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Bill Haeberle isn't surprised that Andy Miller and Jim Mann have done so well with their Polaris Inc. janitorial service. In fact, the Indiana University professo emeritus of management thinks they're destined for greatness.
Haeberle became acquainted with Miller and Mann in 1985 when, as students, they joined the entrepreneur organization he founded. It wasn't long before they were juggling their class schedules with the demands of cleaning businesses by night and pounding the pavement seeking customers by day.
They impressed you early on as being very focused individual" recalled Haeberle, who joined the Polaris board of directors four years later. "They're capable by the time they're 40 years old to be running...a public company."
The former college roommates are more worried about managing Polaris' growth than collecting glowing kudos.
Since starting Polaris in 1985, the company has grown to 100 employees and $1.5 million in sales in Indianapolis; last year, it acquired and merged two Cincinnati firms that collectively bring in $2.5 million with 200 employees.
As juniors majoring in finance and literature, Miller and Mann started the business to support themselves.
Miller, 27, had mowed lawns in high school as well as done some janitorial work, and Mann, 31, knew something about business because his mother ran a retail shop. Miller began taking Mann to Haeberle's entrepneurship organization meetings.
When assembling their...