Ed

Ed Eichler

I'm writing today's blog at the risk of being called a brown-noser and sounding self-serving. But in BNB-style, I don't care.

I'd like to wish my boss, Edwin H. Eichler, a very happy sixth-fifth birthday!

We're both natives of Pigeon, so I've known the Eichler family -- going back to Ed's parents John and Pauline -- for years.

Ed, as President and CEO of Agri-Valley Communications, Inc. and it's affiliated companies (including the company that employes me), is a successful businessman. But he's not the kind of guy you might imagine leading multi-million dollar companies.

When many businesses locate themselves in large cities or foreign countries, he keeps the companies rooted in the tiny rural community I call home. That translates into being one of the areas largest employers, which is important in a depressed economy and even more important in rural America.

As businesses here close and buildings sit, Ed purchases and renovates them, giving them new life and an appealing appearance. And it would be my guess that deep inside his head, he has plans for a business to put in those buildings.

But he's not all business. There are community organizations, like Rotary Club, and his love for the Detroit Tigers shared with an annual company-sponsored bus trip to Comercia Park each year, and his beloved Michigan State Spartans!

And as busy as this guy is, he still finds time to "run out to the farm" and mow the lawn himself.  I suspect that it's a relaxing task where important business decisions are pondered.

He's also a husband, father and grandfather, proud of his family.

For all these things, and many more, I'm proud to have him as a boss and a friend.

So Ed, on your milestone day, I say thank you for all the support you've given me, my family, the community we call home. I wish you good health and God's blessings today and in the future.

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