Steve Keith:  

Workplace This is going to be painful....I wish I had studied harder and gone to college....there, I said it.... Years after graduation I paid Mrs. Downs, our French teacher, a little visit at her home and apologized for being such a butt-munch in her class. I was, however, not alone in the harassement proceedings that went on with much regularity...and you know who you are! 1973 - 1978 After graduation I started, or rather continued to work at the hell-hole known as the DSL Corporation, a stamping plant in Mansfield, along with several other guys from the class of '73. Tommy Bader, Rusty Gilbert, Dwaine Taylor and a few others. It was noisy, smelly, filthy, and above all else, dangerous. Eventually promoted to a lead person sort of position before a strike, and it's associated unpleasantries, which taught me a few lessons about the whole union/strike mentality. During the strike I went on to seek employment elsewhere. 1978 - 1983 Elliotts Insulation - I went to work for a company that was using some new revolutionary foam product to insulate houses. Unfortunately, the product was eventually outlawed and the owner ceased business. The handwriting was on the wall, so I left, albeit with a great tan from working outside! 1978 - 1983 I ended up in a small fabrication shop, Trico Mfg., that a good friend (Randy Sweet)had told me about. Having little in the way of skills I embarked on a training session that lasted a good many years. I came away with a wealth of knowledge and had what was probably the greatest boss that I ever had. I learned an awful lot from him and had a lot of fun doing it. Our paths would cross again years later. He has since passed and I still miss him. There haven't been many bosses thus far in my career that I feel that way about. A special individual to be sure. 1983 - 1987 A substantial pay raise was involved so I made the move to HB Electric, a small company of roughly 100 employees that made electronic switchgear, also located in Mansburg. I was hired to Supervise their fabrication department. The facility was closed and moved to Alabama in 1986. 1987 - 1988 Sans job, I proceeded to look elsewhere. I interviewed for the position of Plant Manage...Expand for more