The 1989 Inc. 500

Family in Business None

What's Changed "I do miss just being able to look up and tell everybody something. There's a camaraderie you miss. Also the uncertainty, which may be why we push ourselves to grow."

Lose Sleep Over Wanting to grow faster

Workweek 40 to 45 hours

Last Vacation Four days in Palm Desert, Calif. "By the fourth day I was going crazy. I couldn't stand not working."

Use a PC? No. "I'm a PC illiterate."

What's Next New offices, maybe franchising

Footnote

"I'm an extremely ambitious human being, and the more successful I become, the more ambitious I become. My anxiety is, can I get far enough fast enough? I don't want to sound grandiose, but it's kind of like being a success junkie."

#214: RICHARD H. NOVAK
N.H.S. Inc.
Manufacturer and distributor of skateboards and related products

Growing Up

Mother Beautician, store clerk

Father Maintenance engineer, construction

Hometown Capitola, California

Education One year junior college

Jobs Fisherman, garbageman, sailor, surfboard maker

Getting Here

"My partner, a friend, and I made the first precision bearing wheel and jumped into a 1950 Chevy and drove around the country selling it, and within a year or so we had a fistful of money. We only did it so we could surf most of the time."

My Company, My Self

Inspiration "My parents, a friend I sailed with for a year and a half, an older Chinese man."

Family in Business Nephew in production

What's Changed "I hate responsibility, but I have a ton of it. I don't enjoy expensive cars or houses or any of that stuff. But I like the game of business, I think it's fun."

Lose Sleep Over Dealing with employees' problems

Workweek 45 hours

Last Vacation "I've been all over the world a few times, surfing. Now, I'd rather stay here."

Use a PC? No

What's Next Maybe license off parts of business

Footnote

"When I was 18 I saw all these people retiring at 55 and their bodies were destroyed and they didn't have any money; I didn't have any money either, but my body worked, so I figured if I retired now, and went to work later, it would probably balance itself out."

#253: JERRY MEADOR
Home Grown Woods Inc.
Manufacturer of wooden gift items

Growing Up

Mother Homemaker

Father Safety engineer

Hometown Nashville

Education College night school after Vietnam

Jobs Musician; public works official

Getting Here

"My wife and I were both job burnouts -- she was a guidance counselor and I was in government in this small town near Nashville -- so with enough savings to get us by we decided we would just quit and go to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., to open our business."

My Company, My Self

Inspiration "The money. And having created the business ourselves."

Family in Business Wife, cofounder and VP of finance

What's Changed "It certainly was scary to get started up. Of course, we never considered failure as an option. It just took a lot of nerve to leave two secure jobs. It's still scary -- but today we don't have as much time to worry about it."

Lose Sleep Over Cash flow

Workweek 70 hours

Last Vacation Florida beach with family in September

Use a PC? Yes, a little

What's Next Starting another company -- "I'd rather not say what kind right now." Plan to keep Home Grown Woods for a while.

Footnote

"I guess you'd call me a redneck. Music is my first love -- I played a lot around Nashville many years ago, and it gets in your blood and won't leave you. And my roots are in the country. I like trucks and fishing and my dogs and my kids."

#282: C. RON MARTELL
Microdynamics Inc.
Provides CAD/CAM systems for apparel and shoe companies

Growing Up

Mother Worked at family business

Father Owned auto repair shop

Hometown Orange, Tex.

Education M.S. engineering

Jobs Designed weapons systems at Sandia Laboratories

Getting Here

"I had a personal goal to start a business by the time I was 30; I missed the target by a year. I grew my first company to $25 million, sold my interest, and started Microdynamics the next year."

My Company, My Self

Inspiration Father, who ran his shop with a 10th-grade education

Family in Business None

What's Changed "I used to work on the weekends on technical problems, and I've tried to disassociate myself from those. I worry about the bigger business issues now."