Father and son, business partners, Capitol Glass Co, Shiloh Marina, Lacey’s Boating Center
Glenn and Aaron Grimes are not only father and son, but also business partners. Glenn’s father, Jack, cofounded Capitol Glass Co. in 1950, and Glenn took over upon his retirement in 1990. Aaron is now the third generation of the Grimes family to own the Little Rock institution. Over seven decades in, Capitol Glass is the oldest locally owned and -operated glass company in the area, and both Glenn and Aaron are committed to continuing its legacy. The Grimes also own and operate Shiloh Marina and Lacey’s Boating Center, both of which are located on Greers Ferry Lake.
How do your working styles complement each other?
Aaron: Glenn is much more hands-on. He’s the hardest working, most detail-oriented person. I’m more on the big picture, long-term ideas side. When I started running Capitol Glass day to day, he started focusing most of his time up at Greers Ferry. We’re not in the same office as much, but we talk daily.
In what ways are you involved in the community outside of work?
Glenn has been heavily involved with Shriners organization. In the 1980s, he was part of the Flying Fez, which was a group of pilots that used their own planes to fly injured children down to the Shriners Hospital in Galveston, Texas. He was the recorder for the Shriners for the state of Arkansas from 2010 to 2016, and then he’s still involved with different aspects of it.
What is the secret to collaboration and compromise in business and in life?
Listen, be open-minded, and don’t totally dismiss the other person’s ideas just because you’ve never done it that way.
What is the best thing about working as part of a “Dynamic Duo”?
Getting to pass the legacy on to the next generation. Glenn started working full-time at Capitol Glass the Monday morning after he graduated high school and worked here full time for 50 years. He’s the one who built this place into what it is now. I’ve got a 4-year-old son, so hopefully we can keep it going long enough, and if he’s interested, he can carry on to the fourth generation.
What is your strategy for keeping business and personal relationships separate?
Having a lot of recreation in common and some of our businesses being in the recreation industry helps. Glenn is almost 70, and he still water skis and snow skis. He still rides dirt bikes, mountain bikes and road bikes. With me being an only child, too, it’s always been a close friend type of relationship. We’re trying to get my son into all that, and we have a lot of fun.
Is there anything else readers should know?
Glenn’s father, my grandfather, will be 99 in September and is still pretty healthy. It’s nice being able to go all the way back to the founder of the place. He’s still around and still sees the growth that’s happened, so that’s awesome.
See the full list of Dynamic Duos 2024 here.
