Phil Culbert - Part 2: Career

In the previous installment of Phil Culbert's autobiography, you read about his early years. Now it's time to read about Phil's career. Over to you, Phil!

(Note from the blog author: When you read about Phil's career, you'll know who to blame for all those Avocado Green refrigerators in the 1970s!)

Career:

I was in Grade 12, my final year of high school at H.B. Beal Secondary School in London, Ontario when I made the decision to quit school to find a job, and in a couple of months get married as my girlfriend was pregnant with our son.  This was a huge decision and responsibility for any 18-year-old to make but one I accepted. It turned out to be the best decision of my young life. 

The thought of quitting school to get a job as I had a family on the way to support was constantly in the back of my mind for many days leading up to me actually doing it.  I made this life changing decision all without confiding in or talking to anyone, including my parents, which added to the anxiety. I walked to school that morning and went straight to the office and told them I was quitting.  I could not tell them the real reason but simply said I wanted to quit.  I had to go and talk to a school councillor first, and then go empty out my football locker before leaving.  Just before I left school for good, my football coach caught up to me in the hallway and started yelling at me for making such a bad and irresponsible decision. I was biting my lip the whole time he was talking to me as I could not tell him the real reason I was quitting. His last words to me were “Culbert, if you walk out that door you will be a nothing for the rest of your life without your Grade 12.“  He was visibly upset with me for making this decision. As I walked out the door, literally with tears in my eyes, those words he said would inspire me for the rest of my life as I was determined to succeed and never fail!! In retrospect, I should have written him a letter years later and thanked him!!

I hopped on the bus outside my high school and headed downtown to the employment office. I filled out an application with my all my qualifications (it was a 1-page form that took 5 minutes to complete.) I had a quick interview with a very nice lady and was sent home and told to wait until something came up in my field of expertise as a high school drop-out!  (I did major in Marketing which got me the job.)

Much to my pleasant surprise, I wasn’t home even one hour when the phone rang and it was the lady I had been interviewed by. She said she had a job interview set up for me.  She asked me if I knew where General Steel Wares was on Adelaide Street and I said "no." So I got directions, borrowed my brother's suit, hopped on the bus, and went for the interview.  I was hired on the spot. I started immediately, literally three hours after I had left high school that morning!  It was October 16th, 1968.  Forty-two years later I would retire from the same company!!!!!  

Here is the story of that journey from scared school kid to a successful career in the appliance industry!

General Steel Wares or GSW as the company was known by the 1960’s was a successful manufacturer and distributor of major household appliances. These included refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, and also wringer washers and freezers which were made in their Fergus, Ontario plant, formally known as Beatty Brothers Appliances. They also made pots and pans back then when I started with them.

This is a picture of General Steel Wares (circa 1969). Photo by London Free Press. 

I started in the warehouse on the left side of Adelaide Street and then moved up to the main office on the right side of the street. All these buildings are now gone.

It was a time when almost all appliances sold in Canada were made by Canadian companies including GSW, Frigidaire, Westinghouse (where my Uncle Cliff Culbert worked), Inglis, Admiral, General Electric, Moffat, Enterprise, etc.  Canada was an appliance manufacturing hub back then.  Now appliance manufacturing is all gone from Canada, and although the brands still exist, manufacturing is all done out of country, mainly in Mexico, United States, Korea, Japan and China.  

GSW was formed in 1927. They purchased the McClary Stove Company founded in 1847 by John McClary and his brother.  Ironically, another former Lucan lad started his career there as well in the late 1800’s.  His name was Johnny O’Connor. He was famous for being the only survivor of the Donnelly family massacre in Lucan, Ontario on Feb 4th, 1880, committed by the Peace Society Vigilance Committee. Johnny O'Connor witnessed the terrible murders from underneath a bed where he hid while the carnage took place in front of him by the vigilante gang.  When the Donnelly home was set on fire, Johnny, aged 15 at the time escaped through a back door to a neighbour's home.

Artist's drawing of the McClary Stove Company circa late 1800’s which later became General Steel Wares Ltd.

GSW Office and Plant circa 1949 that looked the same when I started in 1968.

I started my career working in the warehouse. My job included recording all the serial numbers of every single appliance shipped out of that warehouse to our customers and warehouses across Canada. There were literally tens of thousands of units per year.  It was the most boring job that one could possibly be assigned to do and one that I quickly tired of. As it was a union job, I was able to apply for a better job working on the order desk up the street in the main office a few months later. 

One of my jobs on the order desk was working with the Sales Manager for Export Sales, looking after his customers. Eventually, he was able to get me out of the union to come and work for him exclusively, looking after his accounts.  That position led to my being hired in my first supervisory position as Order Processing Supervisor. Ironically I was back in the warehouse where I had first started.  

In May,1971 GSW acquired the Moffat Stove Company in Weston, Ontario.  I was asked to move there to lead the order desks and order processing departments as Order Desk Supervisor with a staff of nine people. I accepted the offer and did that for seven months. Then I was again asked if I wanted to move to Vancouver and take over the newly formed position of Operations Manager of both the Moffat office and warehouse, and the GSW/McClary office and warehouse. I was responsible for bringing the two branches and staff together under one roof. 

Things were moving very fast for me. At 21 years of age now with a young family and a new baby on the way, I accepted the move to the West Coast.  I had never been on a plane in my life or for that matter had ever even travelled outside the Province of Ontario. So I was quite excited about this new opportunity along with receiving a nice wage increase and a management position.

I successfully brought the two branches under one roof after just over a year. Then I was approached by the Regional Sales Manager to see if I would accept the position of District Sales Manager for Moffat/McClary relocating to Kamloops, British Columbia, working out of my home and travelling the Province calling on retail appliance stores.  I jumped at the chance to get into outside sales, and made the move to Kamloops in May, 1973.  

Here are some of the brochures I would carry with me from those earlier days.  Check out those colours!!  Avocado Green, Harvest Gold and Coppertone.

Phil on the phone to one of his customers trying to sell one of these magnificent new colours in kitchen appliances!!! 

I had some great mentors in those early years, especially my boss, Merv Duggan who I learned so much from. I spent the first 10 years of my sales career on the road working from Kamloops. That's where I bought my first home in 1973 thanks to my new compensation package which included commission as well as salary.  It also included a company car, gas, insurance, etc.  I would not have to buy a car again until I retired in 2010, some 37 years later as I had a company car all those years on the road.  

My territory was huge; travelling all the way to Prince Rupert in the far northwest of the Province, some 1500 kilometers from Kamloops!  That trip would take up to 10 days, given all the customers I had to stop and see on the way up there as well as many nights in hotel rooms.  I also looked after the West Kootenay region which was also a long drive but I was able to do in less than a week.  I used to be away over 100 nights per year which made it very tough on the family. 

Travelling back east to Toronto, Montreal, Hamilton or Niagara Falls once a year for National Sales Meetings (or wherever they decided to hold it) was always fun as I got to see my peers once a year to exchange stories and catch up on their work experiences in their territories. It was always a fun time that I looked forward to.

Here are a couple of pictures from the 1970’s and 80’s of one such trip. Do you recognize me in these pictures?

Being successful in a sales career certainly had it’s perks especially when they had contests for trips, bonuses, etc.   My first trip was in my second full year on the road when I won top salesman in Canada for GSW and was awarded a two-week trip to Hawaii in 1976.  

In 1977, GSW merged with Canadian General Electric to form Camco Inc.  Camco also bought Westinghouse Canada at that time so three major appliance sales forces came together under one roof.  From 1977-1987, the three sales forces, Moffat/McClary, GE and Hotpoint (formally called Westinghouse ) ran separately with three separate sales forces, manufacturing plants, etc.  As expected, it all came to an end when the decision was made to merge the three sales forces and plants to save money.  I was chosen in my territory to lead this new directive while my two counterparts in my area lost their positions.  I felt bad for them but this was the reality of the business going forward.  I now carried all three major brands in my bag and in in my first full year increased business in my territory by over $1M by increasing distribution of all the brands.

In 1984, while we were still running with three sales forces, Camco introduced a new incentive for it’s sales forces called The President’s Club.  The top Sales person in each Region (West/Central/East) would be awarded the President Club Trophy which included a trip and a gold engraved ring.  This was the first of nine President Club Awards that I was fortunate enough to win over my career which remains a record to this day. 

The first trip was to New York City in 1985, staying at the Waldorff Astoria in Manhattan.  Angie and I enjoyed that trip very much including seeing 42nd Street on Broadway, a horse and carriage ride through Central Park, Mr. Chows Restaurant, Empire State Building, World Trade centre, and 30 Rock, just to name a few places we visited.  It was the trip of a lifetime!  

Here are a few pictures from that trip.

Angie and Phil enjoying a ride through Central Park in a horse and carriage.

Phil and Angie dining at The Rainbow Room in New York City.

Menu from The Rainbow Room.

Subsequent President Club trips that I won included Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and a four-star Victoria Harbour Hotel. Then, due to costs they changed to providing $1500 travel gift certificates to the winner so you could choose your own trip. I put it towards a cruise. Then, they cut back again a few years later and provided just a trophy, and the Presidents Club ring or diamonds for your ring if you already had one. Over the years, I ended up with three rings and four diamond inserts as well as taking a diamond broach for Angie one year instead of the ring for me.  Bottom line: despite the financial cutbacks, winning the prestigious award was always good enough for me as you were honoured in front of your peers at the National Sales Meetings each year, including one year in Mexico after Mabe had purchased Camco.

Here are a few pictures from some of those nine Presidents Club Award presentations over the years.

Another incentive that was offered to the Moffat/McClary Sales Force across Canada while it was still separate brand force was the Moffat Cruise for top sales persons in Canada and their dealers.  I won the first three cruises and the fourth and final year it was a trip to Maui, Hawaii which I also won.  Yes, sales incentives certainly do work!!!!

Here are a few pictures from those cruises. My favourite was the Rhine Cruise of 1985 where we sailed through Holland, Germany and France.  What a great trip!

Our Rhine Cruise ship docked in Holland waiting for us to board for our 1-week cruise.

Dinner, drinks and dancing to an Omph-Pa-Pa Band at the Marksburg Castle in Germany.

More beer please!!!!

Marsksburg Castle soldier making sure we all get back to our bus which was waiting for us at the bottom of the mountain to take us back to our ship.  I’m holding him up as I think he had too much to drink...lol! OMG!  Is that a cigarette in my hand???

Dinner back on our Rhine Cruise ship with Fred and Joanne Henderson, my customers from Kelowna who joined us.

Sailing the Caribbean on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Meeting the Captain of the Nordic Prince.

With good friends Lorne and Janice Marshall who were customers, along with Camco President Steve Snyder.  

Life is tough for Angie and I on these cruises!

Chilling at lunch onboard the ship (not sure which ship...LOL)

In the early 2000’s, Camco was sold to Mabe, a giant appliance manufacturing company based in Mexico with several plants throughout Mexico and South America as well as being a partner with General Electric in the United States. Having a world appliance leader take over and operate our company was just what we needed to stay competitive in the industry; an industry that had changed so much over the years with new players from Korea and China increasing their North American market share with their products. Mabe was/is a leader in new product innovation and technology and we became a much better company because of it.  

They quickly embraced a program which we had introduced in the late 90’s called The GE Appliance Centres.  These were independent dealer stores that we set up to sell nothing but GE-related products (GE, GE Profile, GE Monogram, GE Cafe, Hotpoint and Moffat appliances.) The first two stores were opened back east. I opened the third such specialty store in Western Canada right here in Vernon where I now live.  

I would go on over the next several years to open a record fourteen GE Appliance Centres in my territory; a record that still stands today for a single territory.  Many of the stores I opened formally sold competitive products which I managed to displace off their floors with this program, increasing market share right throughout my territory. I was very proud of this accomplishment more than anything I had ever done. Upon retirement, I was awarded with the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award given out at my final National Sales Meeting before retiring in Niagara Falls.  

Unbeknownst to me, they flew Angie out for the presentation.  They kept her hidden in our hotel for 24 hours. They dimmed the lights and the big screen came down in the ballroom featuring a Phil Culbert “This is your Life“ tribute to me. A spotlight shone on the big double ballroom doors at the back of the room, and they opened, and Angie walked in.  When I saw her I choked up a bit and could feel a tear slowly fall down my cheek.  I had no idea any of this was happening.  What a moment!!  We hugged and then sat down and watched the tribute to me on the big screen.  

It was followed by speeches from our Vice President, Luis Dorador; our General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Peter Ash; and my good friend and peer, Tony Gallon from Calgary.  I then had to go up and make a speech which I was not prepared for. I managed to pull it off from the feelings in my heart to all concerned that I had worked with for so many years.  To say that was the highlight of my career would be to understate it.  

Luis and Peter then called Angie and I on stage to present me with the Lifetime Achievement Award along with a Gift Certificate for $1500 to enjoy a stay and a couple of rounds of golf at the prestigious Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria.  Again, a very emotional moment to top off a 42 year career with the company.

A final tribute was announced later in the year when the Manager of the GE Appliance Store Program for Mabe, Cindy Hills created the “Phil Culbert GEAC Award.“ This award was to be presented to the top Area Sales Manager in Canada who opened the most GE Appliance Centres (GEAC’s) in the previous calendar year.  I was quite honoured to say the least.  Ironically, the first person to win this award was the person who took over my territory the following year, Blair Magnell.  How ironic was that!

Here are a few pictures from that night in Niagara Falls!

Luis and Peter presenting Phil with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Niagara Falls at the National Sales Meeting February, 2010.

Luis, Angie, Phil & Peter on stage awarding Phil his Award.

Angie surprising Phil in Niagara Falls the night he was presented his Lifetime Achievement Award.

A night to remember for sure! February, 2010 Mabe National Sales Meeting, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The “Phil Culbert GEAC Award “ presented to the top salesperson in Canada each year who opens the most GEAC stores in the previous calendar year.

Well, that's a recap of my 42-year career in the appliance business.  I could not have done it without the support of my family, especially Brad and Tara who sacrificed so much not having their Dad home in those early years a lot of times. However, they were very fortunate to have a strong mother at home to see them through the ups and downs of growing up without their Dad there as much as they wanted and needed as he travelled so extensively. I will always be appreciative to my ex-wife, Wendy for the strength and resolve she displayed  in raising our children. 

I can also honestly say I would not have lasted 42 years in this business without the loving support I received each and every day from my wife, Angie who has been at my side supporting me all the way since 1983 when we first met after I moved to Vernon and then married in 1985.  Those 25 years were not easy for her raising our daughter, Allison while I was away so much. Her support never waivered, and she always pushed me to do the best I could in my job.  My success for all those years is due in large part to her ongoing love and support; and of course our daughter, Allison who also supported her Dad so much. Whenever I was down, Angie pulled me up and kept me on the path to success that I aways strived for and am pleased to say succeeded in achieving.

The next chapter in this story will be about my family.    

END OF PART 2

Come back soon as Phil Culbert Month continues, here on the Culbert Family History blog! 

Phillip Myron Culbert's Family Tree:
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)
Richard Culbert & Jane Eleanor Fairhall (great-grandparents)
Myron Manford Culbert & Effie Pearl Taylor (grandparents)
Ivan Hector Culbert & Elvira Hutchings (parents)
Descendants (Children):
Bradley Steven Culbert  
Tara Christine Culbert
Allison Victoria Culbert

Installments of Phil Culbert's autobiography can be found through these links:
Part 1: The Early Years.
Part 2: Career.
Part 3: Family.
Part 4: Retirement.

Phil Culbert - Part 1: The Early Years

Phil Culbert Month continues with his autobiography: Phil Culbert - Part 1: The Early Years. Take it away, Phil!

THE EARLY YEARS!

I was born on April 1, 1950 (that’s no joke!) at St. Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario. I grew up in Lucan, Ontario, about 20 miles northwest of London. My great-great-grandparents, John Culbert and Mary Ward immigrated to Canada from Tipperary, Ireland in 1840. They purchased 100 acres in Biddulph Township near the village of Lucan at Lot 19, Concession 2 on a road that came to be known as the Coursey Line.

I was the third child of the family. My father, Ivan Culbert (son of Myron Culbert and Effie Taylor) married my mother Elvira Hutchings in England while serving overseas from 1940-1946 during World War Two.

Baby Phil with his mother, Elvira (Hutchings) Culbert.

 

Grandma and Grandpa Culbert (Myron Manford Culbert and Effie Pearl Taylor) holding their newest grandson, Phillip Myron Culbert.  My middle name was named after my grandfather Myron.

My older brother, Ian was born in 1948 and my oldest sister, Vicky was born in 1946.  My youngest sister, Christine would be born later in 1955 after we had moved to Owen Sound, Ontario.

Left to right: Siblings, Vicky Culbert, Ian Culbert, and Phil Culbert.

My Dad owned a bakery/dry goods store in Lucan after the war until 1955. 

Living in an apartment above my Dad’s store and living on the main street of Lucan did not afford us kids much room to play around where we lived.  Most of my playtime was in the back alley of the store where we had a small play area, as these photos will show. As a kid, it didn’t matter, as we made do with what are surroundings offered at the time, without complaint.  We were also lucky to have a cottage to go to at Lakeside, Ontario and of course always had fun visiting Grandma and Grandpa Culbert at Poplar Farm.

Phil with his father, Ivan Culbert.

Brothers, Ian (left) and Phil (right) in a wheelbarrow at Poplar Farm (home of their grandparents near Lucan, Ontario on the Coursey Line)

Phil and sister, Vicky

Phil's father, Ivan Culbert (centre). Children, left to right are Dana Culbert (Phil's cousin), Phil's sister Vicky, Phil, and Phil's brother, Ian.

By 1955, my Dad’s business was failing so he decided to sell the store. We moved to Owen Sound, Ontario where Dad accepted a job as Manager of the Singer Sewing Machine Store who he was already working for in London.  

Mom was pregnant with youngest sister, Christine. The three of us kids all registered for school in Owen Sound where I attended kindergarten for the first time.  I really liked Owen Sound as there were lots of places to play, and parks to go to. 

On weekends, Dad would often take us on hikes up the high cliffs surrounding the area where we first lived. Here is a picture of Vicky, Ian and I climbing one of them. Note there were no safety nets and Dad was at the bottom taking the picture (LOL)...

In 1957, Dad left Singer Sewing Machine Company and we moved back south, buying a house in London, Ontario, 20 miles southwest of Lucan. Dad accepted a job with the Middlesex County Jail as a guard and later as a Corrections Officer.  

London is where I and my siblings spent our youth and went to school.  I attended Public School as it was called back then at Lord Roberts which was a short walking distance from where we lived. All four of us kids attended Lord Roberts.  Here is a photo of my Grade 1 picture from 1957.  I was in he first row in front of the words “Lord Roberts“... 

Lord Roberts Public School Grade 1 class, 1957.

The next school picture is my graduating class of Grade 8 in 1964. I am in the second row, wearing the white sports coat and black tie. I still remain friends with a few of the people in this picture, 56 years later; and two of the people in my Grade 1 class, 63 years later.  My years at Lord Roberts were quite memorable with everlasting memories and some everlasting friendships of days gone by...

Lord Roberts grade 8 graduates, 1964.

We lived in the same house in London while I was growing up and going to school from 1958-1968 although my sister Vicky moved out to get married in 1965.  

As a kid, I would work various jobs to earn spending money as allowances were few and far between.  I used to shovel snow in the winter and rake leaves in the fall.  We would collect empty fruit and vegetable baskets, collecting them door to door. Then, we'd take them to the Covent Garden Market where my grandparents used to sell their produce. We'd sell the empty baskets to farmers for a nickel apiece so they could be reused.  I also had paper routes and delivered orders for Cairncross Drug Store on my bicycle through all the bad weather we would sometimes get in the winter.  

I left home in 1968 to get married. Ian and Christine stayed home a few more years until Dad sold the house due to health reasons that he and my mother had suffered, one year apart.  

Here is a picture of that home many years later which was featured in the London Free Press as one of the few Gothic style homes from the mid-1800’s in London that still survived.  This picture was taken many years after we moved out and the property had fallen in disrepair and was soon after torn down to make way for apartments.  How sad.

I started High School at H.B. Beal Secondary School in the fall of 1964, and attended from Grade 9 through 12.  Wonderful teen years with many memories of my time at that school.  I majored in Marketing which came in handy when I started working in Sales and Marketing after leaving school in Grade 12. The school was only a few blocks away so we all walked there together or with friends in rain, sleet, wind and snow.  There was no such thing as getting a ride to school in those days. I played 2 years of football (Junior and Senior) track team one year, was a Prefect and also served on the Prefect Executive and joined in many other school activities from time to time.  Here are a few pictures from my time at Beal...

That’s me in the back row far right #70. Beal Junior football Team 1965.

Phil Culbert, back row, 4th from the right (black sweater). Member of the H.B. Beal Secondary School Prefect Executive.

Phil Culbert (top row), H.B. Beal Secondary School Yearbook, Grade 12, September, 1968.

Another important part of my high school years and one of the most memorable experiences of my youth was that of being hired for 3 straight summers (1966, 1967 and 1968) working at Camp White Bear on Lake Temagami in Northern Ontario.  My brother also worked there one summer as did my best friend, Steve Matthews who was there for two summers. One of my good friends from Lord Roberts, Ian Johnston, also worked there as a Junior councillor.  The Residential Camp was owned by Ron and Mickey Johnstone. Ron was our floor hockey coach and we remained lifelong friends right up until their passing a few years ago. Great times and great memories of my time there, those three summers. 

Here are a few photos from camp and yes, that is me water slalom skiing.  Also me on he dock meeting the supply boat to pick up the mail and fresh cans of milk for all the campers...

After leaving school in Grade 12 to find a job and get married, I left behind some great memories and friends and started the next journey of my life.....Adulthood, fatherhood, marriage, work and responsibility at the ripe old age of 18!!!  And so began the next chapter in my life. 

END OF PART 1.

Come back next week to read Part 2 of the Phil Culbert story!

Phillip Myron Culbert's Family Tree:
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)
Richard Culbert & Jane Eleanor Fairhall (great-grandparents)
Myron Manford Culbert & Effie Pearl Taylor (grandparents)
Ivan Hector Culbert & Elvira Hutchings (parents)
Descendants (Children):
Bradley Steven Culbert  
Tara Christine Culbert
Allison Victoria Culbert 

Installments of Phil Culbert's autobiography can be found through these links:

Part 1: The Early Years.

Part 2: Career.

Part 3: Family.
Part 4: Retirement.

Happy 70th Birthday, Phil Culbert!

Born 1 April 1950 in London, Ontario, Canada in St. Joseph's Hospital to parents, Ivan Hector Culbert and Elvira Hutchings, Phillip Myron Culbert is the great-great-grandson of John Culbert and Mary Ward.

You'll learn much more about Phil in the days and weeks to come. Phil has kindly accepted my request to write his autobiography for us.

And so I'm declaring April "Phil Culbert Month" on the Culbert Family History blog!

Phil (my first cousin) has been a great help to me with our shared family history. Thank you, Phil.

Come back soon to read all about Phil!

Phillip Myron Culbert's Family Tree:
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)
Richard Culbert & Jane Eleanor Fairhall (great-grandparents)
Myron Manford Culbert & Effie Pearl Taylor (grandparents)
Ivan Hector Culbert & Elvira Hutchings (parents)
Descendants (Children):
Bradley Steven Culbert  
Tara Christine Culbert
Allison Victoria Culbert 

UPDATE:
Installments of Phil Culbert's autobiography can be found through these links:
Part 1: The Early Years.
Part 2: Career.
Part 3: Family.    
Part 4: Retirement.