Chamber Business Connection CBC Vol.3, Issue 10 | Page 11

SAXTON 60TH ANNIVERSARY
In Fact his son, John W. Saxton, noted
during our interview that one day, a few
years ago, Bill just came in to his office
and boxed up all of his awards then
stored them away. “He, doesn’t need all
of that,’’ Bill isn’t the type to brag about
his accomplishments.
Bill Saxton has certainly made an impact
on the local community over his 88 years
of life. Here is a quick list of a few of his
community accomplishments:
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•
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Bill was instrumental in the fair
housing initiatives that allowed for
individuals to receive proper hous-
ing options regardless of race, color
or creed.
Bill served on the Southwest zoning
commission.
He served on Grove City, City
Council, 2 years as the president in
charge of zoning,in this role he was
instrumental in the development of
Stringtown Rd.
He also served as Chairman of the
Education Foundation , where he
was very vocal in the passing of a
levy in the early 2000’s that brought
athletic programs back to the Grove
City students.
But one of his greatest accomplishments
Working for Saxton
he noted was when he served as the
church president of St. John’s Lutheran
church in west Columbus.
In each of these roles Saxton always
carried with him the duty of service, a
duty that he takes very seriously and
holds dear.
A family man
Owning and operating your own busi-
ness is a labor of love and can make it
hard for someone to have time for their
family , friends or any other type of per-
sonal life.
1. Honestly- always conduct business with
integrity.
Bill Saxton has 6 children (4 biological
and 2 adopted) and 23 grandchildren. As
he watches his legacy grow, he reflects
back on all it took to provide an oppor-
tunity for them all. His son, John will be
his successor when Bill finally decided
to retire… which from our conversation
does not seem to be any time soon. 2. Hard work, expect to give it your all the
first few years.
3. Communicate with your staff and your
employees often.
Saxton’s New look
For those who have driven past the
saxton sign on Broadway, you may have
noticed a change in the signage.
“ Everyone should have a chance to grow”. John Saxton was an advocate for the
new look. “ Young buyers today don’t
know what that thing is on the old
sign” he said jokingly referencing the
old rotary telephone that was once the
company’s logo.
“ We have a door around here” he said “ but
it never closes”
Katie Antry, one of Saxton’s agents chimed
in. “Working here doesn’t feel like corporate
america. I can always rely on Bill to give
me sound advice or yell at me when I need
it. We can come to him with anything from
professional to personal.”
Many staff members have been employed
with Saxton for years, In fact, one of their
oldest employees worked there for 40
years, before retiring.
Want your business to last 60 years? Here are a few
tips from Bill Saxton himself on how to stay strong
in business.
Although, Bill spent countless hours
building his business he never missed an
important event in the life of his children.
He did have to miss much of the day to
day household operations but when it
came to special events, sporting games
and school functions. He was always
there. Saxton has employed many agents over
the years. Some of them moving on to earn
their brokers license, which Bill encourages.
In the Saxton office, team members are
treated more like family than employees.
Bill has an “open door policy” for all of his
agents.
5 TIPS FOR BUSINESS LONGEVITY
When deciding on a new look Bill did
not hesitate, as a salesman
he understands how important it is
to be relevant in your market his only
request was “ just bury me with the
phone”, and he does in fact have an old
rotary phone in his office,
( wonder if it still works?)
4.
5.
Relationship and Networking. Network-
ing is the key to building your business
and keeping it relevant.
Customer Service, doing the right thing
everytime.
“WE HAVE A
DOOR, BUT IT
NEVER CLOSES”
Saxton’s may have a new look but the
team and it’s mission remains the same
for the past 60 years, “ People serving
people” , a philosophy the ensures their
customers always recieve, diamond
service.
CHAMBER BUSINESS CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2019 | 11