Frank Stahlman graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor's degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering just in time for the oil market to go bust. "The jobs were few and far between for petroleum engineers in 1986," Frank remembers. Reassessing his career options, Frank decided to use his education close to home - just a mile from the Maryland line south of Hyndman. "We always had a family business - I grew up in our repair garage and in 1981 we'd taken over a cousin's pizza parlor that was in front of the garage." That pizza parlor became HoBo's Restaurant the year after Frank graduated from college when the family converted most of the garage and pizza parlor into a 200 seat full-service restaurant that is now a Stateline landmark.

Not content to limit his work to his other family enterprises, Frank started Stahlman Services in 1986 with a Columbia Gas contract to cut and clear right-of-way. He started with one tractor and a four-man crew. Today he employs 16 and has 10 tractors on the road in four states - maintaining utility right-of-ways and state highway berms. He splits his time between his utility service company and the restaurant - working behind the scenes on the business end of the restaurant and as the overall manager in the service company. "Opportunity is what you make of it," Frank believes. "I certainly didn't envision this career when I was in college, but I'm now very glad the way things worked out for me and love working with my family." He encourages young people to become entrepreneurs and challenge themselves. "You've got to work hard and strive to do the hard things to succeed and be willing to put in long hours." He often works 12-14 hours a day six to seven days a week during his company's busy season. He also puts a lot of his time on the road. "My 2 year-old truck has more than 70,000 miles on it. The travel is the worst part of the job - especially as I get older and have three kids - but it comes with the territory."

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