Greg Kirtman and his 1970 Plymouth Fury were several miles from home when the vehicle’s engine died. The then-17-year-old, a natural problem seeker and problem solver, knew towing the car wasn’t an available option. So he had an idea ...
Greg hooked up two 12-volt batteries in series to run through the starter – enough power to start the motor and make it home. Safely inside his parent’s garage, the real problem solving began.
The 17-year-old spent the next several weeks tearing the motor down and reassembling it twice (the first time he failed to clean the piston ring grooves thoroughly, the rings were too tight and the engine wouldn’t turn over). No Internet to draw from, he pulled information from old manuals, visited repair shops and consulted with car buddies and eventually brought that Plymouth back to life… even drove it another year or two.
“That’s what we did when we were 17,” Greg said. “We tore stuff up so we could fix it again. I was always asking myself ‘how do I make this work?’ and ‘can I fix it?’ That just carried on.”
Greg, who celebrates his 40th anniversary with the Datamax organization this year, has always matched his natural curiosity about how things worked with an innate ability to make them like new again – be it toner, transfer rollers, or transmissions. The VP of Operations at Datamax Arkansas reflects on his years with the company, wondering where all the time went.
“Part of me feels like I’m being cheated somehow,” Greg said. “How did it go by so quickly? It’s just not fair. But it’s been a blast. And I’m still able to help, to make a difference, to help this next generation of (employees).”
Building a Solid Foundation
Greg was born in Lemay, MO just outside of St. Louis. As a student he took classes in welding, sheet metal, drafting, electronics – anything he could find that involved working with his hands. He graduated from Parkway North High School in 1974 and afterwards, worked as an assistant manager at a restaurant. Under the recommendation of a friend, Greg joined the Marine Corps.
Greg spent 15 months in Active Duty, specializing in electronics training, through the end of 1976.
“The Marine Corps made you realize what you were capable of doing,” he said. “It gave me the structure and discipline I needed at that point.”
Building a Strong Career Path
After coming off of Active Duty in California, he received a job opportunity through a local employment agency with AB Dick Products (now Datamax). The St. Louis-based company specialized in offset presses, mimeograph machines and infancy-age copiers. He accepted a position of field service technician and flourished immediately, moving up to lead technician and eventually field manager.
Greg was the first at the company to attend Canon’s Color Equipment classes in New York.
“The first color copier I worked on made seven copies a minute, used only three colors (no black). There was no document feeder, no finisher options. Just lay one original at a time onto the glass. It was three feet deep, about 10 feet long or wide… it might have weighed 2,000 pounds,” Kirtman said.
Greg and his wife Karen are also celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year. They have two daughters: one in education and the other a nurse. He says his career at Datamax has much to do with the wonderful family he surrounds himself with today.
“I’m at the point in my life now where I’m able to say, ‘we’ve got two great kids and 5 grandkids. One daughter has a degree in teaching, the other in nursing. We helped them with their college costs and wedding costs. We were able to do that because I worked at Datamax,” he said.
Datamax acquired the AB Dick Products’ Little Rock office in 1983. In 1984, Greg was sent there to help train the service technicians. He made two trips, two weeks at a time guiding employees on maintenance procedures, what parts techs needed in their cars, and keys to adequate warehouse inventory and stocking.
Greg enjoyed immensely the opportunity to help. He remembers mentioning to Mr. Barry Simon, who was promoted to President in early 1985, that he’d be happy to provide additional assistance in Arkansas when needed.
Six months later, he received a call about a Service Manager position in Little Rock.
“It was Thanksgiving weekend. We celebrated Thanksgiving in St. Louis and that Sunday, my wife and I loaded up the car – our oldest daughter was four and our youngest was one. And we moved to Little Rock,” Greg said.
Building His Own Datamax Legacy
Greg has been there ever since. From Service Manager to his current role as VP of Operations, he’s been an invaluable component to the company’s growth, its service strategies and ultimately, the best ways possible to care for customers every day. In 40 years of watching the industry evolve and the technologies utilized change with the wind, Greg says the fundamental task will always stay the same.
“Working with Barry, it’s always been this understanding that this is what we want to get done. What’s the most efficient way to do it? And how can we take care of that customer?” Greg said.
#10 in the Datamax Little Book Principles is this: “Problem Seek and Problem Solve.” It’s a philosophy Greg Kirtman embraced - knowingly or unknowingly - as a teenager with a broken down 1970 Plymouth Fury.
It’s also one he’s spent the past 40 years perfecting.
