Business

In my half-century in business, I have worked for big companies like General Motors and Siemens, and small companies with forgotten names. I have worked for progressive companies like Intel, and backward companies like Timex. I have worked for semiconductor companies, manufacturing companies, and companies that never should have become companies in the first place. I have founded my own companies, managed other people’s companies, financed companies, and liquidated companies. I have developed consumer products, industrial products, medical electronic products, military war-time products, products used in farm fields, and products to go into space.

The anecdotes and reembraces in this section reflect my experience from my early years of designing car radios at General Motors during its hay-day, through a long career in the semiconductor industry, and finally to integrating electronics with optical components to reduce the use of herbicide in agriculture. During the same, more than a half-century of calling Patchen, California my home, I also built a unique and successful retail and wholesale business in the Christmas tree industry.

The table that follows will gradually over time become populated to represent a chronology of what happened – and when. Understanding that it has no particular value to anyone else, it’s a way to help me remember – both the good and the not-so-good.

The stories are real and the opinions are 100% my own, on the advice of my friend Yap Ping Hui in Penang, Malaysia, who often said, “don’t bring me borrowed opinions – speak with data or keep quiet”.

TimePlaceWhat HappenedOtherNotes
1941Plymouth, NCBorn on June 1[i]Didn't get much done that year.
1942Plymouth, NCAnother slow year
1943Rossmoyne, OH
1944Rossmoyne, OH
1945Rossmoyne, OH
1946Rossmoyne, OH
1947Three Rivers, MI
1948Three Rivers, MI
1949Three Rivers, MI
1950Three Rivers, MI
1951Three Rivers, MI
1952Three Rivers, MI
1953Three Rivers, MI
1954Three Rivers, MI
1955Three Rivers, MI
1956Three Rivers, MIStarted at Miller's Dairy - $0.55 per hr
1957Three Rivers, MIAt 16 yrs - got a raise to $0.65 per hr
1958Three Rivers, MI
1959Three Rivers, MIGraduated High School - Probably in the middle
1960Angola, INEngineering School
1961Angola, INEngineering School
1962Angola, INEngineering School
1963Angola/Kokomo, INBusiness School / Delco Radio
1964Angola/Kokomo, INBusiness School / Delco Radio
1965Mt View, CAFairchild Semiconductor
1966Sunnyvale, CAFairchild Semiconductor
1967Sunnyvale, CAFairchild Semiconductor
1968Sunnyvale, CAFairchild Semiconductor
1969Santa Cruz MtnsIntegrated Microsystems
1970Santa Cruz MtnsIntegrated Microsystems
1971Santa Cruz MtnsIntegrated Microsystems
1972Santa Cruz MtnsHytek / Microma
1973Santa Cruz MtnsMicroma
1974Santa Cruz MtnsMicroma
1975Santa Cruz MtnsMicroma
1976Santa Cruz MtnsTimex
1977Santa Cruz MtnsTimex
1978Santa Cruz MtnsTimex
1979Santa Cruz MtnsRemodeled House
1980Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1981Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1982Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1983Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1984Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1985Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1986Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1987Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1988Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1989Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens
1990Santa Cruz MtnsIndala
1991Santa Cruz MtnsIndala
1992Santa Cruz MtnsSiemens / Patchen, Inc
1993Santa Cruz MtnsPatchen, Inc
1994Santa Cruz MtnsPatchen, Inc
1995Santa Cruz MtnsPatchen, Inc
1996Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
1997Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
1998Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
1999Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2000Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2001Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2002Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2003Santa Cruz MtnsOptoelectronix
2004Santa Cruz MtnsOptoelectronix
2005Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2006Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2007Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2008Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2009Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2010Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2011Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2012Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2013Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2014Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2015Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2016Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2017Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2018Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2019Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2020Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2021Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2022Santa Cruz MtnsRetired
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
2039
2040

31
By: Jim
Written: 2021
Published: March 2021
Revised: March 16, 2023
Revised:
footnotes
footnotes
↑i Didn't get much done that year.