Today we’d like to introduce you to Reagan Donaldson.
Reagan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Metter, GA. I married my high school sweetheart, Frances. We have been married for 39 years. We have two sons, a daughter, and five grandsons. My journey in the monument business started as a 19-year-old simply looking for a job. I stopped in at a local monument company and found they were hiring. I spent the next 19 years working there. During my tenure, I learned the business from the ground up, including installations in cemeteries, as well as, sandblasting and manufacturing headstones.
Eventually, I moved into office management and began managing staff and designing the layouts for monuments. Wanting to better serve customers through design, I attended Ogeechee Technical College and earned my associate’s degree in AutoCAD. This enabled me to design custom monuments specific to each customer’s needs. I enjoy the work, especially the opportunity to serve families in their time of need.
While I worked, I started several small businesses, but I didn’t have much success. I have always wanted to start my own business doing what I am passionate about: serving families in the monument industry. Eventually, my friend, James Waters and I started J&R Monument Sales in Claxton, GA. We grew the business from a small startup into a well-known business across southeast Georgia. We especially had great success in the Savannah area. We built relationships with funeral homes through our services.
We eventually expanded by acquiring Melton Monuments in Statesboro, GA. My sons joined the business and assisted with the expansion. In 2016, I acquired James’ part of the business. I renamed the business Donaldson Monument Company. In 2021, we built a new state-of-the-art facility in Metter, GA. Here, we can meet with clients, show them our display monuments, and design any monument they can envision. We will soon begin manufacturing monuments on site.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being an entrepreneur has not been a smooth road. It has been a journey filled with hills and curves. Starting a business brings significant financial challenges, especially when you are building a customer base as an unknown company. Earning the community’s trust takes time, consistency, and a strong commitment to doing things the right way. Another challenge is balancing the peak seasons with the slower months. This can test both your patience and your confidence. During those slower periods, it’s easy to question your decisions, but I’ve learned the importance of staying focused on producing quality work that speaks for itself. In this industry, reputation is everything, and there is nothing more powerful than word-of-mouth advertising.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What sets us apart is our customized products and customer service. I work in the monument industry, where I help families honor their loved ones by designing and creating custom memorials. Whether it’s a traditional headstone or a completely customized design, we have the ability to bring customers’ vision to life. If they can describe it, we can design and produce it. There’s no limit to what we can create. Every monument is thoughtfully designed, and every family is treated with the same level of care and attention. Most customers come to us dealing with the loss of a loved one. Our goal is always to serve people with compassion and understanding. Knowing that we’ve been able to help so many people during some of the most challenging times in their lives is what means the most to me.
My long-term goals are to continue growing and strengthening the business. I know this will require keeping up with changing technology and industry trends. I plan to eventually pass the business on to my sons. They already bring great ideas that we’ve been implementing, so I know it will be in good hands. Who knows, maybe my grandsons will be interested in joining the team someday.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.donaldsonmonument.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donaldsonmonumentandvault/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonaldsonMonumentCoLLC
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/donaldson-monument-company/
