As they say, it is with mixed emotions that I write my last piece for the Current Connections newsletter. At the end of this year, I will be retiring and saying farewell not only to my associates at Interstates but also to you, our clients. After 27 years of being part of a great, growing organization, I have the opportunity to enter the next stage of my life.
I’d like to thank you for the trust you have put in our organization during the years that I have been at Interstates. Over the course of my career, the industry has changed significantly. We have gone from using the PLC as a relay replacer to the point where we are capturing data off the plant floor for advanced analytics. Some of the early systems we installed when I was new to the organization included fully manual back panels, so if the PC system failed, you could still operate the plant. While it feels like there can’t be as much change in the next 27 years as there was in the past, history would tell us that change will only happen exponentially faster in the future. It will be very interesting to see what the next 20+ years hold.
I’d also like to thank the team members of Interstates who have worked tirelessly to meet your needs. No matter if they have been here a shorter or longer time than me, it’s a great group of people who continue to strive to understand your needs and meet or exceed them. One of Interstates’ goals is to be an enduring organization, and it will be exciting for me to watch them “from the outside” as they continue to adapt and adjust to serve both our clients and Interstates’ team members.
My father-in-law was a farmer. As he retired off the farm, I remember him saying, “It was a lot harder to quit farming than it was to start.” At the time, I sympathized with him. Today, I empathize with him. I have a new appreciation for stepping away from something that has been such a big part of my life for these past years. I will miss you, our clients, as well as the interaction with my colleagues. Working at Interstates has been a huge blessing to my family and me.
I wish you and your organizations well as you continue to meet your own clients’ needs, and I hope Interstates will continue to be a partner in your journey.
Best wishes for your continued success!
Jack Woelber, President