The most important development in Diebold’s history was its entry into the automatic banking business with the introduction of ATMs, as they are known today. I along with many people realized we were betting the company on ATMs, for if we were unsuccessful, the company would cease to exist. This is what happened to many of our competitors during that period, including Mosler, Lefebure, Herring Hall Marvin and York.

My role in this transformation initially was to hire people with skills unknown at Diebold at that time – those of software engineers and electronic engineers. Software engineers were extremely rare then. To supplement the hiring we were doing to obtain electrical and software engineers, I also started a co-op program with The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, and the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1968. Both the co-op program and recruiting on college campuses around the country were a major source of engineers for us during the 1970s.

Many companies, such as Goodyear, Procter and Gamble and Firestone sponsored co-op programs at the time because it was a very good way to recruit and give the student and the company a chance to determine if permanent employment was mutually beneficial.

Students typically worked at Diebold for four or more semesters during a five-year period. Many students also worked during the summers and semester breaks. I believe we offered jobs to 80-90 percent of the students who graduated from the program, some of which are still associates today. We retained the engineers by providing very interesting and challenging work, promotions and good pay.

I believe the single most important attribute for Diebold’s success is the intense effort that was made to please the customer with the products and services we offered. Nothing was left to chance. We went to great lengths to ensure the products worked and were reliable. And we knew many of the bankers by name.

We also focused on our associates. We did all we could to keep them pleased with the company. In tough times, we couldn’t always provide wage increases, but we did have a culture where the president and chief executive officer would walk around the offices and factories and knew people by name.

I enjoyed a wonderful career at Diebold that spanned 41 years. I joined Diebold in 1964 as a production planner in the manufacturing organization. In 1965, I moved to what was then known as Personnel. I was fortunate to work for Raymond Koontz, former chairman and chief executive, who was a great mentor. He gave me a fabulous opportunity to lead the human resources function in my late 20s and made me vice president and officer 1976 where I remained until my retirement in 2005. I have no regrets, and there is nothing that I would change about my experience.