I am not really into NASCAR, watching a few races, but my stair building career has connected me with GIANTS in this mega motorsport.

As a DeWalt tool junkie, I was am avid Matt Kenseth fan when he drove the DeWalt #17 car. In 2009, with many votes from people from the Rotary Forum in 2008 I won the DeWalt Top Finish Carpenter contest with my dual curved stairway entry. My family was treated to four tickets to any NASCAR race I wanted, and $12,000 worth of tools. We chose the Daytona 500 race in 2009. Matt Kenseth let us stay in his DeWalt motor home parked in the infield. Matt won that race!!

Now fast forward to the last NASCAR race held today in Homestead, Florida. Kevin Harvick is in good position to win the whole cup series today. One of his major sponsors is Jimmy Johns, the huge nationwide sandwich shop chain. The founder and owner of Jimmy Johns is Jim Liataud. Jim lives right near me in Champaign, Il. Jim contracted with me back in 2001 to build four stairways in his fabulous home. Two years later, Jim contracted with me again to build a fifth stairway in his carriage house.

I am rooting for Kevin Harvick today!

Just don't forget us "little people" Stan...

No seriously that is great stuff.

Scott..You and many others here are giants to me! I was just lucky to build stairways for these types.

You should write a book Stan. So many interesting people whom you have met during your career through your shop!!!
The only world famous person I have ever met was Lofty!
But I am fine with that. I like him

Gabor....It has been an interesting list of clientele.

Off the top of my head....

Kansas head basketball coach that won the NCAA national title Bill Self.

U.S. Congressman Tim Johnson

Tom Crowder...was on the starting 5 with legendary Larry Bird.

Bruce Artwick...wrote the Windows program that he sold to Bill Gates. He also invented "Flight Simulator". Bruce built a 22,000 foot mega mansion in the year 2000, and contracted with me to build his stairways.. The parts...just the parts ...were $96,000...17 years ago.



Lyle Campbell....multi bank owner and owned half of the SparrowHawk company.

TV evangelist Jim.Bakker

Flying S Inc. Just google that name. They made a lot of the carbon fiber components for the James Webb space telescope to be launched in 2018. Its going to blow the Hubble telescope away.

Jim Liataud...owner and founder of the huge Jimmy Johns sandwich shops, and main sponsor for NASCARS 78 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Nancy Fox...personal secretary for Illinois Governor Jim Thompson...back in the 90's.

The rest are just your common people ....doctors....like our Jeff on this forum. People that are barely scraping by..ha

I still pinch myself how little ol me, with my self taught old school methods, even got considered to build one of these stairways. I never will understand it.

At least it got you off of the street....

And...

You can afford clothes now

You should definitely write a book...

You could call it "the stairway from drag queen to jumping white nissans" or something catchy like that?

Gabor...The crazy thing about your picture of me ....those are my chicken legs! Barbara was completely fooled cause she said those are your legs.

Maybe I was a drag queen? .ha