Eikenhout : Roofing, Siding and Windows

It happened 25 years ago

Reminiscing by Mike Chase

Recently I told this story to our Aquinas College intern about how we found a customer one afternoon 25 years ago. I was working at the sales counter answering a routine call and here’s what happened.

This customer, who didn’t know us and we didn’t know him, said that his supplier was suppose to have a shingle delivery at his jobsite that morning but never showed and never called.  He was desperate.  He had heard of Eikenhout and wondered if we could do something.

The problem was that it was almost 5:00 pm on Friday, our drivers wanted to go home, and it was 100 miles one way for his delivery.  I told our dispatcher that I would be willing to load a truck and make the drive.  Am I glad I did.

While unloading my truck at the cottage job site he came up to me in his short, to the point style and said, “Hi, I’m Ed McKeough.”  You see Ed had bartered a week of family vacation there if he would put a roof on the cottage, and he wanted to get that vacation started.

His wife, Sue, was taking some meat off  the grill while their young children were playing.  They invited me in for dinner and a 25 year relationship began that day.

Our new intern, who was not around 25 years ago, appreciated the history lesson, because he too knows Ed and Sue.  They are his parents.