On September 10, 2014, Larry Aschenbrenner retired after working for Aaron Equipment Company for more than 43 years. Larry started as a Rigger and wore many different hats in his career. His last position was that of Site Supervisor.
A luncheon was thrown in Larry’s honor and was attended by the entire company including patriarchs Les and Jerry Cohen and Jerry’s wife Shirley. Alan Cohen started the luncheon off by describing his first memories of Larry when he was a young boy visiting the shop with his father.
He called Larry a combination between John Wayne and Clint Eastwood…a larger than life character who had a passion for everything outdoors. Larry did (and still does) enjoy fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, skiing and boating.
Alan also remembered that when Larry was first hired, he agreed to work at Aaron on a “temporary only basis” until he could get a job doing wood working. In the early years, Larry was known for hosting card games after work. He traveled a lot working as a rigger and had a reputation for being able to figure out how to move almost any type of equipment in almost any type of situation. On one of those trips, he even met a girl who later became his wife (Linda).
After Alan’s appreciation, the floor was open for others to offer their memories of Larry over the years…and boy did they! Many stories were told about Larry both on and off the job and it soon became apparent that for many people in the room, they were not just co-workers…but they were Larry’s friends.
To top off the luncheon, Larry spoke of his recollections with those in the room, including a number of people who had preceded Larry in retirement, but who had made the trip back for Larry’s send off. In one fond story, he even referred to Jerry and Shirley Cohen as his adoptive parents.
Everyone at Aaron Equipment wishes Larry the best in his retirement. It was one of the “Longest Temporary Positions in History”. Good Luck Larry…“it’s time for a cold one”.