The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-04-05, Page 25ch
BY JOANNE
BUCHANAN
Bruce Sully, president
of Champion Road
Machinery Limited, has
always maintained that
people are one bf the
company's biggest
assets. They are what
makes the company a
success, he says.
"Champion's strength
is people power," he
stated just recently.
This belief in the im-
portance of people to the
company is one of the
underlying reasons
behind Champion's
Quarter Centry Club. The
club, which was formed
in 1972, consists of all
those people, working
and retired, who have
been with Champion for
25 years or more.
Until recently the club
had 44 members (14 of
them retired). Last
Wednesday evening the
club held a dinner at the
Candlelight Restaurant
to welcome seven' new
members and to honor
those who have worked
with the company for 30
years. The new members
each received clocks and
25 year pins. They were
Bill Chase, Don
Hamilton, Len Harman,
Harvey Hodges, Bob
Straughan, Tiny Bedour
and John McKeown. The
30 year members
received engraved silver
trays. They were Bruce
Sowerby, Vince Young,
Chuck Stewart and Abby
Powell.
In a speech to the club
at Wednesday evening's
dinner, Mr. Sully said he
felt that • the 'larger the
company became, the
mere closely knit those in
the Quarter -Century Club
also became. He said the
club consisted or a
reminiscent group of
people and while he knew
they were all looking
back on the good old
days, he said he ' also
hoped they bwould look
ahead to the good days of
tomorrow and always
enjoy new challenges.
Mr. Sully talked about
the many changes seen
by. the people at Cham -
.pion over the years. He
spoke of the -days when a
big old adding machine
was the company's, only
computer and how that
had all changed with
Champion now having its
oWrn computer room. But
while many things had
changed, the people had.
remained the same, he
said, adding that they
were what •made
Champion "go round".
Later Mr. Sully said the
Quarter Century Club
was not ,really a club but
rather a group of people
with a common sense of
'comradeship. A lot of
people have grown and'
matured with the com-
pany he said and holding
a dinner for them is just a
token way -of saying
thanks for their loyalty
and hard work.
Mr. Sully pointed out
various people at the
dinner and told about
their loyalties to the
company over the years.
Of course they were too
numerou-s :to all-- be
mentioned.
There was Kip White
'who: once drove six
graders about, 400 miles
each in order to meet the
d . .
company's delivery date..
when the railway was on
strike. At that time
railway was the only way
Champion had of tran-
sporting its goods: It took
Mr. White about three
days of driving to deliver
each of the six graders.
There was Mary
MacLaren, the only
female member of the
Quarter Century Club.
Champion only had about
12 employees when she
started working there as
a young girl out of
business college. She was
with the company for a
SAVE ENERGY
and
Insulate U.F. Foam
& Fiber Insulation
Serving Huron County
15 years
COMPARE...CONTACT
STEWART'S
ALUMINIUM &
INSULATION
201 Huron Rd. Goderich
524.-8821
P
10
total of 37 years and loved
it. She even met her
husband there. She says
she tried to retire on
three different occassions
but kept coming back.
"There's hardly
anyone here I don't
sq
know," said Mary as she
glanced around at the
club's dinner on Wed-
nesday evening. "Many
of these men were just
starting out as ap-
prentices when I worked
there."
1
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1979—PAGE 3A
rter century club
Jack MacDonald was
at the dinner. He was the
head of Champion's
design department for
years and years.
"He's a genius. Even
though he's retired, he's
still with us on a con -
David Harman, who has been retired for seven years now, worked at
Champion Roads Machinery Company for 29 years. Bis son Leonard has
been with the company for 27 years. They are the only father -son members
of Champion's Quarter Century Club. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan)
"This woman bullied me for years," joked Champion Road Machinery
Company president Bruce Sully about Mary MacLaren at a dinner for
Champion's Quarter Century Club members last Wednesday evening. Mrs.
MacLaren is the only female member of the club having worked .with
champion for 37 years.'(Photo by Joanne Buchanan)
HAIR
STYLING
Suncoast Mall,, Goderich, 524-8515
Easter SPECIAL
EARPIERCING with STUDS
ONLY $S
PLEASE CHECK OUR
EVERYDAY LOW PRICES
00
SHAMPOO. & SET .. r . . ............. $4.50
STYLE CUT & BLOW DRY ..... e ....... 58.00
STREAKS complete with SET .......... 518.00
CHILDREN'S CUTS ........ . ....FROM $4.00
BERMS completeFROM 518.00,
HOURS: MON. - TUES. - WED. 9:30-6 P.M.
THUR., FRI. 9:30 - 9, SAT. 9-4
NO APPOINTMENTS NECESSARY
suiting basis," says Mr.`•'" -father and son in the
Sully. Quarter Century Club,
"His middle initial is G.
and we always used to
call him Jack Grader,"
he continues.
Mr. MacDonald
remembers when the
first grader came off the
Sully's assembly line.
The grader cabin's in-
terior was wood. Air
Vice -Marshall Sully
called all the workers
together to look. at the'
grader. He told them it
had been designed,
engineered and built by
the company and "it
actually works!"
Bob Jeffrey was
present at the dinner too.
Mr. Sully tells about the
time when Mr. Jeffrey
was really putting his
back into some work with
a piece of useless
machinery and the Air
Vice Marshall or "the
chief" as he used to be
called, walked by and
said, "Isn't it a wonder
what modern machinery
will do?"
"He (Bob Jeffrey)
couldn't believe it. He
was the one who was
sweating and doing all
the work not the
machine," laughs Mr.
Sully.
David Harman and his
son Leonard, the only
Guaranteed
Investment
Certificates
'/2%
W.E. (TED) WILLIAMS
524-7102 or 524-7665
were present at the
dinner. David Harman
has been retired for seven
years now. He worked
with Champion for 29
years and was night
superintendent when he
retired. His son Len has
been with Champion for
27 years. He started in the
machine shop and is pow
in research and
development with the
company.
"Remember the
time..." was a common
phrase heard at the
Quarter Century Club's
dinner as Champion's
employees, past and
.present, mingled and
reminisced. They seemed
like one big happy family
at a family reunion.
A GREAT YEAR
TO GET INTO THE
CLASSIFIEDS
Economy minded '
people buy and sell in
the Signal
Cla4Ssifieds. The best
values this, year...and
found
the
anytime are
right in
Classifieds!
can
524-8331
•
rowing
ANCE
FINAL 3 DAYS
APRIL 5th.6th=7th
ALL JEWELLERY & GIFTWARE ON SALE
ALL SALES FINAL—
SAVE
2O4O
®,
0
OFF
GOLD CHAINS, EARRINGS, CHARMS,
WATCHES, FLATWARE, GLASSES.
PAINTING, PICTURES, OTHERS
Just in time for Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries
56 SHOPPERS SQUARE
gifts and
jeWellery
524-9241
GODERICH 4.,1114X i
VISA 1
SCHAEFER'S APRIL
PARADE
OF FASHION
It's spring and escrything seems to happen at
once' Go ready for whatever comes your way
with these fanciful looks be famous makers.
1 11onse Reveal the romantic
m Puy with this soft miniature
print hlouse with rdfftedcture
Soft. full -sleeved
% belted blouse with
'Inc Inok at silk
What venetiie looks for spnng'
Our sort run dress with matching
jacket and our colorful floral
pont skin with accent scarf to
pull together your Inok
You'll hlonom dunng April shower.
to these comfy rt.ncoets,w,th up-
dated styling and quality faitoring
Wear them rain or shine!
404*
`gndericn�
SI-101313eRS 5auane , GODERICH
LADIES WEAR LIMITED 'fills