237 and the part was in shipping. It missed the dock. With no one to call, I drove more than eight hours (all night). I arrived in Baltimore, Maryland and delivered it Monday morning. I said, “Here it is!” In disbelief, the customer said, “You drove it over?” Then I turned around and drove back to Western States. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get fired or a pat on the back. I got a pat on the back and kept my job. There's no precedence on how to do some of this stuff. When the phone rings, we have to figure out how to take care of the customer. We have always, always told them that customer service comes first, so that's how we still operate today. — Larry Miller OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED I was lucky enough to have Don Asplan and Chuck Duersch for bosses. They both had a lot of years with the company and they were both patient people, even tempered, which was good for me because I was not that way necessarily. They had all the experience and they took the time to sit down and show me how to do things. It’s interesting. I think WSMC isn’t afraid to give a person opportunities. Their philosophy is more along the lines ─ do you have the passion to learn, the ability to adapt, and the desire to take on the endeavor. However, that’s been the spirit of this company, all the way back to our founder, Mr. Eugene Roberts. Customers say, “I’m having this problem.” Our response, “Let us figure out the perfect solution for you,” and boom ─ we’ve advanced the industry. — Todd Hershberger MR. JONES From the time I joined Western States in 1972, I think I can speak for everyone when I say Bob Jones was the most respected person at Western States during his presidency (1970-1991). He was a friend to every employee, no matter what their status. You truly enjoyed seeing Bob walk through your department every day as he always had a smile on his face and something pleasant to say. He was easy to talk to and a good listener. He always presented himself in a professional manner. He handled both good times and bad times in a professional manner and never let his emotions get the best of him. He ran meetings efficiently and effectively, in a way that encouraged people to speak their minds and to work with others. To all of us that worked at Western States during his tenure, he truly was “Mr. Western States.” — Charles “Chuck” Duersch ALIGNING PEOPLE My favorite part about working at WSMC is seeing and realizing what I contribute to the company. I've always been able to see it – regardless of where I have worked within the company. Following up on purchase orders, you can see improvement on parts deliveries. Nowadays, I see the difference that I make and my contributions to the company’s overall long-term strategy. I enjoy helping align the right people with the necessary skill sets, to the appropriate goal at hand. — Celia Cano Ramón