1935 Minnesota High School Football Champions Were Window Industry Champs Too

I remember when I was a little kid digging through the attic at my home. I found this gold football and a picture of the 1935 Stillwater Ponies State Championship Football team. There were just a handful of players, maybe 15 or so. I realize now that three of these guys were champions of the window industry too. Another was just a beloved champion of life and an entrepreneur but not in windows.

The three guys in that picture jumped out at me because I was working for Andersen Windows at the time and they were all still there too. Arvid Wellman, Bill Hering, and Bob Ludwig made up about twenty-five percent of that team but each of them contributed heavily to the success of Andersen Windows.

Arvid Wellman was the CEO of Andersen Corporation. Everyone in the factory new Arvid and I'd dare say he knew every one of us. He had a tremendous vision for the company and lead us into unprecedented success during the 1980's.

Bill Hering, who happens to be my father, was a great leader too. He was much lower key than Arvid but well respected. He was Production Control Manager which, at the time, was a very hard job. There were no computers so he had to calculate everything by hand. Every part and every component was calculated by Dad and his department. He knew everyone who worked there too.

Bob Ludwig was a Production Supervisor and a real character. People loved working for Bob because he was supportive, fun, and knew how to treat people. Working for Bob was being part of a team. Bob knew every job and never asked anyone to do what he woudln't do, just like the other great leaders at Andersen.

There weren't many window companies back then. The foundation for ongoing success was laid by Fred Andersen and guys like those three. Is it any wonder they were state champions in football? They knew how to lead and they new how to give of themselves. They knew everything there was to know about windows and could do every job in the factory.

That fourth character I mentioned was an affable guy named Bob Utecht. Bob was very successful in his own right. He started Let's Play Hockey Magazine and was the arena announcer for the Minnesota North Stars. He played a role with the famous 1980 Olympic hockey team and was a close personal friend of Herb Brooks, Lou Nanne, and many other Minnesota hockey figures. Bob gave of himself. He too was one of the Stillwater, more specifically Bayport, characters of all time.

I was thinking of those guys this morning and a thought struck me. The top people at my company are just like them - throwbacks to a better time. They give of themselves and they care at the same time they are leading the company.

In a recent meeting Doyle Land, our CEO asked the question "What do successful people have in common?" The answer was "they gave" in every way. "Successful people all give in many ways."

In that instant I understood what I was feeling. It was leadership at its finest. I realized how happy and content I was there. At the same time I realized how lucky I am not to be working at Andersen Windows anymore! To Fred Andersen, Arvid, Bob, and Dad I say thank you for showing us how. I deeply apologize for not being able to continue what you guys started there. I'm okay though, these Land brothers are the real deal!