NASHVILLE, TN — There probably aren't too many multimillion dollar companies where the president is the first person you see when you walk through the door. But that's the case at R.D. Herbert & Sons Co., a sheet metal and roofing contractor with deep Southern roots that go back to the 1860s.
Sixty-nine-year-old Betty Herbert, who answers every phone call and greets every visitor, is president, although you won't see any signs or a nameplate with the title. She doesn't have an office. She won't even tell you, unless you ask. But make no mistake: Betty is in charge. She knows about every job and how much money was made — or lost.