My Father worked for SBL for ~38 years, it was his first and only employer straight out of high school. His country called him to duty in 1950 to fight in Korea with the US Marine Corp. Upon his return he went back to work at SBL where he remained until retiring at age of 57. One time in his later years at SBL he got his hair caught up in an "Allen" multiple head drill press. It peeled a section of his scalp away almost to his eyebrow. He had to wear a hat to protect that area from cold and or Sun from then on. When he started at SBL the manufacturing plants location was 312 N Hill Street South Bend, IN. They later relocated to a new and larger facility on Sample Street South Bend, IN. Years later the "Old South Bend Lathe Works" building was renovated by a local developer Thomas Brademas (Brother to the ez-Indiana Congressman John Brademas) into THE WORKS HOTEL and THE OLD SPAGHETTI WORKS Restaurant. As it would happen, with me being a friend to one of Thomas Brademas' Sons, I worked on the construction crew doing the renovation. My Dad came and walked through the building with Brademas / Architects / Designers explaining what sections of the building did what. So that they tried to incorporate the function names into the Hotel / Rest. He also supplied them with photos which they blew up and hung on the walls. We had to finish construction in time for Notre Dame Football Season and I at the same time was also a college student at IUSB. So when things opened up I went to work for the Hotel as Front Desk clerk / Mngr. It turned out to be the PERFECT job for a college student !!! I got to meet some big names (Neil Diamond, Heart, Whitesnake, George Thourogood, Richard Harris-what a total dick he was lol, & etc. etc.) Another great part of it was that I got to meet a lot of the big shots from local companies !. To put icing on the cake, not only did I get to know many of these big shots but I also had DIRT on most of them !!! LOL Anyways, today the Old SBL Works building is part of a rehabilitation center. I lost my Father not long ago and for whatever reason I just wanted to share some story. Thanks for your indulgence.
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A bit of SBL history
- Thread starter Mwags
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2015
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- 11,817
So you got to meet "English Bob" eh? Cool
Yeah ... movie "Unforgiven" hadn't been yet at that time .. I only knew him from A Man Called Horse. Two of the coolest things I got to do was:
1) Did baggage handling for Neil Diamond so I got to aboard his private 737 !
2) We (The Hotel) held a private cocktail party for Whitesnake Band, so sat around with Rudy Sarzo, Adrian Vandenberg Vince Campbell and the drummer (I forget his name) for an hour or so talking with them. David Coverdale and his girlfriend (Toni or Tonya ? something like that) didn't come but I did get to meet them. After the cocktail party Rudy and Adrian were asking for a cab to go to dinner so I offered to give them a ride and they accepted.