An Interview with Dad
Two small business owners in Detroit sit down for a chat.
Hello, readers! In honor of Father’s Day, I interviewed my dear ol’ dad, Kurt Ludwinski. Father Ply! As a fellow small business owner, he’s someone I’ve called again and again when I’m feeling lost and in search of advice to help me take a deep breath and steady my path. He’s happy to provide feedback even when I haven’t asked; sometimes I’ll come around to it, sometimes we disagree. I’m thankful for our communication and closeness and I massively value his experience, intellect, and humor.
My late grandfather Richard Ludwinski — affectionately called “Lud” to most everyone who knew him (and “Grandpa Lud,” to me and my sister) — started All America Plywood Co back in 1967 at Seven Mile and John R roads in Detroit. My dad unofficially took over in the early 80s, then more officially in the early 90s, and I’ve watched him work tirelessly, both working on and in the business. I suppose that’s one reason I don’t particularly aspire to remove myself fully from the day-to-day operations of running the bakery. For him, it’s been a lifelong pursuit of slow, meaningful growth.
I hope you enjoy these excerpts from our conversation the other day.
Your dad started All America Plywood Co. What led him there?
He had a history with other plywood companies and after working for others, decided that he wanted to start his own business.
How old were you when Grandpa started the business? What do you remember from that time?
I was 13 when he started it in April 1967. A couple months later, the Detroit riots started and we were right in the middle of it, and it was scary and sad. We stuck with it, and here we are almost sixty years later.
Will you share the story of the first 10 years?
Starting a business is never easy. I was still in school. In high school, on Saturdays, I worked cleaning and sweeping up, and then as I got into college, I worked in the summers doing hi-lo driving, truck driving. We tried to grow the business, mostly my dad at that time.
What did you learn from your father? I’m curious to know what elements of his leadership inspired you to be like him, and what elements inspired you to chart your own path?
He had a background in both football and the navy. He was a tough guy that would do what he felt was the right thing and everybody had to go along with it.
I had a different style and tried to not just tell people this is the way it is but clearly communicate how we were going to do things and why. More communication on the goals.
I learned from my dad that a business is not done 5 days a week, you have to stick with it. It’s important to put the proper amount of time in to run a business.