The way in which a person reacts under stress - not success — is generally believed to show a person's true nature. If so, Richard Vassallo proved himself a creative and rational businessman, starting Adrick Marine 26 years ago and building it with his two sons, Richard and Thomas, to the success it is today. Adrick Marine, which provides custom air conditioning and refrigeration solutions to the marine industry, and is the largest supplier of AC and refrigeration units to the U.S. Coast Guard, is, by conventional standards, small, generating about $2 million per year. However the company has successfully carved its niche in "building the specially designed solutions that no one else wants to do," Vassallo said.