Building an Out-of-the-Box Business

Written by Megin Potter on March 15, 2024. Posted in 2024, Featured, Q1.

Transcending the illusion of societal constructs, a minority-owned business proves doing things differently gets things done.

In 1948, James “Jim” Boxley left behind the segregated rural southern county of Halifax, VA for a job manufacturing bricks in Coeymans, NY.

It was a rare opportunity for Jim, whose father had been a Pastor and sharecropper, that paid a generous salary of $62/week. He labored there for 20 years but, because his crew worked so quickly, after toiling at the plant, Jim had enough time at the end of the day to care for cars (which he’d learned to do working at a gas station). And in the 1950’s, Boxley’s Polishing Service, located out of Marshall’s Garage, was born.

“Work was no stranger to my dad from a very young age,” said his son, Steven Boxley, current owner of Boxley’s Services. “At the brick manufacturing plant, there were no forklifts. You were the forklift. You never went home early and if you felt fatigued, he’d sweep his hand across your shoulder and say, ‘Get that monkey off your back and get back to work.’”

“Being the fourth generation removed from a sharecropper seems like it was forever ago, but it really wasn’t. Knowing that, and growing up in the family business, has instilled a sense of pride and self-confidence in me,” added Steven’s son, Christian Boxley.

“When You Think Clean, Think Boxley’s”

At just six years old, Steven, the youngest of his three siblings, became the “door jam” kid at Boxley’s. Selected for the job because of his proximity to the ground, he filled cars’ rusty door jambs with compound, and chromed their large front bumpers.

“I wanted to show my dad how well a job I could do. For him to say, ‘Great job!’ was huge to me then,” said Steven.

By the time Steven was 15 years old, he understood the value of a good name.

“As an African American man in a predominately Caucasian culture, my dad was well-known and respected. He was defined by his name, Boxley, and he taught me that whatever cards you were dealt, that was OK. Always persevere through hard work and focus on character. He said to me, ‘As long as you’re willing to work hard, you can get what you want.’”

Diversify, Diversify, Diversify

Despite his tutelage, as a young adult Steven and Jim often butted heads in business. Jim complained that Steven was too “fussy” and that he practically “licked the cars to death.” Steven was ambitious and wanted to take Boxley’s to new heights. His R.C.S. High School yearbook quote read, “With a clean car, you’ll go far.”

But after graduation, Steven went to work as an extrusion tech in General Electric’s manufacturing facility. It was there he learned the importance of diversifying.

“No matter how good you are, you need to diversify,” said Steven.

Along with fellow GE co-worker Kathleen Armour-Goes, Boxley’s expanded and evolved. “She’s even more meticulous than I am,” said Steven. With the company since 1993, Kathleen is now General Manager, and oversaw their 2001 incorporation, expansion into residential and commercial cleaning in 2005, and in 2006, the opening of a second location, at 68 Ballston Avenue in Saratoga Springs.

Cleaning a City with Spark

In addition to his work, Steven Boxley was a fullback in the semi-professional Albany Metro Mallers football team for three years. In 1990, he met Michele McGraw at On the Rocks, a popular Albany nightclub.

The couple was married in 1997, and moved to Saratoga in 2001.

“Being from a small town, when we visited Saratoga’s downtown it felt like it just had that spark, and I was in awe. My biggest fear was being able to afford it,” said Steven.

Through an act of “divine intervention” after renting an apartment in what is now Park Place, the couple “hit the jackpot” with an affordable home on Saratoga’s West Side, built by Thomas J. Farone & Son that has since more than doubled in value.

Industrious and Willing

In 2010, Boxley’s began procuring janitorial supplies, then later added carpet cleaning, floor polishing, power washing, and landscaping to their list of services.

As a minority-owned business, Boxley’s qualifies for grants that helped them add a security division and open a cafeteria. During the pandemic, they seamlessly integrated PPE protocol and electrostatic sprayers. At their peak, Boxley’s grew to four locations and managed 50 employees. Because they have been assigned an Amazon agent, they can now find school supplies in bulk at discounted prices as well.

Progressive and diverse in their approach, their philosophy is simple; “It’s always a ‘yes’ no matter what the ask is.”

In 2003, Jim, now 94, retired from Boxley’s Services. The business had changed from a needs-based service (where simonizing paint prevented oxidation) to a more cosmetic service. No longer were there vinyl ceilings to scrub, or white wall tires to shine. Acid-washing a fleet of cement trucks was replaced by auto dealership contracts, and then by customers wanting a glistening 7-step ceramic coating, whose glassy appearance protects vehicles from UV rays while eliminating surface scratches for favorable CARFAX reports.

Jim would be shocked by the matte finishes popular today, said Steven. Even he was resistant to this latest ceramic coating technique at first, but when Christian finally convinced him to apply it to his own truck, he became a believer.

“Holy smokes! It was next level. Definitely, when it’s done right, it’s pretty cool,” he said.

The Future is Bright

Christian began working at the family business when he was still in high school. He recruited his friends to be part of the culture there too.

“The ‘Bossman’ made sure I knew the value of things so it wasn’t a party, but we had a good time,” he said. “Because we’re a small business, we don’t have to answer to a board of directors and have great managers on-site, like Dan Grock, who’s been with us more than 20 years.”

“It’s a great time playing the sandbox. We smile, have joy, and so much fun doing the job, it brightens things up,” added Steven.

Now, back from graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Le Moyne College, he’s modernizing the company with online scheduling, social media, and great employee benefits, without compromising the human touch they’ve become known for. Minnows compared to the kings of the industry, programs like the Car Wash Club, instituted last year, let the little guy swim with the sharks.

Answering the Calling

In addition to starting a successful and reputable business, since 2020, Steven has been answering the Church’s calling as well, serving as an Associate Minister of Albany’s Macedonia Baptist Church and the United Church of Saratoga.

“My goal is to duplicate the works and make them accessible to all. It’s a beautiful thing to be a candle, to light the way so someone else can go on and do the same,” he said.

“At the end of the day, he’s too much of a young buck to retire,” added Christian. “Work is his hobby, and how he has fun. It’s still his Disneyland.”

For more information, visit boxleys.com.