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  #1  
Old 08-04-2010, 10:44 PM
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Carl@Semroc Carl@Semroc is offline
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Default The NEW "old Estes Industries"

I have hesitated to post this until now, mostly because it seemed too good to be true at the time. In mid-March, I received an email from Vern Estes about a visit he and Gleda had just made to the Estes plant. There was much excitement in his email. A later call to Gleda described their (much delayed) welcome back plant tour and reception. After twenty years or so, the walls were down and they were received by a loving "family." A few weeks later, Vern (Gleda was recovering from knee surgery), Ed Brown and other former employees were invited to a company barbeque, like the preceding years had never happened.

I did not post any of this because I did not know then if Vern and Gleda wanted me to share their experience and I am a natural skeptic. I decided to wait until NARAM to see if it was a fluke and, if not, to get permission from Vern and Gleda. I was totally surprised that Estes was not only a presence at NARAM, but had a wide support of many employees that had signed up for shifts at the Estes tent during the week. I have tried to speak with every Estes employee present this week and every one made me and my family feel welcome to their “backyard." They seem genuinely excited about the future of Estes and the positive changes over the past few months.

Vern and Gleda mean very much to me and seeing them so happy to be welcomed back to the company they built has made this one of the best visits with them, ever. The photo below of Vern, Gleda, their oldest daughter Betty, with Janet and Scott from Estes says volumes. They have their rightful place now and I have heard from many at Estes that they will be treated just as all of us have always thought they should have been treated all along.

I will be one of the first to express my pleasure with the new "old Estes Industries."
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Old 08-04-2010, 11:08 PM
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Thank you, again, for sharing. All I can say is "wonderful".
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Old 08-05-2010, 12:21 AM
stefanj stefanj is offline
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Thanks Carl, that is really cool news.
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Old 08-05-2010, 06:14 AM
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There's a huge sign in the Estes lobby that says "Welcome Back Vern and Gleda".
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Old 08-05-2010, 06:25 AM
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This is all fantastic news Carl, Im certainly glad you posted it . There wonderful people who have given thousands a window in life they might not have had with Estes back in the 60's/70's
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Old 08-05-2010, 07:54 AM
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That is fantastic!

Now I am really sorry I didn't go.
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Old 08-05-2010, 07:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl@Semroc
Vern and Gleda mean very much to me and seeing them so happy to be welcomed back to the company they built has made this one of the best visits with them, ever. The photo below of Vern, Gleda, their oldest daughter Betty, with Janet and Scott from Estes says volumes.



... Janet and Scott from QUEST Carl!
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Old 08-05-2010, 08:03 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl@Semroc
Vern and Gleda mean very much to me and seeing them so happy to be welcomed back to the company they built has made this one of the best visits with them, ever. The photo below of Vern, Gleda, their oldest daughter Betty, with Janet and Scott from Estes says volumes. They have their rightful place now and I have heard from many at Estes that they will be treated just as all of us have always thought they should have been treated all along.



This really brings tears to my eyes, Carl. I wish I could've been there to see it, but the picture from Bob Sanford of <GASP!> Bill Stine in the Estes booth proved to me and underscored the fact that, yes, things have started to change and the sale to Hobbico was indeed probably the best thing that could've happened!
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Old 08-05-2010, 08:17 AM
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Thanks for sharing the news, Carl.
After reading your first post I had that feeling (from the early 1970s) when the new Estes catalog came in the mail.
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Old 08-05-2010, 08:45 AM
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I'm sincerely glad to hear about all of this. It would've been great to actually see Vern and Gleda walking back into the company they started so many years ago. Wish I was there.
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