like father, like son I feature story
Photographed by Jonathan Boatwright
Ken Baker (left) with his son, Cal
Ken & Cal
BAKER
the fabulous baker boys
O
ne of Ken Baker’s proudest moments is when he became a
father to his son, Cal.
“Back then, they didn’t have ultrasounds, so I didn’t know I had
a baby boy until the doctor came out of delivery and told me. I was ecstatic! My wife and I had a daughter who was 3 years old at the time and she
was already a Daddy’s Girl. Now we had a son. I was so excited!” Growing
up, Cal treasured the special bond he had with his dad. “We had a really close relationship. The majority of our free time was spent at Holden
Beach on the water and out on the beach. Dad taught me how to water ski,
hydroslide, and how to fix things…lots of things… from cars to houses and
most things in-between.”
Some of Cal’s favorite memories of their time together are the many days
spent at Holden Beach working on their beach house. “We both love to
tinker and stay busy. This is one thing we always did together! To this day,
Holden Beach is my sanctuary. It will always be the place where I feel connected to my father.” Holden Beach holds a special place in Ken’s heart as
well. In fact, his favorite memory of Cal occurred at this same beach house.
“We were building it and all of the back porch flooring wasn’t finished. We
were getting ready to go home, and Cal and his sister’s job was to shake out
the rugs before we left. She kept telling him to step back. Finally, he backed
off the porch with a dill pickle in his mouth. He landed feet first and yelled
at her for the bad joke she played on him. However, he never lost his pickle!
That is what was he was upset about - almost losing his pickle!”
Having opened Ken Baker Originals in the early 80s, Ken never imagined
Cal would one day want to follow in his footsteps. “I really tried to discourage him. I w anted him to go to college and find out what he wanted to do
with his life. He did go to college, but he still wanted to work with me.”
Having been around the family business since age 9, Cal was certain he was
headed down the right path by joining his father’s side. “I have been in this
business for as long as I can remember. Cars were always in my blood, and I
love to figure out how things work. My dad did everything he could to steer
me away from the business because it was hard work. I studied business
in college, and I knew we could grow the company into a great business.
There was so much potential and a huge need for what we do.”
At first, it was quite an adjustment getting used to working together. “In
the early years,” Ken says, “it was sometimes hard for Cal to remember
who was boss. He learned that we are both strong willed and sometimes
have to sleep on a subject before we reach an agreement. We had our differences of opinions, and we still do. He wants things done one way, and
I still think my way is better. I have had to learn that sometimes Cal does
have good ideas about changes that are good for the business. But, it has
been hard for me to let go, especially since I started out doing everything
my way!” Cal agrees, “The most challenging part was the colliding of our
two different personalities. It wasn’t always easy! In my younger years, I
was hot-headed and short-tempered. I quit about 200 times!”
No matter the different views they may have, the rewards are worth it in the end. “Cal has a very good understanding of the business and how he wants to run it. The biggest reward for me is to see the business continue to grow
while meeting challenges and agreeing to disagree.” Cal adds, “The most gratifying aspect for me was being there
and watching how my dad’s faith in God grew the older he became.” Looking back at their journey together, Cal is
grateful for all that he has learned from Ken. “I told him to always treat your customers as you want to be treated,”
Ken says. “If it sometimes means no profit on a deal, then that’s the way you build a long-lasting client relationship.”
Cal adds, “He told me to always be honest with the customers. They are entrusting us with one of their most expensive investments, and our goal is to explain everything about their vehicle to the best of our ability. He also taught
me to take time for your family, which is why none of our shops are open on the weekend. We want our employees to
spend time with their families, too. I learned about honesty and a strong work ethic, as well as how to balance that
with keeping customers happy. I could see that my dad was honest and good hearted, and he really cared about our
customers and employees and their needs.” Despite the many words of wisdom Ken has shared over the years, there
are two things that Cal will always remember. “You can have 3 failures, and it will cost you the same amount of money
each time if you hired someone to do it for you. After you do something once yourself, you will always know how to do
it. You figure it out as you go along!”
Ken is not only Cal’s father and business associate, but his main source of inspiration as well. “He has always been
there for me as a father and as a mentor. As a business man, I only hope to come close to filling his shoes one day. Thank
you, Dad, for laying the foundation of the business and making me the man, business owner, husband, and father I
am today.” Ken adds, “I cherish how our relationship has grown through the good and bad times. He loves his God, his
family and his work. Cal, I am most proud of the man you turned out to be!”
Ken Baker resides in Marion with his wife, Margaret. In addition to Cal, they have one daughter, Marney. Cal Baker resides in Myrtle Beach with his wife, Tamala.
They have three children: Victor, Marlen and Stevie. Cal and Tamala own and operate Ken Baker Originals in Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, as well as EuroPro in Florence and Charleston.
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June 2014
shemagazine.com