8iowa
11-18-2008, 05:30 PM
Working my way North to the U.P., I stopped in at Shopsmith about 9:15 AM on Monday. I brought in a scroll saw that need to be repaired.
Going in the employees entrance, I followed the posted directions to Customer Service. The first thing that caught my attention was the huge building, with only a few areas lighted. It was quiet, not much going on. It makes you wonder what it was like back in Shopsmith's "hey days". I soon found Sue Powell and she proceeded to work on my scroll saw.
Robert Folkerth walked by. I shook his hand, and he remembered meeting me on a previous occasion. He was in "the middle of something", but chatted with me for a few moments. I also met Brenda, the head of HR and she took me into customer service to meet Linda T., whom many of you have talked to on the phone. There are three people in this department, and they were all very busy on the phones - a good sign! I did get to meet Linda, a pleasent and attractive lady, between her calls.
Back in the assembly area I spied Jim McCann, a close friend and associate of Nick Engler. Jim of course is a highly accomplished woodworker in his own right. I asked about Nick. Jim said that Nick is working to digitize his Workshop Companion series, which of course is about 60 books. Jim said that Nick would possibly have this series on line as a subscription type of woodworking education. We will all be anxious to hear more.
Sue Powell repaired my scroll saw in about 20 minutes and refused to charge me. What a sweetheart! I was out of there before 10 AM and back on I 75. I'm now here in the U.P. with about a foot of snow on the ground.
Going in the employees entrance, I followed the posted directions to Customer Service. The first thing that caught my attention was the huge building, with only a few areas lighted. It was quiet, not much going on. It makes you wonder what it was like back in Shopsmith's "hey days". I soon found Sue Powell and she proceeded to work on my scroll saw.
Robert Folkerth walked by. I shook his hand, and he remembered meeting me on a previous occasion. He was in "the middle of something", but chatted with me for a few moments. I also met Brenda, the head of HR and she took me into customer service to meet Linda T., whom many of you have talked to on the phone. There are three people in this department, and they were all very busy on the phones - a good sign! I did get to meet Linda, a pleasent and attractive lady, between her calls.
Back in the assembly area I spied Jim McCann, a close friend and associate of Nick Engler. Jim of course is a highly accomplished woodworker in his own right. I asked about Nick. Jim said that Nick is working to digitize his Workshop Companion series, which of course is about 60 books. Jim said that Nick would possibly have this series on line as a subscription type of woodworking education. We will all be anxious to hear more.
Sue Powell repaired my scroll saw in about 20 minutes and refused to charge me. What a sweetheart! I was out of there before 10 AM and back on I 75. I'm now here in the U.P. with about a foot of snow on the ground.