202 | Business World Magazine |
April 2013
been so ready for her. Business slowly began
to dwindle and drivers started seeking out
opportunities elsewhere. During this same
time, the family learned of other businesses
Titus had acquired prior to his death. One
company specialized in making modifica-
tions to snowplows while another was based
out of Pennsylvania and had a union work-
force. Piper says these companies operated at
such a loss as to not only distract, but siphon
profits away from the primary operations.
Two years following Keith Titus’ death, the
business seemed on the verge of doing the
same. “It became increasingly hard after my
father died, and I think many people consid-
ered him as the glue that kept everything to-
gether. In the time that followed, we had lost
more than fifty trucks and closed a few ter-
minals... and then one day, the lawyers went
to my mom and said it is time to liquidate,
not sell, but liquidate all the assets,” recalls
Piper.
For Debbie Titus, the recommendation
was just too impossible to follow. “My mom
said it would be too unfair, unfair to the
staff and unfair to my father,” says Piper. So,
against all legal advice, Debbie Titus poured
all she could financially afford into the busi-
ness to keep it afloat. The snowplow and PA
based enterprise were closed down, some
assets were sold off, money was borrowed
and new people were tapped to help run
