Employee Spotlight! Bob Wescott

It's time for June's Employee Spotlight, and this month you'll meet one of our long-time employees, (former) installer extraordinaire, a legacy here at the store and one of our trainers for new hires, Bob Wescott. And even at the start, Abt was a part of Bob Wescott's life. "I grew up in Morton Grove. My family members were customers, but my dad also worked here...I've grown up at Abt." And with a full 26 years of service here under his belt, we're lucky to have Bob. He's a bit of a legend when it comes to installation. Just take a look at his resume here and you'll see why.

June's Employee Spotlight Bob began his career here on Big Trucks at our previous location in Morton Grove. In this position, our iconic trucks bring large appliances like refrigerators and kitchen ranges to homes. These Abt drivers do double duty as both truck drivers and installers. For a full 18 years, Bob Wescott went from home to home, helping people complete their dream kitchens and replaced appliances fast. He's been referred to as "The Poster Child Driver" by Randy Goldfein, who managed Bob at the time. "He was so organized and knew how to prep his truck well." Not only that, he knew how to fix things. That's one of the reasons why Bob Wescott was given his own one-man installer run.

As a one-man team, Bob's new position involved installing smaller appliances like cooktops and garbage disposals. And even when he took on an extra stop or two, Bob would always be the first guy back. He was also able to take care of any issues that arose during the day. Fixing issues other installers had trouble with was Bob Wescott's forte. He could break from his route and head over to a customer's house fast to come up with a solution to nearly any issue. It's just one of the reasons why he has the position he has today: as an Abt trainer.

After a full twenty years of driving and installing, Bob came into the store to help as a new trainer for newer hires. We've shown off some of Abt's new training department before; Bob works in the exact same space. Now he's at the head of our garage door department.

"After coming inside to be a trainer about four years ago, I was given the opportunity to help start the Abt garage door department." Here, Bob shows employees everything they need to know about installing and fixing our garage doors for customers. We even have one installed in the training area to ensure that installers are comfortable and know their way around the equipment. June's Employee Spotlight had the following to say when asked what he loved most about his position here at Abt: "What I love about my job is helping the fleet grow, learning new aspects of the business and giving back when I can."

There's more to Bob Wescott than being a great trainer and installer. He's a dad to three children and celebrated Father's Day recently. "Being a dad to a 20-year-old, 17-year-old and a 9-year-old keeps us busy." He still has time for fun, too! He loves spending time on the rink with his boys who play hockey, or in a dance studio with his daughter. "If there's any time left, we love to get out on our boat as much as we can during the summer. The best part of being a dad is watching my kids grow up, and making as many memories as we can.

Bob has certainly helped many Abt customer families enjoy their Father's Day celebrations for many years. We're grateful to him and to all of the dads who work here at Abt in the spirit of Father's Day.