Perseverance and Optimism

Shields says his stepfather helped keep the business afloat during the Depression, and the family basically toughed it out. Following the war, Shield's elder brother Tom, who had served as a glider pilot, returned and revitalized the business. He began direct-selling and initiated new products containing molybedenum disulfide that allowed the company to upgrade its oil products to include friction modifiers for fuel economy. Shields credits the company's ability simply to hold on during the lean years to allow it to turn things around afterwards. "We are now doing business in 40 countries and expect sales of $90 million this year," he says.

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