Sisneros: Manufacturing family tradition
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Jackie Schlotfeldt News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jschlotfeldt@news-bulletin.com
Belen Time and technology may have changed the way they operate their business today, but Sisneros Bros. Manufacturing was firmly established on a foundation that will be passed down from generation to generation.
Born in Abo, Abenicio "Ben" Sisneros is the son of a farmer and rancher. His father, Esquipula, worked until the day he died, Sisneros said.
"Life was a lot simpler back then," Sisneros said. "We were poor, but we were happy."
Sisneros didn't grow up with luxuries such as indoor plumbing and running water; he learned early on that survival meant hard work.
In 1985, Sisneros started Sisneros Bros. with his sons, Martin, Alex, Philip and Joaquin. With little money or equipment, they began installing ductwork for heating and cooling units for both residential and commercial accounts. As their business thrived, they decided to modify it and eliminate the installation part of their services.
"In 1992, we went over to strictly manufacturing industrial- and commercial-grade ducts," Martin said.
Martin, the president of the company, said that 80 percent of their product is shipped from New Mexico, primarily to California.
Although Ben retired six years ago, he is still the chief executive officer of Sisneros Bros. and is frequently in the plant. About a year and a half ago, he decided to start another business in Belen. Casa de Abo, an art gallery and coffee house, holds much of Ben's creations along with the flagstone he brought to his new business from his ranch in Abo. He cut and strategically placed the flagstone, inside and out, to create a beautiful floor in the gallery.
"I always dreamed about doing this," Ben said.
Some of Ben's creations are carved from alabaster that's found on his ranch, and, if he could, he would spend eight hours a day carving.
"I look at a rock, and I see what it could be," Ben said.
Inside the coffee house, metal tables made from sheet metal from the manufacturing plant fill the rooms along with as metal art work that decorates the ceilings.
"The whole family produces artwork," Ben said. "I also wanted a market for artists in Belen because I was surprised at the talent here."
Regardless of whether you visit the sheet metal plant or the art gallery, you will find that family is a big part of the business.
"This is what's so cool," Martin said. "Each one of them could start their own business."
Of 17 grandchildren, 16 of them either work or are in the process of learning the family business from the bottom up.
"Their responsibilities grow with each day," Martin said. "My dad has given us an old-fashioned value system that taught us to take care of our customers and treat them with respect. The customers' needs are above ours, and your employees are your most valuable asset. Our success comes from our values."
Martin remembers when he was growing up, how, after living in Albuquerque for a few years, his dad decided to move the family back to Abo.
"My dad had enough of the rat race," Martin said. "Moving back there, with no TV or radio helped shape our view on life. Me and my brothers had to work together as a team to survive. For me, it's one of the greatest things that happened to me growing up."
What Martin and his brothers learned growing up has carried over into their business. "We learned how to negotiate and we work through it (obstacles)," Martin said.
Like his father, Martin said he and his brothers and sister find their family history a very important part of their lives.
"I took my son out to Abo, and he and all the grandsons have a deep appreciation for their roots," Martin said.
Although today, Sisneros Bros. has taken the business to another level, the family is deeply rooted to the values taught to them by their dad, just as he was taught by his father.
"I wonder what our boys are going to do, and what the company will look like in the future," Martin said. "There are certain things you inherit and some you learn, but they (grandchildren) will be successful in any business because of the foundation they have."
Knowing your past and tracing your family history is something that is very important to the Sisneros family. Currently, Martin is working on putting together the military history of his family and has traced it back as far as the Civil War so far. Martin's father and seven of Ben's eight brothers all served in the military. Martin ordered his uncles' records from military archives to help him with the project.
Although the Sisneroses have a busy schedule, Ben also taught his family the importance of giving back to the community.
Because Ben knew how hard it was to establish a business, he set out to make some changes to the way the system works. He and his Martin started the Valencia County Hispano Chamber of Commerce along with Willie Giron.
"People thought there wasn't a need for another chamber, and, by having the word Hispano, they thought it excluded people. It doesn't. It is a very inclusive word, and it includes all races. We really had to work pretty hard at it to get that across," Martin said.
In addition to the Hispano Chamber, the Sisneroses became major investors in the Bank of Belen.
"My dad was turned down by 12 different banks, and he said, "'This has got to stop,'" Martin said. "He came in smiling with a piece of paper one day and said: 'We own part of a bank.'"
With that, Martin said, more than 90 percent of what's deposited is lent out to local folks. "Everything stays here in the community," he said. "We wanted to help others businesses grow."
"I know what I went through, and it's tough getting started here," Ben said.
One of Ben's main priorities in giving back to the community has been helping local churches in the area by donating materials and labor for their heating and cooling systems, Martin said. He's helped remodel churches in Abo, Mountainair and Estancia.
"We saw him doing those things, and he wasn't doing it for a pat on the back," Martin said. "He did it because it needed to be done."
Like their father, Martin and his brothers also give back to organizations such as the Disabled American Veterans and Carrie Tingley Hospital.
And while progress takes its course, the Sisneroses are assured that the values learned from previous generations will continue to be passed on.
"It's very important to keep traditions alive," Ben said.
"We've learned from him," Martin said as a smile spread across his face and he nodded toward his dad. "He broke the mold a long time ago."
Despite the many obstacles that Ben's had to overcome over the span of his career, he never took no as an answer. In fact, if he ever died in a river, Ben said (laughing), his wife said she would look for him "upstream."