Something I thought would have been an unassailable truth about humanity as a whole is that we get sick. After all, who hasn’t had a cold? Sometimes, you may even have to call out of work due to a cold, strep, the flu, zika—any of the trending illnesses, really. It’s perfectly natural to miss one or two days in a work year because of some health concern or other, just as missing a day of school as a kid was normal every once in a while. Recuperation time is necessary, and unavoidable. Right?
Well, not if you’re Ron Kline. Mansfield Plumbing hired Ron Kline on January 30, 1965 as a clean-up person at the Mansfield manufacturing facility in Perrysville, Ohio. Kline, who now delivers for Mansfield Plumbing, celebrated an 18,980-day record for Perfect Attendance earlier this year. That’s 52 years of service with no sick days.
ENJOYING THE JOB
Kline delivers toilets, sinks, and tubs around Ohio and, at age 72, has no intention of retiring. “I love talking to our customers,” says Kline, “and working for this company, so why would I retire? My health has always been really good and this is a great team to be a part of, so I’m going to keep working as long as possible.”
MOVING UP
Kline spent his first 18 years with Mansfield as an inspector/grader of sanitaryware products as they came out of the kiln. “I checked for cracks and blemishes to make sure the quality was there for each and every piece that went out the door,” says Kline. But, about 34 years ago, Kline decided to try his hand at delivery, which has “been a terrific job,” he says.
“For a while, I was shuttling product from our plant to our warehouse. Now I’m back to making deliveries to customers throughout Ohio. On any given day I could be in Dayton, Columbus, or Cincinnati. This is a great job that allows me to meet with our customers. I’m planning on staying healthy enough to continue for several more years.”
MORE THAN JUST WORK
While he enjoys his work, Kline is definitely a family man. The father of 11, grandfather of 38 and great-grandfather of eight, Kline is keeping a family tradition going strong at Mansfield Plumbing. “During my lifetime I’ve seen two of my children work at Mansfield, three of my brothers, and a variety of other family members,” he says. “This place is part of all of us.”
Kline, who has been married for 52 years to his wife, Lois, has been actively involved in his community his entire life. He coached basketball and softball at the high school level for decades and is a member of the Mohican Area Community Fund.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Mansfield Plumbing precision manufactures millions of pieces of sanitaryware and bathware each year. Founded in 1929, Mansfield Plumbing, which is owned by Corona, is a leading producer of top-quality, high-design, performance plumbing fixtures and fittings for use in residential, commercial, and institutional markets.
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MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS: MARCH 2017 ISSUE
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