Tuesday, March 4, 2014
In 1998 Wright's hired me to take over for Howard when he retired. They allowed us to work together for several months before he decided it was time for him to go. We made lots of trips to vendors and learned the ropes of purchasing "the Howard Austin way". Howard was well known by our vendors as a tough negotiator and was respected for his superior knowledge of printing on a wide range of surfaces, from boxes to packaging film. The most memorable trip was when we went almost a mile below the surface in the Morton Salt mine at Grand Saline, TX. They don't even let people close to it anymore. Howard and I both looked at each other in fear when they handed us a brass circle with a number on it, telling us "this is how they identify you if we have a cave in". Good times. He was a good mentor and taught me what it takes to find the best value for the company. A good, honest, God fearing man. It was an honor to know him and I appreciate what he did for me. May God comfort you in your loss.
