CHUCK KLAMMER of AFI
RETIRES
By Pat Cullen
After many years in the
finishing business, Chuck Klammer,
the former owner and President of Associated Finishing, Inc., (AFI), in Mankato,
MN has sold AFI and retired from the finishing business. In addition to Chuck’s
long time membership in the Twin Cities Chapter of CCAI, AFI is also
a “Benefactor” Sponsor of the TC Chapter as well as a CCAI Custom Coater
member. Most recently, Chuck was honored with the TC-CCAI User of the Year award
for 2006-07. During a recent sit down, Chuck shared some of his views and
experiences allowing me to share these thoughts with you.
Chuck grew up in Mankato, MN and three days after graduating from high school Chuck was on his way to Ft. Leonard Wood to fulfill his Army National Guard commitment. After six months of active Army duty and medical training, Chuck came back home and enrolled at Mankato State College.
Chuck’s first attempt at a college career lasted two quarters. For the next six months he packed up his 1955 Studebaker and he and a friend traveled west through MN, ND, SD, ID WY, MT WA and OR. Chuck wound up in Oregon working for the Forest Service, primarily fighting forest fires.
Chuck came home from Oregon for a Christmas visit with his
parents. While at home he learned that his dad, Bill was seriously considering
the purchase of a financially troubled company by the name of Associated
Engineering in Mankato. Chuck told his dad, that if he purchased Associated
Engineering, he would help him run the company.
It was in March of 1965, that Chuck received a telegram from his dad stating “I bought it. Love, Dad.” Chuck’s dad, Bill was an experienced and talented relay design engineer so the purchase of Associated Engineering seemed like a good fit for Bill Klammer. The Associated Engineering purchase brought 21 year old Chuck Klammer back to Mankato and into his dad’s new business.
Bill Klammer was under outside contract for the first few months of the new business purchase, so Chuck was thrust into a management upon his entry to the company. As it worked out, Associated Engineering also had a job shop spray painting operation in addition to its engineering business component. Associated’s painting bids were too low and the company was not making any money from the job painting endeavor.
Initially, Chuck’s “management” duties at Associated were eight hours of driving the company truck for pick-up and deliveries and a second eight hours of spray painting customer parts; essentially two shifts a day.
About 1976, Chuck’s dad had a heart attack which led to Chuck going back to Associated Engineering to help his dad with the business. Chuck found that the business had not really grown since he had left. With Chuck’s arrival at Associated Engineering, the staff consisted of five full time people and another four part time helpers. The full time staff included Chuck, Chuck’s dad and Chuck’s mom. As Chuck puts it – “a bit heavy on the management side.”
With Chuck’s experience in selling insurance background, he started making sales calls to prospects for Associated Engineering services. At the same time Chuck continued to do spray painting for the company. Chuck then began to further develop the job shop painting operation at Associated.
Gradually, Chuck became more active in the sales and management of Associated Engineering and the company grew its personnel as well as its job painting services. With Chuck’s efforts the company grew from one shift to two shifts and then to three shifts. The company moved from its original 3,000 square foot building to its present plant which has had numerous additions to accommodate the job coating growth over the years. Since Associated Engineering wasn’t really providing engineering services any longer and had grown into a painting and powder coating custom coater, the name was changed to Associated Finishing, Inc. (AFI). In reality, AFI was one of the first powder coating custom coaters in Minnesota.
Chuck began a retirement and business succession plan about five years ago and in the last few months, Chuck sold his interest in AFI to two long time management employees, Ted Schreyer and John Kapsner.
In looking back, Chuck recalls some of his business rewards were establishing the many working relationships with good people and the ability to find and train excellent management people. Chuck says that he has always let people know that he is a Christian and he is an American and proud to be both. Chuck noted that more often than not, company meetings at AFI would begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Prior to retiring, Chuck actually interviewed a number of retirees with different work backgrounds to see what they could offer him in his retirement planning process. Chuck learned three post retirement things from his interviews; first, don’t make any quick decisions; second, be prepared for work withdrawal symptoms (loss, sadness, etc.) and thirdly, don’t be afraid to say no or to change your mind about your pre-retirement goals.
Chuck says that he is now in the “age of discovery” and he “will enjoy deciding what he really wants to do with his next life”.