Husband And Wife Duo Stay Positive During Tough Times

The loving way in which Owners George and Marianne Abiaad interact with their customers is a big reason why Royal Corporation has grown

Even as they run their jan/san distribution business during one of the most dizzyingly unpredictable and bizarre times in recent American history, the spirits of George and Marianne Abiaad remain refreshingly positive and focused. The husband-wife duo — who along with Partner Michael Rastchi run the international jan/san distribution company Royal Corporation, Santa Fe Springs, California — seem to have made a habit of approaching unsteady times with a stable smile.

Though they didn't meet until adulthood, their youth is tied together by the fact that they both witnessed violence and fear as teens growing up in war-ravaged Lebanon. George, who left home for the United States at 17 seeking both the immediate assurance of safety and an opportunity at future success, believes these early struggles helped to contextualize for him what is and what isn't important in life.

For the Abiaads, a close, loving relationship with family, friends and customers, and their faith in God is what matters most. Now the couple uses their tough early life experiences to bring valuable lessons to the iron-clad relationships they hold with their customers. It's something they encourage other people and businesses to do, as well.

George recommends individuals and companies begin these efforts by extending their arms, minds and hearts to the people who matter most — one's genetic family, one's work family, and their community of customers and vendors. In doing so, employees, colleagues, customers and clients stop seeing a person or business by their job title or company name and start to understand the struggles they've suffered and the hope they've maintained through it all. Through the process of making this ever-important personal connection, both a jan/san distributor and its customer are able to come up with solutions that help everyone involved, like sourcing enough personal protective equipment (PPE).

"The COVID-19 crisis gave all of us a great opportunity to shine, and many in our circle of customers and vendors have been bright stars and have greatly impacted our lives," says George. "This is the America we came to. That is the America we bet on."