Long-Time Osborne Employee Welcomes Retirement
Osborne Wood Products is disheartened yet delighted to announce the retirement of head lathe operator Carl Hall. On Monday, September 12, 2022, Hall completed his final day at the facility. He became a member of the Osborne team in the early 1990s as an apprentice lathe operator and has shown unmatched loyalty and dedication to his position for over 30 years.
Hall recalls the first time he met Leon Osborne, president and CEO of the company. He was traveling by the facility and saw a help wanted sign in the front lawn.
“I knocked on his door on a Sunday afternoon and he told me to come in the next day for an interview. He asked if I would be interested in learning the machines and how to do turnings,” Hall stated. “I started the following Monday. I jumped right in with both feet and enjoyed it.”
Hall had previously worked in carpentry and with a crew in Atlanta focusing on interior work. When he met with Osborne he was asked why he wanted to leave his business in Atlanta to work there.
“Number one was the environment,” said Hall. “I was really impressed with Leon and his plans for the future along with his patience and humbleness.”
Hall was able to see many of these future plans come to fruition and enjoyed witnessing the progress of the company over time.
“I was impressed with how quickly it grew with the people he brought in and how he added on to the building,” Hall explained. “We went from table legs to columns and more. We started out with hydraulic manual lathes for square turnings and now have CNC lathes.”
Along with watching the company change, Hall mentioned several positives regarding his time there. He shared his fondness of the company’s involvement with the local community, specifically when they host tours and welcome local students as interns. He also reminisced on a trip he was able to take with the company to Italy in order to purchase a lathe.
“We took a nine hour trip and ended up right south of Berlin. We got to fly over the Swiss Alps, spend a little time there and then went to Capri, Italy. We ate Italian food and got to see the countryside. We then took the train to Rome and got to see the ruins. We went to Barcelona and spent the night there, as well. It was kind of a vacation business trip and was a highlight of my life,” he stated.
Hall spoke highly of the company and its management but was excited about his decision to retire. He stated that he is looking forward to spending time with his family and not having to worry about punching the clock.
“My wife will retire soon and we are going to take a lot of trips together like to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite,” Hall shared. “We have hobbies such as metal detecting and panning for gold. Riding the motorcycle, of course. I also have grandkids and two great grandkids. We can spend more time together and I’m looking forward to that.”
