Hansons Beginnings

It was time for college. I remember how disappointed my father was with my prospects of getting into a university or any college for that matter. My dad wanted me to go to college more than anything. He was planning to re-mortgage his home to afford to send me to school.

I applied at Eastern Michigan University and requested an in person interview. I knew that if I could talk with them I would be admitted. I was admitted on a very strict probation.

I passed my first year by a slim margin (as always). That summer I sold pots and pans, speakers, telephones and radios literally out of the trunk of my car. My dad was really disappointed when I told him that school really wasn't for me and I wanted to be in sales and marketing. I took the next year off of school. I remember my dad calling me, asking if I was ready to shut my trunk and get myself back to school. I was ready. My dad said that he would pay for school after I improved my grades. The first semester I fell short of our agreement of a 3.0 B average. I was still earning money by selling out of my trunk, and I was delivering pizzas. I was never lazy. I always worked very hard. I paid for school on my own that semester. One day I received a call from my dad saying, "Maybe school isn't for you, Brian." I was thinking that myself when he continued with "I have a friend who is in the window business...why don't you call him?" I, of course, took down the number knowing I wouldn't call it.

That night I was with a girl I knew and was telling her of the conversation with my dad. She says, "That's funny, my brother is in the window business ...I'm going to call him." I ended up getting on the phone with him and by coincidence he happened to work for my dad's friend. We talked for a while and he encouraged me to look in to the company before saying no.

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