Working together with family has always worked for this Ardmore family.
Twins Chris and Craig McMurry have been in business with their father, Jim, since they graduated high school. Although they are not identical twins, people sometimes mistake one for the other.
“I think the biggest challenge for people that have known us through the years is just getting the right name to the face,” Craig said. “If I’m called Chris or he is called Craig, that is good enough for us.”
The McMurry twins are co-owners of The UPS Store franchise in Ardmore. The store opened in 1998 as Mailboxes Etc. at 720 N. Commerce St. In 2004, UPS acquired the franchise rights and renamed the business. Then in mid-July, the twins moved the store to 1405 4th Ave. NW.
Craig said he grew up helping his father and now his father works at The UPS Store.
“I worked for him in his business and now he works for me in mine,” Craig said. “Virtually nothing has changed much in my life. I still eat lunch with my parents every day. I know nothing different. Even our back yards join.”
Jim said his sons are pretty easy to get along with and he’s not sure whether he trained the twins or they trained him.
“We’ve always been so busy that we’ve worked systems to help us to get along and help us to accomplish what we have accomplished,” Jim said. “It’s been a real nice ride. We’ve had a lot of fun and a lot of memories connected to it. It’s been a bunch of fun.”
Chris has been an educator off and on through the years. Now he has been the grade school principal at Franklin for a couple of years.
“Craig and I have always been very close,” Chris said. “I think that’s because we have always done things together. Being twins, we do have some differences, of course, but our thoughts sometimes are the same and we’ve got a very close-knit family.”
“Our differences are that Craig is in business and I’m in education,” Chris said. “I’ve always enjoyed teaching. Through our family wholesale business, I was in Norman and he was in Ardmore. But we were still connected to the same business. We have always stayed in very close contact with each other. We lean on each other for support. We always have and we always will.”
Craig said he thinks the real advantage to being in business with family is loyalty.
“That is what we have benefited from a lot,” Craig said. “When the chips are down, we can count on each other greatly. The chips have been down. That is an advantage we have had. Like I said — all I know is working with my family — and the loyalty we have felt between us all.”
Sheila J. Robinson, 221-6536
sheila.robinson@ardmoreite.com
