Widow carries on family business

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By Jennifer DeWitt | Tuesday, October 17, 2006 1:09 AM CDT | () comments

When her husband was killed in a work-related accident last month, Kim Willits knew without a doubt that she would carry on the third-generation family business.

Alan “Al” Willits, 51, died Sept. 1 after falling from the roof at Sudlow Intermediate School, Davenport, where he was inspecting the capstones on the entrance. His company, Bert M. Lafferty Co., was doing masonry work for the school.

“I learned from my husband that you never know in life how long you’ve got, and we really embraced life,” said Kim Willits, who stepped into the role of company president after his death. “I learned from him … it’s just not a good thing to sit and wallow. I refuse to let myself fall apart.”

With 20 years experience herself at the family company, Willits said she and her husband had always worked as a team. She already handled the administrative end of the business. To cover the estimating part of the job, she has promoted Nathan Meier to vice president.

The Rock Island-based company offers building repair and maintenance services, including masonry work, tuckpointing, commercial and industrial painting, sandblasting and cleaning across Iowa and Illinois. Some of the company’s more high-profile jobs have included restoration of the Stone Shops at the Rock Island Arsenal and the masonry work on the Rock Island District’s Arts Alley.

When her husband’s grandparents, Bert and Elsie Lafferty, founded the company in 1948, “I’m told we were the only one like us in the area, which is why we grew so quickly,’’ Kim Willits said. His father, Jim Willits, ran the business from 1978 to 1995 before Al Willits took over.

She said she has received overwhelming support —from business associations to suppliers and competitors.

The couple has two sons. Jason, 23, a student at Heartland Community College, Normal, Ill., recently returned from duty in Iraq with the 123rd National Guard, Milan. Scott, 18, is a senior at Bettendorf High School.

Jennifer DeWitt can be contacted at (563) 383-2318 or jdewitt@qctimes.com.