He ‘hung around’ for 40 years

Willie Brown shows off his “40 Years of Service” award that was presented to him by his colleagues (from left): Carl Mickey, Matt and Dean Sink.

Willie Brown joined Mickey in 1975 and has never looked back on that decision with even an ounce of regret. “There were a lot of companies around here over the years that I could have gone to work for,” he recalls. “But they’ve all come and gone. Mickey is still here and still growing and they have always treated me well. I never had a reason to look elsewhere. I’m happy I hung around.”

Willie started as a welder back when Mickey was still using steel to make its beverage bodies and trailers. When aluminum became the main metal, he never skipped a beat. “Whether it was steel or aluminum, Willie, to this day, was one of the best welders in the history of our company,” said Carl Mickey, Jr., Executive Vice President, in his toast at Willie’s 40^th anniversary celebration recently. “And some of our best welders today were trained by Willie. I worked shoulder to shoulder with Willie for a long time and I knew he always had my back – he refused to let me make a mistake. He is a highly respected friend and employee … a man of honor and integrity. It’s been my privilege to work beside him.”