I met Bruce Cantwell 40 years ago. To say he changed my life would be a dramatic understatement.
Somewhere someone gave Bruce the nickname, “Mr. Warmth”. I expect that was facetious at first, as Bruce was the salesman’s salesman. But it did not take long to get to know that Bruce was indeed a very warm person.
I will wager it was Steve Johnson, the master of endearing monikers. Bruce resembled Brutus or Bluto of Popeye comics, a larger than life man, except Bruce was almost always smiling. He was a Marine, and I would not want to be around Bruce if he was not smiling. Thankfully, I never was.
In 1980 I was the 23 year old Convention Manager for Atlanta’s Lanier Business Products. Jack McEntee and Mike Metzger of I&D visited to explain the new concept of what is now called the exhibitor appointed contractor. I had experienced a few months of general contractor “help” in installing and dismantling Lanier exhibits and welcomed an alternative.
Soon my I&D account executives were Johnny Merritt, Lynn Silvaroli and Bruce Cantwell, whoever answered the phone. They became my friends as well. Bruce lived with I can’t remember who in “The Cabin”, a one of a kind company residential lodging near Stone Mountain. Think Flintstones but with electricity and indoor plumbing - just barely.
In 1982 I was prepared to go into sales with Lanier, as was their plan. Two years in corporate then on to field sales. Yet I enjoyed “show business” and let people know that.
Bruce gave me the heads up that a relatively unknown Atlanta company needed an exhibit person. I interviewed and accepted the convention job at Siemens-Allis, now Siemens Energy & Automation.
Two years later Bruce gave me the heads up that I&D was opening field sales offices and asked if I would be interested in Anaheim. I am not a California guy and declined but thanked him. Not long thereafter he asked me about Philadelphia/New Jersey. I again declined and thanked him.
When Bruce called again about Chicago my antennae went up. While the Atlanta of the 1980s was in my eyes bland suburbs and rolled up downtown sidewalks at 5 PM, Chicago was the very happening virtual opposite. I finally interviewed with Wayne “The Real Deal” Veal, who did all the talking and did not ask me a single question. Those who knew and loved Wayne will smile and likely not be surprised.
I&D offered me the Midwest Regional Sales Manager job, and I moved to Chicago. Scott Bennett moved to Anaheim, Kurt Walker moved to Boston and Bruce moved to New Jersey. Veal stayed in Atlanta.
I eventually became a little jealous of Scott, Kurt, Wayne and Bruce, as they would travel to Chicago, yet I never managed to travel to their cities. My most exciting destination was glamorous Rosemont IL.
In Chicago I answered to a succession of General Managers, from Tom Cassell to Sam Miserendino & Dan Sclocchini to Gary Wannemacher. In Atlanta I answered to a succession of Sales Managers, from Jim Murphy to Steve Johnson to Jim Wurm. With me in Chicago sales were Bill “The Wet One” Stevenson and Randy Burk. All of these people are my friends today.
I do not name some co-workers I did not care for, as it should be. Yet if I do not name you, it may be because I never reported to you. Please chill.
I left I&D for Giltspur and the trade show business a few years later. Yet I stay connected to most or all of my old friends via social media. None has been a more constant friend over the years than Bruce Cantwell. We fished the Delaware Bay and went to a Georgia-Florida game.
Where Bruce met his wife Deb Farina I do not recall. The happy result was their return to Georgia and Brunswick a few years before I returned to Georgia and Cumming. I visited them in Brunswick, and Bruce visited me on my Lake Lanier houseboat. I immediately took to Deb, who Bruce aptly called “Smokin Hot”. They clearly adored each other, and I adored them.
It does not hurt that Deb is a food scientist who uses her kitchen to create experimental cuisine that knocks your socks off, forces it on guests and insists that you take large portions when you depart because they can not eat it all.
I sensed Bruce was seeking retirement when he confided that he began the aptly named “Bruce Almighty Solutions”, a little business to perhaps handle popups from Jacksonville to Savannah. By this time I was an aspiring PR writer hoping to get trade show clients and experiencing some early success. I proposed to write a press release, and Bruce tentatively agreed to it.
Yet soon Almighty Solutions had taken off beyond Bruce’s wildest dreams. He was again serving clients across the country, with more business than he could handle.
Story of my young PR writing life. I wrote a global press release for a woman trying to retire to promote her autobiography, and she is now President of a major performing arts center in Dallas.
Why don’t people who tell me they want to retire either stay retired or not have great things happen before I can write the PR to make great things happen for them?
When last I spoke to Bruce I proposed I might visit Deb and him again in 2020, as I travel to do talks about a Lewis Grizzard book I wrote. We discussed no date, as I have yet to venture far beyond metro Atlanta audiences. Bruce said to let him know, as he and Deb would always have an open door, comfortable bed and food that rocks.
The last sentence was mine, not Bruce’s, but what Bruce said conveyed it. Even if they served up no more than saltines and potted meat food product a stay at the Cantwell Farina household was a pleasure not to be missed.
Yet a good portion of my last conversation with Bruce was the 40 x 80 double decker in Vegas, the 50 x 100 triple decker in Chicago and the 200 x 500 quadruple decker in Anaheim, orders he took within the last hour. Okay, I don’t know if triple or quadruple deckers exist, but if they did Bruce would likely get the order to install and dismantle them.
When Bruce talked like that he was not being remotely boastful. He was simply sharing good news. And he shared good news like that with me for 40 years. Oh, how I will miss those calls.
My heart aches for Deb, and I told her so. I know they have a blended family of stellar grown kids and huge community of friends. Though when a presence as big as Bruce leaves the void is immense.
In 2018 we said goodbye to Kurt Walker, and I wrote a tribute to him. Saying goodbye is hard. Yet when those who leave us are such fine people we all know where they are. I am confident Kurt and Bruce are laughing and swapping stories right now from on high.
I realize that I have written only about trade show business men, with the exception of Lynn Silvaroli. In my Lewis Grizzard book I mentioned none of his many ex-wives. It is just easier that way. Were I to name all of the great women, I&D “versatile persons”, clients, co-workers and show business friends I would have to write until 2021. Yet I would not know these people were it not for Bruce Cantwell. He changed my life.
May God bless his family. May we honor his memory.
We love you Mr. Warmth.
Peter Stoddard
stoddardmedia@gmail.com
678-725-5889
LinkedIn
Somewhere someone gave Bruce the nickname, “Mr. Warmth”. I expect that was facetious at first, as Bruce was the salesman’s salesman. But it did not take long to get to know that Bruce was indeed a very warm person.
I will wager it was Steve Johnson, the master of endearing monikers. Bruce resembled Brutus or Bluto of Popeye comics, a larger than life man, except Bruce was almost always smiling. He was a Marine, and I would not want to be around Bruce if he was not smiling. Thankfully, I never was.
In 1980 I was the 23 year old Convention Manager for Atlanta’s Lanier Business Products. Jack McEntee and Mike Metzger of I&D visited to explain the new concept of what is now called the exhibitor appointed contractor. I had experienced a few months of general contractor “help” in installing and dismantling Lanier exhibits and welcomed an alternative.
Soon my I&D account executives were Johnny Merritt, Lynn Silvaroli and Bruce Cantwell, whoever answered the phone. They became my friends as well. Bruce lived with I can’t remember who in “The Cabin”, a one of a kind company residential lodging near Stone Mountain. Think Flintstones but with electricity and indoor plumbing - just barely.
In 1982 I was prepared to go into sales with Lanier, as was their plan. Two years in corporate then on to field sales. Yet I enjoyed “show business” and let people know that.
Bruce gave me the heads up that a relatively unknown Atlanta company needed an exhibit person. I interviewed and accepted the convention job at Siemens-Allis, now Siemens Energy & Automation.
Two years later Bruce gave me the heads up that I&D was opening field sales offices and asked if I would be interested in Anaheim. I am not a California guy and declined but thanked him. Not long thereafter he asked me about Philadelphia/New Jersey. I again declined and thanked him.
When Bruce called again about Chicago my antennae went up. While the Atlanta of the 1980s was in my eyes bland suburbs and rolled up downtown sidewalks at 5 PM, Chicago was the very happening virtual opposite. I finally interviewed with Wayne “The Real Deal” Veal, who did all the talking and did not ask me a single question. Those who knew and loved Wayne will smile and likely not be surprised.
I&D offered me the Midwest Regional Sales Manager job, and I moved to Chicago. Scott Bennett moved to Anaheim, Kurt Walker moved to Boston and Bruce moved to New Jersey. Veal stayed in Atlanta.
I eventually became a little jealous of Scott, Kurt, Wayne and Bruce, as they would travel to Chicago, yet I never managed to travel to their cities. My most exciting destination was glamorous Rosemont IL.
In Chicago I answered to a succession of General Managers, from Tom Cassell to Sam Miserendino & Dan Sclocchini to Gary Wannemacher. In Atlanta I answered to a succession of Sales Managers, from Jim Murphy to Steve Johnson to Jim Wurm. With me in Chicago sales were Bill “The Wet One” Stevenson and Randy Burk. All of these people are my friends today.
I do not name some co-workers I did not care for, as it should be. Yet if I do not name you, it may be because I never reported to you. Please chill.
I left I&D for Giltspur and the trade show business a few years later. Yet I stay connected to most or all of my old friends via social media. None has been a more constant friend over the years than Bruce Cantwell. We fished the Delaware Bay and went to a Georgia-Florida game.
Where Bruce met his wife Deb Farina I do not recall. The happy result was their return to Georgia and Brunswick a few years before I returned to Georgia and Cumming. I visited them in Brunswick, and Bruce visited me on my Lake Lanier houseboat. I immediately took to Deb, who Bruce aptly called “Smokin Hot”. They clearly adored each other, and I adored them.
It does not hurt that Deb is a food scientist who uses her kitchen to create experimental cuisine that knocks your socks off, forces it on guests and insists that you take large portions when you depart because they can not eat it all.
I sensed Bruce was seeking retirement when he confided that he began the aptly named “Bruce Almighty Solutions”, a little business to perhaps handle popups from Jacksonville to Savannah. By this time I was an aspiring PR writer hoping to get trade show clients and experiencing some early success. I proposed to write a press release, and Bruce tentatively agreed to it.
Yet soon Almighty Solutions had taken off beyond Bruce’s wildest dreams. He was again serving clients across the country, with more business than he could handle.
Story of my young PR writing life. I wrote a global press release for a woman trying to retire to promote her autobiography, and she is now President of a major performing arts center in Dallas.
Why don’t people who tell me they want to retire either stay retired or not have great things happen before I can write the PR to make great things happen for them?
When last I spoke to Bruce I proposed I might visit Deb and him again in 2020, as I travel to do talks about a Lewis Grizzard book I wrote. We discussed no date, as I have yet to venture far beyond metro Atlanta audiences. Bruce said to let him know, as he and Deb would always have an open door, comfortable bed and food that rocks.
The last sentence was mine, not Bruce’s, but what Bruce said conveyed it. Even if they served up no more than saltines and potted meat food product a stay at the Cantwell Farina household was a pleasure not to be missed.
Yet a good portion of my last conversation with Bruce was the 40 x 80 double decker in Vegas, the 50 x 100 triple decker in Chicago and the 200 x 500 quadruple decker in Anaheim, orders he took within the last hour. Okay, I don’t know if triple or quadruple deckers exist, but if they did Bruce would likely get the order to install and dismantle them.
When Bruce talked like that he was not being remotely boastful. He was simply sharing good news. And he shared good news like that with me for 40 years. Oh, how I will miss those calls.
My heart aches for Deb, and I told her so. I know they have a blended family of stellar grown kids and huge community of friends. Though when a presence as big as Bruce leaves the void is immense.
In 2018 we said goodbye to Kurt Walker, and I wrote a tribute to him. Saying goodbye is hard. Yet when those who leave us are such fine people we all know where they are. I am confident Kurt and Bruce are laughing and swapping stories right now from on high.
I realize that I have written only about trade show business men, with the exception of Lynn Silvaroli. In my Lewis Grizzard book I mentioned none of his many ex-wives. It is just easier that way. Were I to name all of the great women, I&D “versatile persons”, clients, co-workers and show business friends I would have to write until 2021. Yet I would not know these people were it not for Bruce Cantwell. He changed my life.
May God bless his family. May we honor his memory.
We love you Mr. Warmth.
Peter Stoddard
stoddardmedia@gmail.com
678-725-5889
