Salvador Chavarria is a successful business owner based out of Austin, Texas. After obtaining his post-secondary degree in finance from the University of Texas, he went on to pursue several opportunities in the technology sector. Given his extensive experience in the professional landscape, Salvador had the knowledge and resources to pursue the purchase of a local business and evaluated over 20 potential opportunities. In 2006, he purchased Viking Fence Co – a well-branded business with an exceptional reputation. Since then, Salvador and his wife Jennifer, along with their very dedicated management team have been able to grow the business from 25 employees to its current size of over 155+ employees in the four largest metro areas in Texas. With locations in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, they attribute much of their success to their dedicated team of talented employees.
How have you achieved success?
My wife and I attribute our success to our dedicated team of professionals. We recognize the unique talents that every employee brings to the table and we do our best to support their growth within the company. When we first purchased the business we had twenty-five employees and $8.6 million in annual sales. Today we have over one-hundred and fifty-five employees throughout Texas.
What obstacles have you overcome in the process?
When first starting out, I had difficulty letting go of certain individuals that were not necessarily the right fit for our business. I used to wait for change to happen instead of putting my foot down. In the end that was not fair for the employee and/or the business. Now, not only do I have specific protocols that I follow, we have also implemented a more robust hiring process so that anyone we take on, is a good fit for our company, and the team as a whole. We want to hire individuals that are motivated to create opportunities for themselves and others.
What drives you to succeed?
Playing an active role in my local community motivates me to be the best version of myself every day. I enjoy helping employees succeed, and I do my best to play to their strengths. We like to promote from within the company as we are invested in the growth of every individual. Our team values open communication, and we want every team member to feel appreciated.
How has your definition of success changed over the years?
Everyone measures success differently, whether it be by profitability or the total number of customers. For us, it is the number of satisfied clients we help on a daily basis. We want everyone who comes to us to be confident in our ability to deliver optimal results. As a trusted industry name, we value transparency and integrity.
What has success meant to you?
Success is always an uphill battle, but I was also fortunate enough that when I first purchased Viking Fence, it was already a trusted industry name with an excellent reputation. Even so, we had to work hard to build what it is that we have today. I attribute most of my success to my team, and I could not have done it without them.
Do you have advice for others on how to be successful?
Be open to change. Nothing in business is static. It is always changing, so you need to remain ahead of the curve. Understand industry trends and perform extensive research. If you have an open mind then you will be able to adapt when the time comes.
Follow Salvador Chavarria on social media:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Salvador-Chavarria-109662228187335
Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvador-chavarria-4612435/
Crunchbase – https://www.crunchbase.com/person/salvador-chavarria-0b26
Medium – https://salvadorchavarria.medium.com
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkNhoty-epsDvGZ9F0jE2bA