Gordon Schultze
At Dominion, Gordon Schultze is the single current employee with the most seniority - 48 years. His goal is to make to 50 years here.
Dominion is the only place Gordon has ever worked, and he's worn many hats over the years. He started as an apprentice of sorts - whatever anyone asked him to do, he did it. After a few years of putting in the grunt work, he became leader of fluid fill.
Gordon did a lot of traveling for the company and says he's seen the world more than once. He was even given the opportunity to go to Germany:
"The old owner asked me to go to Hanover, Germany - that's where I was born. And it just so happens a week prior, my mom was doing her last trip to Europe to visit her sisters; she was getting old," Gordon said. "She didn't know I was going over there, and I pulled up right in front of the apartment complex when my mom and her sister were walking down the street, and they kept staring at me - it was a lot of fun."
Eventually, Gordon was pulled into the balancer group and worked in Sterling Heights, then made his way back to Roseville. His favorite part of his job is just being here and building things.
“I’ve been pretty blessed to have a career spanning that many years at one place. I figured if I was no good they would have gotten rid of me a long time ago.”
Gordon said in his time here, he's seen the company grow to what it is today - from a Ma & Pa Shop to a corporate business. He has seen all the expansions and even helped wire the bays in Building 1.
"When I started, I was treated like one of their own, like their son," Gordon said. "If you were new coming in, everyone would teach you stuff."
Gordon keeps a photo of his father, as well as other family photos, in his toolbox.
He wasn't just treated like family - he was family to one person. His dad got him in the door right out of high school.
"I learned a lot from my dad, but he was really rough on me," Gordon said. "He didn't have to watch himself because he could always smack me on the back of the head, and I couldn't say anything because he's my dad!"
Gordon's favorite memory from working here all these years is one Christmas in the late 1970s or early '80s. He said everyone stayed late to play cards and the old owner, Eric, was just one of the guys and threw toilet paper over the cranes.
Outside of work, Gordon is all about his grandkids. He has 7 children and 21 grandchildren. He is also a science fiction buff, and his favorite book is "The House Between Worlds." He has a whole room at home filled with comic books and action figures - DC Comics, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, Transformers.
"I had a little minivan that transformed into a robot. I saw it online one day and it was going for $500. I bought that at the corner toy store for $7," Gordon said.
Gordon also enjoys drawing in his free time - some of his work can even be found on site at DTG!