Ronald A. Givens Sr.

We often ask children, “what do you want to be when you grow up,” and expect just one answer. But 13-year-old Ronald A. Givens, Sr. had a half-dozen different things in mind. And he’s accomplished them all.

Ron has lived in Peoria his whole life. “I was born in Peoria, right up there at Saint Francis Hospital on Glen Oak in the old hospital. It was a great life for me. I had both my parents and we lived on the number streets.” He recalls attending Washington Grade School, getting into minor scrapes with his two younger sisters, and living in a community that watched out for everyone. "It was the true example of a neighborhood. We knew everybody on the block. Everybody knew us. If we did something that was wrong, they made sure your parents knew and your parents took care of it."

Ron's plan—what he calls his mission or bucket list—began to take shape through an important conversation with his dad. “I think I was 13 years old. It was about this time of year when the leaves are falling and so he and I were in the backyard raking leaves, and I was always thinking and wondering.” Ron had come across some medals in his dad’s belongings that piqued his curiosity so he asked him about them.

For the first time, Ron’s dad began to talk about his military service in Korea. “And I asked him, ‘What did you do?’ And he says, ‘I was a chauffeur; I drove the generals around.’" This surprised Ron because minorities did not often have such opportunities. Ron continued to dig. “I asked him what branch of service he was in and he said, ‘The Army.’ And I asked him, ‘What rank did you get?’ And he said, ‘I got to be a corporal,’ and I said, ‘That sounds pretty good.’”

So with his dad as inspiration, and a small dose of competitiveness, Ron began forming his plan. “I knew I wanted to be in business—I didn't know exactly what the business was—and I knew I wanted to be a police officer and I knew I wanted to be in the Marine Corps.”

Ron joined the Marines near the end of the Vietnam War. Even when he was far from home, Ron’s thoughts were pulled back to Peoria. “When I was in the Marine Corps, people would ask me where I was from and I'd say, ‘Peoria.’ And they said, ‘Well, I don't know where Peoria is, but I know where Richard Pryor came from!’”

Ron eventually retired from the Marines as a gunnery sergeant—several ranks higher than the Army equivalent of what his dad achieved, checking off another item on his bucket list.

Inspired by his dad’s driving, Ron began racing stock cars at the Peoria Speedway and around the state. He was even inducted into the Peoria Old Timers Racing Club Hall of Fame and still has one of the cars in his shop.

“Another thing that I had on that bucket list,” recalls Ron, “was to drive the Daytona 500, and I got to drive on the Daytona 500 track four different times. Didn't win. But, you know, I did some testing for Richard Petty. And of course, if you know anything about NASCAR, Richard Petty is obviously one of the old heroes of NASCAR. I just had a ball!”

Still pursuing his plan, Ron changed lanes again and joined the Peoria Police Department. As a detective, he sought first to understand the situation. “I didn't go in and just automatically jump on somebody. Let's find out what's going on first, because there are two sides to every story.”

Givens' son, Ronald A. Givens II, or Ronnie, attributes his dad’s success to his natural ability to relate to people. “He's just got that gift of gab,” says Ronnie. “We would go places that were only supposed to be a 15-minute stop, and he would run into somebody and start talking.” After an hour-long conversation, Ronnie would ask his dad, “’Did you know that person?’ He's like, ‘No, that's the first time I met him. We just started a conversation like we were old friends.’ So he's had that gift for a long time and the ability to connect with people has carried over to business.”

Starting a company that he could pass down to the next generation was another major item on Ron’s bucket list. Once again, he overachieved by owning two: J.M. Industrial Supply and GIVSCO Construction.

Ron involved his son Ronnie in the companies from an early age. “He started in the business at 15 and he's still there. So he knows the business and I feel so comfortable with him. He now has his own family, of course. And by having his own family, I thought, well, the legacy will carry on.”

Ronnie did not always appreciate being put to work, remembering getting up early on Saturday mornings. “Even though it wasn't punishment, it kind of felt like punishment,” Ronnie confesses with a laugh. “But then as you either mature or just get to a certain point in your life, you kind of cross over and see [your parent] as a person. I have been lucky enough to see that.”

“So that makes me feel good,” says Ron, Sr. “It makes me feel good that they want to have something like this happen to them. Because I didn't have that kind of start.”

Ron uses his success to not just benefit his family but also his community. “I've always been a person who thought, if you reach certain levels of success on that ladder as you go up, you don’t put your foot on somebody below you. You reach down and help them.”

Ronnie has seen his father live this out. “He is just a champion in the community and around the city. I only hear good things about him. He's heavy into the southwest Kiwanis—he served as board president for numerous terms there and then also went on to serve as lieutenant governor for the Kiwanis International.”

Observant people will also recognize the GIVSCO name from their charitable work and sponsorships around the community, including projects at the Peoria Riverfront Museum and St. Paul Baptist Church. “I like to go to the museum. We see a lot of things over there with [GIVSCO] on it, and we've done a lot of business around Peoria.” Ron has also served on the Board of Directors for Community Foundation of Central Illinois, Heart of Illinois United Way and Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few.

After involvement in many groups, Ron has finally learned to start saying no. “I tell my wife, ‘When I die, don't have them try to read all this stuff. Everybody will fall sleep because it's so much!’”

That doesn’t mean that Ron is done. “I’ve learned so many different things over the years. I have a tendency to think that I have a Ph.D. in life, because there's so much that I know and it takes a long time to accumulate. But I will say that the biggest thing that helped me in all the different things that I've done, is that they all intertwined together.” The skills he learned in the Marines, he used as a police detective and in his business. The competitive spirit that drove his racing pushed him to excel in all his endeavors. And the inspiration he drew from his father, he passes down as a legacy to his own family.

“What I see as my father's legacy is the family,” says Ronnie. “Obviously, the companies, whether they come or go, but also what's being instilled and passed down from generation to generation.”

“Take care of your loved ones,” says Ron. “And if you don't have any loved ones, get some.” First on Ron’s list is his wife of 46 years, Carrie. “I'm told a lot of times people don't stay married that long. And of course, my son, his wife and the grandkids. I've taken care of them to the best that I can. But that's so much better than what most people have, you know? And then, of course, my dog is a loved one!”

Ron has a lot to be proud of, from the awards and recognition he’s received and the businesses he’s built, to the family he’s grown. “It’s really interesting what has happened over the years to me. I even think sometimes when I sit back and look back, how did I get here?"

He got here by following his plan.