Harvey L. Massey*

Harvey Massey, the grandson of Italian immigrants, was born in Melville, Louisiana, in 1941. The town, which at that time had no paved roads, is located along the Atchafalaya River, a popular spot for fishing.

Massey's paternal grandparents were from Missouri. Massey's father grew up on his parents' farm and left school in the eighth grade to find work. At one point, he traveled to Detroit to find work in the auto industry, but eventually he got a job as a heavy equipment operator with a large construction company that built highways, roads, and levees. This job took him to Louisiana, where he met and married Massey's mother, and they began raising his family. He left this type of work and bought a business that sold and delivered ice, at one cent per pound, to farmers, professional fishermen, hunters, homes, and businesses.

Massey grew up with his parents and older sister in a one-bedroom house. His maternal grandparents, both from Sicily, lived across the street, as did an extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Massey's grandfather owned a general store that served the community as a grocer, clothier, and hardware supplier. After school and on weekends, Massey often worked with his father at the ice business and his grandfather at the store. Asked if he grew up poor, Massey responds, "No, not really. We just didn't have any money."

Massey describes his father as a very private person. "He was conservative, very reserved, and fanatical about telling the truth and honesty. As he got older, he often sought my advice on key decisions. When he needed a new car, for example, he asked for my help, and I went back to Louisiana to buy it with him. Interestingly, people really liked and respected him, but few actually knew him. He, along with my whole family, had a great work ethic that had a significant effect on me."

His mother, Massey says, was a typical Italian mother. "She was a great cook and was very loving and caring with her kids and her family. We lived across the street from her father's store. Sometimes during the busy season, she worked there, but mostly she was home taking care of us. She was not only a good Catholic, but also a devout Catholic. She encouraged me to sing in the church choir when I was young and to be an altar boy, which I did until I was 16."

As a young man, Massey was independent and somewhat entrepreneurial. He was artistic and very competitive, and he was a pretty good baseball and basketball player. Although he enjoyed school, he loved girls, sports, and music.

In fact, music has always been important to Massey. While a junior in high school, he teamed up with some of his school buddies and formed a band called Harvey and the Saints. He also hired two older men who were married with children to play lead and bass guitar. The band played at various school functions as well as nightclubs. Being a small town, the first school reunion took place in 1959 in the high school's auditorium, and Massey and his band were hired for the event, which he considered to be a great honor. Massey enjoyed managing the band and realized then that he would one day like a job that involved managing others.

Unfortunately, during the same year Massey organized the band, his parents separated and eventually divorced. "My dad moved to another town and went back to operating heavy equipment," he says. "That left me financially responsible for my mother, and my sister and I basically took care of her until she passed away. I watched over my father as well. Neither of them ever remarried."

Massey ran the icehouse part time until his 1959 high school graduation, after which he operated the business full time, along with joining the U.S. Army Security Agency at the age of 18. With his mother as a dependent, Massey had to supplement his income with part-time jobs at the Army PX cafeteria as a busboy, dishwasher, short-order cook, and fountain cashier. He ultimately worked his way up to assistant manager on nights and weekends. He also worked part time at the NCO Club and Officers Club. Massey performed his military duties well; his commanding officer encouraged him to re-enlist and pursue Officer Candidate School, but he knew this was not the path he wanted to take.

Harvey and Carol Massey were married in 1963, and they settled in Austin, Texas, where his wife had gone to school. Massey had long been interested in pursuing real estate as a career. A successful, local broker told him that because real estate is straight commission, Massey would need to know not only a lot about the community, but also many people in that community. Massey decided to give himself time to learn more about Austin; meanwhile, he accepted a job with Orkin Exterminating Company as a sales inspector.

In 1964, the couple had their first child, Angela, who was born 10 weeks prematurely. As a three-pound, three-ounce newborn, Angela required hospitalization and special care, which Massey could not afford at the time. He asked his father for a $250 loan but was turned down. When Massey asked his father for advice, his father told him he would figure it out. "That situation taught me two important life lessons," says Massey. "First, I never wanted to be in that position again. Second, I knew I needed to kick it up a notch and get to work!" This new impetus encouraged Massey to become the third-best salesperson in the South Texas District in 1964. The following year, he ranked as the district's top salesperson. By then, his dream of going into real estate had evaporated.

In 1966, Massey was promoted to sales manager in San Antonio. Over the next eight years, he steadily worked his way up the corporate ladder at Orkin. He had earned a series of promotions, which required him to move his family to four states. "I believe," he says, "that to be successful in a large company you have to work hard, you must perform, and you must go where the company needs you to go, when they need you to go."

In 1974, at the age of 32, Massey became the youngest vice president in Orkin's history. Five years later, after 16 years at Orkin, Massey came to a crossroads; after much thought and consideration, he accepted a job as senior vice president of operations at Terminix International. The opportunity was an attractive career move because it provided national operational responsibility. In the six years he worked there, the company went from $40 million to more than $100 million in annual revenue. "At Orkin, I had the opportunity to work for some truly talented people and learned the fundamental aspects of running a successful consumer services business," he says. "At Terminix, where I again worked with talented people, I learned a great deal about the financial components and acquisition strategy of running a national consumer services business."

To further his knowledge in corporate finance, Massey completed a Wharton School of Business course on finance and accounting for nonfinancial executives in August 1980. Finally, in 1984, Massey was ready to purchase and run his own company.

In February 1985, Massey purchased Walker Chemical and Exterminating Company in Orlando, Florida, a firm established in 1930 by Joe Walker. At the time, Walker had $3.9 million in annual revenues and fewer than 100 employees. The company, which became Massey Services, Inc., grew to more than $200 million in revenues and more than 1,700 team members.

Massey has enjoyed his career and building Massey Services. "I never had a second thought about purchasing Walker Chemical," he says. "I knew what to do and was confident in putting it together." In his quest to keep his business out of the "sea of sameness," in 1991 Massey enrolled in the Owner/President Management (OPM) Program at Harvard Business School, completing the three-year program in 1993.

Massey beamed when he talked about his company. "Today, we have people who have worked with us for several decades, and I'm proud of that. Our son is the president and COO. We stick with the basics, and we know what we are doing. Together, with the help of many quality team members, we have made Massey Services the largest privately owned family company in the industry and the fifth-largest company in revenue overall."

When asked about the future of young people, Massey said, "I think there are enormous opportunities for young people today, but they must be alert, open-minded, and responsive, and they should never stop learning because information and communication, with the help of technology, is moving at the speed of light. The bottom line is this: You must believe no one will help you more than you can help yourself."

Regarding his Membership in the Horatio Alger Association, Massey said, "To say that I am honored and proud would underestimate my sentiments. In my career at Orkin, O. Wayne Rollins, the co-owner of Rollins, Inc., was a mentor and someone I always admired deeply. He was inducted as a Horatio Alger Member in 1986. I also had the privilege and pleasure to work with Carlos Cantu at Terminix International. Carlos ultimately became the CEO of ServiceMaster, and he too was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association in 1997. I am familiar with the excellent mission of the Association and its scholarship programs, and I am truly honored beyond belief to be a part of this."

According to Massey, "The three most important aspects of our life are family, faith, and vocation, in that order. We are a blessed family, and I am trying to be as good at giving as I have been at receiving. Winston Churchill said it best: '˜You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.' Summarily, you can't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. Sooner or later, you must throw something back."

Massey's philanthropic interests mostly focused on education and the arts throughout Central Florida. They have made major contributions to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Nemours Children's Hospital for early childhood autism research, Central Florida Veterans' Memorial, and Rollins College, to name a few.