Street smarts, a little luck, a Cadillac, and the drive to succeed were the elements that allowed Frank Venegas, Jr. to found the first Ideal Group company in 1979. While working as general manager for a local steel company, Venegas bought a $150 raffle ticket at a home builders event, an investment that at the time, he could barely afford. His ticket turned out to be the prizewinner of a brand new Cadillac, valued at around $12,000. Venegas drove his prize for a week then sold the car and bought a yellow school bus, hacked off its shell, and began delivering steel to job sites.

Today the Ideal Group, employs around 250 people and has annual revenues approaching $170 million. In an ironic twist, Venegas later bought, and now uses, the plant that built his Cadillac prize.