Meet Lonny Anger | President of Merrick Industrial Management Corporation and Chief Executive Pickler at Custom Pickleball Courts

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lonny Anger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lonny, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I would love to tell you that I had this life long dream of being an entrepreneur. Nothing could be further from the truth. I started it out of “need”, rather than “want”. In 2016, I lost my job in a (media) career that spanned 25 years. I was concerned about the future of that industry (radio), and my friend (and now business partner) had previously owned a very successful construction company in New York, and had an opportunity to do some work down here in South Florida. He was looking for someone established to partner with, and instead I suggested that we do it together. We have now grown our business for almost 7 years, and earlier this year we took on two more partners and started another new business (Building Pickleball Courts!)

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was in a wonderful profession that I loved dearly – radio. However, the business had changed tremendously since I had started, and it just wasn’t as fun anymore. When I lost my job in 2016, I was completely devastated. I had been on the other side so many times in my career, that I was shocked that it was now happening to me. I felt lost. Alone. I did not see a path forward. Although I had gotten offered a job a day after, I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me (or them.)

Changing careers and industries at age 46 was scary. No safety net. I took a remote job (pre-covid) just to make ends meet until our business began to grow. After doing that for a few years, both my company and the company I was working for grew tremendously, and if I am being honest – I was having a difficult time keeping up and probably wasn’t doing either job very well. It was at that point, I went full time to my company, and several months later so did my partner.

The one thing I learned is regardless of the product, doing business is the same. The one question I get asked constantly is how did I make the transition from radio to construction? People are generally surprised to learn that they aren’t much different. Different product, yes, but understanding a client’s problem, figuring out a way to solve it, is really just the same.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wynwood is an absolute favorite place to visit. The art and vibe of that area is second to none. Miami Beach is always a fun spot, taking a boat ride, and fishing off the pier.

To eat, the best place that I have been is Hiden (Japanese Cuisine). Very hard to get a reservation, and it’s located in the back of a taco restaurant. For Italian, no better place than Anthony’s Runway 84.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that deserve so much credit, that I would be afraid I would be leaving someone out. However, I must first give a shoutout to my wife for her unwavering support throughout this journey. Next, my business partner Steven, because without him there would be no company. Even before we started our business together, he helped me out tremendously during a difficult time. Additionally, Jerry was our first employee we ever hired and without him the business would not be a success – he is also one of our partners in Custom Pickleball Courts!

Website: www.merrickcorp.com, www.custompickleballcourts.com