The following pages shine a special spotlight on those who have been successful at building a business that’s more than just its profits. These local entrepreneurs have harnessed the strengths of their household — such as loyalty, shared vision, and emotional investment — to create family businesses that bridge the gap between generations, as well as build longevity and treasured traditions.
Kelly Ruhlin Real Estate Services: the Ruhlin Family
Over the past 30 or so years, Kelly and Eric Ruhlin have become invested in our community in every sense of the word. Arriving on these shores as a couple, with Kelly seeing for the first time an island Eric had been visiting since the 1970s, it was immediately obvious that they were made for each other, and for Hilton Head Island.
“We never looked back,” Eric said. “We’re both from up north, so we loved the weather. And it’s been great to raise kids here because there’s so much to do.”
Marrying here and raising their boys, Zach and Will, surrounded by the beauty and tight-knit sense of community that Hilton Head is known for, they wove themselves into the fabric of the island. Eric became a deacon with Central Church and a youth baseball coach. Kelly organized the Banana Junior tennis tournament to raise funds for MUSC, served on the board of Friends of the Children, and worked with the PTA to revitalize the school’s grounds.
But it’s the business they’ve built together that truly helped make Hilton Head Island their home. As one of the most consistently top-ranking Realtors from Savannah to Charleston, Kelly drew from a deep well of experience to create her business, kellysellshomes.com. Not only has she called several different areas on the island “home,” but her extensive network is also a boon for helping clients who’ve just moved here connect with the community. A Realtor himself, Eric went into construction, founding Ruhlin Construction, earning his residential builder’s license and opening a cabinetry dealership.
“We’ve developed our own little worlds, where she does what she does and I can accommodate her clientele,” said Eric. “I’m the answer guy for any questions about a home she’s listing. It’s very complementary.”
It’s a uniquely symbiotic set of businesses, with Kelly’s and Eric’s respective worlds remaining in an orbit that feeds both their success. It’s such a perfect model that it has even drawn their son Zach into the business. A Realtor with Century 21 Diamond Realty, he had perhaps the most extensive pre-employment training of any Realtor on the island. Plus, joining his dad on construction sites has let him see the industry from the same multi-faceted perspective.
“They’ve always seen us around real estate. We’re currently building our fifth home on Hilton Head, so this has always been a part of our kids’ lives,” Eric said. “We have always been a tight family. My dad worked in the corporate world, so he wasn’t around the majority of the day, but I was able to be around my kids as they were growing up, so he meshes in well.”
Will has also entered their orbit, albeit on a slightly different course as the owner of junk removal and dumpster rental service Camo Cans (camocans.co). While Eric is far from his only client, he knows his dad keeps him on speed dial whenever a construction project has debris that needs to be removed.
“He’s working all over Beaufort County, doing commercial and residential work,” Eric said. “That was fun to see him develop and rise on his own.”
In the realms of real estate, construction, and entrepreneurship, the Ruhlins have shown what a family can do when they find the perfect community to call “home.” And they’re helping others to make it their home as well.
Hilton Head Island, 2 Greenwood Drive · Suite A, 843-301-5919, kellyrsellshomes.com, kelly@kellyrsellshomes.com
Java Burrito Company: Michael & Frederika Fekete
They say you shouldn’t bring your work home with you. But for the past three years, that wasn’t really an option for Michael and Frederika Feketé, founders and owners of Java Burrito. Though they’ve just moved back to Hilton Head Island, they were previously proud tenants of the apartment just above their Broughton Street location in Savannah.
“We really dreamed about an expansion opportunity for our business for a long time,” Frederika said. “When the opportunity came up, we had to go for it. It was a very unique building and a very unique opportunity to live above it.”
Raising their first child in the apartment of a circa 1895 building – originally constructed to house a general store and the owner’s family – gave the couple a chance to introduce their daughter to city life. Along with the vibrant cultural opportunities that downtown Savannah provides, it gave the couple a chance to show the franchise-resistant Savannah community that Java Burrito is indeed a family business through and through.
“My daughter grew up thinking her house had a restaurant in it, and all these people were just coming by to eat downstairs. That was a fun way for her to develop,” Frederika said. “What was really fun and rewarding was watching our concept thrive in two different places, with different demographics and different seasonality but with the common theme of fresh food in a community space.”
With the birth of their second child, however, the couple began to remember what had brought them to the Lowcountry in the first place. They also came to realize how different city life is with two children.
“We’ve always loved Hilton Head. Michael and I both came here as teens to attend IJGA, and I think coming back after three years, we’re feeling that same magic we felt back then,” Frederika said. “I’m so excited for our family to live on Hilton Head. The locals are so kind and heartwarming and supportive. It definitely felt like coming home.”
Now returned to their Hilton Head roots, the couple are able to avail themselves of all the opportunities the island offers to young families. And that dedicated family time – in a home that no longer shares a mailbox with their business – is a big part of how they balance their business.
“People always say you don’t want to work with your spouse, but we’re each good at different things and we know it. So it’s easy to differentiate who should take the lead and when,” Frederika said. “And if you don’t want to talk about work at home, you have to want it. We just really enjoy what we do, so talking about work is not always a negative. It’s a passion for Michael so he enjoys talking about it. And I enjoy hearing about it.”
It’s a dynamic that has allowed Java Burrito to become an institution on an island the Feketés once again call home.
“We’re here raising our kids,” Frederika said. “And it feels like we really belong as community members, business owners, and parents.”
Hilton Head Island, 1000 William Hilton Parkway · Suite J6, 843-842-5282, Savannah, 420 East Broughton Street, 912-298-5282, javaburrito.com
Optical Solutions: The Campbell Family
When Dr. Michael Campbell opened his first Optical Solutions office in the Plaza at Shelter Cove in 1987, he wasn’t just creating a business. He was pouring the foundations for a legacy. Now, 38 years later, as he prepares for retirement, he does so knowing that the future of the company is in the very capable hands of his sons, Dr. Kevin and Dr. Michael Jr.
However, “retirement” might be a strong word.
“His version of ‘retirement’ is just working one less day a week,” Michael Jr. said with a laugh. “But he’s definitely taking more time to be with the grandchildren and live a little. Kevin just bought out his part of the business, so we’re partners.”
The official passage to the next generation was finalized back in October, and already the Campbell brothers are finding new ways to build on Optical Solutions’ renowned reputation for cutting-edge techniques partnered with strong customer care. As one example, Kevin expanded the capabilities of the practice by adding a dry eye clinic that leverages the latest treatments to help patients avoid daily eye drops.
“Dad laid such a great foundation of how to run an optometric practice focused on customer satisfaction, and Michael and I have continued that,” Kevin said. “But with both of us having graduated more recently, we were exposed to new techniques and technologies that we’ve been able to bring into the practice to take it to the next level.”
The brothers split their time between the three locations of the practice – Plaza at Shelter Cove, Hospital Center Commons, and in Old Town Bluffton, leaving them just one day a week where they’re in the same location. But the partnership between them runs 24/7.
“We’re constantly calling each other and checking up on things. Luckily, we have a very good relationship inside and outside of work,” Kevin said. “Michael has more experience than I do, so it’s been great to have him here for advice.”
“It’s great to have another brain you can pick in any situation,” Michael said.
One might think that two brothers who work together so closely wouldn’t spend much time together outside of the office. But you need only to see them on the golf course to understand the natural chemistry they share. “We like to get out there and get competitive, you know, see who can beat the other person that week,” Michael said. “And we hang out a lot with our wives. It’s just easy for us to get along.”
They’re even vacationing together, with their parents taking the whole family to the Bahamas for their 40th anniversary; it will be the first Campbell Family Reunion with the grandchildren. “We’ve never done that before,” said Michael. “But that’s as our parents always said. There’s God, there’s family, and then there’s the business.”
And while it comes third, when it comes to the business, the patient always comes first.
“Education is such an important factor when it comes to the eye exam, and our ability to educate patients about their eye diagnosis allows us to work as a team and keep their eyes as healthy as possible,” Kevin said. “My dad has laid down a foundation that we will continue for another 40 years.”
Hospital Center Commons, 10 Hospital Ctr. Commons · Ste. 100, 843-681-6682, Shelter Cove, 50 Shelter Cove Lane · Ste. G, 843-785-8008, Bluffton, 27 Dr. Mellichamp Dr. · Ste. 100, 843-706- 0607, drmichaelcampbell.com
Bannon Law Group: Jim & Meredith Banno
At the foundation of both the family they’ve created together and the firm they’ve created together, Jim and Meredith Bannon’s deep and abiding respect for one another as partners in every sense of the word is the glue that holds it all together.
“My biggest privilege is that I get to work with my best friend every day,” Meredith said. “We just have seamless conversations running throughout the day and pick up where we left off, be it work or home life. We just have the ability to constantly communicate.”
That synergy plays well into both their lives and into the truly unique nature of the practice they’ve built at Bannon Law Group. On one hand, there is Meredith, who has carved out a niche as a respected and knowledgeable real estate attorney, handling even the most complicated of closings with accomplished ease. On the other hand, there is Jim’s side of the practice, with its focus on criminal defense, representing a range of clients.
This split philosophy is showcased through the firm’s famously colorful slogans, offering to cover you from DUIs to ROI, or from “the Big House to Your Dream House.” But beneath the quips, it’s the polished professionalism and incredible skill each brings to their side of the practice that has allowed this unconventional hybrid of a practice to flourish.
“We first met in law school as classmates and, other than a year and a half, we’ve always worked together. We always saw each other as equals, both professional and romantically,” Meredith said. “It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and know that they’ll tell you the truth.”
This mutual respect and partnership has resulted in not just a firm, but a family. Together, they are raising daughter, E.G., through the middle school years, and are basking in the reflected notoriety of their Instagram celebrity French bulldog, Jean Luc (@Jeanlucountry).
As their family has grown, so has the firm. Bannon Law Group followed up recent expansions into Savannah and Charleston with the opening of their newest location in Pooler and the hiring of a new associate, Jake Standorfer.
As much as they’ve expanded over the years, however, the Lowcountry is still home. It’s where the Bannons built their lives, and where their story began.
“We’re loving our Bluffton and Hilton Head market. Everyone is moving down here and beginning their next phase or upgrading to their new home,” Meredith said. “And on Jim’s side, people are still getting arrested. We love our tried and true bread and butter.”
Theirs is a family that marches to the beat of its own drum, and a practice that defies description. Running through it all is the indelible chemistry of two people who were always destined to be partners – in business and in life.
Bluffton, 10 Westbury Parkway · Unit A, 843-815-4505, Savannah, 2201 Pooler Parkway · Suite 200, 912-239-6610, Charleston, 78 Ashley Point Drive · Suite 201-843-815 . 4505, bannonlawgroup.com
Plastic Surgery/Medical Spa: Mathew Epps MD, MS, DAB S, Jane Epps, RN, BSN
The husband-and-wife duo behind Mathew Epps MD Plastic Surgery/FACE Aesthetics Medical Spa, located in Bluffton, has been making a splash in the local aesthetics scene. This is due to their unique individualized approach to both nonsurgical and surgical cosmetic medicine.
Dr. Epps, a triple fellowship-trained cosmetic surgeon and master injector, and his wife, Jane, an aesthetics nurse, work together to deliver complementary nonsurgical and surgical therapies for facial and body rejuvenation.
Dr. Epps’ professional interests lie in aesthetic plastic surgery, including facial plastic, oculoplastic, and aesthetic breast surgery. This led him to complete fellowships in these fields. This specialized training with leading plastic surgeons makes him one of the highest-trained surgeons in the Southeast.
Opening Mathew Epps MD Plastic Surgery in the Lowcountry is lifelong dream for Dr. Epps, a third generation Blufftonian. He and Jane are raising their four young children here. “We are so thankful to live in the beauty of the Lowcountry and know and care for patients every day that are exceptional,” Jane said.
The concierge-style practice delivers honest expert advice and direct patient care from Dr. Epps, focusing on ample time for their patients and the highest regard to the best techniques, technologies, and products. This enables Dr. Epps to focus on the art of facial plastic surgery and procedures that drove him to become a plastic surgeon, including facelift, neck lift, brow lift, and eyelid surgery.
The mission and style of the practice is reflected in reviews. One patient wrote: “I found Dr. Epps after a lot of research and feel like I discovered the best-kept secret in Bluffton: a small, intimate practice that delivers big on expertise and patient care. Dr. Epps’ extensive surgical expertise and use of state-of-the-art technology brings a skill level to Bluffton that would be hard to find in a large urban practice! The staff, along with the partnership between Dr. Epps and his nurse/wife Jane, deliver a unique collaborative approach that goes beyond anything I have experienced. Their down-to-earth demeanor combined with their perfectionist attitude ensures that you are valued and well cared for, no matter how simple or complex the procedure. If you are looking for a patient-centric approach, a world class surgeon, and a five-star experience, Mathew Epps is your doctor!”
Bluffton, 29 Plantation Park Drive · Suite 30,, 843-707-7060, info@dreppsmd.com, matheweppsmd.com
May River Home Services: the Ferguson Family
It can be difficult in any family business to draw the line between business and family. You have to create a boundary between what stays in the shop and what comes home. But in most family businesses, there is the business, and then there’s the family. When the business is the family and the family is the business, you don’t even try to draw the line.
“It all kind of blends together. It’s something we talk about even when we’re not working,” said Dana Ferguson, matriarch of May River Home Services. “You have to. This isn’t really a business you can just shut off at 5 o’clock. People need air conditioning services 24/7.”
It’s a round-the-clock dedication that customers have come to rely on, calling on the Fergusons for A/C repair and service, annual inspections, system replacements, duct installation and repair, and indoor air quality testing. Dana holds down the fort, while husband Tim and his son T.J. head out into the field to put their expertise to work.
“It started a long time ago with us, just doing little projects and having T.J. grab a wrench or hold a flashlight,” Tim said. “Now when we get to that job, we each know we have certain things to do and we do them. We cater to each other’s strengths and weaknesses and really know how the other works.”
That effortless family dynamic makes the Fergusons a fantastically efficient team on the job, building the success of the business on the success of their family. When everything works that well, there’s no need to draw any lines.
“We have that built-in trust that we all have each other’s back,” Tim said. “We all know what the deal is. It’s unspoken.”
That connection is the basis for ensuring this family business provides the best service possible.
Contact us! 843-681-2350 – 843-836-3000, mayriverhomeservices.com, mayriverhomeservices@gmail.com
