Huge news! I'm moving to Kansas...

[FORDification]

You know how it is when you've got HUGE news that you want to share with everyone, but you can't tell anyone just yet? You know, you don't want to jinx it because it's still in the works, so you bite your tongue constantly until it's finally written in stone and you KNOW for sure it's going to happen?

Well, I've got something I've been wanting to share with you all that's been in the works for about 6 weeks now and was just finalized yesterday with the signing of some documents...so I can finally let the cat out of bag.

And here it is:

I've been offered a position at LMC Truck, as the new head of the Ford Research & Development (R&D) team....and I've accepted the offer. I will be starting there full-time in about three weeks. Essentially, I'll be in charge of anything that has to do with Ford trucks and Broncos, and Ford-related products sold through LMC's catalogs.

That's right...this isn't a joke. This is really happening!

LMC sees these classic Ford trucks as the next huge market and wanted someone there who knows them very well, to work on expanding available parts and filling holes in the aftermarket offerings. My official title will be 'Ford Parts Manager', and as the head of LMC's Ford R&D team I'll be mostly working to identify Ford truck repair/restoration products that aren't currently being sold through their catalogs and contacting companies to either supply them or manufacture them. We'll provide them with a sample, they'll provide a prototype which I'll inspect for quality and fitment, and if it passes inspections, then I'll OK it for further mass production to be stocked in their warehouses and listed in their future catalogs. And since I know some of you might be wondering, I do believe I'll have some say-so in the quality control of their existing products. That is, if I can find a better version of a product currently being sold by LMC and it's financially feasible to offer that product in the catalogs, then changes will be made to do so.

I'll also be in charge of all eight of LMC's Ford truck catalogs, ensuring that everything is listed completely and correctly as to description, application, etc.

This has been in the works since the beginning of March and I'd probably would have been making this announcement sooner, but the whole COVID19 thing put a stall on the process for a while. There have been numerous e-mails, phone conversations plus a face-to-face interview and tour of the LMC facilities several weeks ago...which lead to yesterday's formal job offer. Everything has been approved and I just sent off the final paperwork to finalize the deal.

I've provided my current employer with my two weeks notice and will now spend the new few weeks getting packed up and ready to relocate to Lenexa, Kansas and renting a place to live. My family will stay here for the time being while we get our current acreage cleaned up and sold, and during this time I'll be making regular 4-hour trips between Kansas and our home in east-central Nebraska on the weekends to help out. Once the acreage is sold, my family will be joining me in Kansas. My wife is graduating this month with her Master's degree in Nursing Education, so relocating to the outskirts of Kansas City will make more opportunities available to her than she would here.

There IS one thing that really sucks about this. You know that shop that I've spend the past few years slowly getting put together? The one in which I finally got concrete poured last fall and got all my car/truck projects, tools and parts inside for the first time? This was supposed to be the summer I finally got to get back to work on those projects in that new shop, dammit! Looking at it realistically, it's probably going to be another year before we've found a place that we both like...she wants the house, I want the shop. But while it's a minor setback on those personal projects, it's a huge step up for both of us, so we're both very excited about the future and looking forward to this new adventure.

It's definitely going to be an interesting chapter of our lives!

[davelj]

Congratulations! Sounds like a dream job.

[1972hiboy]

Wow, that is amazing news! A big congratulations Keith!
I would love to provide some feedback parts wise and know of a thing or two that isn't available in the aftermarket anywhere.

Good luck with the move and getting things straightened out. Its a big undertaking.

-Richard

[390FE1972]

Congratulations!!! Glade to hear your good news. Hope your move goes smoothly!

[sparky72]

Congratulations! I think we all have things in mind that we want to be able to order from a catalog so be prepared for some unsolicited opinions

[beejaytx225]

Absolutely sweet news! To love the trucks and get to be part of a team that makes everyone's dream of this come true has got to be exhilarating. Congrats to y'all!

[DuckRyder]

Congratulations, awesome news and that really does sound like a dream job!

[jzjames]

Congrats!

Since 2005, jzjames.
I'll be looking at LMC more optimistically from now on.

[crazyhorse]

Mr Keith , Congratulations .
I hope you & your family are very happy and you enjoy your new career for many years.
May God bless you .

[MAK]

Congratulations! It’s great when you can find a job and make a career doing something you love and have already been doing in your spare time for fun. The move will be stressful but worth it in the end. Hope it goes well for you.

[1968F250CAMPERSPECIAL]

Congratulations Man!
They are lucky to have you!

Now that we have a guy on the "inside" maybe you can convince them to carry the elusive C7TZ-7A216-A

[lennyp]

Congratulations.

[The Bandit]

Great news Keith! Congratulations!!

[sargentrs]

Congratulations, Keith! Looking foward to LMC having quality parts that actually fit. With you in charge I'm sure they'll be stepping up their game!

[flyboy2610]

Suweet!