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Co-piloting a business

by Elizabeth Frantz
Roger Lawson walks out onto the airport's runway area. He is preparing one of his planes for the afternoon's fire patrol.

Roger and Anne Lawson have owned Elizabethtown Flying Service Inc. for 38 years. Roger, 65, is president of the company and the airport manager. Anne, 53, is vice president and director of operations.

“I met him at the airport,” Anne said. At 19, she came from Cleveland to visit her brother Emil Dular, who was working with Roger. She was smitten.

“I took her flying,” Roger said. “She quit her job and came down here to pursue me.”

The couple has been married 33 years.

Anne is in charge of public relations and keeps the books. Roger is the chief pilot and mechanic.

“Customer service is what we do,” Anne said.

Owning a business and working together can be difficult for a married couple, but Roger and Anne make it work. They rarely discuss airport business at home, and they keep things professional at the airport. But they make a point to eat lunch together whenever they can.

“She does what she does, and I do what I do,” Roger said. “I take the blame.”

Every morning, Anne Lawson sorts through the business mail, the junk mail and the personal mail she delivers to each of her employees. "Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. I hate it," she said. "I like the people part of my work."
Roger and Anne Lawson rarely discuss airport business at home, and they keep things professional at the airport. But the couple makes a point of eating lunch together whenever they can.
Before starting his descent, Roger Lawson radios Elizabethtown Regional Airport to announce his approach. 
After completing a business survey, Roger Lawson brings paperwork to Anne's office to discuss a few points.
Roger Lawson laughs at a friend's joke while lounging in the lobby at the end of the day.
Anne Lawson's office is just behind the lobby so she can keep an eye on business. Whenever she's needed out front, Anne can easily step in. "Customer service is what we do," she said.
At the end of the day, Anne Lawson leaves the airport in her Jaguar. Roger Lawson drives a Jeep. "She does what she does, and I do what I do," Roger said.
Roger and Anne Lawson have owned Elizabethtown Flying Service, Inc., the company that runs Elizabethtown Regional Airport, for 38 years. Roger, 65, is president of the company and the airport manager. Anne, 53, is vice president and director of operations.
Anne Lawson speaks with a customer on the phone. "Customer service is what we do," she said.