110 - Jobs I've Had V

Back to Seneca Spring.

Seneca Spring helped mold my life quite honestly. I learned an incredible amount about how a business was run from Joe. He had an "open book" policy, whereas his financial books were wide open for us to see. We had to make XX,XXX a month to make money, and when we did well above, he was very generous in his rewards. When he made money, we did too.

When the holidays came, we had a Turkey for Thanksgiving, a Ham for Easter, and for Christmas, he closed down for 2 weeks, and paid us under the table for the 2 weeks, and set us up on unemployment for those 2 weeks (not too legal,  but I wasn't going to complain about the money)

He wasn't just my boss and owner of the company, he was my friend.

One summer, when business was REAL slow, he had just built a new house in a very nice neighborhood, and asked me and the guy who did the heat treating if we wanted to work around his house. (we could see the writing on the wall, it was do this or get laid off for a bit)

So, I became a landscaper for him, installing a rolled up lawn, made some islands with some exotic plants, and even found, two blocks away, an enormous rock to put in front of the house where he had a circular driveway.

He was always a joking kind of guy too. Once, he and his wife went to Europe with some friends, and he had them video tape him on a bench in the middle of Rome, he was dressed very well and he had sunglasses on and his topcoat over his shoulders. He was shouting loud enough so most could hear (No pictures PLEASE! I just finished my movie and I'd like to be left alone...). I say this because he showed me the video tape.. within 30 seconds, hundreds of people who had no idea who he was, scrambled around him trying to get his autograph! *LOL* He was a nut... and a nice guy, and I miss him.

I left Seneca Spring after about 10 years when I got a job at Associated Spring, the largest spring maker in the world, who is based in my town. It was a union job, and I was looking to better myself, and the money was great. 

More on Associated Spring on Monday.... have a wonderful weekend all!