[Music] When my grandfather started the business in 1945, his strategy was to build the best, highest quality refrigeration. He kind of had three things going against him; he had no money, no employees, and no facilities. So, he really started from scratch in the basement of his home and it really was his own ingenuity and his own drive and passion for really succeeding which gave him a start in business. When I started, the company was small. It was one shift, one production line we produced 40 units a day. I've seen a lot of changes. From additions onto the Madison Hammersley facility where they built Sub Zero headquarters. To building the Phoenix plant in Arizona, to building all the facilities out here in Fitchburg. When I started, the company was small. So, it's Leon Van Buren in Phoenix and then they expanded maybe about ten years later. Back in 1988 there was one assembly line, it was this very compact company. It was about 80 employees at the time. We've been in business for over 70 years. I think we've done a great job in the past of bringing new products forward into the marketplace. We've taken many risks along the way, especially with the integrated line. It was a product that didn't even exist in the industry before. Jim's made a lot of terrific decisions. He's had to take some major risks. In 2000, when he decided to go after and purchase Wolf and that was a tremendous thing I think that's really helped us become the leader in appliances that we are. Everything has improved fantastically. Everything you look at, from material handlers to the quality control, to the leak testing to the paint. We had that transition from Phoenix to get here. That was the biggest change and also throughout the years I've seen different models come through. Getting better and staying ahead of the refrigeration market. We always are raising the bar. We always are challenging each other to do the very best that we possibly can. We have world-class facilities and really environments that are very conducive to feel-good innovation, creative just great environments. I think it starts with leadership and employees that are dedicated and care about what they're doing and produce a quality product. When Jim took over, I mean the company has grown exponentially. To go from being so small and knowing everyone to now global, it's just extraordinary. Being a privately owned company that is now seventy years old, we have the third-generation grandson of the founder leading the company. The chances of that happening in today's business climate are very small. I see the biggest value that my grandfather and my father instilled in the company was a cornerstone of Sub-Zero. That is that we're a quality organization. The quality of our product is superior to any other in the market. The values are to put out a good product, treat their employees well. I can see that all the time. There have been a lot of people who have contributed to the success of Sub-Zero and Wolf. They put it in our heads that we're the best and just they drive it. That's what drives me, is making it better and that's what makes this place unique and that's why I've been here 30 years. Everything we do we do first-class with excellence in mind. Along with that I think a lot has to do with the pride that we have in this company. It's not just a company that manufactures and sells products. It's about the quality in the detail that we put into the product and it's a company where people matter. It's a company where I matter.
