Not too many businesses these days can boast they’ve been around for an entire century and are still run by the same family.
But the M.D. Hubbard Spring Company of 595 S. Lapeer Road in Oxford Township can.
‘A hundred years isn’t that long. We’ve got another hundred to go,? joked Nevin Hubbard, 35, company vice president and the fourth generation of his family to help run the business. ‘I can’t quit now.?
On Oct. 17, the local manufacturer of standard and custom metal parts will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its first recorded sale in 1905.
And the owners still have the old, yellowed, handwritten ledger to prove it.
Established in Pontiac by Martin Dawson Hubbard (Nevin’s great grandfather), the business began by producing leaf springs for buggies and harrows, the latter being a piece of farm equipment used to disintegrate and pulverize the ground after ploughing.
It was eventually taken over by sons Philip Martin Hubbard and Alfred Hubbard (Nevin’s grandfather and great uncle respectively). Born in 1906, Phillip worked at the company until 1995.
In 1967, Charles Hubbard (Philip’s son and Nevin’s father) entered the family business where he still works today, serving as company president and overseeing the daily operations with his son.
Nevin began working at the factory part-time in 1984 then switched over to full-time about 12 years ago.
M.D. Hubbard Spring Co. spent seven decades in Pontiac before moving to Oxford in 1973.
‘The employment and business climate were more desirable up here,? said Nevin, who resides in Lake Orion.
A close-knit family coupled with a zealous work ethic have been the keys to the company’s longevity and continuing success.
‘There wasn’t really ever any infighting,? Nevin said. ‘We’ve always had the capacity to work well together.?
Each generation of Hubbards has ‘taken the ball that was handed them and really worked hard to move it forward.?
Nevin and his father keep a close eye on the business, taking a very hands-on approach to running it.
‘We’re here everyday. We’re here on Saturdays,? Nevin said. ‘We don’t golf. We work at the business.?
‘We haven’t goofed off much in 100 years,? he quipped.
‘A lot of hard work and a lot of attention? have made the company what is, according to Charles.
‘We’re here six days, sometimes even seven days,? he said. ‘Small businesses need to be taken care of. You can’t just have somebody send a check down to you on your boat in Florida.?
Today, the company employs about 30 workers and does a lot of custom jobs for the automotive industry.
‘Probably two-thirds is automotive,? Nevin said.
Like any factory, the M.D. Hubbard Spring Co. has invested quite a bit over the years to modernize its equipment. However, Nevin noted a few pieces of machinery from the 1920s and 1940s are still used daily.
To some, a 100th anniversary might sound like the end of a story, but for the M.D. Hubbard Spring Company, it’s only the beginning.
‘It’s been in business too long to let it go now,? Nevin said.