234 PINBALL WIZARD Back in the late 1970s, there was a coupling shipment that had to go to CPI (Corn Products International, now Ingredion). We boxed it up, put it in Jim Neil’s little Chevette and took it to the greater Hamilton Airport. When I came back, I got out of the car, kissed the ground, and swore that I would never get in a car that Jim was driving again. Here’s why. While we were driving on the road, there were mailboxes positioned right next to the road – not offset. Jim dinged three of them on the way down to the airport with his side mirror. I felt like a human pinball. Since the Chevette was such a small car, there wasn’t much room for me to move out of the way. After 46 years with Western States, I still have not gotten back into a car driven by Jim Neal. Honest to God’s truth. I haven’t! — Wes Flannery THE CURTAINS We would go on bowling trips together. Not very many people would go on a weekend trip with someone they worked with but, we were like family – relatives that we actually liked. I remember our Chief Engineer, Dick Huser. He was tight fisted, and wouldn’t let a nickel roll away from him if he had to chase it a mile. The downstairs staff got new curtains at the old 1798 Fairgrove Avenue location. Dick heard about it and felt slighted since he was a member of the WSMC Board. He went downstairs and complained. My boss, Sam True, went out and found bolts of burlap fabric. We sewed panels together and hung new burlap “curtains” in Dick’s office after he had gone home one evening. Well, now he couldn’t complain about not having curtains! — Wes Flannery THE VERY BEST Joe Bange is certainly one of the top three smartest men that I ever met. I remember we were working on a new type of valve out in California. Joe and Uncle Bill (Duersch) were working together. Of course it was over the conveyors, so all the steam was coming up and through the area. I see the Director of Engineering, Joe Bange, laying on his back, trying to adjust a valve underneath the machine. He didn’t expect anyone to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. Everyone wanted to make Western States the very best it could be—from the guy that hauled the shavings out the door, to the president of the company. We listened to our customers more than we predetermined what they needed and wanted. — Wes Flannery VROOM VROOM I have had a bad rap on my driving forever. Back in the early years, I had some problems. And now, nobody here will ride with me. They absolutely won’t – they don’t want to be in the parking lot when I’m leaving. I don’t understand why. I haven’t run over any of these people. But I’m still stuck with the stigma. It’s important to note that I don’t count fender benders as part of my “accidents” because there’s been too many of them and they happen way too often. Anyway, back in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, there was a twelve-year period, where I totaled fourteen cars and had close encounters with two kids on bikes and two pedestrians. CHAPTER 15