The Millionaire Next Door

The Millionaire Next Door: Industrial Strength Character

Two thoughts crossed my mind when I first learned that drillers had succeeded in completing an escape tunnel for the 33 men who were trapped in a Chilean mine.  First, I felt joy for the men and their families.  And then I thought about the equipment that was used in the process.  According to CNN World, Brandon Fisher and a small group from his Pennsylvania based company were responsible for drilling through more than 2,200 feet of solid rock.  His small business, Center Rock, which is located in a town of 2,100 people produced the drill bit which was instrumental in breaking through to the trapped miners.

If there was ever a prototypical millionaire next door type business it would be the design and manufacturing of proprietary drill bits coupled with high priority drilling services.  Up until now, most people in this country have never heard of Brandon Fisher or Center Rock.  That is because they don’t read the trade journals which are designed for people in the drilling business, i.e. National Driller, Water Well Journal , etc.  

 Most people are consumption oriented; they read periodicals which contain advertisements for consumer products.  In fact about two-thrids of our economy is based on the ultimate consumers’ market. However, those business owners in the industrial sector are three times more likely to be “the millionaire next door” types than those who are in the consumer market.

 I also have to wonder about the source of Mr. Fisher’s diesel engines that were used to power his drilling rig.  Could it be that he purchased them from one of  the blue collar millionaires whom I included in The Millionaire Next Door (remember “big hat no cattle”, see p. 8)?  He owns and operates one of the world’s largest diesel rebuilding companies in the world.  I found this millionaire featured in Rock and Dirt magazine, and it was well worth my trip to Texas to interview him.  I recall vividly his words,”You see those engines stacked outside?  They are all prepaid for; those over there are going to Australia, those over there are going by air to a mining operation in New Zealand.”

Where would this country be without these types of blue collar business owners?  They employ tens of millions of American workers. Many of these business owners are wealthy.  But it is unconscionable for politicians and  columnists to call these people “the evil rich.”  If they are evil, then give me more.  And give us all less government regulation and related impediments to free enterprise.

5 thoughts on “The Millionaire Next Door: Industrial Strength Character”

  1. If the government hadn’t bailed out Detroit, then the Texas millionaire might not have any diesel engines to rebuild 😉

  2. If the government hadn’t bailed out Detroit we would be left with car companies who produce higher quality cars and selling more of them. Then more companies would get in the marketplace.

    You and I (and our kids and grandkids) footed the bill to keep bloated and inefficient companies in business.

  3. For the person that says that if detroit hadn’t been bailed out, there might not be any diesel engines to be rebuilt, industrial engines have nothing to do with the automobile manufacturers.
    Believe it or not, there are alot of companies that produce diesel engines that never make anything for the personal automobile market.
    And if GM did go down, people like him would step in, buy the pieces that are worth saving, and continue to produce either cars or parts, or perhaps both, and do it with alot more efficency than the current bloated structure ever hoped to.

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