A Tribute to Bill Barr.

We have been a UWD Dealer for 13 years.  In fact, we have been Bill’s favorite Dealer that entire time and if he was here right now, he would tell you that himself.   

Our background was unexpected.  Steve was a ditch digger.  I was an unemployed corporate gal desperate for a change.   Bill was there when we started, and Bill was there when we became a multimillion-dollar company.  Bill has been a part of our life and our business the entire time.  Bill has always been there.

Bill was there when we first made the 13-hour drive to Cleveland.   Upon arrival, we were ushered into his office to meet him.  It was a Monday.  He had run 4 leads the day before and his father-in-law was rehashing in the next room.   He was excited to show us the sales board - a rep had topped $100K that month.  He was selling the dream.

Bill was there, with Mike, at that sports bar when they took us to lunch.   They were getting ready to close the two of us UNTIL they learned we weren’t a couple.  That news caused them to physically turn their chairs to face only Steve; leaving me on the outskirts finishing my fries with no eye contact.    They didn’t have time for a one-legger.  They were there to close.  And they did.     

Bill wasn’t there during the long stressed out silent drive back home that day. Every word he spoke was running through our heads on a reel.  We kept replaying the conversations we had; only sporadically speaking to each other.  Luckily he wasn’t there for the tears at that pizza hut somewhere in Wisconsin.  That would have been awkward.

Bill was there when we arrived the first time for training.  He was standing in the front of that old, cramped training room, to be exact.   Teaching A-Z to my pipe liner, worrying about him, asking me if he was ok.   Eyes huge.  Borderline freaked out.   Half convincing me that I should go into the house to sell.  Bill was that good. 

Bill was there.   Less than 4 hours after Steve passed his contractor license Bill and Mike were in Minneapolis.   They scooped up Steve, drove to a supply yard, hunted down our first install crew, then went to Home Depot to buy carpet for our booth at the show before returning to the basement office to make copies of the lead book and appointment reminders.  We still have that carpet and that install crew, by the way.

Bill was there setting up our first show - at the Maplewood Ice Arena.  We had a very glamorous 10x10 with brand new carpet.   He and Mike worked it with Steve.  Showing him the ropes.  Demonstrating how it was done.   Sneaking in product training, sales training, and home show training in every spare minute.

Bill was there, in the house with Steve as he ran – and sold – a lead from that show.   Maureen D.  In Maplewood.   March 23, 2009.  We were officially in business.   Where was Mike?  Taping the sales board with Melissa on the kitchen table back at the house.

Bill was there, in a home show booth with us in Minneapolis more than a few times.  I think he came for our Home and Garden Show three times.    He showed Steve how to visit with customers and brought expertise and calmness to the booth.   In many ways having him there was our security blanket.

Bill was there with open arms when Steve hit a rough patch.  He invited him back to Cleveland to work the Big Show with the marketing team.   That experience infused Steve with the confidence he needed forever.   It was the arm wave.   From that day forward it was clear that no one could outperform Steve Brager in a home show booth.

Bill was there in 2010 to award Steve the Dealer of the Year Award.  And again in 2011.  And again in 2012.  

Bill was there when the Superbowl came to Minneapolis.  He and Addy made time on game day to join us for brunch downtown amid all the hoopla and the action and aaalllll the amped up Eagles fans.    It may have been one thousand degrees below zero, but he was also there with us on Nicollet Mall after brunch taking a VERY quick look at those ice sculptures.

Bill was there at every Dealer meeting anxious to see us.  He was always asking about our daughter.   And always making sure we had some one-on-one time… be it brunch, or dinner, a drink at the bar, or even an afternoon 4 wheeling around the Dominican Republic.

Bill was there for every major milestone we have had.  The business opportunity he sold us changed our life.   The support he gave us ensured our success; we knew failure wasn’t an option with him in our corner.   He celebrated our marriage, our daughter, and all the success in our business.    (Even though in our last meeting he told us we should definitely be spending more on marketing….  Who knows?  We just might.)

Going forward Bill will still be there for us.  As the voice in our heads, the guiding light in how we run our business, and in the generosity, we show towards people we care about.