Commemorating June 6th

The sixth of June carries a special significance for me. 
Besides being National Yo-Yo Day and National Drive-In Movie Day, June 6th is somewhat of a personal holiday.  On this day, back in 1977, a young and darker-haired version of me walked through the front door of Allen-Bradley at 1201 South Second Street in Milwaukee.  At 7:30 that morning, I had no idea how going through that old-fashioned door symbolized the first step of a lifelong journey.

Allow me to share a few sights, sounds, and other recollections of that day so long ago.

First, the Allen-Bradley building was massive.  To a small-town boy who lived in a small-town world, it was a gigantic castle-like complex – two and a half city blocks and eight stories high.  The place was topped by the “world’s largest four-sided clock” and had an eight-story sky bridge that extended the place over the city street.  Having never seen even a small sky bridge, that alone impressed the 23-year-old me. 

The plant had somewhere north of 6,000 workers.  This number was about the same as every man, woman, and child in my hometown.  All those workers and their jobs tied to metal stamping, plating, and forming created an unearthly rumble as I got out of my car and walked to the front door.  Further, the “aroma” of metal plating and plastics work combined with a nearby foundry gave the scene a distinctive industrial flavor.  I liked this sense of industrial greatness.

As I walked into the stately, old-world, possibly Germanic
lobby, I was greeted by a real fire in a coke-burning fireplace.  Introducing myself to a very friendly receptionist, I was asked to take a seat on one of the chairs and couches located around the room.  I straightened my suit coat, which happened to be exactly half of my wardrobe, and then selected a stately leather wing-back chair and waited to be called.

Soon a guard called my name and I was marched down a dozen corridors to the HR Office where my new life began. 

Today marks 45 years since the start of my journey in distribution.  Here are a few milestones:

·        September of 1977 – Taught my first Distributor Class

·        July 1978 – Met the first distributors assigned to my care

·        September of 1991 – Became an equity partner of a distributor

·        November 2005 – Formed River Heights Consulting to serve Knowledge-based Distributors

·        June 2022 – Developed and delivered the State ofDistribution Sales 2022

Frank Hurtte, Founding Partner of River Heights Consulting, shares his personal experiences with 28 years of "in the trenches" training and 17 years as a consultant. He serves as a personal coach to industry leaders across many lines of distribution. He has authored 5.5 books (one is almost done) and has written hundreds of articles for national trade magazines. Frank is also a sought-after copywriter of marketing materials for technology companies. His charismatic, yet laid-back, easy-to-follow manner makes him a favorite among public speakers.