When long-serving Frank (he joined Penn Elcom in late 1982) said that he was bored in retirement, it was easy to bring him back into the fold. Frank retired back in April 2020 after working with us for 38 years and decided to rejoin Penn Elcom in October 2021.
“I knew Roger from our days back in the “famous sixties” in England. We both worked for the same metals company and always kept in touch. In the early 80’s he asked me to join ‘Penn Fabrication’ and told me he was developing a range of flight case hardware and asked me if I was up for a challenging career. I said “yes” – the rest is history. It’s been quite a ride.”
Frank has held many roles within the company, starting as a Sales Director, Managing Director and President of the first Penn Elcom California operation in 1986, before fulfilling his last role as President of Penn Elcom Mexico.
So, why did Frank decide to return to work after 15 months of retirement? “I have a very active mind as has been seen over the years. I need challenges to keep me mentally and physically active. Penn Elcom has been my lifeblood, can’t stop it spinning. The directors spoke to me about a return to the company. My answer was returned within two minutes! As my colleagues will attest, it’s great to be “back in the saddle”. Penn Elcom recognises the experiences and achievements of its senior staff over the years and allows them the opportunity to continue to be an asset to the company which is absolutely fantastic.”
With over 40 years of Penn Elcom experience under his belt, the first opportunity was to have Frank work closely with an online sales customer to enhance sales by providing product knowledge, expand the product offering and most importantly improve and streamline both communication and the sales process.
As a former Managing Director in both the UK & California, another opportunity to utilise Frank’s skills presented itself when Clinton Smith was appointed as the new manager of our business in Australia. Frank has been supporting Clinton with both product knowledge and customer support as well as inventory management and purchasing.
“My current job role at Penn Elcom mainly includes the development of web sales items and mentoring Clinton Smith at Penn Elcom Australia. Our product range is new to Clinton, but he has been in sales and distribution for many years and has a lot to offer Penn Elcom. We cover all aspects of the mechanics and applications of our parts. We also cover warehousing, logistics, purchasing, sales inventory management and customer growth and development of existing and new business.”
“The biggest difference I have encountered since restarting at Penn Elcom is the effect that the international pandemic has had on businesses all over the world. There has been a significant reduction in sales and manufacturing for all companies. Penn Elcom is a very resilient and forward-thinking company and used their experiences of previous recessions and economic turmoil to learn how best to combat such downturns.”
Before he first joined Penn Elcom back in 1982, Frank was in the UK metals distribution industry. “Aluminium, steels, yellow metals to the general engineering and aerospace market. I had 20 years of experience ranging from purchasing, stock control, sales, metals inspection and branch management.”
Frank has a clear passion and interest in the industry and our products, which is even more evident in his out-of-work antics… “My motor home needed more storage space, so I built a custom flight case using our panels and range of hardware. It also has a slide-out barbecue unit and serving tables! I enjoy my motor home both travelling in it and also making custom items for it. The climate is great in California and allows plenty of outdoor recreation. My biggest love is my family. I have an amazing wife, son, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. We all live close to each other and spend a good deal of time together.”
We are thrilled to have Frank back at Penn Elcom! We asked him what he is most excited about for the next year: “Now that we are all just about ‘breaking through’ the pandemic, it will be good to get back to the ‘new norm’. It’s been testing times for all of us both domestically and commercially. I am looking forward to assisting Penn Elcom in developing new business in whatever countries and product markets are needed. I feel the company is ready for continued growth that has been made possible by the owners with their ability to have navigated the company through these trying times and still investing in new technologies and equipment.”
