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President
Bush, Carolyn Renninger and her son, Geoff Taylor, have a press
conference at the family’s manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania.
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1. Take
it seriously.
When your congressman asks if you'd like to host a visit by President
Bush next week, do not assume he is joking. Fortunately, in February of
last year I said that we'd be honored and privileged. After all, how many
times does a small company have such an opportunity?
2.
Be willing to make a few changes.
Be open to things such as truckloads of sand being dumped in your storage
area to deflect any bombs, machinery being moved around to make space
for visitors, 60 extra telephone lines being installed for the press and
putting everyone through a security check.
3. Prepare
to become secure. When the Secret Service, press corps,
CNN and NBC all drove in, I was on my cell phone with the White House.
They were circling our parking lot, just like in the movies. We had guard
dogs sniffing for bombs, high-powered rifles on the roof, no working phone
lines and shrouded ground-level windows. Our road was closed, as well
as a nearby section of the Ohio River. All 360 visitors had to go through
security, and once they came in, they could not leave.
4. Don't
worry about details. The White House will be in constant
contact. Everything will be "staged" for you. We were told how
to greet the president at the door, and they even marked on the floor
where we were to stand. It was handled very professionally.
5. Enjoy
yourself. Basically, I was asked to tell how the company
was formed. I was very nervous. I didn't want to embarrass the president
or myself. He is such a gentleman. As we went up to the podium, he grabbed
my hand, and that really put me at ease. And he kissed me on the cheek,
so that didn't hurt, either.
6. Be
willing to return the visit. You may be invited to the
White House. We were treated royally at a big Christmas reception. We
had our picture taken with the president in front of a tall tree decorated
with ornaments from all the states, enjoyed music by the Marine Band and
feasted on absolutely wonderful hors d'oeuvres and desserts. Among the
guests we recognized were Tom Daschle and Jerry Falwell.
Renninger is CEO of Control Concepts, a small manufacturer
of control devices in Beaver, Pa. The UC grad and her son Geoff Taylor,
company president, took over the business after her husband's death in
1996. In 2000, Control Concepts was one of three Pennsylvania recipients
of the Ben Franklin Entrepreneur Award. The prize money was donated to
a foundation to promote reading in area schools.
Link: Go to the Control Concepts Web site for another photo of Carolyn and President Bush.
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