When Keith Troutman ’79 of Concord, N.C. began pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from Pfeiffer College, his goals were clear. He would teach and coach full time after he graduated.

As time went on, however, two of his professors at Pfeiffer — the late Darrell Saunders and Joe Ferebee — would come to see things differently. Seeing his work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit, and gift for connecting with others, they advised Troutman to consider working in the family business, Troutman Enterprises, and coach on the side instead.

“I thought it was a great idea,” Troutman said. “I said, ‘I can do that.’ And it’s just worked out really well. You can say I’m doing what I love and I’m doing what I need to do to make a living, but actually, I love both of them, to tell you the truth.”

Troutman is now the President of Troutman Enterprises, which G. Raiford Troutman, his late father, began in 1944. Temporarily based in Kannapolis, N.C. until it finds a new office in Concord — its longtime home — Troutman Enterprises focuses on constructing new homes, managing rental properties, and selling cars.

Troutman’s Bar-B-Que, a mainstay of the restaurant scene in Concord, N.C., is also under the Troutman Enterprises umbrella. Troutman remembers that his father started the well-loved restaurant because the family had to take their dinner home to eat when their restaurant of choice consistently had too little seating to accommodate dine-in patrons. The elder Troutman saw a business opportunity and more than 50 years later, Troutman’s Bar-B-Que is still going strong. Keith Troutman has continued to emulate his father’s problem-solving and creative thinking as he’s grown the Troutman Enterprises portfolio.

Troutman, who has four children, expects Troutman Enterprises, along with Troutman Land Investments, to become that rare family business spanning three generations. Many factors account for its staying power. His father; his mother, Margene Troutman, 94; and both Pfeiffer professors advocated the value of making a focused investment in relationship-building.

Troutman has done just that in the Concord area, in philanthropy and public service and as a coach of multiple sports at Concord Middle School and nearby recreation leagues and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Numerous kids who’ve played football, basketball, and baseball for Troutman over the years may now not be instantly recognizable to their former coach. However, “once they tell me who they are, I’ll remember them right off,” Troutman said. “And more often than not, they or other members of their families end up doing business with us.”

Troutman also takes pride in the fact that more than once, multiple generations of a particular family have rented a property or bought a car from him or another member of his business team. He credits this success to excellent customer service: If repairs are needed in one of Troutman Enterprises’ 175+ rental properties, for instance, tenants can expect them to be made in one or two days. Troutman is also intent on “treating people right” when they do business with him. For example, he doesn’t raise the rent each year on the properties he owns.

“If you continue to leave the rent the same for a while rather than raise it every year, then you don’t have that turnover,” Troutman said, adding that a turnover scenario means additional outlays of funds for everything from refurbishing a property to advertising for a new tenant. Troutman says treating people fairly is just good business.

What’s next for Troutman Enterprises? Troutman, who is 67, has begun laying the groundwork for his son Blake to take over the business soon and, perhaps, for his three other children (Blaine, Blair, and Brittany) to assume roles as well. He envisions sticking around as a consultant to Troutman Enterprises over the next ten years, following in the footsteps of his father, who continued to report to the Troutman Enterprises office until just before his death at 92 years old.  

“I’ve seen so many friends of mine retire and totally get out of it,” he said. “And within a year’s time, they pass away, having lost interest and become less active. I’m just always going to be active and involved in things.”