Contributed by Benny Walker, Mirror Company

I had heard about this email and wanted to throw out a few items for consideration. 

First of all Mickey Binswanger was a joy to work with, and I looked up to him as a keen businessman and true gentleman.  Mickey and I were talking out in the Grenada plant one day and he related a story of the building of “the plant”.  He was driving down several days a week to check on construction of the new plant, they had machinery in storage around Grenada and were going to start moving equipment into the plant the next day.   He was getting ready for the trip back to Memphis that afternoon and had a thought “ we don’t have insurance on this building”.  He also related that every dollar the Binswanger family could scrape together was sunk into this new operation.    

As he left that afternoon for the drive back to Memphis he went by a local insurance agent purchased insurance on the building.  It burned to the ground that night February 5, 1947.    Mr. Binswanger said very simply and not to brag, “if I hadn’t stopped and purchased that insurance and the building burned down, there would not have been a “Binswanger” because it would have broken the company.  The plant today is about 8” higher than the original building because the concrete slab was so badly burned they poured the existing slab over the origina.  Again the man himself related this story to me personally. If any of you want a photo copy of the newspaper article I would be happy to send it to you.  The “huge glass plant” in the newspaper article reporting the fire was 30,000 sq. ft. the plant today is 220,000 sq. ft.

On a personal note I started July 22^nd  a little over 40 years ago at the unload end of the silverline making $1.89 per hour and a nickel of that was only because I was on the second shift.

Contributed by Norma Childress, Glasscraft Customer Service Manager

Richard Binswanger worked at the Mirror Company office in the early 70’s and would talk as fast as possible to put as many letters as possible on a “belt” of dictation, which Barbara Orr had to type.  Mr. Lewis hired Jan Bess (who was then Jan Self) only after being assured by Jan that she would not quit to get married and have babies.  Jan then hired me, and it was the start of a great 36 years.  


A few years later Mirror Products hired a young Laurel Markham who I believe helped get the Man-Man system started for the mirror plant.   Barbara Orr and I were customer service reps and Wanda Walker was order entry clerk.  We hired Diane Joyner and Reba Hopper who both went on to do bigger and better things.  When Jim Bess left the company, we had a going away party at a Mexican restaurant in mid town  and it still makes me shiver when I think about how many drinks were consumed.  John Ledbetter and John Key took over for Jim.  John Ledbetter is still a sales rep for Mirror Products, but John Key went by the wayside many years ago.

Contributed by Joan Zimmerman, Former Payroll Manager, Corporate

It is so great to read and remember all of the stories of the good old days. It used to be such a fun place to work. We all grew up together and watched our kids grow up together! And … we did knowhow to have a party!

If my memory is still half what it used to be, I believe the band that almost caused Mr. Hoffman to have a meltdown was one of my very favorites…Eddie Harrison and the Shortcuts. What a great time that was.  Another memory for me was when Leonard was in the middle of a jam session at one of the other Christmas parties and Pat Alvarez’s 20 year old daughter cut in….he threw his hip out doing the “funky chicken” and almost couldn’t get off the dance floor.  I never did let him live it down. The man did love to
dance and have a good time.

Contributed by Willard White, ACI Houston

I miss him [Barry] too. I have a sister in law that is a Redskin fan and we go back and fourth every year. I named my son after a Cowboy linebacker (Randy White) and when he was born Barry bought him a $100.00 savings bond. He's going to Sam Houston now and the bond came in handy recently.


Do not forget that Hugh Banner went to Texas and started Binswanger of Texas. It is my understanding that the Binswangers didn't think it was a good move but Mr. Banner did and used some of his own money. It  turned out to be a gold mine for him and the Binswangers. I was a glazier at 207 North Main and I would see his limo drop him off at the office for a few minutes, I guess to pick up his check. They had an elevator installed just for him. 207 north main was the Texas division office until they divided Texas into North and South regions. Norman Toellner was the president of south Texas. Oliver Pierce and later Johnny Roach of north Texas. There was a rivalry between the divisions to see who could make the most profit. When ACI bought us they retired Mr. Toellner (very sad day) and Texas (North and South) were combined under Mr. Roach. 

Contributed by Jean Ewell, Corporate Office

Football season and the first person that comes to mind is Barry Williams.
For a long time we had a Dallas Cowboys (Barry) and Washington Redskins (Jean
Ewell) feud.  Every year when the Dallas Cowboys would beat the Redskins
you could hear him in that booming voice, "Jean, How about those
Cowboys"?

He once went on a business trip to Washington and came back with Redskins coffee
mug, towel, pens, tee shirt and told me he paid a homeless guy off the street to
go in and buy this stuff because he wouldn't be caught dead in a Redskins
sports store.  I miss him.

P.S.
Mickey, forget the panty hose ¦where are my watermelons!?!

Contributed by Mickey Trussell, Mirror Plant

I checked with our two very young historians Wanda Walker & Barbara Orr to help with some of the sales office history.

First… additions to ‘those who have left us’.

J.T. “Red” Hamby: started at mirror plant in June of 1947. Was the plant engineer when he retired in 1991, 44 years later. He earned the respect of everyone who met him and was affectionately referred to as Father Binswanger by many of us. He retired on Friday, 2/1/91 and died one week later of a heart attack. He was only 62.

Bill Walters started at the mirror plant in the ‘60’s. He later transferred to the Binswanger Mirror sales office on Lynnfield for a few years before becoming an outside sales rep for the mirror plant. He died in January of this year (2011).

Linnea Penn worked for Mirror Sales after the office was moved from Lynnfield to corporate. She transferred to the Chandler, AZ plant along with Helen Gillis around 1978. When the plant closed in 1985, she transferred to Grenada sales office. She stayed for a while and then left the company. She died sometimes in early ‘90’s as best we can remember.

Mirror Co Sales Office… as told by Barbara Orr & Wanda Walker. Norma G can add too, or confirm most of this as well.

• Barbara Orr started with the sales office in 1968 when it was still located at Hollywood branch. In 1969, they moved to Poplar Ave, then to Lynnfield Rd in 1975, to corporate office at Ridgeway in 1982, and then she relocated to Grenada after we closed Chandler plant and ‘regional’ office. She took one year off 1972-1973, so her records show ONLY 38 years of service, but she actually has 42. She started when she was 6.

• Wanda Walker started with sales office in 1971 on Poplar with Marshall Lewis, Sam Lamensdorf and others. She came to a Christmas party for the mirror plant in Grenada in 1976, met some scrawny kid on from the silverline and the rest is history. Benny & Wanda married in 1977 and she moved to Grenadawith a job at the plant. In 1978, they moved to Chandler AZ where Benny was over silverline. Wanda was 7 months pregnant. In 1981, they moved back toGrenada… Wanda was still pregnant. Fortunately not with same child.

Mickey Binswanger Central Region Vice President, 1963