We’ve been spending a lot of time down there getting it cleaned out and ready for the next chapter. As someone who has worked at PE since '04 and remembers when the counter and “speaker wall” used to be on the south (opposite) wall, there is a lot of nostalgia for me in that room. It was a very sad day when we heard it was being closed.
I might stir a bucket here, but I would love to hear about any stories anyone had coming in to visit through the years.
I can remember the drivers hanging opposite the outside entry door (East wall) when I first walked in there in 2002. I don’t remember them being hung on the South wall.
That first time was cool. Don’t know why but felt like a Mecca kind of journey/arrival. The tour Darren gave us was also interesting. He took us through the upstairs cubical farm, the driver design office with measurement chamber, etc.
My first experience was the showroom in Mendelsons. It was a glorious day. The PE catalog was a dream/wish book to me since probably 89-90ish? Finally seeing it for real was awesome. Not to mention Mendelsons in itself!!
It wasn’t till I entered my first MWAF did I see the actual store. I’m horrible with dates, maybe late 2000’s, early 2010’s?
I remember all those MWAF Saturday morinings, getting there early, with coffee in hand, and waiting in line for the gate to open at 7am. The waiting line was like a family reunion of sorts, greeting lots of familar faces as everyone rolled in. The first year (2013) I attended, I rolled in at about 6:55am. A very long line had already formed. So, in following years, I tried to wake up a little earlier, and get to the line by 6:30am or so. But I could never beat Wolf. He was always first in line.
To be honest I used to have more trouble sleeping the night before Dayton DIY/MWAF/SDC. It was like Christmas for me, and at some point early in the morning I was done trying to sleep, got ready and went to stand in line. First in line had its perks though…
I won’t forget my first. I always wanted to do one but could never get my sh!t together enough to make it. Miss you guys and planning and saving to do it again. Building since 1985.
