This is the continuing recollection of the good people I have crossed paths with over the years, but may remain unknown to most folks in the industry. Keep in mind, I may have a bit of a romanticized perspective…..could be due to adult beverages at the time of our last meeting.
Don Hershey
Mr. Hershey was one of those guys who was on board in this industry very early on. He built a business in Chicago that was the envy of many suppliers in the area. He dominated his market and made himself the indispensable commodity in every transaction. He created a place in which his sons, Ben and Keith, cut their teeth on the industry. Mr. Hershey was a leader when the industry needed strong leadership. He succeeded no matter what issue was thrown his way. After adding operations in Arizona, Mr. Hershey began building another terrific business and legacy. He was one of the pioneers in very specific areas of component design, testing and manufacturing. Mr. Hershey was instrumental in the development and testing of the purlin truss. His ideas still live on in the Southwest. He became such a force in some commercial markets that his nearest competitor was nearly a thousand miles away. His unique specification gave him almost unbridled control over certain types of construction. He was a larger than life proponent of everything truss related. Mr. Hershey noticed that there was an abundance of underutilized Ponderosa Pine and opened a Glu-Lam plant in NE Arizona to take advantage of the material availability. One of the more little known experiences was his involvement in the development of the Merlin software with Frank and Paul Little. For those too young to know, Merlin was one of the great forerunners to all of the truss design software we enjoy today. His work with Dr. Stan Suddarth on PPA42 analysis is still acknowledged as groundbreaking.
Mr. Hershey would help when help was needed and you never had to guess where you stood with Mr. Hershey, because he would tell you. He had no time for those who did not share his passion and he did not suffer fools. He would do his best to educate the uneducated, better the industry with every breath and make components unparalleled in his market. I remember calling on him in his later years and he was still the passionate, quick-witted man I had always known. He never lost a step and his sense of humor was always just at the edge of every conversation, ready to be unleashed. He was a great man and is often recalled for his thoughts on many issues we still face today.
Rip Rogers
What a man! Rip is one of those guys who attracts attention without trying. People just wanted to be close enough to hear his words and feel the impact of his statements and proclamations. Rip was another one of those guys who dutifully worked to take our industry to another level. He donated time and resources to bring continuity to our industry in the early days. His thought was always, “How do we make the industry better?” I worked for the same company as Mr. Rogers many years ago. Each time he visited our location, he would stop and visit each person. He always believed that something could be learned and shared with each interaction. I can remember the first standard details he provided to a then fledgling WTCA. It was work developed by our company. He felt compelled to offer it to the association in an effort to bring consistency to truss design and placement plans. It seemed he was never looking for personal gain. He desperately wanted to see the industry grow and gain the respect of others in the construction supply chain.
Even after his so-called retirement Mr. Rogers would show up to meetings. I can recall him joining us one year in Washington, D.C. to visit legislators on behalf of our industry. His energy was a sight to behold. He would race up and down Capitol Hill like a man half his age. He commanded such respect in those meetings. It was fun to watch him hold sway over our elected officials. And, he never wished to take credit. During the debriefing following our legislative visits, he would always remark about how the other members of our group had impressed him and the legislators. He is quite the gentleman, always letting others have credit for his efforts.
Mr. Rogers’s thoughts on raising a family always stuck with me. He helped me when I needed help the most and gave me good counsel that I still use today. He and his wife Sally have always been an inspiration. They are an example of what a loving, supportive couple can accomplish. He was one of those passionate leaders at the beginning of our industry association. He set a standard for others to follow. The association at that time was like one of his children and he was the nurturing, guiding figure we needed. I will always hold Mr. Rogers as the right man at the right time. He gave of himself so that we could all succeed.
This exercise in remembering our past leadership has been a great deal of fun for me. I promise I will get back to providing information on different topics ranging from TPI project committees to getting the most out of your supplier relationships. But, I will from time to time remind readers of the people that helped form our industry and association.