This summer I was contacted by a retired vice president from one of our Muller Martini customer sites. He was looking for a proper home for a commemorative cowbell that was given to his company by Muller Martini in 1995 in honor of our great business partnership. He had found the cowbell packed in boxes with his other belongings from when he retired from the VP post. He wanted to see it returned to us and properly displayed.
Thus begins the story of the cowbell that found its voice again.
Many emails were exchanged with the valued former VP, in which he reminisced over his positive interactions with Muller Martini throughout the years and noted how proud he was to send this piece of our company’s history back to us. Hearing this reminded me of what I strive for each day: The old adage of putting a smile in your voice is a lesson not lost on me. This year we have continued to face long lead times and information delays, but communication is key. I strive to minimize stress levels and maintain our working relationships as a number one priority. Hopefully, you hear the smile in my voice.
As the bell’s trip to Hauppauge was being planned, I received email updates that left me with a smile. One particular email described the scene at the cowbell owner’s home.
“The bell is extremely excited. I heard it ringing just a little while ago. I went downstairs and then suddenly all I heard were crickets. ’Okay…,’ I thought. Then as I was going back up the stairs, I heard giggles from the bell, this time with a slightly Swiss accent, then slightly German, slightly French, and a touch of Italian. ‘What fun!’ I thought to myself. I’m so glad I found it.”
The bell’s health was described by its owner as a work in progress.
“The bell will need a bit of a cleaning up. It’s been relaxing in the basement for over 25 years. The last time I checked, though, it had been working out and was ready to get back in the game.”
When the cowbell arrived in Hauppauge, he was shined up and assigned his new duties. For every large purchase order received, the bell is rung as an announcer of good fortune and product legacy. In our last email exchange with the cowbell owner, he wished his beloved bell a long and happy life.
“May it ring and ring and ring, with joy and clarity, as each new order is booked, strengthening and reinforcing Muller Martini’s position in the marketplace, and building its legacy as an organization that provides effective and efficient solutions through listening, understanding, engineering, and execution.”
I hope to be in Hauppauge to hear it ring someday soon.