As ASI’s second official employee (after Scott!), Jim is truly an OG; in fact, he still codes regularly in COBOL and continually amazes us with his knowledge and expertise in any given situation! He can be found with a cup of coffee at any time, and as our resident office ‘Dad’, we can always count on him to provide us with his ‘Dad Joke of the Day’.
Let’s see what he’s shared with us…
- Favorite job growing up? Working on the family farm. It was hard work, but I have my best memories from that time.
- Hobbies/pets/fun fact that not many people know? I enjoy researching family genealogy for my family, my wife’s family, and others within our families.
- What music is on your iPhone/Android phone? I like a wide range of music. Here’s just some of the music you’ll find on my phone:
- Hits of the 80s
- Classical music
- Canadian Brass
- Straight No Chaser
- UW Marching Band
- Blink-182
- Scorpions
- Deep Purple
- Cake
- Weezer
- Rise Against
- Violent Femmes
- The Ventures
- Weird Al Yankovic
- If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Benjamin Franklin
- What is one TV show you can re-watch endlessly? Seinfeld
- Which four individuals, living or dead, would you like to eat dinner with the most? Since I’m very interested in my family history, there are four very interesting people in my family tree that I would like to meet, have a nice dinner with, and discuss our lives and experiences; Gottfried Otto Krueger and his wife Johanna Kurth Krueger, Emma Ziegenhagen Kuehl, and August Zimmermann.
- What’s the most interesting thing that has happened to you? When I worked at Strategic Data Systems, I was making regular trips to Cincinnati for a new client. There was one trip I made with another SDS employee where little did I know that breakfast was going to be the high point of that day, and everything else was downhill from there. We never made it to the client’s office, and it was a very, very long day. It’s an interesting and long story that I’m willing to tell, so ask me about it some time. (Oh, we will!!)
- Before working at ASI, what was the most unusual or interesting job you ever had? While I was in college and living at home, I worked at Ariens Company as a punch press operator on the weekends. One summer, I was given the opportunity to work full-time in the Ariens Research & Development department as an intern. I was tasked with testing Ariens and competitors’ equipment, testing strength and durability of parts, and documenting the testing steps and results. I enjoyed working with the team and learned quite a bit on the job.
- What do you like most about ASI? The family atmosphere.
- What celebrity do people think you look like? In my 20s (the 80s), it was Rick Astley. Most recently, a couple of people in our office Huddles said Brett Favre, which was mostly for my gray beard.
- What did you want to be when growing up? Up until the early 80s, I wanted to take over the family dairy farm.
- What do you like most about your job? The people. I like the family atmosphere, the relationships that I have built over time with past and current employees and customers.
- What is the best book you ever read? Well, when I have the time, I enjoy reading history books, especially about the US Presidents, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War. The book is The First American, The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, by HW Brands.
- What is your favorite movie? Shawshank Redemption
- What is your favorite sport? If it’s watching a sport, it would be NFL Football
- What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have outside of work? Genealogy, reading history books, gardening, spending time with family
- What one food do you wish had zero calories? Frozen Custard
- What phobias do you have? Claustrophobia and Acrophobia (We had to look these up – fear of confined spaces and fear of heights)
- Who is your favorite comedian? Steven Wright
- Where is your hometown? Reedsville, Wisconsin; population 1,151
- Where would you like to travel to? Ireland
- Which one would you want most – flying cars, robot housekeepers, or moon cities? Moon cities
- Would you rather be a tiny elephant or a giant hamster? Tiny elephant
Thanks Jim, for keeping us all on track and always pushing forward!