Sharing a Common Vision
To Rosana Privitera Biondo, president of Mark One Electric, “the business is not just about one of us, it’s about all of us.”
Biondo and her three brothers, Joe, Carl and Anthony, are responsible for the company, one of the region’s top electrical contractors. “Our company is a true combination of all of us,” she says. “We enjoy being a family business and we thrive on the idea that success for each of us means success for all of us.”
Her father Carl “Red” Privitera started in 1950 as an electrician for Monarch Elec-tric. In April 1974, he bought the company, renaming it Mark One Electric. In June, Rosie Biondo started working as a receptionist and timekeeper (collecting time-cards and learning payroll). Summer jobs turned into a full-time job, as her interest in the business side of the company grew.
“Both my parents en-couraged and inspired my brothers and me,” she says. “We learned so much from their leadership. They in-stilled in us beliefs: that hard work pays off, that staying positive is essential and that staying focused on a goal will help you achieve success. We’ve been able to take those core values to the next level.”
The company now em-ploys 220 employees working on major projects like Ameristar Casino and the Harley Davidson plant. The company also works on smaller, but more complex jobs, such as the renovation of the Downtown Central Library and buildings that are designated as historical preservation landmarks.
Recently, Mark One installed more than 700 outdoor light poles in the satellite parking lot at the Kansas City International Airport. No big deal, right? Wrong. The machines used to install the poles would have ruined the new asphalt. So the installation was by helicopter and was completed in two days.
“We have a solid family nucleus,” says Biondo. “Each of us is different, but we complement each other. We’ve positioned ourselves into areas where we all have our own expertise, but we always rely on each other for advice.” Joe controls operations, Carl is in charge of engineering and Tony runs sales and marketing.
With nine grandchildren ranging in age from 19 to 3, the next generation is already showing an interest in the business. “My six-year-old son recognizes our trucks and the Mark One logo,” she says. “I will forever treasure the time I spent working with my dad. And I hope my son and nephews and niece will have memories like that too. We’re really building a legacy.”
From Ancestors to Successors
Of course, not every member of the family feels compelled to join the business. Russell Sifers’ daughter Sarah is a professor of child psychology at Minnesota State University, and his wife Julianne is a priest at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Olathe.
But those family members who do stay with the company have more of a personal stake than most other business owners. The way Curt Catenhauser sees it, “You have to get yourself to a point where you don’t care about the money as much as passing the business along to the next generation. One of the real problems for the small business is that there’s just no help. I’m working for the family right now, to pass it along—we’re working to see that future generations have a place.”
Ditto for Russ Sifers: “I’m in it for the long haul. My corporate goal, my personal goal? I’m hoping that a great, great grandchild along the way will be doing this in another 100 years—hopefully with newer equipment.”