Feature image: Aaron Grimes and his son, Ryder
Boasting a colorful resume and an envious slate of exciting hobbies across his 42 years of life, Aaron Grimes nevertheless has not tried everything — at least not yet.
“I always joke, if I could start anything I wanted, it’d be like an adventure guide company where people pay me to take them to do the things I want to do anyway,” he said.
He is certainly qualified. Now the co-owner of Capitol Glass, the oldest locally owned and operated glass company in the Little Rock area, he originally thought a professional career in wakeboarding was in his future. In addition to a sponsorship from Hyperlite, one of the longstanding brands in the sport, he competed regularly and finished as high as fourth in the nation as an amateur in 2003.
“Obviously, none of that worked out,” he said. “I have a lot of good stories, a lot of good memories and racked up a bunch of injuries but never quite made it to the pro level, so I just kind of figured it out from there.”
That is when his career path got even more interesting. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, his love for watersports led him to work with his father to open a boat dealership, and his skateboarding interest led to two brick-and-mortar skate shop locations and an online store. Then the 2008 recession hit.
“Business dropped by probably 70 percent overnight,” he said. “We plugged along for a little bit but decided it was best to get out.”
That is when he decided to return to the family business. Capitol Glass was established in 1950 by Grimes’ grandfather, a World War II Navy veteran, and the business has been in its current location in downtown Little Rock since 1953. Grimes’ father, Glenn, has worked there since 1972, the “Monday morning after he graduated high school,” Grimes said, and also serves as co-owner.
Despite the family legacy, Grimes said auto glass did not have the same initial pull for him as it did for his father.
“My dad was the car person. That’s not really me,” he said. “We were kind of butting heads on some of that.”
That brought on the next big career change: pharmacy school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and a full-time pharmacist role at CHI St. Vincent from 2017 to 2022. The decision, he said, was a little about proving something to both his father and himself.
“In college, I was in a fraternity and wakeboarding and racing motocross, and I still graduated with honors without ever really putting much effort into the classroom,” he said, “so there was part of me that just kind of wondered if I could hack it in the true academic setting. It was kind of a brash decision when I was in my late 20s and not exactly happy with what I was doing. I felt like I kind of had to do something my dad knew nothing about.”
While he took a step back from the hospital after the COVID-19 pandemic and only works there about one day a week now, he enjoyed the unique nature of the work. He spent most of his time in the sterile lab, compounding drugs for chemotherapy, antibiotic drips, epidurals and more. He said the chance to work alone and focus on the details was satisfying.
“I’m in a lab for three or four hours by myself, headphones in,” he said. “I kind of like just being by myself.”
Still, most of his time is now spent running the day-to-day operations of Capitol Glass, and he said he is proud to continue the family legacy, especially for so many employees who have worked there almost as long as Grimes has been alive.
“I recognize that some of the benefits I’ve had in life have come directly from the labor and work they’ve put in over the past 30 to 40 years,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to make some decisions and try to keep her going for another generation or two.”
Plus, he said he is proud the company has served so many of the local dealerships for 30 years or more, and he wants to continue those strong relationships. He said it comes from a sense of commitment and hard work he learned growing up.
“My dad’s one of the hardest-working people you’ve ever met,” he said. “Honestly, when it comes to getting tasks done, he can still probably work circles around anybody. I come from a pedigree of people who just don’t stop.”
From riding a snowmobile or dirt bike with his dad to mountain biking and skateboarding by himself, these days he also shares these passions with his own children, even encouraging his 5-year-old son’s newfound interest in motocross.
“I’m not a sit-inside, TV person. If it’s daylight or halfway warm, we’re out in the yard,” he said. “I’ve just tried to throw everything I can in front of them and let them decide what they like. I just try to foster as much creativity and motivation and teach them work ethic and all that stuff.”
While so much variety might overwhelm many people, Grimes would not have it any other way.
“All the hobbies I have are expensive, so all the work is kind of a means to an end — to be able to play and have as much fun as possible, see as much of the state and the country as I can, and continue to stay active, outside and doing fun things,” he said. “That’s kind of the goal of all of it.”
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