The other day I saw a truck leaving our factory. The thought flashed through my mind that the truck driver’s opportunity to have a job was in part due to the existence of Walker Manufacturing. A further thought was that the Walker operation creates many more jobs than just the 150 employees working under our roof. While economics is a complex subject, and I would not pretend to know all of the workings of an economic engine in creating jobs, it seems pretty clear that businesses like Walker do create jobs and opportunities that boost the economy and raise the standard of living for our citizens. At least it looks that way to me, a farm boy from Kansas.

Blueville Nursery in Manhattan, Kansas, is different from most nurseries around the country. Even though 30 of the company’s 45 acres are devoted to growing trees, evergreens, shrubs and sod, the nursery itself accounts for a small percentage of annual sales.

Two weeks out of the year, young soccer enthusiasts and college soccer coaches from around the country converge on Kalispell, Montana to attend Flathead Soccer Camp. What makes this non-residential and not-for-profit camp different from other such venues is its founder and operator, Mike Stebbins. The 66-year-old orthodontist started the camp 15 years ago primarily to give local youngsters a place to grow their soccer and life skills.

As an out front mower manufacturer, Walker Manufacturing is more than a little biased about the value of owning and operating a mower equipped with a frontmount deck. Over the years, the industry has been less receptive, thanks in part to the cost advantages afforded by less-expensive mid-mount mowers.

The old saying about giving a man a fish holds meaning for the Ackerman family in Wichita, Kansas. When 10-year-old son, Michael, asked his mom for an expensive pair of boots, she suggested he could mow the neighbors’ lawns to help pay for them. Acquiring his first customer, Michael was hooked, knowing exactly what he wanted to do the rest of his life. Today Mom and Dad work with Michael at Michael’s Complete Lawn Care, Inc.

After the passing of my Dad in September, there were lots of handwritten notes in the cards received, face-to-face visits, and also many phone calls and e-mails. It warmed my heart to know that Dad had touched so many lives in a positive way, and that the stories told and remembered showed how one life, well-lived, can make a difference.