When a company marks 32 years in business, especially in the ever-demanding world of manufacturers’ representation, it is more than an anniversary. It is a testament to resilience, vision, grit and the people who poured themselves into every chapter along the way.

Spirit Group, founded in 1994, stands proudly on that foundation. What began at a dining room table grew from a simple principle passed from founder Bill Freeman’s father to him. This includes a phrase that became the company’s mantra: “Whatever you do, do it with Spirit”  

The second generation grew up helping in the family business. After working elsewhere early in their careers, brothers Benn Freeman and Chase Freeman joined the company in the mid 2000s and, in 2012, started taking the leadership reins.

President Benn Freeman and Vice President Chase Freeman are leading Spirit Group forward with the same integrity and drive that shaped its early years. As the company steps confidently into its 30s, with expansion underway, a growing line card and the completion of a new training center, the heart of the business remains unchanged, grounded in the values planted from the start.

 “Thirty years in the rep business is something we are very proud of,” notes Benn Freeman.

Indeed, it is. And it is only the beginning.

Built on trust

Spirit Group’s story begins not with a business plan, but with an unexpected turn and a handshake that would define decades of partnership.

Benn Freeman recalls the pivotal moment when his father, Bill Freeman, found himself at a crossroads in his career.  He was looking for his next step and a company he worked for was looking for the same.  

That company was Charlotte Pipe. And Bill Freeman knew this was his moment to step out on his own.

What happened next is the stuff of family and industry legend.

“My dad had a very good relationship with the folks at Charlotte Pipe, and the company wanted my dad to still work for them and represent its brand,” Benn Freeman explains. “Without a business name, without a team, without a license or anything, Charlotte Pipe put a lot of faith in my dad and told him to put his plan together and they would go with him. The partnership was famously cemented over a handshake.”

He adds, with a smile in his voice: “He got put into business without a business.” 

So, in 1994, the company was launched with Bill and Sheree Freeman, alongside a small group of long-time industry friends and associates. The team of eight represented eight lines and built the business on their reputation, tremendous product knowledge and strong relationships.

The name came just as organically at the Freeman dining room table. Sheree was watching from the kitchen as Bill unveiled his plan to the newly formed team. Bill had no desire to name the agency after himself, and as different names were discussed, Sheree “felt a Spirit” in the room. Everyone liked the name, and felt it, too, and another associate added “Group” to the name, signifying they were all in this together.

“My dad told his dad the name of the company and his reply was, “Whatever you do, do it with Spirit,” Benn Freeman says. The phrase resonated deeply. Spirit Group felt universal and aspirational, and with that, the company began.

Incredibly, Spirit Group still operates under the original handshake with Charlotte Pipe, Benn adds: “We don’t have a contract.” In a world of shifting alliances and tightened legal frameworks, it is a rare and powerful testament to trust and to the Freeman way of doing business.

People, culture, kindness and support

When people think of Spirit Group, many think of Bill Freeman: his humor, his heart, his presence in a room — and his ability to help everyone along the way. “My dad’s leadership style was hands-on and involved,” Chase Freeman notes. “The manufacturers’ rep industry was his favorite game to play. He loved all aspects of it. He was a player’s player but also a coach’s coach.” 

However, Benn Freeman is quick to point out what those closest to the family already know: Bill Freeman didn’t build this alone. Much of Spirit Group’s culture was shaped by Sheree Freeman’s steady influence on the people and the environment inside the company.

“My mom, Sheree, had a lot of influence on our team and helped create and shape the culture of our company,” Benn Freeman says. “Everyone always thinks about Spirit Group as Bill, but behind the scenes, my mom was a big part of the glue; she wasn’t always in the spotlight. She had a lot of influence on our team and helped create and shape the culture of our company.”

Sheree Freeman, with no prior experience in bookkeeping, taught herself along the way. She not only handled the books but also helped set the tone and culture of the company. She often said her role was to take care of all the administrative issues nobody else wanted to do.

Benn Freeman adds that supporting employees and their families is central to how Spirit Group operates: “We understand that we’re only as good as the support we get at home, and we absolutely partner with our people, but also their families.” 

This focus on people, families and doing the right thing remains the foundation of Spirit Group’s core values.

“Our team of colleagues is the best in the rep business,” says Chase Freeman. “Trust, respect, continuous improvement and collaboration are important cornerstones of our culture. None of those are given, and they don’t come easily. Everyone on the team shows up and works hard to earn and maintain the trust and respect of our partners.”  And it shows.

Sheree Freeman’s focus was people, culture and the belief that kindness and support were not optional; they were the job. That philosophy continues today.

Benn Freeman adds, with sincerity that needs no embellishment: “Dad would have been okay, but there’s no way he would’ve been as successful as he was without my mom.”

To which Chase Freeman adds, “She’s a legend beloved by all.” 

Rising above tragedy

Over the company’s 30-plus years, Spirit Group has marked many milestones. One of the biggest came in 2001 with the construction of its headquarters.

“In 2001, my father placed a lot of his own funds into building the home and headquarters of the business,” Benn Freeman says. “It created a physical location that we own, not lease. It created a stable place for our team and our manufacturers. This was an exciting turning point, which gave us credibility.”

Benn Freeman and Chase Freeman grew up with the company, helping during school breaks and learning by watching their parents build something from sheer determination. After college, both worked outside the family business before returning to Spirit Group and finding their own place in the organization.

In 2012, the brothers stepped into their leadership roles as president and vice president. It wasn’t automatic; they had to earn it. They met with the companies they represented to assure them that ownership hadn’t changed, but management had. The two built credibility and earned “respect of the customers, the manufacturers and our people,” Benn Freeman explains.

When asked whether Bill Freeman gave his sons a long runway, Benn Freeman smiles. “My dad was a force,” he says. “I’ve never seen a work ethic like his; he set an amazing example for us.” The father reminded his sons that he would be harder on them than anyone else, on purpose. They now understand why. He instilled in his sons not only the work ethic, but also that the business was about family — including the team members and their families. 

“He cared so much for everyone and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, whether you liked it or not,” Benn Freeman says. “However, you always knew where he stood. He would never talk about you; he would talk to you.” 

Chase Freeman also recalls his father’s mantra “There are no freebies. Learn it all. Work hard, but don’t forget when the work is done to play hard, too.” And for those who have watched the company in action, they work hard and play hard because they earned it. 

For 10 years, the brothers worked alongside their father, guiding growth and driving expansion. And then the unthinkable happened.

A tragic car accident claimed the life of founder Bill Freeman on May 17, 2022. The loss reverberated across the industry, for an industry statesman, loving father, business owner and champion of helping others.

“We actually lost two amazing people that day as my mom would step away from the day-to-day operations,” Benn Freeman says.

Still, the decade spent learning beside their father proved invaluable.

To honor his legacy, the Association of Industry Manufacturers Representatives inducted Bill Freeman posthumously into the AIM/R Hall of Fame.

The passing of our dad was, as Benn Freeman says, “the most difficult thing we have ever gone through, both personally and professionally.” However, he knows Bill Freeman would have expected them to push forward. “Our dad would have been so mad if we felt sorry for ourselves,” he adds with a soft laugh.

The team rallied, supporting each other and working harder than before. “It’s almost like they were doing it for my dad,” Benn Freeman says. “We used a tough situation to give us more motivation — and we could not have done so without all the really good people around us.”

Honoring a legacy

Over the past four years, Benn Freeman and Chase Freeman have continued to build and expand Spirit Group.

A major milestone came in September 2023 with the acquisition of Engineered Concepts, a manufacturers’ rep firm in Pompano Beach, Florida. The acquisition added team members, broadened Spirit Group’s line card with Sloan and MIFAB, and created a second location to complement the Orlando, Florida, headquarters.

The company celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024, a significant accomplishment for any business, and even more so for one whose partnership with Charlotte Pipe remains rooted in the original handshake from 1994.

Another 2024 milestone was the addition of a second warehouse totaling more than 20,000 square feet in South Florida.

And perhaps the most meaningful achievement, the opening of the Bill and Sheree Freeman Training Center, located a quarter mile from the company’s Orlando headquarters.

The idea for the training center grew from both necessity and long-term vision, Benn Freeman explains: “We always wanted a dedicated education & relationship building space under our own roof, but our growth meant we couldn’t spare the warehouse space at our current location.”

Years earlier, Bill Freeman had spotted a for-sale-by-owner sign on a 7,000-square-foot building once leased by one of the company’s customers. “Mom and dad bought it and held onto it; we didn’t lease it or do anything with it for years,” Benn Freeman recalls. 

As the business grew, the family decided to “really go for it,” converting the building into a 7,000-foot training center with offices, a conference room and a flexible gathering space for up to 50 attendees. “It’s a place where our customers — contractors, wholesalers, and engineers — along with our team can learn and network about the company and products we represent,” Chase Freeman says. And do so with cool cutting-edge technology. 

The facility will include a wet lab and offer live-fire capabilities. “We will be able to train and diagnose on equipment exactly the way it operates in the field,” Benn Freeman says. Designed to be equal parts educational and relational, it even includes a golf simulator, an idea he credits to his mother, giving visitors a fun way to unwind and strengthen relationships.

I asked the brothers about naming the center after their parents. “It is an incredible honor, and we are very proud,” says Chase Freeman. “It was our entire team’s dedication to two wonderful people.” 

The training center embodies the next chapter in the brothers’ commitment to educating their team and customers, not only on the products they represent, but on how those products are used in the field.

As Spirit Group enters its next chapter, the legacy built by Bill and Sheree Freeman continues to guide every decision, every relationship and every step forward. With Benn Freeman and Chase Freeman at the helm, the company remains rooted in the values that shaped it, while embracing the innovation and growth that will define its future. 

Thirty-two years in, Spirit Group stands as a testament to what can happen when integrity meets hard work, when family becomes foundation and when a simple promise, sealed with a handshake, carries a company through generations. 

And in true Spirit Group fashion, the best chapters are still being written.