“We started with nothing, we started with 8,000 bucks and one truck, and we built it from there,” says business owner Matt Austin. Years later, that $8,000 and single truck has grown to a number of interconnected businesses, all owned and operated by Matt Austin and wife Brandi. Holcombe Energy Resource, Eastern Freight Systems, OBX Property Management/Eastern Freight Brokerage, and the recently obtained OSO Wash all presently fall under the direction of Austin. Collectively, these businesses provide work for approximately 50 employees.
Small Business Series - Business Owner Matt Austin
After a stint at Keystone College and completing some business courses, and working as a truck driver, Austin decided to make a living by becoming his own business. What’s his secret to success? The key is simply “hard work,” he says.
OSO Wash, which was just acquired by Austin few weeks ago, will provide a vital service to the area. As he explains, “It’s a full-service car wash for every make, size vehicle you can imagine. What makes OSO important is that it is the only place that those in the industry can get tank washes for all of the water trucks.” The facility, he says, operates on a Department of Environmental permit, and reuses recycled water that is filtered to complete cleanings.
Austin says the primary goal now is to “diversify to cover different industries, and have everything tie back to our original focus of transportation.” He certainly has made some headway toward this goal, providing a one-stop location for a number of different services, all geared toward the prominent transportation industry. But, he says, they still have “plenty of other ideas on growth and more directions to go…It’s all about diversification and covering more industry.”
He identifies this diversity within a single business as what sets them apart from other businesses performing the same services. “Any customer that needs something done, because we cover so many things…after one phone call, they don’t need to worry about it again.” The experience and reputation behind the business, he says, also single them out. “We’ve been around for ten years, and at the end of the day we aim to be the vendor that holds the most integrity. They don’t have to worry that the job will be done correctly.” This integrity often leads to landing new customers through recommendations from current customers, which he says certainly makes him proud of his business.
Another thing Matt finds pride in is his Wyoming County Community, a place in which he not only works, but chooses to live and raise a family in. “It’s a small town, you get to know everyone. I enjoy being able to communicate with all of the other businesses. The Chamber of Commerce here is better than any other Chamber we’ve joined. Up here, you matter, and a phone call will get a result,” he explains. “We like it, I think we’ll stay here,” he concludes with a laugh.
For more information about any of the businesses or to become a customer, call Matt Austin at (570) 836-8050. You can also find information online at HolcombeEnergy.com or Facebook.com/OSOWash.
