In this episode we are taking to Scott Griffith, CGCS, Director of Agronomy at University of Georgia Golf Course. He has a new respect for Equipment Managers after he lost his to a nonwork related injury. He had to step in and run the shop for 2 months until Mickey Wilson returned.
Transcript
Trent Manning: 0:05
welcome to the reel turf techs podcast for the technician that wants to get reel follow along. As we talk to industry professionals and address hot topics that we all face along the way we’ll learn tips and tricks. I’m your host, Trent. Manning let’s have some Welcome to the real turf text podcast, episode 78. The day we’re going outside the shop. And sudden down with Scott Griffith. CDC. Yes. He’s the director of agronomy at the university of Georgia golf course. He’s also running. For the GCSA board of directors. He’s a solid guy and I hope he gets your boat. But I really hope you enjoy our conversation. Talk to you soon. Scott to the Real Turf Text podcast. How you doing today?
Scott Griffith: 0:55
good. Glad to be here. I have to put out a little disclaimer before we start. If my voice sounds off a little bit. Did a little yelling this past Saturday in Sanford Stadium, so I’m, I’m just now getting my voice back.
Trent Manning: 1:07
Oh, I hear you. They wasn’t even anything to yell about really. That was a runaway
Scott Griffith: 1:11
No, it doesn’t matter. You stay up,
Trent Manning: 1:13
Yeah, that’s right. Yep,
Scott Griffith: 1:15
keep that pressure on. You never know.
Trent Manning: 1:17
yep. No, that’s awesome. Yep. George’s got another good team this year.
Scott Griffith: 1:21
Yeah, they do. Yeah, they do. But it’s, it’s a long road. It’s not over yet. So
Trent Manning: 1:25
That’s right.
Scott Griffith: 1:26
but delighted the end of the tunnel was kind of getting closer.
Trent Manning: 1:29
I hear you. Tell us how you got into the turf industry.
Scott Griffith: 1:32
You know, I was in school at, Troy State Uni. At that time it was Troy State University in, uh, Alabama and Troy, Alabama. it’s now Troy University. But, I was in school there, met my wife. She was, uh, ahead of me in school and, uh, she was getting ready to graduate and ready to move on. And her, uh, brother lived in LaGrange, Georgia. And uh, so she was going, she wanted to move closer to him. I had no tide, so I said, Yeah, let’s go. Let’s, let’s do this. And so we moved to Noonan, Georgia, not far from LaGrange. I said, Well, I gotta get a job and I gotta get back in school. You know, looking at maybe West Georgia at that time, cuz it was close by, it was drivable. And, uh, so I saw an ad in the paper for a, a golf course for a maintenance worker. I’m like, Hmm, that sounds pretty interesting. I like being outside. So I go and I interview and, And he hired me on the spot and I’m like, Wow, I didn’t expect that to be that easy. But now, now I know why it’s so easy, Cause
Trent Manning: 2:31
right.
Scott Griffith: 2:32
nothing changes. I mean, labor’s been an issue from day one, so, and it’s always going to be, it’s just, you know, we just try to get a little bit better every year is all we try to do. But, so I started working at Noonan Country Club and, um, fell in love with it. the assistant that was there at the time was, uh, Chris Steerman. so I asked Chris, I said, Hey, where’d you go to school? Can I go to school for this? And he is like, Yeah. He’s like, You know, Gwinnett Tech got a program up the road in Lawrenceville, and at that time I’m looking at a map of Lawrenceville. I’m like, Man, that’s on the other side of Atlanta. I don’t know about all that, but he said, Palmer Maples. For those of you that don’t know, Palmer Maples is a, worldwide known superintendent in this business and, he was teaching some classes up there. So I was like, that sounds good to me. So for two years I traveled back and forth through Atlanta traffic to finish my associate’s degree at Gwinnett Tech. And then from there I moved on to, Sunset Hills Country Club. Spent three years as an assistant there. Saw the writing on the wall, figured out that guys were getting superintendent’s positions coming out of big, big clubs. And for the most part, so I took a pay cut and a title cut and went to the Atlanta Athletic Club and spent four years there and did two different renovations. Piece of my soul was on that properly, let’s just say that.
Trent Manning: 3:51
Oh yeah. Yep.
Scott Griffith: 3:52
and then from there I moved on to the University of Georgia Golf course. So that’s, that’s my back.
Trent Manning: 3:57
That’s awesome. So what year was it when you were at Gwinnett Tech?
Scott Griffith: 4:02
Every time I look at that, I can’t thinking so far back, it had to be 1997, I think it was to 99. In that give or take one year. I can’t remember exactly to be honest with you.
Trent Manning: 4:16
I gotcha. I was just curious because they put together, I think it was for only one year, they had a technician program. They were kind of trying to copy Lake City and I went there, but it was, had to be 99 or 2000. And I went for, I don’t know, four or five classes and then they just kinda gave up on the program cuz there wasn’t enough interest. I was the only person working at a golf course current, you know, going to school there. And then there was a couple young guys that worked for Georgia Turf and Tractor back when it was Georgia Turf and Tractor, the John Deere distributor in our area. And then, uh, everybody else was retired people. Taken a continuing education class to learn about small engines and cutting units. I don’t know. It was kind of cool.
Scott Griffith: 5:07
do. Who was teaching class there? Who, who was, uh, leading that program? Do you remember?
Trent Manning: 5:11
I can’t remember his name, but he was the mechanic at Sugar Hill, I think.
Scott Griffith: 5:19
Okay.
Trent Manning: 5:20
kind of South Atlanta? Um, Older guy. Yeah. I don’t, I don’t remember his name.
Scott Griffith: 5:26
I, the, the main guy we had doing the program was Richard Ludwig and I, I think he may have started that, maybe started that program too, just cuz he saw the interest in golf courses and maybe thought they didn’t get something started. So, Maybe he was involved. The funny thing is we could have crossed paths there and
Trent Manning: 5:42
Oh, well, yeah. And didn’t even know it. That’s crazy. Such a, I mean, we talk about how small the golf world is all the time, but it is, it just seems to get smaller. You know, Well I was, for instance, I was at Chicago Golf Club, like two weeks ago and I was talking to the equipment manager there, His name’s, uh, Tony Newness, and we’re just talking and I said something about JR Wilson and JR Wilson, he’s a mechanic friend of mine and he’s a NOAC golf Club on Long Island. And so I, I brought his name up and Tony said, Oh, I know JR. We volunteered at Shinnecock together last year. You know, I mean, it’s just crazy, but you know that far apart. And they’re like, Oh yeah, I know that guy. I went to his shop and uh, took a nap during the tournament. You know, he’s telling me his old story. It’s like, this is crazy, you.
Scott Griffith: 6:33
I tell tur my turf grass now, UGA Turf Grass Management students all the time say, Listen, don’t, no matter how small you think the job is, you better treat it like it’s your last because this is a small industry and, and what you do carries over and you don’t wanna burn any bridges. So just be mindful of that.
Trent Manning: 6:51
No, that’s a great, great piece of advice for sure. Tell us what your favorite tool is,
Scott Griffith: 6:57
Favorite tool?
Trent Manning: 6:59
and it don’t have to be a shop tool. Maybe it’s some moisture meter. I don’t know.
Scott Griffith: 7:03
can, can it be a piece of equipment?
Trent Manning: 7:05
Yeah, it could be a piece of equipment.
Scott Griffith: 7:07
I would say the Toro 5,800 sprayer, 300 gallon sprayer.
Trent Manning: 7:13
Okay.
Scott Griffith: 7:14
That thing is just a beast and it just, It can take a look and keep on ticking. So
Trent Manning: 7:20
It is a
Scott Griffith: 7:21
I’d say that’s my favorite tool slash piece of equipment.
Trent Manning: 7:25
I believe I’ve had somebody say a Procore 6 48
Scott Griffith: 7:28
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 7:28
favorite piece of
Scott Griffith: 7:29
I’m not gonna say that for
Trent Manning: 7:31
No. Okay. All right.
Scott Griffith: 7:33
There’s too much verification side of that thing. Yeah, no, that’s like a. That’s a bad word. Yeah, no, I like the 6, 4, 8. Don’t get me wrong now, I’m not had nothing against the piece of equipment. It’s just the things that go with it and airification and that, that naughty word of every airification.
Trent Manning: 7:49
Yep. Don’t say the A word. Cause then that’s followed by the T word, which we all really don’t like. Top dressing. Yeah. Yeah. We
Scott Griffith: 7:58
I thought you were gonna say S for sand, but yeah. I, I got you.
Trent Manning: 8:01
Uh, well, yeah, yeah. Saying Yep. That, that would work too. Tell us, uh, one of the strangest things you’ve seen around the golf course.
Scott Griffith: 8:09
That is a tough one. I mean, I have such a short memory that I don’t really, you know, I’ve seen the, the normal stuff that everybody else has seen, somebody defecated in a cup and, you know, those kind of things. You know, the drawings and the bunkers, you know, everybody sees those kind of things. I, I don’t know about strangest things. I’ve heard so many wild stories from, from other people about what they’ve seen. I don’t think anything that I said coulda, coulda surprised anybody to be honest with you. Maybe I’ve been fortunate in that
Trent Manning: 8:37
Yeah, you might be. You might be very fortunate.
Scott Griffith: 8:41
I’ll keep thinking. If I think of something, I’ll chime in. How about
Trent Manning: 8:43
okay. No, that’s good. What do you do to relax or find your balance?
Scott Griffith: 8:49
I was a typical superintendent. It took a little while to find that balance, but once I did, I mean, it’s, it’s been, it’s been wonderful and, uh, I, I would say just coming home and being with family and being with my son and. Here lately we’ve been playing pickle ball in the afternoons, and so that’s been a lot of fun. And you know, we pick up this or that along the way, like playing disc off or doing those kind of things just with family. So I think, I think that’s the way I kind of unwind and leave things at work.
Trent Manning: 9:20
Yeah. Yeah. How much do you think it’s changed? Cause I mean, we’re about the same age, and I remember the days in the nineties and there was no, there was a work work balance, there was no life
Scott Griffith: 9:33
Correct.
Trent Manning: 9:33
do you think that’s changed to what we see today? Uh,
Scott Griffith: 9:37
I think there’s still some of that out there and you know that, and I’m not, I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna chastise anybody that’s doing that, because their membership or may demand it, or maybe that’s what drives them and maybe that’s what they love. So I don’t, I wouldn’t wanna chastise anybody for that. But I will say that I do think there’s been a sweeping change, especially of, of late. On the assistant side, I mean, there just haven’t been much movement. There was a golf course attrition after the the recession, and so those tenures were getting longer. And so those guys were just getting worn out, and then superintendents finally figured out that I can’t keep doing this, or I’m just gonna keep losing people. So I think there’s been a big shift to that and I’m, I’m kind of glad to see it because, you know, sometimes things can wait till tomorrow. It, it, it just can, But I know there’s rare situations where people have a lot of demands on ’em and they can’t, that’s not necessarily something that they can do.
Trent Manning: 10:33
Right, Right. I’m guilty just as much as anybody I, that was kinda my background and that’s what I like doing. And when I was just working on the crew, I worked more hours than anybody else there just cuz I loved it. And I was after the dollar too, obviously, but I love what I was doing and I just wanted to work as much as I.
Scott Griffith: 10:53
Mm.
Trent Manning: 10:54
as I’ve got older and have kids and all that kind of stuff, you’re like, Eh, that really isn’t that important,
Scott Griffith: 11:00
Mm-hmm.
Trent Manning: 11:01
to go spend some time with the kids.
Scott Griffith: 11:03
you get, I think you get smarter with age too. You, you learn how to, to get more efficient with your time. You learn how to get things done a little bit quicker, a little bit more efficient, and I think that kind of builds into that as well.
Trent Manning: 11:16
Yep. No, you’re right about that. Do you have a mentor you would like to mention somebody that’s really helped you in the industry?
Scott Griffith: 11:24
I, you know, I think Ken Mangle for giving me the opportunity to work at the Atlanta Athletic Club and. showing me what a, a professional superintendent looks like on that side of things. just being given the opportunity to do two renovations, there was a lot of great experience. So I think Ken is, is definitely a mentor of mine. Him and I still talk and he kind of keeps me in the loop about some things that, otherwise other people might not have an opportunity for. So definitely Kim Mangum for sure. In the, in the industry. I really feel like I’ve worked pretty hard to kind of put myself in, in some good situations. I wouldn’t say I have too many mentors. but the ones I have are special.
Trent Manning: 12:03
Oh yeah, for sure. No, I, I understand that completely. And I like what you said about hard work and that hadn’t went away. If you work hard and put your mind to something, you can achieve pretty much anything you want to achieve, and I think a lot of people lose focus of that.
Scott Griffith: 12:21
you know, it’s like when I was at the Atlanta Athletic Club, we had a, a irrigation superintendent, and he had an assistant too. Which you would need for 36 coals in that kind of facility of that size. But I mean, if there was an irrigation break and stuff, I wanted to be a part of it because I wanted to learn. I wanted to, I wanted to know how to do that. So, I know I was probably annoying to them, but.
Trent Manning: 12:41
was
Scott Griffith: 12:42
I wanted to learn how to do that stuff. Cause I knew at the next stage, you know, I might not necessarily have an irrigation superintendent. There’s not many people in the country that have one of those positions, so I wanted to have to know how to do that myself. Can’t be subbing out everything all the time, or else you’re gonna drive your, your club broke by doing that. So, yeah, you just gotta dive in and get your hands dirty and, and be willing to learn.
Trent Manning: 13:04
Well, I think that’s one reason I probably ended up in the. You know, I had no idea I wanted to work in a shop I’m 44. I still hadn’t figured out what I want to be when I grow up, you know, And I think there’s a lot of people, you know, that’s just like me too. But every time I’d walk through the shop and I would see Larry Freeman working on something, it’s like, What are you working on, Larry? What’s going on here? You know? And I know I was annoying, you know, 16 year old kid that was probably driving him crazy, but he always took the time to explain whatever he was working on and. I found it interesting, and then when he needed an assistant mechanic, he threw my name in the hat and said, Let’s check this kid out and see if he’s worth it or not. So, you know, I mean, it’s just putting yourself in the right place at the right time, I guess.
Scott Griffith: 13:50
Yeah. I tell turf students all the time, Be curious. Don’t feel like you get on bothering anybody cuz you know you’re not. any good superintendent’s gonna want to spend some time with you and want to teach you something, especially if you show interest. You show interest in what’s happening and what’s going on around you. They’re gonna take the time to Superintendents the same way. It’s like general managers call or owners call and they need something and they lean on not only you guys, but us too as the, the know-how we, we know how to get it done. We know we’re gonna figure it out one way or another. No matter if it’s in our realm or how complicated it is. We’re gonna find a way to figure it out.
Trent Manning: 14:28
That’s, and I think superintendent mechanics, we’re all in that same boat. We’re all problem solvers. We’re, we’re gonna figure it out one way or another. So why are you running for, are you running for some kind of board position or something with uh, G C S A A? I heard about.
Scott Griffith: 14:44
Yep. I had a plan on running next year, to be honest with you. You know, for the last 12 years I’ve served on the Georgia chapter, you know, from board of director all the way up through immediate past president. Which I’m getting ready to go back on as immediate past president, because we, we had some people who moved out of the golf course ranks that were on our, board. So we had some gaps to fill. So Tim Busick is actually going back as vice president and he’s gonna serve one year as vice president, then one year as president. I’m gonna fill the role of immediate past president for this year. I was at a past president’s meeting as a matter of fact. we were talking about how the elections had opened back up for G C S A A for nominations. And I was discussing with Kim Mangle and Randy Nichols and they really encouraged me to, to go and just do it. Just, Hey, you need to take this opportunity and go ahead, you know, And the more I thought about it, I was like, you know what? I’m a believer in science. You know, I was planning on running next year anyways. I think this is a sign that I need to run that, that I should do this. And so we made the decision at the last minute and were able to get all our stuff in, all the requirements that were required of us for the nomination. And, just recently I went up to the chapter delegates meeting, where I got to meet all the delegates, from the different chapters. Five minute speech going into breakout rooms and talking to guys and ladies about the industry and, and you know, what I believe in and talking about what I’ve done and my resume. So that’s kind of kicked things off. So we’re kind of an election season right now. the voting will take place at the annual conference in Orlando in February. so I’m working really hard to, to gain some votes in the country. Across all chapters and, uh, see if I can’t get on the board of directors. So I’m looking forward, to it. I’m in it, but I’m really excited about doing this.
Trent Manning: 16:36
Well, I’m super excited, you know, because I know you and we’ve had a relationship before. I’ve known you since I worked for Jerry Pay oh 8 0 9, but why should I vote for Scott,
Scott Griffith: 16:49
because you know me, you know I’m gonna work you, you know, I’m gonna put in the time and effort it takes to get things done. let me say this, G CSA has done a, an awesome job and they, they continue to do a great job. So I’m not gonna sit here and say that I’m going in to change things, that I’m gonna change the world. That’s, that’s not that. I’m going in there to. Provide a service to our members and be there for them when they need somebody to advocate for them. Somebody to serve on committees and lead committees. I think that’s where my strengths are, is because I, I’ve led those committees before I’ve been in these. Situations like going to DC and visiting with members of Congress. I’ve been in those offices, I’ve had those conversations. I consider myself a, a leader in environmental concerns. I’ve done things in that realm. I feel like my, my resume all around resume has, has shown that one, I love to. And two, I have the ability to serve. So, and I’ll be honest with Trent, I feel like I’ve been given an opportunity because at the club that I’m at that is supportive for me to run, I’ve been given an opportunity to do something like this. Not everybody gets. Listen, there’s a lot of super news that are a whole lot smarter than I am, that’s for sure. but they may not have the opportunity to run because their club’s not gonna allow them to do those kind of things. So I feel like I’ve been given an opportunity and I would be letting myself down if I didn’t, if I didn’t run, for this
Trent Manning: 18:23
Opportunity. No, I, I think it’s great. I think it’s great what you’re doing and I think it’s great. Everything that you’ve done at Georgia, that’s what’s affected me anyway. And I’ve seen how much time you spent working with Tina, which is awesome. I talked to her today. She’s one of my favorite people. Yes. Yep. but we have a really good association here in Georgia, and I’ve seen associations in other states and they’re not very strong. So I know there’s a reason why we’re really strong in Georgia, and that’s because of y’all,
Scott Griffith: 19:00
Mm-hmm.
Trent Manning: 19:01
and the time and the effort that y’all spend on creating these programs for us. And I mean, just for. Something that I can relate to is the technician seminar that the Georgia chapter puts on every year, and we always have at least a hundred people there. And that says a lot about what the seminar is, but it also says a lot about the superintendents we have and our association, that they find enough value in this seminar to encourage their technicians to go, because I spoke at. Technician seminar in another state, and there was three technicians there, and the technicians at the course. The hosting course didn’t even come. I was like, Where are these guys at? You know, But it’s, that’s what happens.
Scott Griffith: 19:53
And maybe they’re just at the beginning stages of where we were maybe 20 years ago or 30 years ago. And because like I was saying for myself, I just want to contribute and make something a little bit better. Make this a little bit better, that little bit better. So we’ve had people throughout our history of the Georgia G CSA that have given a little bit, made a little bit better, and now where we’re at, where we’re at, cuz of those efforts. And so, and in a joy to be at, in a chapter like this, to be able to be a leader. And share those experiences with other chapters and, and hope that maybe they grasp something that we’ve done that has worked for us and see them, do the same thing succeed. That’s, I mean, that’s, to me, that’s awesome. I love, I love being in that situation and you and I know. Both know we wouldn’t be in these situations if it weren’t the people before us. That kind of helped build those, stack those blocks up so we can stand on those. And you deserve a lot of credit for that, for the, uh, the mechanics or the equipment manager seminar cuz you’ve done so much work with that. And I know Tina is just, every time we talk about that, she’s so ecstatic about you. Just taking the bull by the horns and just, just riding that thing and really not even creating a whole lot of work for her or anybody else cuz you guys take care of everything. So when you got passionate people like yourself and and others, it, it makes things a lot easier. That’s for sure.
Trent Manning: 21:18
Well, thank you for that. But I do think it was a big part of the leadership we had there to bring us in to get ideas. Because I remember one of the first meetings we came to was at uga. I know you were there and we were talking, for superintendents, y’all don’t really know what the technician wants to see or do at a seminar. So why not ask the technician? And that’s exactly what you did. And I’ve been sharing that message with everybody I talk to on other chapters and stuff is get your technicians involved on the education ideas. And I’ve recently just spoke up in, Kenosha Country Club in Wisconsin, and that’s what they’re doing. They got two EMS and they’re kind of leading the charge for getting education together for all these other e. For chapter, so it’s spreading. We’ve got, we got the ball rolling. We gotta keep it going.
Scott Griffith: 22:16
Do you ever, do you ever tell them, Don’t get discouraged? you, you may only have two or three people show up the first time, but it’ll gain ground eventually. It, eventually come as the word gets out and it starts to gain traction.
Trent Manning: 22:27
it’s like, uh, the analogy about the Kool-Aid. You gotta start drinking the Kool-Aid and it just starts spreading and spreading and spreading. And, on the national level, G C S A A, recognizing the equipment manager and making a membership classification and its leaps and bounds from 2015 to where we are. Because you’re talking to a certified turf equipment manager
Scott Griffith: 22:51
Right.
Trent Manning: 22:51
there’s about 15 of us throughout the world, which is incredible. You know, it was one of my dreams and I was super passionate about it, and I sat on the task group with G C S A for, I don’t, seven years I guess, to get to this point. So it took us a while. You know, the, the wheels are turned a little, little slow turning sometimes, but we got. And I just think it’s incredible.
Scott Griffith: 23:17
40 years from now, they’re gonna be saying that Trent Manning guy back in, in 2018 started this thing up, whatever year it was,
Trent Manning: 23:26
Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, and not that, I mean, I’m not taking credit for all that. There was a ton of people, on the task group and like you said, the people before us and IG sema, they had, you know, a huge hand in that too, cuz they’ve got the first turf technician thing rolling and then kinda signed it over to Gcsa and they took the ball.
Scott Griffith: 23:51
Yeah, and I don’t think people understand how much work that takes to put all that stuff together, because I know just working with BMPs, you know, before the National BMPs came out, the template came out. We were working on. Water quality BMP for the state of Georgia. Cliff Lewis with the George e p d and said, You guys need to pay attention to water quality. We were like, Well, okay, then let’s go. You know, we saw other states doing BMP because they were getting regulatory pressure. They’re like, Well, let’s focus on one at a time, so we’re gonna do water quality. So, I chaired that committee and brought together, some experts, you know, from uga, Water quality specialists, some superintendents and stuff, but to put all that stuff together and, and get it, I mean, it’s a lot of work. So I can imagine. for the certified, uh, equipment manager. I mean that, all of that documents and, and study material that goes with that. That’s, that’s pretty extensive. That’s not something that happens overnight, that’s for sure.
Trent Manning: 24:46
Well, no, and that’s one reason. Yeah, it did take quite a bit of time. And the guys and gals at GCs a a, you know, obviously we couldn’t do it without them. Kelly Norwood, Diana Kern, I mean they kill it up there. Lisa Wick, all of ’em on special development team. They, a lot of the work they do or is behind the scenes and we don’t really see what they do, but, or most members don’t get to see what they do. But when you set on a task group and you’re emailing ’em all the time, or they’re emailing you for information and I mean, you get a good idea of where your dues is going to.
Scott Griffith: 25:25
for sure.
Trent Manning: 25:26
Anything else you wanna share with?
Scott Griffith: 25:29
I got a deeper appreciation for the equipment manager’s position, and I already had appreciation already because I’ve been at places where we didn’t have an equipment manager. and we were grinding reels with a manual grinder at Sunset Hills Country Club. And so, I’ve never become an expert at, well, anything for that matter, but especially as an equipment manager. But, never expert at it. But I always, I like to dabble in it cause I love fixing stuff and I love taking care of stuff. So, but I got a new appreciation because my equipment manager, Mickey Wilson, last year. Broke his arm at home, in an accident he had at home. And, uh, he was
Trent Manning: 26:07
He, he wasn’t racing or anything, was he?
Scott Griffith: 26:09
no, it wasn’t racing,
Trent Manning: 26:11
All right.
Scott Griffith: 26:12
although that he probably should have just told me that story and stuck with it. And instead it was a, a story that he probably don’t want anybody to know. So let’s just leave it that, but.
Trent Manning: 26:22
it at that.
Scott Griffith: 26:23
So he was out for two months while he was out, I mean, this was in August I mean, we’re, you know, I got bent grass greens, in Athens, Georgia. So, it was tough. having to try to grind real, reteach myself how to grind reels for, for one, I know I didn’t do it right probably the first 10 times I did, and I probably didn’t even do it right the 11th time. But, you know, I was trying my best and. It kind of opened my eyes to a lot of things that, one, he needed some help he’s like all of us just maybe a little bit too prideful to say that I need help and, but it made me realize that, and also made the people above me realize that. How valuable he was. And they knew it already, but they knew at that point we, we couldn’t, We needed to get him some help, one, but that was also, we needed some backup as well too, cuz he just can’t do it without an equipment manager. So almost it’s, it’s impossible. I’ll say. It’s impossible. so we hired, we’ve hired a, an equipment manager, assistant equipment manager. He’s been awesome. Chris little who’s, who’s done an awesome. Came over from the bus shop at UGA and has just been killing it ever since. I mean, he’s already, him and Mickey are talking about going through the certification program cuz we, we actually incentivized it. So we said, you finish this program, it comes with a merit raise. So it was a way for me to do that. Universe is, Sticky about raises and how things were, It’s a lot of red tape to go through, but you know, as long as you can justify it, which we could with that, no doubt. So that’s been the, the certification program has been valuable for me to be able to offer that opportunity. But, you know, being without Mickey was just an eye opener. I appreciated him and him and I have a wonderful relationship. We’ve been working together for. I don’t know how long’s it been now. It’s probably been 12 years now. I hope it end to the day I retire. He’s not allowed to leave until I retire, so I’ve been telling him every time. But, definitely a new appreciation and I was glad to see the things that he needed. and I was glad to get him those things that he needed, uh, to be able to do his job effectively, though.
Trent Manning: 28:33
No, that’s awesome. Yeah, and, and I know you appreciated him, but it’s a different level of appreciation after you spend a few days in his shoes. And Yeah. And deal with everything that he’s dealing with and you know, just like a lot of us, a lot of things we just let you know, slide off our back and we move on and, but yeah, maybe you need some more resources, some different tools that would make your job easier for lifting reels or, I mean, there’s just all these things that can make the jobs we do on a daily basis so much. And until you’ve had the experience of doing it firsthand, it’s kinda hard to measure that or put a number on it.
Scott Griffith: 29:18
it’s almost impossible to, So, Trust me. Anytime that that tool truck comes on on a biweekly basis, I say, grab whatever you need. You. Yeah, you need that. Okay, get it. Let’s go. If it’s make your job easier or more efficient, the answer is yes.
Trent Manning: 29:34
Yep. No, that’s awesome. Really, really good stuff. Good deal. Yeah, this has been great.
Scott Griffith: 29:39
Awesome. I
Trent Manning: 29:40
Yeah. No, no, this has been, uh, good. And I wish you the best of luck running for the board and you got my vote, you know that.
Scott Griffith: 29:49
Oh yeah. I appreciate
Trent Manning: 29:50
yeah. But thank you so much for coming on and for all the listeners, go vote for Scott. He’s a great guy. Why? He got nothing to lose. He’s gonna, Well, he’s gonna work for us and I know him and I’ve known him for a long time and I know what he’s done here in Georgia and I know he can do that at a national level.
Scott Griffith: 30:11
I appreciate Trent.
Trent Manning: 30:12
Yes, sir.