Former Kentucky quarterback meeting the business moment during COVID-19
As they say, timing is everything.
Will Fidler’s timing as a Kentucky football player wasn’t optimal. The former Kentucky High School Player of the Year out of Henderson County was relegated to mostly backup duty behind first Andre Woodson and then Mike Hartline.
Fidler’s timing as a business owner, however, has been exceptional. Four years ago he and his father, Bill, purchased RGA Enterprises in Charlotte, N.C. And what does RGA Enterprises do, you ask? It makes household cleaning products.
“It’s been very challenging,” Fidler said this week.
Challenging in a good way. The war against COVID-19 has produced an increased demand for products that clean and disinfect.
“It’s been crazy,” Fidler said. “We’re just trying to keep our heads above water.”
After studying agricultural communication and leadership development at UK, Fidler tried real estate after graduation — again, bad timing — before surreptitiously inquiring about a possible job at Brenntag, a chemical distribution company where his father, Bill, was CEO. Not surprisingly, the father found out. And put his son to work.
After five years of learning the business and making customer connections, Will went to his father, then retired, and voiced a desire to try the entrepreneurial side. Not long after, the Fidlers learned the family that owned RNA, a Brenntag customer, was looking to sell. The Fidlers made an offer. The sale closed December 2016.
“It made for a good deal for everybody,” Fidler said.
RNA sells its own brand of cleaner called Magic Power. It also manufacturers cleaners for store brands such as Kroger, Sam’s and Costco. It represents Pure Spaces, which sanitizes factories, warehouse and offices. RNA was growing, but in early March the Fidlers sensed a change coming.
“We had met with a couple of our customers and they had expressed to us that they were getting a lot of inquiries from retail stores at a much higher demand,” Fidler said. “It was also right around the time that people were stocking up on toilet paper, as crazy as that sounds. Toilet paper and household cleaning supplies.”
Learning about how the virus spreads, people were focusing more on disinfection and cleanliness. “People have just been cleaning at a much higher rate,” Fidler said.
When did things take off?
“About a week later,” Fidler said. “We gained some level of assurance that this was not going to be a short-term thing. And as soon as we gained comfort around that, we immediately started hiring and staffed two more production lines. We took steps toward staffing a second shift. It has been continually ramping up ever since then.”
Demand has given the company a stress test, from storage to sanitation to shipping. RNA has had to set limits on customer orders. “Everybody was ordering six months or a year’s worth of material,” Fidler said. “And they wanted it in two weeks.”
Ah, stress. So was there anything Fidler learned playing football at UK that has helped his business life?
“I can’t think of much that didn’t help,” he said. “All the way from the development of mental grit to sacrifice and hard work. And the leadership lessons I learned my last year.”
That was 2009, the year starting quarterback Mike Hartline was lost for the season to injury in the fifth game, leaving Fidler and freshman Morgan Newton to compete for the starting role the next week at Auburn. The coaches picked Newton.
“It created a lot of friction with the team,” Fidler said. “So I got up in front of the entire offense and said, ‘Hey guys, you may not think this is the best game plan. I don’t think many of us do. But if half of you are playing one game plan and the other half of us are doing another game plan, we have zero chance of winning. If we’re bought into one game plan — it may be not be the best, but it gives us the best chance of winning the game.’”
Down 14-7 at the half, Fidler came off the bench to lead the Cats to a 21-14 comeback win, UK’s first at Auburn since 1961.
“I did get some name recognition through that Auburn game,” said Fidler, who admitted he thought about leaving but couldn’t bring himself to sign the transfer papers. “As I walked through the door, I was like what am I doing? … I would rather graduate having not received the amount of playing time that I wished versus going to another school in another state.”
Not to mention leave his friends. He does business now with former teammate Johnny Williams, who runs a logistics company. Another former teammate, Michael Aitcheson, officiated his wedding to wife Marissa in Versailles. The couple live in Charlotte with their two children — Annabelle and William, born May 18. “I didn’t exactly get much maternity leave, I can tell you that,” said Fidler, laughing.
The COVID fight isn’t over, of course. Even when it is, there will be lasting effects.
“I 100 percent believe it’s going to change consumer behavior for a very long time if not forever,” Fidler said. “There will be a renewed focus on disinfecting and cleaning and exposure to germs, bacterias and viruses. I think the key is to figure out how to return normalcy while also remaining safe.”
This story was originally published June 21, 2020 at 8:56 AM.
