carol has applied that same drive and passion to her other pursuits. She is an accomplished equestrian who competes and wins events; her enthusiasm for horses led her to purchase what is now known as Stillwell Farms in Colts Neck. Area philanthropies have also benefited from Carol’s attention. She puts that same energy to work for numerous charities, where she serves as an advocate and major fundraiser.
Finally, Carol shares her personal passions with her friends, colleagues, and family. She has developed decades-old friendships with her staff…relationships that have transcended the work arena, and she is still devoted to her late husband Gordon’s legacy that taught her about integrity and, as the (paraphrased) song goes, “allowed me [Carol] to shine.”
Carol’s commitment to all her endeavors is admirable and awe-inspiring. Living In Colts Neck visited Carol at her offices at Stillwell-Hansen, where she graciously gave of us a tour of operations and shared information about her career, hobbies, and philanthropic activities.
LICN: As you are such an accomplished business woman, equestrian, and philanthropist, let’s divide the interview into three parts to focus on each topic. We’ll start with your business. In as simple terms as possible, can you please describe what your company does?
CS: We are a manufacturer’s rep who sells a product in the HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) industry for a manufacturer who builds that product. We sell that product exclusively; our contract is for the northern 11 counties of New Jersey. That is atypical for a manufacturer’s rep in the United States. There is a distinct difference between a distributor and a manufacturer’s rep. A distributor can sell multiple products – multiple competing products.
LICN: Can you offer a little more detail?
CS: We, as a company, are of the philosophy that you never compromise and you cannot sell competing products. I think it sends a mixed message. We want to be able to go out and represent a manufacturer that represents what we believe is the quality product in that industry. We have always been an exclusive manufacturer’s rep. We will not represent any product from a distributorship. We want exclusivity for lots of reasons.
LICN: Which are?
CS: Well, one is we invest a lot in marketing; we understand the importance of marketing.We understand that even in a down economy it is important, even though it is a hard thing to measure. A lot of times it is the first thing that people cut.
LICN: So you partner with these companies and exclusively represent them?
CS: Yes, we represent them to sell their products in the northern 11 counties in New Jersey.
LICN: Who do you sell to?
CS: All of the Fortune 1000 companies. It can be anyone fromATT to Verizon to Pharmaceuticals toMeridian Health toMonmouthMedical. Anybody who has a requirement for our specialty, which is the computer support industry. Our specialty is air conditioning, power backup, and fire protection. We have multiple divisions. We’ve evolved as a company; we started out just selling product.We recognized as we sat in front of a client asking for his confidence (and this was Gordon’s vision), we wanted to be sure we knew that we’d be able to service that client as well. In 1969, when we started the business, I actually started as the secretary.
LICN: This leads us to the next question. How did you become involved in this company and, in general, to this field?
CS: This company was founded in April of 1969 by Gordon Stillwell. It started as the Gordon G. Stillwell Company.Amonth or two later Gordon realized his strength was on the air conditioning side, and he needed someone with background on boilers. He remembered an associate, Paul Hansen. He called Paul and said, “I’m starting a business out of my garage in Rivervale, New Jersey. I have six children. I converted my garage to an office. I have no money, but I have some jobs booked and I would like you to be my partner.” Paul said, “Love to do it. How much is it going to cost?” Gordon said, “Nothing. Just show up, and whatever is on the books we are 50%.” Gordon always believed in a partnership that was equal. I joined them in August 1969.
LICN: What was your background?
CS: My mother was a waitress and my father was a mason. I had a twin sister. There was no money for college. Back in 1969 a lot of women did not attend college; they went for secretarial degrees, lab techs, nursing. I was tomboy growing up. I would beg my dad to take me to job sites with him. He primarily did residential homes. I would mix the mortar for him and he would mix the cement and we would build the staircases for the homes. From those early years I knew I wanted to be in construction. As I finished high school and moved on I wanted to be in contracting. In 1969, I can tell you that women were not heard of in contracting. It was a male-dominated industry.
LICN: But you remained undeterred?
CS: I looked in the newspaper one day and there was a company named Lummus Engineering in Clifton. They did a lot of petrochemical work. I thought this could be a good opportunity, so I went to interview.When I went to personnel I said I want to be in the construction department. Well, they loved my interview so much they put me in personnel! Three weeks after I was hired, I tripped over our dog in the backyard while playing ball and broke my hand. I couldn’t type and had to take some time off. When I came back, the opening was still available in construction. So God, in his wisdom, provided somehow and I wound up in construction… as a secretary… because why would a woman want to do anything but be a secretary (laughs)? They were a larger firm, and I felt if I could get involved with a smaller company they’d see my passion. I did not have an education in mechanical engineering or blueprint reading, but I was willing to stay and learn. A position opened up in Roselle, New Jersey, at Austin Engineering. The position was to work for head of purchasing. I thought this way I could learn about products and perhaps be able to move up the ranks and finally get to their construction division.
LICN: Was that your path?
CS: No, but the gentleman I worked with at the time had some personal issues. I would have to cover for him and I was able to go to the construction department and sit with them. During lunch I would sit with the draftsmen and pick their brains and ask questions and learn a lot.
LICN: So it was a good, old-fashioned apprenticeship?
CS: Absolutely. Better than sitting with a book. It was on-the-job training. Gordon and Paul showed up in July toAustin with a through-thewall heating and air-conditioning unit – typical of what you might see in a hospital. I begged to go into the trailer to see the presentation. I asked a bunch of questions and had a wonderful time. A couple of days later Gordon called my company and asked about the young girl in the trailer that asked all those intelligent questions. “We need a secretary. She gets it. Would you be adverse to us hiring her?” That was the politically correct thing to do with a client then. My boss said he would be pleased to have them offer the position to me. It was for $105 a week. So in 1969 I came on as their secretary.
LICN: Was that a raise?
CS: It was a lateral move pay wise. I knew I wanted to learn. I felt this would be an opportunity for me to have a mentor. I would have done it for less. It was also convenient to where I lived. I had just married and was living in Roselle Park, and the business was in Union. It was a small office. Gordon and Paul would be out selling all day long. I went back to school and took mechanical contracting…learned to read electrical schematics,
LICN: Where was this?
CS: Kean and Middlesex County Colleges. It gave me a good overview. When I was talking to clients I could open up a blueprint and understand what they were talking about. More importantly, I took great shorthand, so I was able to relay questions from the customers in detail to Gordon and Paul, even if I didn’t know at the time what a semi-automatic compressor was! A cute story…One night after being there about a year, Gordon fired me. I felt, that it was important to get to know the clients personally. “How are the kids? Your wife?” I knew personal details… We had a salesman in the office during that period of time who would talk to Gordon and Paul. One night they said, “We have to let you go.” I said, “What? Why? Are you unhappy with my work?” “No.” “What’s the problem?” “You spend a lot of time on the phone.” “Personal?” “No. Well, it’s with your clients. I know if they smoke cigars, what they don’t like, if they play golf. Is that what you mean? If you don’t want me to talk to your clients tell me. But to make a decision when you are happy with my work but for talking too much on the phone with your clients doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.” So Paul said to Gordon, “She does make a lot of sense with that. Okay, we’ll give it a couple of months.” And I am still here.
LICN: Have you noticed many changes through the years in the industry for women?
CS: I would like to share a story. I wore a lot of hats. There were not a lot of staff people, so when Gordon and Paul were out selling I handled a lot of the customer service side of the business, in addition to the PR and secretarial. I would deal with the manufacturers. It was 1970 or 1971; we had a job in Piscataway. The contractor called regarding a problem.We made an appointment. Gordon and Paul were out selling. I took the manufacturer to the job in the field. I was so excited. I showed up and was told it was a hard hat job, and to go into the trailer for the hard hat. I had the gentleman from manufacturer with me. I introduced myself and Bob from the manufacturer, told them we needed to see the units with the problems. They handed Bob the hard hat. I said, “Excuse me. It is a hard hat job and I need my hard hat.” The reply was “Lady, how do think you are going to get up on the roof.” I said, “The same way he is.”
LICN: Did you have on a skirt and high heels?
CS: I actually had on slacks, but I did have 6-inch heels (laughs).What I didn’t know was that I had to climb a 30-foot rickety ladder leaning against the building to get to the roof. I was not going to show those contractors any hesitation. Going up was not too bad.We spent a lot of time on the roof. I noticed all the journeymen stopped working.We got done about an hour later and going back down was unsettling. I got back to the office and Gordon said, “What did you do at that job site?” I got a call saying, “Don’t ever send that woman to my job site…ever! Do you know for a solid hour my men stopped working because they had never seen a woman on a job site?!”
LICN: Wow, was it superstition, like on a ship?
CS: No. They just never saw a woman on site before. As a followup to that we ordered the equipment to correct the job. The next call that Gordon got was from the president of the company to talk to me saying he knew who to talk to get things done. Gordon taught me that you don’t need to have all the answers, but you do need to know how to use your resources. There were times I felt inadequate, not having a college degree. Gordon shared that you can’t always teach people common sense.
LICN: So you made the right career move by joining the smaller company?
CS: Without a question.
LICN: Going forward, what are your plans for the company?
CS: Gordon, the company founder, passed away. He taught us so much. He knew it was time to pass the baton. In 1996 I bought Paul Hansen out. I knew I needed a team. My strengths were on the PR side of the business, not the technical or financial side. Gordon and I looked at the people. There is such a loyalty…they treat the company as if it were theirs. We have 72 employees now. We will never sell the company; it will be in trust. The people that are here will always have a job, and a portion of the profits will go to support nonprofit causes.
LICN: Moving on to your many philanthropic activities. How did you initially get involved?
CS: It started when I was 5 years old.We had very little money.We had franks and beans, spam. No matter what we had or didn’t have, my parents always stressed there were others who had less and we should give back. That was instilled at an early age. My mother told me that at 5 years old I asked to borrow 25 cents of my allowance to give to my friend who needed it. But, I think the turning point was when my father was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 1995.While at Memorial Sloan Kettering I made an agreement with God that if he could see his way to get my father through this I would do whatever I could to give back. My father was in an experimental program. He is the only survivor.
LICN: So that started your philanthropic involvement?
CS: I was involved with horses. Riverview Medical Center had been involved that year with the Monmouth County Horse Show. I approached them and started the Ride for Riverview. I underwrote the event in 1997 or ’98. I have been involved since then, and we raised three quarters of a million dollars. This year Riverview changed it to Ride for Parker Family. In 1983, I was in a car accident where they gave me my last rites. I was in the hospital for four-months. I had pins in my knees, shoulders. I had to learn to walk again. I think when people say to me, “Why do you do what you do?” I think that God had a mission for me. I am not highly religious. I do feel blessed. After being involved with Riverview it was a natural process of learning more about different charities. I was then approached by Juvenile Diabetes to become involved. That was the second not-for-profit I became involved in. I am also involved with Meridian Health Care. I am the Board. I was on for 9 years and am rejoining in January. I am [also] on Monmouth Medical Board and JDRF Board.
LICN: What are your responsibilities as a board member?
CS: I am involved in major gifts and fundraising. I am involved in the Valerie Center. I am involved in ALS. When my husband passed away he was involved with Parker family.
LICN: What is Parker Family?
CS: It is in Red Bank – a clinic that provides free health care as well as prescriptions, MRI’s, CAT scans, any of your medical needs. That was Gordon’s passion. It is also heavily supported by Dorothea Bon Jovi.
LICN: Any other organizations?
CS: The Food Bank, YMCA, Visions of Hope. The Hope Concert will raise funds for the Food Bank this year.
LICN: What is the Hope Concert?
CS: It runs every year around Christmas. Last year Bobby Bandera, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Jon Bon Jovi, Gary U.S. Bonds, and Tim and the Holiday Express performed. If there is a need I want to try to help. It may be easy for someone to write a check, but I always say, the greater sacrifice and the people I admire most are those who volunteer their time. Without them there are no events. They are my heroes.
LICN: On to horses. How did you become a horsewoman?
CS: I always wanted to. I had three goals in life. One was to own a horse, one was to be in my own contracting business, and the other was to go to Hawaii.
LICN: Have you been to Hawaii?
CS: I have (laughs).
LICN: So you finished the trio?
CS: There was no money for horses or lessons. In the 1970s I got a horse. I kept it in Marlboro. When I married Gordon in 1988 he said I was too intense and focused on business, that I needed a hobby. How about riding again? In April 1993 or ’94 I got a horse; then he said I was just as intense about that!
LICN: So that started your equestrian involvement?
CS: I remember showing up at the Colts Neck Equestrian and starting riding lessons. I was always very goal oriented. I think I was around 46; I said I wanted to qualify for the zone final before I am 50. Then, at age 49 I qualified and won the zones. From there I moved up to different quality horses. I bought a bay horse. The gentlemen I bought the horse from came to New Jersey to train the horse and work with me.
LICN: Is that when you purchased the farm?
CS: Not until 2005. I first looked at the farm in 2000. It was not for sale at that time. The owners (the Clarks) promised that they would let me know if they were going to sell. The property had been in the Gassert family for generations. One of the grandsons still lives on the property. They decided to sell the farm and we bought it. Gordon enjoyed the farm very much. We built a viewing room for him.
LICN: Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
CS: The one thing that I want to stress is that I am so privileged and proud to be able to have the 72 employees here at Stillwell-Hansen that have made the commitment to keep Gordon’s legacy going. Glenn and Mary Lynne are my right hands, and the entire support team here has given me the strength to move forward. Gordon lived his life and sat in his chair till he was 83 years old. I hope that I will have that same blessing and be able to work and sit in my chair until I am 83.
STATS
Favorite Restaurants:
Houlihan’s in Holmdel, Colts Neck Inn, and Buona Sera
Favorite Musicians:
Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and Nat King Cole
Favorite Movies:
The American President and Pretty Woman
Pet Peeve:
negative people, people who look at the glass as half empty
Three People You’d Like to Have Dinner With:
JFK, Princess Diana, and one last dinner with my late husband
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