Business For Good

He’s a high profile business man in Salem. But when you talk to him about his businesses, what emerges from that conversation is something else that is equally or even more important to him (and his wife), and that’s helping other people be successful, especially people who might have a harder time than most just finding a job. To him and his wife, it’s not so much about how much money can be made but, rather, what other opportunities business provides to enable them to do what they considers really important in their time here on earth. Their businesses merely give them a platform from which to do what really matters in life to them, and that’s help others.
     The importance of helping others became obvious to me when, at a Chamber Greeters Networking meeting that ABC Windows hosted, I heard Todd describe what they had been awarded for doing when they received the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award in 2010. Up to that point, I had not even thought of them for a column.
     I love to expose in my columns “random acts of kindness” in this community. With Todd and his wife, Brenda, there’s nothing random about it. They intend and, indeed, plan their acts of kindness. I’m not aware of any other business owners in this area that use their business as a means to an end like Todd and Brenda do. As usual, this type of attitude for others comes from their own personal experiences, sometimes bad, along life’s journey. I’ll share some of theirs (primarily Todd’s) with you now.
     Todd London was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1953. He moved with his family to Clinton, Connecticut after his dad was discharged from the Navy. Londin attended school in Clinton, graduating from Morgan High School in 1972.
     Londin has 2 younger brothers. Dana Londin, many of you already know, is the current golf pro at Creekside. I’ve known him for many years when he was at other golf courses but, for some reason, never made the connection to Todd.
     Other brother Jay lives in Connecticut and younger sister Samantha (Sam) Demchak lives here in Salem with Todd. She’s worked for him for 8 years. Sam’s 2 children and her 2 grandchildren live with Todd as well.
     Todd’s late father ran his grandfather’s grocery store in Clinton after the Navy. Todd refers to his grandfather (he was kinda like Clinton’s town “godfather”) as his mentor and role model. He was hugely impressed with his big heart for everyone and by the way he took great care of his dad for many years after he’d had a stroke when Todd was only 13.
     His mom operated a bed and breakfast. She now lives with him here in Salem too. He, lovingly, refers to his Salem family as “the Waltons”. Todd was a Jr. Naval Cadet in high school so after graduation, for that and other various reasons, he enlisted in the US Navy. He would spend the next 15 years, mostly on destroyers and destroyer escorts, as an Electrician Sr. Chief (E8 for those of you who’ve served in the military).
     A life altering experience for Todd occurred as a result of his temporary service as a Navy recruiter in 1981, in Lexington Park in southern Maryland (He earned Recruiter of Year for the entire Navy). A few years later something terrible happened to one of his recruits in front of the whole world.
     When a recruiter, he’d enlisted a young man named Robert Stethem. Stethem, a US Navy Seabee diver, just happened to be on TWA Flight 847, June 15, 1985. That plane was high jacked by Hezbollah militants and forced to land at the Beirut Airport. When the high jacker’s demands were not met, Stethem, because he was a member of the US Military, was targeted, beaten, tortured and killed. His body was dumped onto the tarmac in front of the world watching on TV. Todd was devastated. His view of the world would be changed forever.
     Stethem was given a hero’s funeral and buried in Arlington national cemetery, Section 59, near other American victims of international terrorism. To further honor this American Hero, the USS Stethem, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer in the US Navy, was named for him. Built in Pascagoula, Mississippi, she was commissioned on October 21, 1995 and is now based out of Yokosuka, Japan.
     Londin left the Navy before his 20 years were up, also for various reasons. But before he did he met Brenda in Keflavik, Iceland. She was a postal clerk in the Navy there and was also, like Todd, planning on getting out. They met through a friend while he was working a part-time job as a bartender. It was love at first sight for him but not so much for her. Regardless, she eventually succumbed to his charms. They were married in 1979, in Norfolk, Virginia, a couple years after meeting.
     After he and Brenda were out of the Navy, they started a landscaping business in Clinton.
     The bad economy of the time ended it. In 1989 Todd came to Portland, Oregon, to work for Brenda’s father who had a business there. Londin sold fax and telecom equipment for him as a sales rep. Brenda didn’t join him right away because she had a great job back in Clinton and wanted to be sure Todd really wanted to stay in Oregon.
     Convinced he was staying, she came out west in 1990. Around 1992 Todd and Brenda struck out on their own again and started a copier electronics repair business in Portland. Unfortunately it, too, folded after about 3 years but this time because of unscrupulous partners.
     The Londins finally came to Salem in 1995. Their family had moved out here and they all wanted to live together. They bought a six bedroom house to accommodate everyone. The “Waltons”, remember?
     Todd worked odd jobs for awhile but was still certain working for himself was the way to go. As luck would have it, he came upon an opportunity to start a janitorial business. First Impressions Last, LLC was born.
     Not satisfied with just one business, in 1991, Todd bought ABC Window Cleaners. ABC was started in Salem way back in 1936. The Londin’s are the 6th to own it and amazingly, after all these years, it still has the same phone number! And here’s where, in my interview with them, the Londin’s real passion really lit up.
     They started talking about their employees, or as they referred to them, their family members. And, according to them, the majority of their employees think of everyone employed in the businesses as family with Todd and Brenda as mom and dad.
     The Londins flat love their extended family and maintain that their employees will do just about anything asked of them, work any time, etc. And they both beam with pride about the obstacles their workers have overcome and the choices they’ve been making to do things, everything in their life, right.
     For Todd and Brenda, people, and mentoring seem to be not only a major part of their businesses but also their “hobbies”. They just plain love the people dynamic. They do play a little golf and travel now and then, and a good cigar once in awhile for Todd is totally acceptable. Otherwise, they get most of their enjoyment out of running their businesses, helping their employees and volunteering in the community.
     Here’s what it says on their website (www.abcwindowsor.com):
     At ABC Window Cleaners & Building Maintenance we believe in: “Offering community support and donating frequently to charitable organizations such as Helping Hands, Liberty House, Oregon Paralyzed Veterans Association and the Oregon Humane Society, to name a few.
     Active memberships in: Strategic Economic Development Corporation (SEDCOR), Salem Executive Associates (SEA), Salem, Keizer and Silverton Chambers of Commerce Hiring local workers with barriers to employment “They actively participated in the Oregon School for the Deaf Haunted House and dorms on extreme home makeover, 2010.
     And they created “Will Bowl for Food Annual Benefit for Marion/Polk Food Share plus numerous other donations and services.
     And, finally, their businesses are Green Certified EarthWISE for dedication to reuse and recycling for themselves and their customers.
     It’s one thing to make all these claims on a website, it’s another thing to actually live them out. I’m convinced the Londins live them out in their daily lives.
     So check out the list of services available from ABC Window Cleaners & Building Maintenance detailed on their web site www.abcwindowsor.com or give Todd a call at 503-363-4457. If you have any need for any of their services, take the opportunity to do business with these guys who give so much back to this community.
     As I said at the beginning of this column, Todd Londin and his wife Brenda use their businesses like a platform that allows them to do what really matters to them in life, and that’s helping and mentoring other people, whether they be employees of theirs or just members of the Salem/ Keizer community. If only everyone felt that way, imagine what a world it would be.