Greater PA Mag 1-29

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VOLUME 2, 2023

P ort A rthur Greater

Publisher:

STEPHEN HEMELT

TEXAS BUILT CABINETS.....................52

GLAMOROUS NAILS...54

Editor:

MONIQUE BATSON

Contributors:

MARY MEAUX

SIERRA KONDOS

CHRISSIE MOUTON

TIM COHRS

Photography:

MARY MEAUX

SIERRA KONDOS

CHRISSIE MOUTON

TIM COHRS

Designer:

STEPHEN HEMELT

Contact Information: PORT ARTHUR NEWSMEDIA, LLC PO BOX 789 PORT ARTHUR, TX 77641

Advertising Inquiries: 409-721-2400

Subscriptions: 409-721-2400

ON THE COVER — Nederland Economic Development Corporation

Executive Director Kay DeCuir, left, stands with MarJuana B. Williams, founder and president of Prosperity Building Group, LLC. near Boston Avenue in Nederland. (Front cover photo by Candace Hemelt; design by Candace Hemelt)

MONIQUE BATSON

Advertising:

CANDACE HEMELT NATALIE PICAZO

www.panews.com

Copyright 2022 by Port Arthur Newsmedia, LLC

MISSION STATEMENT

Our driving mission is to present a positive image of the most interesting and intriguing aspects of the characters, locations and quirks in the Greater Port Arthur area that make our community so remarkable.

Our success will be measured through the number of coffee tables on which this magazine proudly lives and the number of conversations its pages spark.

STORY Faces

Kay DeCuir and MarJuana B. Williams are uniquely positioned to understand the opportunities and challenges associated with small businesses in Southeast Texas.

Between them, they can be called attorney, educator, builder, Realtor, developer and economic driver, among so much more.

Yet, they remain small businesswomen at heart.

Call it faith, determination or both, but these entrepreneurs are driven to succeed.

“If you have a dream, if you have an inspiration to do something on your own, by all means do it,” Williams said. “Take that step of faith. That doesn’t mean quitting your job tomorrow. Start small if you need to start small. Don’t despise the day of small beginnings. Start where you are.”

PROSPERITY

Prosperity Building Group, LLC had humble beginnings, according to Williams, president and founder.

It started with a love of houses. When she was a little girl, Williams used to pick up and carry around the real estate books available for free in supermarkets.

Candace Hemelt/ Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

Nederland Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Kay DeCuir, left, stands with MarJuana B. Williams, founder and president of Prosperity Building Group, LLC.

She eventually went to law school and became a real estate attorney.

It was natural for Williams and her husband to talk about building their own houses, but it was Williams who pushed the couple to action with the simple instructions: build one house.

They started with a single house. That was 2011.

“We built it and it sold and we never stopped,” Williams recalls.

“God has been blessing us ever since. Now, we’re branching off into commercial. I’m really excited about that. I just feel like the hand of God has been on our lives.”

Now Williams is working with the Lamar State College Port Arthur Small Business Development Center to secure a SBA loan in pursuit of Prosperity Building Group’s most ambitious venture to date.

“We’re about to start construction on a Toasted Yolk Café that is our own,” she said, adding SBDC Director Dana Espinal has been instrumental

in the effort.

“It is a risky deal. It is a huge deal. It’s going to be a $4 million project, which is the largest we have ever done.”

Williams describes the loan process as a headache but necessary for the location.

“(Espinal) has been instrumental in guiding us, giving me good advice, putting me in contact with the right people and keeping me settled when I am nervous about things,” she said.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The world of small business first reached Kay DeCuir’s radar in 1984 when she was a classroom teacher and opened up a boutique in her home.

It was basically clothing and jewelry. The experience helped inform her when she decided to open her own real estate office.

She expanded with new team members in 2020 and started leasing a building on Nederland Avenue that she admits she doesn’t have as much time

to utilize these days with her other commitments.

of business success 5

“I know the hurdles that the men and women of small businesses go through,” DeCuir says. I know how hard it is to be a mom and pop and watch the bottom line and not exceed the overhead.”

Those skills attracted the Nederland Economic Development Corporation, which eventually named her executive director. Ever since, the organization’s impact can be seen and felt throughout Nederland, Mid County and beyond.

New businesses, property purchases and signature pieces like the “Welkom to Nederland” arch on Boston Avenue are commonplace in the city.

DeCuir stresses that the NEDC also wants to help existing businesses grow, adding she knows most local business owners by name. “I have a phenomenal (NEDC) board that I work with. They have the vision. Many are born and raised here. We want to leave it better then we found it for future generations. We listen to what is needed. We are working toward that. In the last three years we have accomplished an incredible amount.”

Stephen Hemelt is the president of Port Arthur Newsmedia, which publishes Greater Port Arthur the Magazine, panews. com and The Port Arthur News. Email him at stephen.hemelt@ panews.com.

Candace Hemelt/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine Kay DeCuir, and MarJuana B. Williams stand under the “Welkom to Nederland” sign.

Entrepreneurs don’t have to go at it alone; help & opportunities available

The Lamar State College Port Arthur Small Business Development Center is experiencing a surge for services as a number of announced industrial projects in Southeast Texas are creating a desire for locally owned businesses.

SBDC Director Dana Espinal said recent news has brought forth several new clients looking to enter into construction and other services that would assist an industrial boom.

This Spring, Sempra Infrastructure announced it is moving forward with Phase One of the Port Arthur LNG project in Jefferson County, and officials broke ground on an $8.5 billion Golden Triangle Polymers Company plant in Orange County.

And the SBDC is serving both counties to ensure local entrepreneurs can be involved and thrive.

“They are the backbone of our economy,” Espinal said. “Small businesses are the economic engine of the local communities.”

The SBDC provides support for business owners. The center also offers a variety of classes such as SBDC orientation, QuickBooks training, tax preparation, insurance types, developing a business plan, management/human resources and customer service.

And in May, it will be recognizing 17 locally owned businesses during the 2023 Small Business Awards Banquet.

This year’s theme is “Reimagining Main Street.”

“I feel like we’re in line with what

they’re doing across the country in bringing back that small town feel, that destination location, to ‘main street,’ if you will,” Espinal said. “I’m excited about this year’s awards banquet. It’s always good to see everyone come together to honor and recognize these small businesses.”

The first banquet was held in 2012. Following a lull during the pandemic, the banquet returned in person last year.

“The focus of the small business awards is to recognize the hard work, the dedication and the sacrifices small businesses have made and contributed to our communities,” Espinal said. “Of course we’re there to help small businesses start, grow and succeed. We want to be the first-choice service provider to any small business to help them through that — whether they are starting a business, growing a business or looking at succession planning.”

— Written by Monique Batson

Monique Batson/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

The LSCPA Small Business Development Center is located at 1401 Procter St. in Port Arthur.

Innovative Air Solutions

Community driver pursuit inspired from depths of hurricane flooding

The community may know Innovative Air Solutions as the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year and one of the go-to stops for HVAC and air quality solutions, but many don’t know how the company began.

“We started in 2008,” said Robert Currie, founder of Innovative Air Solutions. “I lived in Bridge City; Hurricane Ike wiped me out. I took seven feet of salt water in my house. 43 years old, everything was gone. I was working for another air conditioning company out of Beaumont.

“The phone started ringing, the entire town of Bridge City flooded with Ike. After several of these

phone calls, I got to thinking— there’s an opportunity here.”

Currie said that at first, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He also didn’t know he would take a risk that would change his life and the community he serves.

“I took a chance, I quit my job,” he said. “I had a six figure a year job at that time, and I had two kids in high school and one in middle school. I quit my job and started out of my garage, working doing flood remodels and things like that. As the years went on, we started to grow, and we got clipping along pretty good.”

Despite some setbacks and

Innovative Air Solutions

co-owners Mindy and Robert Currie are joined by team members Chris Burnitt and Ashla Taylor.

Tim Cohrs/ Special to Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

problems that Currie cleared up, he said the business has been on a path of strong growth.

“We had been growing ever since the last two and a half, three years now — (the business) has just exploded,” Currie said. “We have four interviews scheduled the next two days, we’re about to hire some more people. We have expanded from residential into commercial and from commercial into industrial. So, we’re kind of doing everything. “

Robert Currie said with the amount of growth the business has been receiving, there have been challenges. It’s all part of the process of being one of the best in the industry.

“The intent all along is to be the biggest and the best, and our coverage area will be from Lake Charles to Beaumont,” he said. “Our intention is to be the biggest air conditioning company between those two points and to deliver the best service.”

Currie said the business is rooted in a love for Orange County and the local people.

“I’ve always had a servant’s heart, I feel like we’ve been given a lot,” he said. “We’ve been blessed beyond anything. I feel like I owe this community, because this community has supported me and my family for many years. We love the people in this community. You could not find a better place to live.

“I was in the service. I have lived in Europe; I’ve lived in California. I lived in Kentucky and kind of been all over the place. There’s no place like Orange County, there’s just no place on Earth that’s like this.”

This love for the community is embedded

“

I feel like I owe this community, because this community has supported me and my family for many years.

”

in all of Robert’s staff, he said.

Marketing Manager Ashla Taylor said when she started working at the company almost three years ago, what caught her eye was the community involvement.

“They were very deep rooted into Orange County,” Taylor said. “I was born and raised here. We know this community and the people that run it and it’s fun. It’s fun to be involved with people to kind of just see what everyone’s doing in their business, personal and family life. We get to keep up with that.”

Taylor said the greatest thing about Orange is everyone is always there to lend a hand.

Innovative Air Solutions wants to be one of the servants in the community.

Taylor said the company loves to be involved through volunteering and donations.

“Anything that we can do to help, it’s just our heart,” she said. “Robert always tells us the air conditioners are just the products that we sell, but we sell comfort. At the end of the day, our mission is to help people.”

Innovative Air Solutions is located at 2435 Martin Luther King Drive in Orange and the business can be reached at 409-217-5229.

— Written by Tim Cohrs

Tim Cohrs/Special to Greater Port Arthur The Magazine Innovative Air Solutions, located at 2435 Martin Luther King Drive in Orange, was recently named GOACC Business of the Year.

JAV Industrial Services

Business rooted in Port Arthur grows to new national footprint

In a small room at the back right of JAV Industrial Services LLC is a wooden desk Jorge Vazquez made when he first took his business from home to an office on Memorial Boulevard.

After working for another industrial contractor in Southeast Texas for 17 years, Vazquez decided to branch out on his own.

Fifteen years ago he rented a room inside another Port Arthur office. Now the president of JAV Industrial Services owns that building and has expanded to other areas in and outside of Texas.

“We hustle every day, calling clients to see what they need,” he said. “Dreams come true. That’s my philosophy. If you work hard, you get something. Sometimes it takes 12-14 hours, seven days, but whatever it takes.”

And for Vazquez, “we” is a large part of his company.

“I’m an employee; he’s an employee,” he said while pointing to Operations Manager Cesar Huerta.

“I don’t see this as my business or this as Carlos’ business. This is our business.”

Huerta echoed the statements.

“We’re trying to bring the same culture to all of the team members and make them feel that they are a part of this,” he said. “They’re not just an employee. They’re part of this.”

And their safety, Vasquez added, comes first.

“Throughout everything, our main goal is safety,” he said. “I don’t care if we’re doing 20 things, it’s safety first. If we don’t think it’s safe, we don’t do it. Our priority is the safety of our employees.”

JAV Industrial Services has been selected the

Monique Batson/Special to Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

Pictured, from left, at JAV Industrial Services LLC in Port Arthur are Jorge Vazquez, Sandra Garcia, Lurimar Brito and Carlos Martinez.

Lamar State College Port Arthur Small Business Development Center Hispanic Business of the Year.

“On a personal level, we don’t wake up in the morning trying to get an award,” Huerta said. “But we’re honored, No. 1, and we accept it humbly.”

Vazquez sees it as validation.

“It means we’ve done something right, and we want to continue doing better than that,” he said.

In & Outside SETX

Huerta said the word “industrial” in the business’ name shouldn’t sway anyone — they’ll work with anyone from commercial to residential and even offshore.

“California, Oregon, Maryland, New York — anywhere they call us for,” Vazquez said, noting they opened a branch in Baytown five years ago and one in Iowa this year. They hope to be in Oklahoma by June.

Services include insulation, scaffold work, painting, blasting, fireproofing and use of a fire-resistant, water-resistant canopy that can withstand winds up to 50 miles per hour for which they own the patent. But no matter where they work, they bring home with them.

“With the exception of Iowa, when they call us, we try and use local resources,” Huerta said. “We hire local people, bring them over there, let them do the work and we bring them back. That’s one way we help the community.”

In October 2022, approximately 25,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into San Pedro Bay in California. JVAC Industrial was called out, and brought with them approximately 80 local contractors.

But there doesn’t need to be a disaster for them to head out, as they’ve spent more than a decade faithfully servicing the same industries.

“All of our clients are repeat clients,” Vasquez said. “Chevron, ExxonMobil — they’ve been our clients since we opened. There’s a lot of clients we’ve served. What we need is more help from the local refineries.”

Huerta said their work remains a tribute to Port Arthur.

“Even though we have a lot of work anywhere in the country, we mainly use local resources,” he said. “That’s the main goal. We started here and we’re going to continue staying here.”

— Written by Monique Batson

Total Impressions creates lasting impacts one client at a time

Terri Gauthier started doing hair in 1979, opening the first full-service salon in Bridge City with a handful of hair and nail technicians, some tanning beds and a line of hair products.

In 1998 Total Impressions opened in the newly built Grace Plaza, and in 2020 expanded to include the Cryotherapy Wellness Center. Now it has been named Business of the Year by the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce.

“We felt very blessed and honored to receive the award, as there are many great businesses that serve our community,” Gauthier says.

Not just your average hair salon, Total Impressions doesn’t just focus on the external of their customers but their entire well-being.

The salon also sells and styles high end wigs.

“I started doing wigs because I had a best friend and sisterin-law go through breast cancer, and losing their hair was a big hurdle to get over,” Gauthier

said. “I knew how important it was for them to find something to make them feel good.”

Gauthier also offers hair pieces for those dealing with medical issues that result in partial hair loss that she says is very rewarding.

“It’s always so heartwarming when I see how excited [the customers] get when they feel like they look good in their hair piece,” Gauthier said.

Gauthier says what makes her salon a cut above is an amazing, experienced staff and warm

Courtesy photo

Standing, from left, are Brooke Breaux, Terri Gauthier, Cassie Clavijo, Brooke Schexnider and Tashia Abshire at Total Impressions in Bridge City.

The view inside Total Impressions, showing the entrance of the salon & cryotherapy wellness center.

Courtesy photo

atmosphere.

“Our technicians love their clients and go above and beyond, making sure they’re taking good care of their clients,” Gauthier says.

CRYOTHERAPY

One of the ways Gauthier takes care of her clients is by offering Cryotherapy, but what is it?

Cryotherapy, sometimes known as “cold therapy,” is the local or general use of low temperatures for therapeutic purposes and medical therapy.

“I’d heard about it about 10 years ago when my son came back from the military,” Gauthier said. “He was suffering from a lot of pain.”

Thinking it was something that could help alleviate her son’s pain, she began to research, found the service offered in Houston and continued to research before expanding her salon to include the treatment.

Cryotherapy can decrease inflammation and pain and boosting the immune system and metabolism, increasing energy levels and sleep as well as help foster anti-aging.

“So many people are reading about longevity,”

Gauthier said. “They want to be healthy longer in life and you’ll always hear about cold therapy as a part of that regimen.”

Gauthier really tries to cater to local athletes due to the pain management Cryotherapy offers, but the therapy, she says, is good for anyone of any age who is dealing with pain.

Lots of people have hip, neck, joint and knee pain; Cryotherapy brings down that inflammation, according to Gauthier.

You can receive whole body Cryotherapy, where you walk into a machine and expose your entire

Courtesy photo

A cryo facial is seen with Terri Gauthier and Dolly Arceneaux.

Courtesy photo

Full body Cryotherapy with Dr Boyd Herndon at Total Impressions.

body, minus your head, to vapors that get as low as minus 300 degrees for up to three minutes.

“It reduces anxiety, depression and even migraine headaches,” Gauthier said.

Gauthier also offers local and Cryotherapy facials.

“It really cleanses the skin and helps with collagen production, cleanses pores and reduces fine lines and wrinkles,” Gauthier said. “You’ll notice after one session. Customers almost look airbrushed.

“So many people don’t realize we have [Cryotherapy] here and they need to be educated on the benefits of cold therapy and how healthy it is for you.”

COMPRESSION THERAPY

Total Impressions also offers compression therapy that uses controlled pressure to increase blood flow in the legs and improve blood flow to the heart.

“It helps get toxins out of the muscles, like lactic acid.

OXYGEN THERAPY

“The average person does not breathe in enough; They’re in a hurry, stressed, wearing masks and that’s toxic,” Gauthier said.

To combat that, she offers oxygen therapy, which is a treatment that provides supplemental or extra oxygen.

According to the American Lung Association, oxygen therapy benefits include decreasing shortness of breath, improving energy levels, better sleep and leads to increase activity.

Gauthier says all of the services offered in the Cryotherapy Wellness Center help detox the body and eliminate inflammation and pain.

Total Impressions Salon and Cryotherapy Wellness Center is located at 1145 Texas Avenue in Bridge City and is open Tuesdays - Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. –2 p.m. For more information, call 409-735-3551.

— Written Chrissie Mouton

Courtesy photos

ABOVE: Compression therapy is seen with Tashia Abshire, Cassie Clavijo and Abby Gauthier at Total Impressions.

AT LEFT: Red light therapy with Cassie Clavijo.

40 YEARS OF SERVICE

Legacy of Ace Glass is crystal clear

Customer service sometimes begins with a phone call.

Cindy Begnaud, secretary and treasurer at the family owned Ace Glass & Mirror, said they have customers who remember their parents coming in and being done right by the business.

“Customer service is just as important to us as giving them a good price,” Begnaud said. “We always laugh and say you’re either a sales-

person or you’re an order taker. We’re all pretty much salespeople because our first connection with a customer is usually on the phone. So, if you can, you make a connection with them.”

The connection leads to the customer being more comfortable doing business with Ace Glass.

It’s not just the phone connection that makes a difference; it’s the attention to what the customer needs.

Mary Meaux/ Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

Pictured are, front row, Trena Lankford, middle row, Cindy Begnaud, Mark Stratton, Curtis Stratton, back row, Carl Broussard, Trey Fletcher and Craig Sheffield.

Trey Fletcher measures and cuts a piece of glass at Ace Glass & Mirror in Nederland.

A person may want a windshield for their sideby-side and is thinking of going with Plexiglass. But Plexiglass, she said, cracks, breaks and scratches easily.

This is where the expert knowledge of the products and customer service comes in.

The best material for this particular case would be acrylic.

Ace Glass & Mirror is headed up by Begnaud’s brother, Mark Stratton and his son Curtis Stratton.

Glass, Mark Stratton said, runs in the family.

Stratton was following in familiar footsteps when he built Ace Glass & Mirror in 1984 at the age of 26. His grandfather owned San Jacinto Glass in Beaumont. An uncle owned Alamo Glass in Port Arthur. Another uncle owned Dixie Glass in Orange.

Mark’s son, Curtis, took the reins Jan. 18, 2020, when Mark was in a motorcycle crash and out of commission.

So when Mark said, “glass sort of runs in my family” he wasn’t kidding.

Ace Glass & Mirror was named the Nederland Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.

“I was shocked, very surprised and very thankful,” Mark Stratton said. “It was awesome. I let

my son accept the award. He’s basically the one to take the reins.”

The business offers a number of services from automobile glass to commercial work, cutting window glass to commercial storefront glass and mirror jobs and more.

“We always put the customer first,” he said.

Mary Meaux/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine Glass and mirrors line a shelf at Ace Glass & Mirror in Nederland, recently lauded as Business of the Year by the Nederland chamber.

If an employee is working on a car, he tells them to act as if it were that person’s grandmother’s car. Do not leave it dirty. If they are cutting glass for a picture frame, he asks them to make sure the glass is clean before wrapping it and giving it to the customer.

He calls it going the extra step.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

The Strattons don’t shy away from community service. Mark Stratton has served on the Nederland Chamber of Commerce executive board as chairman, as well as other positions.

During the Nederland Heritage Festival, Mark and Cindy worked at the Chamber‘s funnel cake booth where he created four flavors of the sweet pastry.

He also worked the Optimist Club booth on different nights selling corn dogs, chicken nuggets and fried cheese.

Both father and son worked the booths, he said.

FUTURE OF THE GLASS BUSINESS

The glass business has undergone a number of changes through the decades that the Strattons have owned the business.

High tech glass is more and more popular. This

is for vehicles as well as commercial and residential. Ace Glass installs a special type of glass in a bathroom where the owner can flip a switch and the glass goes from clear to opaque.

THE SHOP

Glass isn’t the only thing that is sold at the business. Ace Glass also distributes a line of seasoning with humorous names.

The spices and products are made in Lexington, Texas.

“People buy it as a gag gift because of the name on it, and when they try it, they’re like wow, this is pretty good,” he said. “I send this stuff out all over the United States. People buy it here and send it to Oklahoma and they get a big kick out of it and the next thing you know I get an order out of Oklahoma.”

The barbecue sauce, he said, is outstanding.

Ace Glass is also one of the biggest suppliers of Mardi Gras beads in Southeast Texas, he said.

“We are big into Mardi Gras,” Mark said, adding he built seven Mardi Gras floats back in the day.

— Written by Mary Meaux

SETEX Construction Corporation goes from local name in business to nationally recognized force

What grew exponentially with one local school district began inside the walls of another.

Nathan Rivers, president of SETEX Construction Corporation, got his start as a draftsman after teaching himself AutoCAD while attending Central High School in Beaumont. Not long after graduation, he began working for a local architect.

“They just needed somebody to draft, and I learned a little bit about how buildings got put together,” Rivers said. “After a period of time, I realized I didn’t have a talent for design. I couldn’t make things beautiful, but I understood the logistical things on how buildings got put together and the parts and the pieces — all of the straight-line stuff.”

His passion for building grew, and he began working for a small general contractor in Nederland who was designing and building.

“That gave me the opportunity to actually design the buildings myself, have them reviewed by an architect or an engineer, and then we built them,” he recalled.

He would then spend 10 years with a larger contractor where he learned to estimate the cost of construction.

“My next step,” he said, “was to try and do it on my own.”

In 2014 Rivers purchased SETEX Construction Corporation, which was established in 1990.

Four years later, they were recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately owned companies in the U.S.

“We grew 1,082 percent in three years,” Rivers said, adding the quick growth also came

with a new level of adaptation to ensure all resources were available so that projects could be managed properly. “It was a blessing, but it was a lot of work.”

And that growth, he said, is

Courtesy photo

SETEX Construction oversaw the remodeling of The Press Building in Downtown Port Arthur.

Courtesy photo

Brandon Tatton of SETEX, Nathan Rivers of SETEX, Bonnie Revia of SETEX, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, Consultant Brad Bullion, Jeramy Zachary of SETEX and Dario Moreno of SETEX are pictured at Renaissance Apartments at Lakeshore in Downtown Port Arthur.

greatly attributed to the Port Arthur Independent School District, who hired SETEX for a $25 million project following a bond issue.

“It was the largest project SETEX had ever done,” Rivers said. “And that was really what I was used to as an employee, working with someone else, was those larger-scale projects. So it was an easy transition to try and tackle a project like that, and I’m just very grateful for the Port Arthur Independent School District. That was huge for our employees; huge for keeping tax dollars here locally to help fund and keep small businesses. So I will forever be grateful to (Superintendent Mark Porterie) and staff.”

And in turn, that assisted with the addition of a satellite office in Port Arthur.

Since taking over SETEX Construction Corporation, Rivers has managed more than $400 million in Southeast Texas construction projects.

Examples include:

• Wheatley Early Childhood Cen-

ter, which cost $6,700,000 to build over the course of 18 months.

• Creation of the Lamar State College Port Arthur Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center. The 40,000 square-foot facility was built in 18 months for $5,764,000.

• Renovating the historical Gates Memorial Library at the cost of $1,785,000 over 13 months.

In addition, SETEX renovated The Press Building for the Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation, and oversees the construction of Renaissance Apartments at Lakeshore in Downtown Port Arthur.

SETEX Construction Corporation has approximately 35 permanent employees and subcontracts approximately 75 percent of its work.

Hiring local is always a focus.

“You hear a lot about how do we keep the talent in Southeast Texas from going to other places, and to do that they have to have opportunities here,” Rivers said. “Without those opportunities, they have to go elsewhere to find them. When

Monique Batson/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

The current progress on Renaissance Apartments at Lakeshore is pictured.

those entities that have the decision-making power select local, it benefits the whole area. It helps retain employees, it helps them learn, grow and further their career and get them to a point where maybe they’re ready to take ownership and do something on their own.”

And it’s something he also finds personal pleasure in.

“Our focus is on employees and having long-term employment — being able for those to train, take their next step up, have their next opportunity,” Rivers said.

“I was always fortunate enough that my hard work seemed to rely on some opportunity that was out there, so for me if we can allow that for our employees and whatever path that they’re on, that’s probably one of the most satisfying thing about being a business owner — seeing others better their living circumstances and seeing their families grow.”

SETEX Construction Corporation is the Lamar State College Port Arthur Small Business De-

velopment Center Star Business of the Year.

“Back in 2014, I consulted with SBDC for assistance in developing my business plan and fine tuning start-up financials to support a bank loan for the purchase of SETEX Construction Corp.,” Rivers said. “Under the direction of Dana Espinal,

the LSCPA SBDC continues to provide my business great advice, direction and assistance utilizing the resources offered by the Small Business Administration to keep our business sound and support growth.”

— Written by Monique Batson

Monique Batson/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

The Port Arthur Economic Development Center owns The Press Building on 4th Street in Downtown Port Arthur.

Courtesy photo SETEX Construction Corporation crew members stand at the Lamar Institute of Technology Petrochemical and Advanced Technology Building, which was built between August 2016 and August 2017.

With the advent of the Internet and e-commerce, there has been an added convenience. However, with convenience comes a void, which is the lack of customer service.

Monroe Tinsley, a 40-year resident of Groves, established Quality Medical Solutions in Groves in 1993 with the need for customer service in mind. Despite getting into the medical supply business by accident, Tinsley built the business on a foundation of love.

“It’s really by accident how I got into the business,” he said. “I was dealing with a family member — elderly who needed an electric hos-

Premiere service leads to Quality Medical’s success story

Groves Chamber awards “Business of the Year” status

Courtesy photo

pital bed. I didn’t know anything about electric hospital beds.”

Tinsley said the family member was a double amputee, who was just put in a nursing home as he lost his wife a couple years earlier. The nursing home presented a problem, as it only had a manual hospital bed that meant that a double amputee would not be able to crank and adjust the bed.

Tinsley was determined to find a solution and took matters into his own hands.

“So I put an ad in the paper wanting to buy a good used electric hospital bed,” he said. “I got four or five calls, and I bought one of them and

Longtime Groves resident Monroe Tinsley established Quality Medical Solutions in Groves in 1993. Here, he stands outside the business.

took it to him and set him up. He’s comfortable now without having to wait for somebody to come crank the head up a little bit.”

A week later Tinsley received more calls, stemming from the ad he previously put in the paper. One of these calls planted the seed that changed his life.

“The guy said ‘Hey, I see you put an ad in the paper wanting to buy electric hospital beds,’ he said. “I said, ‘Yeah, but I’ve already bought one.’ He said ‘No I want to buy one, did you have more than one?’ I said, ‘As a matter of fact I did, I’ve got two or three.’ He said, ‘I’ll buy from you if you deliver.’ So I bought another one, cleaned it up, made sure everything worked good and delivered it.”

Tinsley quickly learned how to clean up and repair electric hospital beds and expanded the business to wheelchairs and other medical equipment.

Quality Medical grew from being a repair shop for a variety of medical equipment and even expanded through servicing mobility carts (also known as ‘Mart Carts’) for Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot and Sutherlands throughout Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.

It also serves the community by servicing medical equipment for extended care facilities such as Oak Grove, Magnolia Manor, Rescare, Bonne Vie and Spindletop.

The business went from a repair shop to a full retail store selling an expansive inventory of wheelchairs, lift chairs, scooters, power wheelchairs, canes, walkers, rollators, knee scooters, vehicle lifts, portable oxygen, bathroom safety and transport chairs.

Despite expanding into retail, Tinsley always kept the repair business at the core, as he feels he serves a niche not many other shops serve.

“We found out that nobody is doing repairs on medical equipment that’s selling them,” he said. “And that’s to this day.”

Tinsley continues to service everything they sell and even some medical equipment not originally sold from the business, from Jasper to Lake Charles. The business is also a Veterans Administration contracted business with Michael Debakey VA in Houston and is certified and trained with numerous major medical equipment companies.

Tinsley and his wife, Sandy, have always been community involved. Sandy Tinsley owned a dance studio for 30 years and is a past Small Business Award

recipient. Their children went to Port Neches-Groves school district.

Tinsley is a long-standing member of the Groves Chamber of Commerce and is a former associate director. In addition, Tinsley was the founder and first President of the Groves Beautification Committee, leading efforts to beautify Groves.

This connection with the community and the lifelong relationships built is at the root of what he and his wife do with their business, as they love to call Groves home.

“Quality Medical and Mobility has developed lifelong relationships with many of our customers,” the couple said. “We enjoy the opportunity to help friends and clients maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life.”

Quality Medical and Mobility is located at 4249 Lincoln Avenue in Groves. They can be reached at 409-963-1196. It was named Groves Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.

— Written by Tim Cohrs

Courtesy photo

Quality Medical and Mobility is located at 4249 Lincoln Avenue in Groves. They can be reached at 409-963-1196.