Living on Tulare Time
I’m going to put down a few thoughts from the World Ag Expo. It’s tough to evaluate a show like the one I just came back from. It was located in Tulare California and is billed as the “World’s Largest Annual Outdoor Agriculture Expo”. I’ve not been overseas to any trade shows, but I guess the qualifiers of “annual” and “outdoor” may have something to do about the claim.
We took out three new trailers; the Detachable Flatbed, the 35’ Hydraulic Dovetail Flatbed and the well-received 36’ Slide/Tilt Flatbed. Although the agriculture market has not been booming recently, I was pleased with the interest in our new trailers. The public approval of our new trailers is a testament to our incredibly talented staff; Jason Stika (Shop Foreman), Mike Stika (Sales Manager), David Rudolph and Scot Steward (Lead Welders).
Even at a great show, there are times where there is not much to do but stand around and watch the people go by. It is in these slower times that my mind wanders off into silly dimensions. A couple years back I thought of that song “Living on Tulsa Time”, (written by Eric Clapton and made popular by Don Williams). I decided I would re-work the lyrics and call it “Living on Trade Show Time”. If you like, you can read/sing this while thinking of a guy miles from home, attending a trade show.
Well I left Durham Kansas, drivin' my Dodge pickup
Pulling my life savings behind
Had a briefcase full of mailers
I was goin' to show my trailers
All polished up and lookin’ fine.
Sometimes it drives me crazy, but no one says I’m lazy
I was gonna show 'em all this time
'Cause you know I got a big debt
But the bank ain’t called my note yet
A close eye on the bottom line.
Livin' on Trade Show time
Livin' on Trade Show time
Well, you know there ain’t much to it
And I better start to do it
Livin' on Trade Show Time.
At shows there’s lots of walkin, for salesmen; lots of talking
Watchin people strolling by
For most it’s only gawkin’, but here I am a hawkin
Trying to catch somebody’s eye
Only one in twenty sees ya, maybe one in fifty smiles
Noticing the gleaming steel
But that one that has the big hat, and the billfold looking real fat
Might help me earn an evening meal
Sometimes it can be busy, sometimes near deathly slow,
Minutes seem to stretch like hours
But the reason we are here, and just let me make this clear
We’re building our own ivory towers
The show is finally over, it’s time to tear it down
Three days can sometimes feel like ten
But sales went like a rocket, I got orders in my pocket
Next year you’ll see me here, again
Livin' on Trade Show time
Livin' on Trade Show time
Well, it takes a lot to do it
But I’ll keep on keepin to it
Livin' on Trade Show Time.
Well, enough foolishness, I better start ordering materials to build some more trailers. Feel free to call me up and order one for yourself. I obviously will not make it as a songwriter!
Doug Kjellin
President/Owner