Festool USA said:
Bob,
On behalf of our entire team, congratulations on your Festool retirement! You've been a special part of our story here in the US. You will absolutely be missed — both by your customers and by all of us at Festool. The next time that you're in the Indianapolis area, we expect you to come by the office! Best of luck in your next chapter!
- Tyler & the rest of the team
Tyler and da gang at Festool.
Where to begin? Maybe at the beginning back in 2001 when I bought my first Festool tool (PS2E JIGSAW) at a woodworking event at the Rhode Island Convention Center - yep, the same place where Festool offered the first series of CONNECT events some years later.
Festool was there and demonstrating the tools were Strother Purdy (pro woodworker and Fine Woodworking magazine author) and Festool Manager Saulius Tolekas. That was a time when Festool had only a couple of dozen dealers (Independent Sales Agents -ISA's) most of which were pro contractors themselves.
The Festool Santa Barbara office was tiny and when you'd call there for info, there was a good as chance as any that the man in charge Christian Oltszcher, would pick up the phone.
I don't want this to sound like a bad academy awards speech - spouting out names - but hey, here's my chance. Though there are too many names to remember through all these years - I will never forget them; they were and are the nicest bunch of people I have had the pleasure of dealing with. I think another couple of my fellow dealers from those early years - Jim Ray of McFeelys and John Krumrey of BIS fame can relate to that large group of Festool employees who made dealing with Festool a pleasure. Gentlemen - feel free to chime in.
From Christian O - the most loved and respected CEO ever a 6' 9"man with brains and a heart to match - the man who took a shot and allowed me to start selling Festool tools, Brian Goldthorpe -CFO, David McGibbon - that Festool tool god who actually brought Festool into the USA, Saulius T, Jim Maner - my Managers - who both looked out for me as well as entertaining/dealing with all my BS, Rick Bush, Brian Sedgley, Brent Shivley, Erick Garby on the product development and training/application side, RIP - Lester Wethington - in charge of tool repair, Frank Tetreau - now in charge of TANOS, Martin Johnson - Marketing, office staff past and present - Julie P, Yvonne C, Ravi T, Minnie G, Lars, Robert H, Tyler C and Shane H - yep that Shane
and all many others who made it easy - a big and heartfelt THANKS.
