A TRIBUTE TO THE BLESSINGS OF CAPITALISM, A FARM BOY'S STORY:
1- I was blessed to be born to a farming family in America where the importance of family, skills, hard work, achievement, community and country were the number 1 priorities.
2- At the age of 8, I was entrusted and empowered to start working on our grandparents farm, earn my way ahead, develop skills and achieve mastery of the whole process from seed to table. When I was 16 years of age, I had enough cash saved to purchase my first car, a 1965 Ford Mustang and drive to high school as a senior.
3- My parents worked hard and paid their school taxes so I would receive a quality education and graduate from Governor Mifflin High School in 1975.
4- Following high school graduation, I worked 2 jobs (farming & construction laborer) and saved enough money to pay my way through night classes at Penn State Berks Campus and Lehigh Carbon Community College to become a surveyor. I never loaned a dime for college tuition while simultaneously providing for my wife and 2 children.
5- Deb and I fell in love and became parents at 17 & 19 years old. Having a child woke us up to a greater vision and purpose to become the best we could be...
6- At the young age of 25, Deb and I started our small excavating company with $2,000 out of the basement of our house to pursue our American Dream. 37 years later, we completed over $1.4 Billion in business, employ 285 talented and dedicated people and achieved the recognition of the #1 best place to work in PA.
7- At the age of 58 and 60, Deb and I would become Grandparents. We still believe America's best days are yet to come. How we know that to be true is because we made a promise to our children and grandchildren that they too were born in a nation where the America Dream is alive and well, where they would be rewarded by acquiring skills, hard work, achievement and helping others succeed.
IN CLOSING, WHILE WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE CAPITALISM IS BEING QUESTIONED, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RISE UP, SHARE OUR TRUTH BY ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS AND CONTINUE TO SHOW THE WAY FOR A STRONGER, BETTER AMERICA FOR OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND GENERATIONS TO COME.
Account Sales Manager at Andersen Windows and Doors
4 年Great story of American privilege. Thanks for sharing.
Construction/Ag Equipment & GPS/Telematics Technology - Business Professional with diverse experience leading large and small teams
4 年Thanks for sharing Barry!
Instructor Apprentice Program at Associated Builders and Contractors
4 年Great post Barry! That’s why we live in the greatest country on earth and what some hard work will bring to you.
Region President - Southwest Pacific
4 年Barry - thank you for this post. Todays public conversations have been dominated by many who have never produced nor contributed anything to benefit those beyond themselves. Meanwhile, you quietly create opportunity for your employees, improve your community and secure your family, none to the exclusion of the other. To read your remarkable story, focussed on growth rather than grievance, gives me great confidence that reason and hard work will prevail in these noisy times.
CEO & President, UNISCRAP PBC.
4 年Barry, nobody can understand what is true Capitalism except the American Companies, and how our Country works and operates promotive the innovation, impact and business.