Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012

Seth Fleahman: Subbing on the Strand

Seth Fleahman. Photo by Abby Sink, Weekly Surge staff.

 

Seth Fleahman, 33, started coming to Myrtle Beach when he was two-years-old, an event that became a de facto family tradition. “My mother is a teacher and my father is a businessman,” he says. “We always had off Spring Break for her school, and back in 1981, my parents weren’t making a lot of money. They did alright, but they needed a place to go.” A teaching colleague of Fleahman’s mother told her about Myrtle Beach. “At that time it was very inexpensive to bring your entire family down to camp out at a local campground called Pirateland.” So economical, in fact, that Fleahman’s parents were able to bring him and his two brothers down for a two-week trip on a shoestring budget. “For a grand total of $439, we spent our first loving vacation in Myrtle Beach at Pirateland.”

Originally from East Aurora, N.Y., Fleahman attended Erie Community College and later Potsdam State College [SUNY], majoring in Geology and Secondary Education Earth Science. He became a member of Delta Kappa Theta, one of the oldest fraternities in Potsdam.

When he graduated, his father offered him an opportunity to start a business best suited to Fleahman’s science background – a company called American Coating Technologies, LLC. “We’re a specialized chemical coatings company,” he says. “We do a variety of applications and provide systems that conserve energy, reduce heat transfer loss, and prevent against environmental spills.” The company does not do clean-up, but is a prevention-based operation, doing work for food companies such as ConAgra Foods or Campbell’s Soup, and for energy plants and oil companies. “For the past six years, I have been building that company with my father’s help. We’re a seasonal company for the most part, because in the Northeast, we deal with a lot of weather and the majority of our work is outside.” Although occasional indoor jobs pop up during colder months, Fleahman says the seasonal aspect of the business has given him the opportunity to stay somewhere else during the winter.

The Grand Strand was a logical choice. And although the family still makes the annual trek in the spring, Fleahman is into his second winter as a semi-local. But he is not one to sit still – a testament to his family’s work ethic. Last year, he heard about the substitute-teaching program in Horry County. “I went to the orientation class and was admitted to the program right away, and I substitute taught all winter.” He also received advanced training to work with special education children, and was offered a semi-permanent position at Forrestbrook Elementary School, working with two children until he went back to New York. “I was raised in a family where you work. I had so much free time on my hands that I felt like I needed to do something – and what greater way to give back than to work with children?”

Fleahman subs for K-5 and high school, and has most recently been on the scene at Ocean Bay Elementary and Seaside Elementary. He has not had any high school assignments this year, but this is subject to change at any time.

Most of us have memories of substitute teachers. We asked Fleahman how he was received and perceived by students.

“If it’s elementary school, they are actually excited about a substitute because it’s something different. They want your approval and they want to have fun with you because it’s something out of the norm for them. As for high school, basically you give them some busy work. You are more of a [place holder].”

Fleahman’s downtime frequently includes enjoying a fine cigar with friends. He and other enthusiasts recently started a cigar club called Smart Ash’s Cigar Club [http://smartashscigarclub.com].“We meet once a month at a restaurant or bar that allows us to smoke cigars – and we feature a main cigar and review it.” He enjoys sushi at Soho Café & Bar and dinner at Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse.

For now, this double life works. “I foresee that I will continue as I have – doing my winter stuff here and my summers up there for my company, which is my bread-and-butter. And I like to give back to the community and be a part of it by teaching. I definitely want to settle here and make Myrtle Beach my home. Even though my business conducts in the Northeast, I would really like to be centrally located in Myrtle Beach.

Know of a local with an interesting job or career that should be given the Working 4 A Living treatment? Contact Roger Yale at rgyale@gmail.com.