Business Achievements
Never missed a deadline
The improbable we do now; the impossible takes a little longer.
I got the job done right, the first time, no matter what it took.
Increased sales – Midwest Optical Systems (MidOpt)
Created trade name, logo, tag line, website, collateral, mass email and more for manufacturer of machine vision filters. Sales increased by 40% in the first year of the 2-year program; increasedby 60% in year 2.
Increased awareness – Bird Engineering, Omaha NE
Created advertising and collateral program which increased sales by a factor of ten over a two year period. Developed marketing elements including: trade show displays, consumer and dealer literature, advertising, photography and managed all printing and other outside resources. Designed and directed fulfillment of the consumer product branding, product naming, literature and advertising for "Fun Machines" line of go-karts.
Successful fund raiser – Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Des Plaines IL
Designed and produceds mailings for the Des Plaines convent and coordinated multi-part mailing for five convents in the USA. Both projects greatly exceeded their target goals.
Introduced Software – INTO2000, Wheaton IL
Created advertising and print campaign which, combined with the sales efforts of the company, brought a new program to market. In two years it went from nothing to the best used program of its kind in the world, surpassing IBM's own similar program. Other supporting efforts included up to seven highly customized rental trade show booths per year that allowed participation by a variety of vendors.
Increased profits – Pyle-National, Chicago IL
Increased profits by $650,000 over the annual projection through effective writing and production on one catalog for electrical parts manufacturer. Produced six other catalogs for the same client, one of which condensed 164 pages of a European product catalog into 18 pages, resulting in a tremendous cost savings.
Saved money – Amcam/Camco, Wheeling IL
Slashed printing costs for industrial cam company by $25,000 for a 192 page catalog, including the addition of 36 new pages and alterations on 126 existing pages. Knowledge of print and pre-press efficiencies made the project go smoothly and looking terrific
Generated inquiries – Kenlin Enterprises, Highland Park IL
Generated the greatest ever number of qualified inquiries for a single full page ad, not just for the client but for the publication as well. The ad resulted in the client signing a dozen new accounts.
Other Chest-Thumpers:
16 national design awards (until it became too costly and time-consuming to enter the competitions), including 5 POPAI awards for displays.
Helped raise two great men; gramps to Vionna Trinity and Mallory Rose!
Authored Objects in the Heavens , the Complete Mag-10 Deep-Sky Viewing List and Fieldbook for northern hemisphere viewing. Since 2002; now in its 6th Edition.
Earned the National Aeronautic Association Safety Award for the invention of the Linknife™ Tow Release
Presented with a Commendation Award by the US Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association for work done on behalf of the local and national pilot communities
Flew a hang glider 95 miles cross country. The flight lasted almost 5 hours with altitudes to 7500 feet above the ground. A friend and I flew as a team and landed at the same place, right next our team driver, to make it the longest team flight east of the Mississippi River (bested two years later by a team flight of 135 miles out of Florida).