First Pitch Then Play Ball

How many people get to throw out the first pitch of the year at a professional baseball statium. My son did this last week. He is my star and has always been.

Tim, is my 26 year old only son who said, Dad I entered a contest to be the first to use the new Fan Cave at Progressive Park in Cleveland. Well have fun I said and I hope you do well. He had to compete against people in a WII game and see if he could make it to the finals. He call me after the first night and said he didn't think he did that well but it turned out a few days later he was invited for the finals.

I told him I would go with him for the finals but his text message said, "He would be too nervous." I certainly understood that and said, "Have Fun!" A few hours later he called and said he had won the contest and take Monday off to go the ball game.



We had a great time! He throw a ball over the plate or real close from the pitchers mound and got to see Rockin Robert up close.

I love my son and am proud of him always. He truly is my son, my son... My only son... I love you my boy.

Quitting is Not an Option

Never Quit or you will get in the habit of quitting. I have a new sign that stares at me as I work each day…. “QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION!

I have been working long hours doing what I love to do. I feel like Job, from the Bible, where everyone said, “Just Quit!” Every goal a person really believes in and works toward better be one that you will do anything necessary to accomplish because once you start there is no turning around. I have quit on diets, exercise programs, cleaning the office, washing the car, doing laundry, I even quit a job. Never remember doing that before so I understand the anatomy of quitting.

It is hard to continue when the going gets so hard that laying in bed in the fetal position is the desire of your heart, or doing the mundane activities that have to be done day after day in order to see the other side of the mountain. The excuses I can come up with as to why not to keep going are like the sands of the sea.

Fortunately, I now have the words posted in front of me. Quitting is not an option! Then if the things I desire and have written down fall into that catagory there is no way of quitting. The best way I have learned to do things is to make a habit of the activities that will take me closer to my goals.

Example: If I want to loose weight I have to do certain activities. Drink water, eat breakfast, and exercise some. And schedule those activities into my calendar.

I remember how hard it was to read the Bible in a year. I would start every year and get as far as Numbers or Deuteronomy and then just quit! For years the same thing happened. Until someone said to read through the Bible in a year just read 4 chapters a day it would get done. That was doable! Then I learned that if you do the hardest thing you have to do first you get it out of the way. It is amazing that once an activity becomes a habit it can be accomplished. I now not only read my Bible every year but have a ritual of doing it daily. I truly enjoy reading and learning so much that it has become a high-light of my day and it is the first thing I do each day with a cup of coffee.

“QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION!” has now becoming my mantra.

Jon
http://www.summitfencesupply.com/

She Looks So Good

What a mom I have. 83 years old and still going strong.

I like to say I would be nothing without her. All the hours we spent in hospitals, Dr's offices, Therapy at home at home or elsewhere. She was and is a star of hope to me and many others. Love you mom!!!

Day 15: Knowing is the Key…. Pad

Which keypad is right for your driveway gate or access door? Let’s look at 4 units to begin our series on entry controls.

Before you purchase a keypad you need to plan and decide which one will be the right one for your application.

Here are some beginning questions:

1. What are you using the keypad for? Is it for a gate or a door? Is it for residential or commercial use?
2. How many pre-approved access users do you want to be able to use the keypad?  
3. Do you need to communicate to the people at the gate or door to decide if you want them to be allowed to enter?
4. What kind of power is supplied at the gate? (None, Residential voltage or commercial voltage or solar)
5. Where are you going to mount the key pad?
6. How deep is your driving lane?
7. Does the key pad have to be lite for night use or is the area lite by a street light?
8. Do you need to keep a record of who is coming and going?
9. Does the equipment need to be vandal resistant.

With your answers in hand finding the right keypad for your use will be a snap.  One of the simplest key pads is the American Access System’s Advantage DKE Economy Keypad. This is one of the most inexpensive keypad on the market and yet it has a number of great features.

• Runs on 12-24 VAC or VDC,
• It has a night light,
• It has enough capacity for 100 - 4 digit codes (which is more people than I know on face book).
• It has a programmable master code and a non-volatile (EEPROM) Electronically Erasable PROgrammable Memory, which means if it looses its power the codes will not be lost.
• Made in the USA
• This unit will not allow for communication to the house or building however.

The next keypad we are looking at is the American Access Systems Advantage DK. It is perfect the businesses that have lots of people coming and going because of its 1000 - 4 digit capacity. This unit can also be ordered with an intercom so that you can speak to a person at a desk or door. One push from button on the intercom and the gate will release and allow the party access. 

Here are some other features available with the Advantage DK:

• Programmable sleep code so you can set it not to activate at contains times of the day or night.
• 3 strikes and you’re out which stops unwanted people from standing at your gate or door and play with combinations. If they do it more than 3 times they will not be allowed to enter.
• Audible tone for programming
• Optional clandestine pinhole camera is available.
• Post mount option or night flush mount.
• Vandal resistant
• LED indicators for programming and status
• This unit also includes the EEPROM.
• Made in the USA

The third family of keypads is the DKLP family. These keypads are perfect for solar power. These Keypads are certainly GREEN because they use under 20uA power consumption.  If you live on a farm or far way from a power supply this unit may be just the option you are looking for. It comes with flush mount single gang, post mount or intercom availability. You do have to run a wire for the intercom to work however.

Features of the Advantage DKLP

• Solar friendly
• 50 – 4 digit code capacity
• Programmable master code
• Audible tone
• Non volatile memory EEPROM
• Vandal resistant
• Made in the USA

Let’s say that you need a wireless keypad. Kevin Downing of American Access System states with the use of a receiver and transmitter which is a part of the Advantage DKW.

The Advantage DKW is the perfect solution where trenching is not an option. It has a range of 50” to the Keypad receiver. It also can be solar powered however it does use a 9 volt snap battery.

Features of the Advantage DKW

• Solar Friendly
• 100 – 4 digit code capacity
• Programmable master code
• Audible tone
• Vandal resistant
• EEPROM non volatile memory
• No digging or trenching necessary

This is just a brief look at the standard keypads that are available on the market. Our next blog will look at an  entry systems that keeps track of who is coming and going.

Order your keypad now and take advantage of our 10% off all keypad. Contact us and use the code AD17WV to collect your savings.

Jon, "Your Fence Man on Wheels"
888.856.0551
jon@summitfencesupply.com
www.summitfencesupply.com

Day 14: Lesson’s from a 7 year old.

Martin Luther King Jr. day was a day off from school for my 7 year old grandson. It wasn’t long until grandmother, Tristan, and old grandpa were deep into a never ending game of Monopoly. He had his money all lined up on the side of the table first the 1’s then and 5’s so on down to the 500’s. Oh my, he will make a great business man some day. He started off wheeling and dealing right away. He knew what he wanted and started strong. His old grandpa took the “Kenny Rogers” approached and stacked his money saying to himself, “Never count your money, when you’re sittin’ at the table… There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.”

Hour after hour as those dice hit the table I was reminded that business is about balance. If you extend your capital too far you end up in trouble. If you don’t take calculated risks you will not last. There is luck involved as well but the key lesson is, you don’t have a chance to win if you don’t play.

There are times at Summit Fence Supply where I extend myself to far which causes me great stress and there are times when good products are presented to me and I don’t pull the trigger. I am glad that we play the game of helping our customers each day. We don’t get every project we work on but we play the game with fairness and high quality projects.

Grandma usually wins with her quite, by the book, approach to playing the game.

But Not TODAY!!!

----------------------------

We are offering a FREE copy of Business Principles we picked up from the book of Proverbs. If you would like a free copy click here and enjoy.

Jon Mullender
President of Summit Fence Supply

Email: Jon@summitfencesupply.com

Phone: Toll Free 888.856.0551

Fax: Toll Free 866.841.8023

Day 13: Who is my neighbor?

It was 4:00 Thursday afternoon and I and a friend were sitting at Barnes and Nobles coffee shop. She is having her usual Latte and I am having my Grande, extra hot, mocha with no whip (I do the no whip because it makes me feel like it is fat free) We are in total different business worlds but the common thread is that not to much is happening right now. Our conversation quickly went to the disaster in Haiti.

I stayed up last night to hear Night Line on the relief efforts that were taking place only to hear that there was little being done. The commentators kept saying over and over again, “We hope the aid gets there before it is too late.” Hospitals were knocked down, children and adults were turned away from what little care there was. But the thing that got me the most was neighbor assisting neighbor. Neighbors were pouring through rubble to help those still pinned a day after the earthquake. Neighbors were trying to comfort those that lost loved ones and trying to show love and compassion to others in the midst of holocaust.  What a testimony to the human spirit.

On my way home I met a young man named Xavier whose car broke down. I don’t pick up kids walking down the road but a neighbor is a neighbor. What a great kid he was! I got to take him to the other side of town to his mother’s house. He asked if he could give me some gas money. I just smiled. We programmed in his address into my GPS and off we went. He had never seen one before… I didn't tell him my sister gave it to me at Christmas time and I didn't know much about it either. Neighbor helping neighbor!

My neighbor knew it was icy on my driveway and came and brought my trash cans in. Another friend shoveled my driveway. Neighbor helping neighbor!

Well tonight as the day comes to a close and I sit in front of the fireplace with my warm blanket I am thinking about a man that came to Jesus and asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus turned to him and told him the story of three men that saw man beaten badly and tossed on the side of the road. Two of his own people walked right on by but the third, a stranger, stopped and bandaged his wounds (like the Haitians treating each other), put him on his donkey (like the Haitian’s had people resting in their car because there was no where else to go), and took him to an inn and paid the innkeeper to care for him…  

Who is our neighbor?

So again, here is the link to the Red Cross to donate to our Haitian neighbors.


Jon Mullender
Summit Fence Supply
jon@summitfencesupply.com

Day 12: It’s not so bad!

I am developing a friendship with Larry Ellis of Ellis Dynamic Solutions. We have been praying for each other on a daily basis. In business it is always good to seek advice from the Creator of the Universe. Larry surprised me today when he said he was praying for something more important than me. I as a gassed thinking that I was moving into second place… Until I read the rest of the email.

“Five times at the computer today and you’re still first in line on the prayer list, but, you’re about to drop from that number 1 spot. The poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti, has been devastated by a massive earthquake. These poor people have nowhere to go and nowhere to turn (except to our Father). I don’t know how many there are Christian, but I do know how many of them God created, loves, and wants to spend eternity with. They need prayer, genuine heartfelt, emotional prayer. I know your heart, and I know you feel love for these people right now too. Somehow adding myself at the end of this last prayer just didn’t feel like I was in the same class of need. You know what I mean.”

I have no idea what it must be like. I have never been without a roof over my head or food in my stomach. I have never lost someone in nature’s fury. All I know is what I have seen on TV about people in Katrina, or the movies about the San Francisco earthquake.

Maybe business is really designed to be able to assist other. Maybe that is why to him who is given much much will be required.

If you are interested in giving to help the people in Haiti, Here is a link to the American Red Cross.

“When you give to the least of these you give to me.” Jesus said.

Jon, "Your fence man on wheels."

President and CEO

jon@summitfencesupply.com

summitfencesupply.com