Gazette Article

Matt Hagengruber's article on my race is in the paper today - here's the link;

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/government-and-politics/elections/article_5415228c-51bf-11df-90a8-001cc4c03286.html

It could have been a few more words, but I'm happy with it.

And that's high praise from me, given my criticisms of The GAZETTE in the past.

Of course, Mary Jo Fox had to chime in with a personal attack right away on the comments, maybe she should get over it that Tussing lost? (Yes, I know the names you hide behind.)

Oh well, I'd be disappointed if she didn't show up I guess.

The article really didn't go into my background very much though.

So I'm going to elaborate a little more.

I grew up as a kid in NE Iowa, and as soon as I was of age I moved to Montana in 1981.

Not having a penny to my name, I hitchhiked here and lived in my Mom's basement at first.

My first job was with Carl Weissman & Sons, working in their hardware store, making the sum of $4.35 an hour and considering myself lucky to have the job.

Customer service was first priority down there, and we had most of the contractor business in town.

I met my wife Lori Kinney there, she had worked upstairs in the office for 4 years.

I was at Weissmans for 2 1/2 years, before I went to work for Senco as their first Inside Sales Rep. they also stressed customer service, and our Manager, Nick Degel, sometimes would say that if if we "lose a customer, we lose an employee".

I still think that's not a bad motivator for employees.

I was at Senco 5 1/2 years.

I then went to Safway Supply, and I was there for 7 years.

At Safway we had a genuine Team Effort, and everybody there could do anybody's job.

We sold tools and equipment, sold & rented scaffolding, and serviced much of what we sold.

Then in 1995, RD Kirkness called me up and wanted to go have a cup of coffee.

I knew RD well, because he was a customer of mine all the way back to Senco, and at Christmastime I'd work with him selling Christmas Trees at West Park Plaza. That was how I came up with the money for Christmas for my first two kids.

His idea was to open up a lumberyard in Red Lodge, and at JB's on the corner of 24th & Central we drew it out on a napkin.

So I left Safway, and started something new.

I had never been a Store Manager before, but I had worked for some good ones, and I knew what needed to be done.

We opened on April Fools Day, 1996.

Customer service was, and is, job number one there too.

If you walk in the door there, you will be greeted, and if they know your name it'll be by name.

If they don't know the answer, they'll get it for you.

In November of that year, we didn't have a Makita Power Tools Rep, so I called up Makita to buy some table saws. I found out that they needed a Factory Rep., and they were interested in talking to me.

I went to work for them two weeks later.

As a Factory Rep, I was responsible for all of Montana, and the Northern 1/4 of Wyoming.

Which meant that I travelled 55,000 miles a year, and spent a lot of nights in Motel rooms.

My customers would call me anywhere from 7 am to 10 pm. I had a policy - if their store was open, my 'store' was open.

BUT - In November of 2000, my wife let it be known to me that she didn't sign on to be a single Mom, and that I hadn't made it to a school function in over two years, and it was time to quit travelling.

So I went back to work at Safway Supply, and put in another 2 1/2 years.

In July of 2003, Cody Irons called me up, because United Rentals needed a Sales Rep. They had a new store, and hadn't had any luck in really getting it going.

Always up for a challenge, I went to work for them.

Fortunately, most of my customers from Safway Supply kept doing business with me. If it wasn't for Sletten Construction, Western Sugar, and a few other big accounts we would have never got it going.

in 2002 they did $40,000 in sales.

In 2003 we did $572,000.

In 2004 we did $859,000.

In 2005 we did $1.100,000.

In 2006 we were on pace to do $1,500,000, but we were merged with another Division of United Rentals, and they decided to do away with the Contractor Supply Stores, and focus on Rentals.

It hasn't worked out too well for them, if you google up their earnings, nationwide, they lost millions in 2008, and 2009. I have been gone from there since October.

This is the story that The GAZETTE didn't tell you, mainly because it's too long winded.

If I am elected, customer service will be job number one down there.

It will be a learning curve at first, but it's not one I'm afraid of.

So, I hope you vote in the June 8th GOP primary, and I hope you give me your vote!