Sometimes things happen in patterns. This last August, within two weeks of each other, we had two 11-year-old boys and their families come to our factory for a visit and a factory tour. One was from Alabama and the other from Pennsylvania. Given a choice on other adventures they might have had, both told their parents they wanted to come to Colorado to visit the Walker factory.
You see, both of these young men are entrepreneurs in progress. One already has a mowing business with a Honda walk-behind mower and the other is making plans to get his business started. Both had done their research about the Walker Mower and had visited the Walker Dealers close to home. As I gave them the factory tour, you could tell they knew a lot about the mower—engine options, deck sizes, attachments and prices for the equipment.
Neither of the boys had operated a Walker Mower. I took them to our sales training area and put them on a Walker. They took right off and began operating the mower just like a pro. They had watched our videos online and knew how to operate the machine. You should have seen the smiles on their faces as they drove the Walker for the first time.
Both of these boys have plans to purchase a Walker Mower in the next few years. Both told me they will build their businesses using the mowers they have at hand and will “earn” their Walker Mower. To me this is very exciting. It is OK for older guys like me to purchase a Walker Mower, but our future in themanufacturing business rests on having the next generation see the opportunity to use a Walker Mower to build their business, setting goals and making plans to become a Walker Mower owner.
Finally, for naysayers who think the next generation is not going to amount too much, there are still great young people being born and growing up to become great citizens of this earth. There are still some great parents (like my parents) who are guiding and encouraging their kids to pursue their dreams. Getting acquainted with two 11-year-olds and their families in August fanned the fire of my optimism.
Bob Walker
President
Walker Manufacturing
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