Page 458 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

Junior’s biggest role model, however, has been his dad. Like most little boys, he followed Duane Sr. around, imitating the things he saw his dad do. He worked on his cars and tractors, just like his dad. He was keenly interested in airplanes, just like his dad. And he spent a lot of time in the garage work- ing on projects with his dad. So it’s no surprise where he ended up. “My dad took what he was giv- en and built it into a very successful business. It’s grown more than three times since he took over in 1995. I really respect his vision and his unwaver- ing optimism and his make-it-happen-no-matter- what attitude. There have been a lot of obstacles and challenges during his time [as CEO] and I’ve always admired how he overcame them.”
MENTORING IN THE FIELD
Much of what Duane Jr. learned as a mechanic came first from his dad, and later, from Peterson field ace Doug Brecheisen. Brecheisen was the ul- timate teacher, both for younger Peterson techs and customers’ mechanics out on the jobsite. Duane Jr. spent most of the summer of 2007 with Breche- isen, working side by side and gleaning from his thirty years of knowledge. “I loved teaching Duane things,” says Brecheisen, “but my bosses would al- ways warn me: ‘Remember, he goes home and has supper with Duane Sr. so be careful what you tell him.’Well I decided to tell him everything because
Mentor Doug Brecheisen
he was going to run the company some day and he needed to know the stuff that goes on behind his back. I tried to instill little tidbits of knowledge that I’ve learned over the years, that I think would help, and what I would want to know if I owned a company.” Many of the things Brecheisen taught him about troubleshooting equipment could be applied—with a little imagination—to other busi- ness challenges down the road.
MENTORING IN MANAGEMENT
For the past several years, John Wells, GM of Pe- terson Tractor–CA, and Bill Bean, VP/GM of Pe- terson Machinery–OR/WA, have mentored and worked alongside Duane Jr., teaching him from their combined 80 years of experience. “We’re the old guard so we’re just trying to teach him every- thing we can,” says Wells. “We all started our ca- reers in the product support business so watching Junior totally immerse himself in the sales side has been very impressive to watch. He goes after ev- erything he takes on and wants to know everything about it. He is very strong in his way of thinking and makes smart decisions. We’ve been there just to guide and support him in his development. The amazing thing, to me, is just how committed he is to the business. Both he and Erin are unwavering in their desire to be the best.”
456 | PETERSON: 85 YEARS AND GOING STRONG
Duane Jr. & John Wells at a UCA golf tournament in 2016