YardnGarden.com |

At Sorola’s Outdoor Power Equipment in San Antonio, TX, hosting an open house means inviting distributors to set up booths in the lot, feeding landscapers with food hot off the grill, and enjoying the sales that accompany the festivities. It’s your typical dealer open house. Sorola’s, however, is in a not-so-typical location—a location that may come in handy when deciding what to do next with the family business.

Having been in business for 35 years, Sorola’s is positioned to enter its third generation of leadership. Next in line would be Jeff Brown, grandson of the company founder John Sorola. Jeff has shown an interest in the business since a very young age. More recently he has begun to take on more responsibilities and add his touch to the business’s daily procedures.

“I grew up assembling mowers in the back during my summers,” shares Jeff. “I started out helping in any small way that I could, but I really feel like this year there has been an increased level of responsibility in particular.”

In his time spent working in the family business, Jeff has implemented policies and procedures to improve and modernize the business’s operations. His influence has been beneficial but his continued involvement is not guaranteed.

Jeff is currently at a crossroads where he hopes to soon decide his future with the business. In the meantime, he plans to continue to implement business upgrades as his parents continue to offer him more responsibility, giving him an accurate idea of what running the business entails. “I like to implement things that will outlast me, for when I am no longer here,” explains Jeff. If he decides to follow his career path in another direction, the dealership’s location may make it an easy sell.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Sorola’s sits on a lot nestled deep in the core of downtown San Antonio on a city block just a stone’s throw from the trendy River Walk. Sorola’s has been at this location since 1981, not far from their original location. John Sorola, who would have celebrated his 92nd birthday the date of this year’s open house on February 21, founded the business in 1973 on a property just down the street.

“We had previously leased a building nearby that was torn down to create parking,” Margarett Brown, John Sorola’s daughter and present co-owner, explains. “We chose our current location because it is close to the previous one and customers would be able to find us easily.” The business was moved into a former warehouse building and the lot next door was purchased to create customer parking.

The downtown location is an uncommon choice for an outdoor power equipment dealer, but it has proved successful for Sorola’s. “It’s an interesting location,” agrees Jeff. “If I was going to start a business like this, I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to do it downtown, but it has become quite a strategic location when it comes to getting big contracts.” The location has worked to their advantage and helped them land some big contracts with the city of San Antonio and some area military bases.

Independent landscapers also regularly visit the downtown location. “We are very close to three major highways,” explains Margarett. “It is convenient for landscapers when they are driving through downtown to get to a jobsite.” Though it is located near the highways, it is difficult for drivers to see when passing overhead. Word of mouth is what brings them in. “Most of our advertising—aside from our annual Yellow Page ad—is word of mouth from satisfied customers,” Jeff tells.