W&S Reg. Apprentice 1962-1964
1960-1982.
I remember Ken Hlatky as a Reg. Apprentice Supervisor with good memories and I also have good memories with The Warner & Swasey Co.
I started in New Phil., Ohio plant after 6 months we were all laid off.
I was rehired in Cleveland 6 months later and continued with the Apprenticeship program until graduation.
After graduation I went with the Textile Div. when I could not get into the Gradall Div.
Transferred to Bessemer City, NC when the Div. moved and then transferred to Atlanta, Ga. First as a Service Eng. then was promoted to Sales Eng.
With W&S I travled around the world and have many stories to tell the grandkids.
In 1984 when W&S was split up our div. was sold to Barber Colman company who also mfg. textile equipment, they only wanted us only for the parts business. Their main plant was in Rockford, Il. They had a office in Gastonia, NC not far from the Bessemer city plant which was closed. In 1986 Barber Colman was sold to a brand new company that was but together by a Washington DC lobbyist and a business man. They named the company Reed Chatwood to honor their grandparents.
I continued to be be a Sales Eng. with Reed Chatwood untill 1993 when the company was in trouble and they asked me to take over as Service Manager, which I did for one year at which time they decided to move the office to Greeenville, SC. I left when they moved the office as at that time I had a 24/7 hour task as Service Mgr. At which time we moved to Beaufort, SC. Will not go into the details, why we moved to Beaufort to save time.
Worked in several car lots and a motel for a short period of time then went with a small Rep. firm out of Spartanburg, SC called Wacco Inc.
They sold Industial & Food / Drink Sanitary Valves & Instrumentation equipment.
I was a Sales Rep. for Wacco Inc.from 1997 until 2004 at which time I retired.
With Wacco I travled out of Beaufort, SC to Fl., southern half of Ga. and parts of SC.
Now I golf ( win more than lose ) , volunteer and work hard around the house. I am also glad I am not trying to sell equipment in this economy.
Tom Richardson