RTOHQ: The Magazine, Winter 2018

52 RTOHQ The Magazine We moved about a dozen times in a dozen years French recalls I wasnt happy about it as it was happening but looking back some good things came from it I had plenty of opportunity to meet new folks and adapt to different environments so Ive never met a stranger and I figured out early on how to thrive in whatever situation I was thrust into French attended Southwestern Missouri State University now Missouri State University but ultimately ended up a married father of three working as a non degreed engineer at a printed circuit company Thats where French was in 1971 when his wife called and told him she needed him to serve as an emergency bartender My now ex wife worked for an RCA Whirlpool distributor out of Little Rock and they were hosting a dinner for their retail dealers to introduce a new line of laundry appliances remembers French Their bartender flaked and she volunteered my extremely limited bartending services Well it went OK and at the end of the evening the VP of Sales thanked me and offered me a job And thats how I got into this business French began at the order desk in Little Rock moved up to branch manager in Wichita then managed the companys largest branch in Kansas City When French was diagnosed with cancer only a year into his tenure the company sent him to Houstons MD Anderson Cancer Center for treatment all expenses paid And when another firm offered French a VP position in Dallas ten years later and he turned it down out of allegiance the owner urged him to reconsider and take the job I dont want to lose you he told French but the position theyre offering you it may be another ten years before you can move into a similar job here You deserve this opportunity A year later Frenchs new CEO fired him over a budget disagreement the next day the companys biggest competitor a Zenith Amana distributor scooped him up French went on to sell Amana and Zenith in Houston then Zenith hired him to help them shut down distributors and go direct moving him to Oklahoma City then to Dallas Then LG bought Zenith and French worked for LG as a 17 state regional VP for five years And then in 2001 ORourke came calling and French became the companys first ever Vice President Today Bill French works from ORourkes North Texas regional office and has been with the company for 17 years and counting So whats so special about ORourke that it has such a hold on French The differentiator between a good company and a great company is the people French asserts Our customers can buy the exact same product were selling down to the model number from someone else and often many someone elses Our understanding of the rental channel and how it works and our enthusiasm for going the extra mile are both extraordinary And the people at ORourke are truly special We treat them with care and respect and we help them grow No matter what their job is they deserve respect and they deserve to know theyre cared about Theyre important to us or they wouldnt be here And we feel the same about our rental dealers he continues You have to care The people within our company really do care about the people we do business with To us its personal always trying to ensure our customers get what they deserve and if they spend their money with us then they deserve the best With more than 45 years of winning distribution sales behind him its clear Frenchs caring over cutthroat approach to competition has served him and those around him well And as you might expect its not just a successful professional tactic for French its a personal way of life My goal in every one on one interaction I have is to make sure that when that interaction is done the other person is having a better day because of it affirms French If you give to others selflessly at the end of the day youre going to get back way more than you gave At 74 Bill French is still going strong both professionally and personally He loves to golf and follow college sports especially Mizzou and Arkansas but spends the bulk of his time off with his wife of 30 years Mary Lou and his three children and their families which include nine grandkids and two great grandkids with a third on the way French is quick to tell you theyre the lights of his life but dont bother to inquire about when he might retire its not happening Hes having too good of a time winning to stop now Im just not interested in retirement shrugs French All of my friends are in this business and Im still having tremendous fun The day it isnt fun anymore I wont do it anymore Theres not a lot of magic to this he concludes Always do what you say youre going to do treat people with a little love and respect and work hard Thats all there is to it If you always do that things will always work out Kristen Card is a freelance writer based in Austin Texas To us its personal always trying to ensure our customers get what they deserve and if they spend their money with us then they deserve the best APROfile Bill French