Want to know why I will have time for MPG 2014?

[low_48]

I will be RETIRED from Caterpillar. I turned in the papers this week for a January 31 retirement date. As a little career end bonus, they are letting me take the entire month of January 2014 as vacation. We normally have to earn the vacation time through the year, but they are giving me the chance to take the 4 weeks of 2014 vacation before I would have earned it. We also have the week between Christmas and New Years as a company shut down, sooooooooooooo, this Friday the 20th will be my last work day. Just two more "getups"! I basically had two careers at Caterpillar. I worked for 15 years in engineering, then quit to start a woodworking business. That lasted 8 years, then closed that to work at Woodworkers Journal Magazine. That sold out to Rockler and moved to Minneapolis after 3 years, so I went back to Caterpillar. I've been back just a little over 15 years as a modelmaker in the Industrial Design section, and they let me keep the seniority from the first stint. So it took me 41 years to get 30. I've been increasing my artistic woodturning exposure in Central IL, and had a great year with that. I'll also be helping a good friend in his custom woodworking business when he needs it, with the exchange that I can build furniture for myself in his nicely sized shop (not my basement like in the past). So I'm really starting back up the woodworking career, but with a steady pension check coming every month. That should take the edge off of making a living with woodworking. Oh yeah, I plan on relaxing a little too. I'm as giddy as a little boy on Christmas Eve.

 

[ElMostro]

Congrats! I retired in 2008 and have been busy as a bee...but loving it.
Eugene.

 

[edman2]

Congratulations Rich on your career and your retirement! I retired a couple of years ago. If I had known it would be this much fun I would have done it 40 years earlier! :biggrin: Hope your experience is the same!
Freddie

 

[KBs Pensnmore]

I retired in 2005 on a disability pension, I now wonder how I found the time to go to work. Congratulations on your retirement, enjoy.
Kryn

 

[Jim15]

Congratulations Rich.

 

[Mike8850]

Congratulations if your anything like me you'll be busier than when you worked.
Mike

 

[Chasper]

Congratulations Rich, it seems like you have earned retirement.

 

[bobjackson]

Congrats Rich. I retired in 2006 and now don't see how I had time to go to work. We have a team of 4 or more in Ohio willing to help on MPG.

 

[lorbay]

Congrats on the retirement, my father inlaw worked for Catapillar, what is called Finning in Canada he was there for 25 years. He sais they were good to work for.

Lin.

 

[JohnU]

Congratulations Rich! Enjoy every minute of it, you've earned it! I'm envious.

 

[Mason Kuettel]

Congrats! I think I am down to about 20 years before I am able to think about retiring...yes, I'm a little jealous (not sure if its the access to a large shop or the fact that you get to work, not "have" to work). Anyway, have fun!

 

[tbroye]

Better rest up the next two days. After the 20th you won't have time. Big difference is When you want, If you want, and How you want. Like others have said. Enjoy it you earned it. It is almost 8am here time to get dressed and get busy. Been up for almost 3 hrs but I watch the news, read the paper, have breakfast and get on the computer for while. As soon has the Holidays are over I can get back to "work" laying the new flooring. Have 2 pallets of Pergo in the Garage waiting to come in and get acclimatized before I can install them. I have to follow the boss lady's rules on renovations so I had to stop the week of Thanksgiving.

 

[tomas]

I thought they were going to give you your own D-9 to take home! Enjoy the retirement.

Tomas

 

[low_48]

I thought they were going to give you your own D-9 to take home! Enjoy the retirement.

Tomas

They might have in the day. You know, when they called it Caterpillar Tractor Company. Now with it called only Caterpillar, I'm not even sure I get any retirement gift. I like to say it stopped being a great company when they changed the name. In the old days, the company was basically run by engineers, or even guys that came up through the apprentice programs. Now it's run by lawyers and accountants. All we hear now is about return for the investors. If it wasn't for our tremendous dealer network and incredible parts support, other construction machinery companies would be taking even a bigger share. Guess why we keep that tremendous parts support, PROFIT. Not really any different than automotive companies. My first service pin has a tractor on it, the others just have a globe. Don't get me wrong. It has been a very stable job, and provided for me and my own for all those years. I'm just very partial to the tractor years!

 

[Haynie]

Some companies treat you well when you retire. Sounds like Cat is one of those companies. My uncle worked for Deere in R&D and they treated him very well.

 

[JohnU]

I thought they were going to give you your own D-9 to take home! Enjoy the retirement.

Tomas

They might have in the day. You know, when they called it Caterpillar Tractor Company. Now with it called only Caterpillar, I'm not even sure I get any retirement gift. I like to say it stopped being a great company when they changed the name. In the old days, the company was basically run by engineers, or even guys that came up through the apprentice programs. Now it's run by lawyers and accountants. All we hear now is about return for the investors. If it wasn't for our tremendous dealer network and incredible parts support, other construction machinery companies would be taking even a bigger share. Guess why we keep that tremendous parts support, PROFIT. Not really any different than automotive companies. My first service pin has a tractor on it, the others just have a globe. Don't get me wrong. It has been a very stable job, and provided for me and my own for all those years. I'm just very partial to the tractor years!

I heard the same thing from my father in law when he retired after 32 years from the Aurora plant. Congrats Again on the retirement!

 

[TimS124]

Congrats! I left the rat race in mid-2009…decided life was too short to keep working for idiots. :big grin:

All those folks that warned you that you'll be busier than ever…yep, they're spot on! But you'll be grinning ear to ear most of the time so it's well worth the change.

 

[Teeball]

Congratulations Rich, I have a CAT plant 3 miles from my home.

 

[thewishman]

Congrats, Rich! Hope you have enough time to do all of the things you want to do.