Running A City Like His Business

“It is true of the nation, as of the individual, that the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer.”
—Theodore Roosevelt

Sandy Sprouse runs the daily operation of the custom upholstery shop that she and her husband, Doug, own while he tacles budget and other municipal issues as the mayor of Springdale, Arkansas. Photo: Ian Wagreich

Doug Sprouse has learned quite a few things as mayor of Springdale, Arkansas (pop. 70,000). He also brought a few skills to the job from his experiences as owner of Sprouse Upholstery, the custom furniture upholstery shop he’s owned for 26 years. “When I got elected mayor, some people were concerned that I was going from running a small business with only 3 or 4 employees to running a city with 450 employees,” says Sprouse. “Obviously, there are differences, but there are sound principles that translate—like common sense and just treating people right. It’s a customer service job.”

Sprouse also has a much bigger budget to tangle with, going from a business with $350,000 in gross receipts to a city budget of $27 million. Springdale, like many other cities, has seen its sales tax revenues fall. Using a mix of increased fees, including a tax on mixed drinks, and reductions in operating expenses, Sprouse trimmed the budget by $2 million without cutting services. The eight members of the nonpartisan city council passed the budget in late November, earlier than that of any of Sprouse’s predecessors. “Springdale, for no good reason, had an image problem. The perception was that the administration and council weren’t working together very well. I believe that with God’s help and guidance, I can help people work on problems and come together to solve them.”

In addition to keeping the city budget under control, Sprouse focuses on bringing more businesses to Springdale by streamlining the inspection and approval process for new business licenses and investing in infrastructure.

Politics does not run in Sprouse’s family, but furniture craftsmanship does. His father was a plant manager for a furniture manufacturer, and his father-in-law owned a custom upholstery shop specializing in auto upholstery. After marrying Sandy in 1977, Sprouse worked at his father-in-law’s shop before branching out on his own in 1983.

Now that Sprouse is mayor, Sandy has taken over the day-to-day operation of the shop. “She’s probably had a bigger adjustment than I have. She used to do our books two to three hours a day, but now she’s tied to the business.” Sprouse says he stops by the shop once or twice a week, but only to check in. “I’m paid to be mayor.”

Sprouse intends to remain mayor as long as he keeps getting elected, but when he does go back to being a small business owner, he says that he’s learned a lot from his stint in government. “I’ve learned to be better at delegating. I realize I can’t have my hand in everything,” he says. “I’ve also learned how to better prioritize my spending. When we were going through our budget cuts, I had department heads who said, ‘We can be more efficient.’ The same could be true of any business.”

To share your Dreamers and Doers story, e-mail Greg Galdabini at ggaldabi@uschamber.com or call 202-463-5563.

MEMBER FACTS
Company: Sprouse Upholstery Inc.
Owners: Doug and Sandy Sprouse
E-Mail Address: skspor@sbcglobal.net
Address: 370 A South 40th Street, Springdale, AR 72762
Phone: 479-756-8711
Web Site: www.sprouseupholstery.com
Chamber Member Since 2000
Founded 1983
Number of Employees: 4