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10-12-2007, 3:10 PM
Well I just dived off the board and took the plunge. I spent the last 22 yrs of my life in the automobile dealership service sales and management area. It has been good for me and can't complain, but in the last 10 yrs the business just isn't what is was and may never be again. I took a sales position with the nations largest home furnishings retailer under one roof, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and they are impressive here in KC area. Three locations so far, Omaha, Des Moines, and KC. Owned by Warren Buffett now and managed by the family of the original founder. 1.1 million square feet of facility. Anything in the home can be purchased here or special ordered, from lower end to extreme upper end furnishings. I am specializing in dining room designs which at least has something to do with woodwork. They have and can get some beautiful woodwork.
No biggie--just an occupational change. Been in sales all my life, just a different product.
NOW HERE'S THE GLOAT: They have a woodworking shop for furniture repair that's out of this world. My trainers learned that I'm into woodworking so volunteered a tour of the shop. I didn't even know they had one. This is a fully equipped shop to dream of. Not just one shop but many. Every type of wood, veneers, and ply imaginable in stock. All employees in this area are master craftsman and proven in the trade. The tour consisted of these separate areas (not counting storage areas) and each probably had more square footage than my home. First was the upholstery shop--impressive but not my cup of tea interest wise. Second the woodworking shop, anything that creates sawdust is here. A fully equipped shop with everything imaginable. They don't have to mop the floor tonight as my tongue already did it. In fact painful to talk now as I stepped on tongue at least 6-7 times, lol :D Dust control must be superb as I did not find the slightest bit of sawdust in the entire facility (and I was looking). There wasn't too much time for me to mingle and brouse on the tour. Third the assembly and tear-down room, impressive. Fourth the finish room and spray booths. Fifth the curing room after finishing.
I know where I'll be spending break and lunch times now. In fact my trainer stated that several employees of the shop have won the companies annual presidential achievement award, and that's usually unheard of for an employee that works in what's known as a "back-end support department".
Hopefully I have found a career that has the best of both worlds in it.
No biggie--just an occupational change. Been in sales all my life, just a different product.
NOW HERE'S THE GLOAT: They have a woodworking shop for furniture repair that's out of this world. My trainers learned that I'm into woodworking so volunteered a tour of the shop. I didn't even know they had one. This is a fully equipped shop to dream of. Not just one shop but many. Every type of wood, veneers, and ply imaginable in stock. All employees in this area are master craftsman and proven in the trade. The tour consisted of these separate areas (not counting storage areas) and each probably had more square footage than my home. First was the upholstery shop--impressive but not my cup of tea interest wise. Second the woodworking shop, anything that creates sawdust is here. A fully equipped shop with everything imaginable. They don't have to mop the floor tonight as my tongue already did it. In fact painful to talk now as I stepped on tongue at least 6-7 times, lol :D Dust control must be superb as I did not find the slightest bit of sawdust in the entire facility (and I was looking). There wasn't too much time for me to mingle and brouse on the tour. Third the assembly and tear-down room, impressive. Fourth the finish room and spray booths. Fifth the curing room after finishing.
I know where I'll be spending break and lunch times now. In fact my trainer stated that several employees of the shop have won the companies annual presidential achievement award, and that's usually unheard of for an employee that works in what's known as a "back-end support department".
Hopefully I have found a career that has the best of both worlds in it.