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 Subject : Personal History, by Bobby Barnhill, Barnhill Bolt.. 10/27/2011 03:38:26 PM 
Pac-West

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August 7, 1995

My history in fasteners is provincial and pretty much behind the scenes. Jim is the fastener expert, and my field is computers, accounting, and taxes. He makes the sales and I aid in making them stick.

JC Barnhill, my father-in-law, had started the business in 1960 but then he had a bad heart attack. Jim and I pitched in while he was away. Jim could only be there half days, because he was teaching and his new school was being built. There was one employee, Ed Carpenter, and myself there while Jim was at school. I learned real quick about bolts, nuts, and screws. Mostly when customers came in, I would take them back to the shelves and let them pick out what they needed and then I would check the price book and give them an invoice.

At that point, Jim decided to give up his teaching and coaching and get into fasteners. JC came back and I went home to my children. But I still did the invoice typing and started paying bills, and doing the payroll; you know those things that need doing. For many years, while my children were growing up, I had an in-home office where I usually got my work done at night, after the kids were in bed.

The kids grew up, and we realized the need for a computerized business. I knew the accounting but I learned computers from scratch. It's wonderful what a library card can do for you. At any rate, I learned by trial and error and a whole lot of teaching from the support people we have had over the years. My sister-in-law, Mary, and myself designed the software from our fastener experience and we hired programmers to write custom written software. We made the computer system do business our way.

Once I came back to the bolt company fulltime, in 1985, I also saw the need for us to do our taxes, in house. So, I got cracking and learned taxes. I became an EA, which is an Enrolled Agent, that can practice before the IRS. I am certified but, of course, I only do the corporate taxes, the trust taxes, and family income taxes. All of which I have to have Continuing Education for so that I can keep my certification current.

Along the way, I have worked daily with Jim and enjoyed our life together with fasteners as the focus of the source of our livelihood. He has never missed the challenge of coaching, because each day he gets caught up in some new challenge over where, or what kind, or how many.

We were charter members in WAFD, and it has been very rewarding and pleasurable to be a part of this association. Jim served for two terms on the Board of Directors and I was pleasantly surprised to be considered for that honor. It has been a privelage to serve as President of the Board of Directors, mostly because of the people involved. We have made some good friends and learned a lot of things along the way because of WAFD.

My hope is to continue just as long as Jim feels the need to continue. We are hoping to let go more and more, but darn, business is just so good we can't seem to find the time to quit.

My avocation, pastime, and pleasure is cooking. And, dang, I'm good at it! Especially Mexican food. Come visit and I'll fix you up a spread.

From the kitchen of Bobby Bee,
Bobby Barnhill - Barnhill Bolt Company - Albuquerqe, New Mexico
Last Edited On: 10/27/2011 03:46:57 PM By P
 
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