About
Meet Us “Our Team”
Company owner Steve Helms has been a self-professed, addicted ball hawk since he was eight years old. Growing up on the 11th hole at Montaup Country Club in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the home became a major dogleg but was perfect to vend golf balls, Kool-Aid, and eventually soda. Steve learned strong work ethic, business skills, and how to work with brothers and sisters as a team.
Company owner Steve Helms has been a self-professed, addicted ball hawk since he was eight years old. Growing up on the 11th hole at Montaup Country Club in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the home became a major dogleg but was perfect to vend golf balls, Kool-Aid, and eventually soda. Steve learned strong work ethic, business skills, and how to work with brothers and sisters as a team.
Steve later joined the military, received additional schooling, and undertook the various responsibilities of adult life. But he never forgot his golf ball hawking days as a child and would still get “in the bushes” whenever he could.
Steve recognized the reality of golf ball recycling as a huge untapped business, lacking only contacts and logistical supply chains. So he quit his “regular” job and became a risk taker and small business owner—the foundation of the America economy.
Roaming across the U.S. recovering balls from ponds/water hazards, Steve was approached by many people on the course asking if we might be interested in coming to their home to view their batch of balls they collected over the years - Some had 100,000+!! Hence, golfballbuyer.com was born! We have been purchasing millions of golf balls from all 48 states each year.
Home Schooling: Ruth and Steve Helms recognized the value and benefits of Home Schooling their four teenage children. The children (Carla, Peter, Jacob & Derrick) have always been exposed to self-employed parents. The idea of creating an on-line retail store was born out of coupling a formal curriculum with learning all aspects of business.
Golf Ball Peddler was born:
Learning is most effective when it is fun. The kids put together the company computer learning about each component, helped design the website, learned carpentry skills constructing counting, sorting and grading tables.
They learned about plumbing skills for ball sorting, engineering of pallet racks, scaffolding for the huge golf ball soaker, (capable of soaking 30,000 balls per wash), the conveyor which hoists balls to the two cascading ball washers (each capable of washing 56,000 balls per hour) which then tribute into a 16’ angled trough. Did I mention they learned how to drive a fork lift? - what fun!!
Kids learn better when they can touch, feel, smell and enjoy what they are learning about. In this “hands on” approach of learning, there’s lots of repetition, lots to learn about expenses/costs and the market value of what they are handling. Following strict grading guidelines, unwavering in doing the “right thing” everytime and the pursuit of customer satisfaction are qualities that build attributes that will spring-board them into whatever they choose to do in their futures.
Thank you for supporting a unique family business. If for any reason our team does not satisfy your team, please let us know. We have lots to learn as well and desire to earn your business.
