Passion and success grew up in the same neighborhood, so when the two have a chance to catch up, they like to spend long stretches of time together.
Bryan Cornwall has given the old friends plenty of opportunity to be around one another since founding Advanced Pet Care on Sashabaw Road in 1992.
‘I followed my passion, and I would recommend that to anybody. I literally wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work,? Cornwall said. ‘The whole business is reflected in my personality and my philosophy. That’s one thing I really enjoyed about starting a business because your business reflects you, it’s a part of you.?
The route to reuniting his personal passion with financial success was not initially clear, but Cornwall knew the road when he came upon it. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1980 and went to work for Dow Corning as a chemical engineer.
‘After a few years of doing engineering work and working for a corporation, I realized there was more to success than financial success,? Cornwall said. ‘So I started thinking about going back to school and going into human medicine, but actually that was also becoming very corporate.?
A confluence of tail winds from his childhood and crosswinds from volunteer work in animal clinics made up the gales which pushed Cornwall into the field of veterinary science.
‘To make a long story short, I had always been interested in medicine and a big part of that, and I don’t mind admitting this, is because I was so accident prone as a kid. I was always going to the emergency room. So I was just enthralled with medicine,? Cornwall said. ‘I just fell in love with the (veterinary science), because there is so much variety. There’s variety in species. There’s variety in what you get to do. You get to be a dermatologist, a surgeon, optimologist, dentist, everything … And you can own your own business and be in control.?
After taking a leave of absence from Dow Corning, Cornwall found himself back at MSU, this time for veterinary school. In 1989, he reemerged as a veterinarian.
‘Before I went to vet school, I knew I wanted to own my own business,? Cornwall said.
Fresh out of MSU, Cornwall spent a year in private practice and a couple more doing emergency work.
?(With emergency work) you learn to think on your feet, try not to panic, stay calm and you just learn so much medicine,? Cornwall said.
When he was done paying his dues to the profession, Cornwall opened what was then known as Independence Animal Hospital in November of 1992, in the Independence Square Mall at the corner of Waldon and Sashabaw. Recently, the name changed to Advanced Pet Care.
‘I opened this place from scratch. In fact I was the first person in this spot. It was just a dirt floor when I moved in,? Cornwall said.
When choosing a location for his business, much about the Clarkston area appealed to Cornwall.
‘Part of why I picked this area is because I wanted to raise my family here, but also these pet owners in Clarkston are phenomenal, just phenomenal. These pets are a part of the family and they will do anything they need to. They are very responsible pet owners and that makes our job a lot more fun,? Cornwall said.
Cornwall’s daughters ? Amanda, 15, and Tessa, 13 ? both attend Clarkston Junior High School.
‘At this point it does not look like they will be following in dad’s footsteps. And I am very strongly of the opinion that they need to follow their heart,? Cornwall said.
While being a nice fit for Cornwall’s family, the Clarkston area is also good to Advanced Pet Care; business has increased seven times ever since the doors opened.
‘I was the only doctor here for the first seven years and I just worked every hour we were open, some nights I slept on my office floor,? Cornwall said. ‘It started out with me and two part-time staff members and now we have two full-time doctors and 10 support staff.?
Veterinarian Brian Covert shares the general practitioner responsibilities with Cornwall these days.
The field of veterinary science has also blossomed since Cornwall left MSU.
‘When I graduated in ?89 there was no such thing as a referral service. Something we are proud of here is we will find the answer no matter how complex it is; and if we can’t find it, we have a network of specialists who can,? Cornwall said.
As his business and the field grew, so too has the area, Cornwall welcomes this and hopes to actively participate going forward.
‘The changes that I’ve seen so far are very, very positive. We were waiting very patiently and eagerly for Sashabaw Road to be widened into a boulevard. Everything is looking very nice, so we are very excited about it,? Cornwall said. ‘I see this being the whole new corridor of Independence Township. I think it is going to be a beautiful area. It’s going to be pulling people in, hopefully from quite a ways away from the Clarkston area. From an economic standpoint, it’s going to be really good for the area.?
While whispers of Wal-Mart being built on Sashabaw Road were only recently joined by McLaren’s proposal for a major medical complex, Cornwall has his own vision for the area. He owns a parcel of land on the east side of Sashabaw, next to Clarkston Lighthouse, and is currently securing funding to build a full scale, state of the art, veterinary hospital there.
‘Right now I’m the only person who sees that building,? Cornwall said. ‘We are 1,400 square feet here, so we are looking at a 4,000 square foot facility and hospital ? the sky is the limit, basically anything you can do for a human now, you can do for an animal.?
One day a $600 million medical complex may provide area residents with treatment and specialists, while Cornwall hopes to provide the same type of care for area pets. Until then, he will continue to view his personal mirage and dream.