After high school, John Rutherford wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps by enlisting in the Marine Corps.  Problem was, every time he went down to the local recruiting office, the Marine Corps recruiter was gone.  After several attempts, he struck up a conversation with the Navy recruiter, who mentioned being on a ship would be a safer play than in the field during the height of the Vietnam War.  The Navy could offer technical training that would be useful in civilian life too.  The navy recruiter’s message resonated with John, and when he scored well on the aptitude test, he was offered a position in the nuclear power training program in return for a six year commitment.  John completed two years of technical training and served much of the remainder of his time on the USS Long Beach, a Chicago Class Light Cruiser.  “Serving in the Navy was one of the best decisions I ever made“, according to Rutherford.  “I learned discipline, technical skills, and I met my wonderful wife while stationed in Maryland.”  …

When Jay Wells left his family farm in Cambridge, Ohio as a young man to serve in the Air Force, he had no idea just how wild his ride would be.  Jay joined the Air Force in 1968 and found himself working on fixed wing aircraft during the Vietnam War.  Growing up on a family farm meant that Jay became quite adept at fixing things and he had a curiosity to figure out how things worked—traits that served him well while in the service.  When he finally rotated back stateside, his last post was in San Diego, California.  The weather and scenery captured his imagination, and upon finishing his military service, Jay decided to stay out west to pursue a career as a professional musician (guitar). 

For the uninitiated, the musician’s life looks quite glamorous—performing on a stage in front of a packed house can be quite a thrill.  What most don’t realize is that there are actually two aspects to the job as a touring pro:  the unglamorous tasks of setting up and tearing down before and after a gig, and the glitz of performing.  The really interesting part of his story is that Jay first started getting interested in the sweeping business because he saw a sweeper driver cleaning the club parking lot.  Jay stopped the driver, asked some questions about the equipment and the job, and a seed was planted. …

Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the service and sacrifice our nation’s veterans have made in order to protect our freedom.  We are just a few days removed from its observance, and many of us have fresh memories of going to a parade or ceremony honoring our veterans or saying thanks to uniformed active duty personnel while making our way through the airport.  Ask any vet if these gesture are meaningful and they will say they do, but what about the other 364 days each year?  At 1-800-SWEEPER, we have begun an initiative to honor and thank our vets by profiling their individual stories throughout the year.  Our purpose here is twofold:  to thank our veterans for their service and remind all of our partners that many of the skills learned while serving in the military translate well to civilian life.  If you are looking to hire a new employee or replace a departing member of your team, consider hiring a vet.

This month’s column features Marty Doll of Progressive Sweeping Contractors, Inc. in Toledo, Ohio.  During his career with the Marine Corps, Marty rose to the level of Captain, serving with the 2^nd, 4^th & 1^st Marine Divisions from 1980-1994.  He also saw active duty during and Operation Desert Storm.  …