
Glass Doctor Technician of the Year, Veteran,
Celebrates 39 Years with the Company
November 13, 2012
 |
Larry Calhoun was recently recognized for
his 39 years of service with Glass Doctor of Seattle. |
Larry Calhoun is celebrating 39 years working for Glass Doctor
in Seattle.
"I don't like a lot of change," Calhoun says. "If I'm content with
something I just stick with it."
In 1973 the 26-year-old veteran was hired at the first Glass Doctor
shop positioning him today as the longest-standing Glass Doctor
employee. The company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
He was honored with the Service Professional of the Year Award during
the Dwyer Group's 2012 reunion, which was held September 25 at the
Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.
Despite having been in the Navy and gone to college, Calhoun graduated
into a depressed Seattle economy. "Jobs were hard to come by, but
I saw an ad for a glazier trainee," he says.
Former Glass Doctor of King & Pierce Counties franchise owner Michael
Gai, who took over the franchise in 2003, says Calhoun is a "rare
breed," and he trusted him completely.
"I didn't know the glass business, but with Larry there, it didn't
matter," says Gai, current vice president of system sales at The
Dwyer Group Inc. "I knew he had the knowledge, the character and
the pride to always do a good job. Larry is the epitome of a truly
professional tradesman."
Calhoun says one of the highlights of his career took place on
the day of President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. But his
reasoning has nothing to do with politics. On that day, what became
known as the Inauguration Day Storm, a huge windstorm with winds
up to 105 miles-per-hour struck the Northwest causing a power outage
for two to three days.
"It was awful, but it was one of the few times where everybody
pulled together," he says. "There wasn't the griping about this
or that. It was just get out there, kick butt and get the thing
boarded up."
During Gai's ownership, he moved Calhoun out of the field and into
the office. Calhoun accepted the challenge.
"Larry adapted," Gai says. "He was always willing to adapt to help
the company. He is the heritage of Glass Doctor."
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