Running head: FISCHELL MACHINERY

Unemployed to Entrepreneur: Fischell Machinery

Melissa Sheldon (Student #253354)
Siena Heights University Graduate College
September 22, 2016

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Unemployed to Entrepreneur: Fischell Machinery

Entrepreneurs come with a wide variety of skills, interests, and levels of commitment to
their ideas. According to Kuratko (2014), entrepreneurship is a dynamic process of vision,
change, and creation that requires an application of energy and passion toward the creation and
implementation of new ideas and creative solutions (p. 23). Entrepreneurship is risky, however,
in most cases it is highly rewarding if the entrepreneurs ideas come to fruition. Fischell
Machinery exemplifies how new business ventures are risky yet rewarding if an entrepreneur has
the fortitude and ambition to try. This paper will discuss how Fischell Machinery came to be and
how the owners have overcome significant hurdles to achieve their goals.
Fischell Machinery
Jim Fischer and Jeremy Sell started Fischell Machinery in 2005 after their previous place
of employment shut their doors. The two business partners worked together in the production
area at Saxmayer Corporation in Blissfield, MI. Saxmayer produced string tying equipment from
1914 to 2004 (Saxmayer Support, 2013). In 2004, Saxmayer closed leaving their administrative
and production staff without employment. Both Fischer and Sell had worked for Saxmayer for
more than ten years and had built relationships with both their customers and their vendors.
Saxmayers business was unique therefore Fischer and Sell found themselves with distinctive
capabilities in a niche market that no longer existed. Recognizing their unique abilities,
knowledge, and relationships along with the possibility of these attributes being used to start a
new business was an entrepreneurial effort in itself according to Howroyd (2002). Since
Saxmayer had closed due to poor management and not a lack of interest in their product, Fischer
and Sell decided to see what they could do to build a new business that provided the same

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services and equipment as Saxmayer, only better (J. Fischer, personal communication,
September 20, 2016). Thus, Fischell Machinery was born.
Startup Phase
As with any new business venture, Fischell Machinery encountered its fair share of
obstacles during the startup phase. The first major hurdle that had to be addressed was funding.
Fischer and Sell developed a thorough business plan in an effort to acquire funding. They needed
the initial investment to pay for a space to work, equipment to work with, and the molds for the
tying machines. With a lack of steady income, it was difficult for the business partners to secure
funding. Ultimately, Fischer knew that they needed money, a lot of time, the ability to
collaborate, and support from their friends and families, but, most of all, they would need
ambition. It took an incredible amount of ambition for both Fischer and Sell to remain focused
on their dream of establishing Fischell Machinery as a successful business. Eventually, Fischer
ended up personally refinancing and taking out a second mortgage on his home to fund the
business. They constructed a small manufacturing facility on his property and now operate the
business from his home address in Clayton, MI (J. Fischer, personal communication, September
20, 2016).
When asked why he decided to start his own business, Fischer simply stated that he
wanted to be in control of his own destiny. Even though he was scared of taking on an increased
level of debt without a steady paycheck, he no longer wanted the actions of others, or lack
thereof, to control his employment or income (J. Fischer, personal communication, September
20, 2016). Fischer and Sell were able to embrace their purpose and mission which motivated
them and provided them with the courage to take the leap into their new business venture
(Molinsky, 2016).

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Business Focus
Fischell Machinery continues to manufacture parts for the tying machines that had been
produced by Saxmayer Corporation. Fischell Machinery services the Saxmayer machines and
can refurbish or replace the machines when they become tired (Saxmayer Support, 2013). In
order to expand and evolve their business, Fischer and Sell decided to explore other uses for their
tying machines. After diligently researching and talking with customers, they discovered the
nursery tree industry. They developed large scale tying machines for use in tree nurseries. In
addition to the tying aspect of the machine, they incorporated a camera that can identify the size
of the tree sapling, sort it, and convey it to the appropriate location for packaging (Nursery Tying
Solutions, 2013). Fischer and Sell worked diligently to improve their products and find another
use for the machines. Now, as a result of their diversification, the tree bundling machines are the
primary revenue source for Fischell Machinery. Fischer stated that they landed on this product as
a result of a customer driven approach. They talked to customers and then developed custom
innovative solutions to their unique problems. Now, the great majority of their business comes
directly from referrals (J. Fischer, personal communication, September 20, 2016).
Obstacles and Opportunities
Since their start in 2004, Fischell Machinery continued to encounter business obstacles.
Ever-changing customer needs have led to inconsistent cash flow. The company has also
experienced delays in manufacturing due to labor and equipment issues. As Bhide (1996)
discusses, entrepreneurs must be able to discern critical issues from the typical growing pains of
a new business. Fischer and Sell recognized the seriousness of their obstacles and identified
inconsistent cash flow and labor issues as critical. Labor issues were the most surprising to the
owners because it is one that they did not foresee. The lack of available local talent for their

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skilled labor positions was not something they were equipped to address. According to Bessen
(2014), 35% of 38,000 employers surveyed as part of Manpowers Talent Shortage Survey
reported difficulty filling jobs to due lack of available talent. Consequently, Fischell Machinery
was not alone in their struggle to find or retain qualified applicants.
After starting their business, Fischer and Sell quickly learned to ignore the advice of
others that were not educated when it came to their business or their market segment. While
Fischer did not provide specific details regarding the terrible advice that they had received along
the way, he did describe the constant short-sighted advice from individuals with limited
experience in business (J. Fischer, personal communication, September 20, 2016). Once they
realized that they were the experts in their field, they were more successful. Through the process
of market segmentation, Fischell Machinery is in a position to be the leader in nursery tree tying
and bundling equipment and technology (Kuratko, 2014). The nursery tree industry has seasonal
highs and lows in production which allows Fischell Machinery an opportunity to develop new
products to solve common issues. As Kuratko (2014) describes, continuous learning is both a
concern and an opportunity for growing business ventures. If the owners of Fischell Machinery
continue to learn from their customers and the nursery tree industry as a whole, they will be able
to position themselves as subject matter experts for innovative tying and bundling processes.
Conclusion
Fischell Machinerys success comes from Fischer and Sells never-ending commitment to
customer satisfaction. They maintain a customer-driven philosophy by researching and
discussing customer preferences and needs before producing any equipment (Kuratko, 2014).
Their vision for the future is simple: they plan to follow the lead of their customers and allow
them to inform their product development. Fischer wholeheartedly believes that prosperity

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should not be the driving factor for starting a company. Instead, entrepreneurs need to have a
burning desire to take control of their own destiny (J. Fischer, personal communication,
September 20, 2016). Fischers advice for entrepreneurs is integral when it comes to my
understanding of entrepreneurship and what it takes to be successful. Entrepreneurs need to be
able to ask themselves the right questions to identify a course of action, take risks, and reap the
benefits of their success.

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7
References

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Bhide, A. (1996). The questions every entrepreneur must answer. Harvard Business Review.
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Howroyd, J. B. (2002). From employee to self-employed: Make that final transition by making
your business a full-time gig. Entrepreneur Magazine. Retrieved from
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/49274
Kuratko, D. (2014). Entrepreneurship: theory, process, practice. Mason, OH: South-Western,
Cengage Learning.
Molinsky, A. (2016). Being a successful entrepreneur isnt only about having the best ideas.
Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/08/being-a-successfulentrepreneur-isnt-only-about-having-the-best-ideas
Nursery Tying Solutions. (2013). In Fischell Machinery. Retrieved from
http://www.fischellmachinery.com/saxmayer.shtml
Saxmayer Support. (2013). In Fischell Machinery. Retrieved from
http://www.fischellmachinery.com/saxmayer.shtml