OOH …Here’s One Thing
by Jim Johnsen,
Managing Director, Johnsen, Fretty & Company
“Day after day, alone on a hill
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him; they can see that he’s just a fool
And he never gives an answer.”
The Beatleshttps://youtu.be/9FFLp_w6kH8?si=5jMzkohexGLwaKAF
A week ago, I was at the annual Dinosaur Christmas Lunch, and most others did not show. But for the few there, we relived yesterday’s glory days and all the greats, including RO Naegele, Lew Manderson, John Kluge, George Newman, Carl Eller, Bill Levine, Arte Moreno and Bill Schwartz.
What we should have celebrated, however, was Stephen Adams. As I was on the train riding home, catching up on my old publications, there he was (see attached). Has anyone ever heard of Adams Outdoor? Steve, with the help of Kevin Gleason, many other faithful employees, and a shit load of debt, personally guaranteed by none other than Steve Adams, built it into one of the best outdoor advertising businesses in the U.S. But for some reason, everyone seems to overlook Adams when the honor roll comes out. Why, I do not know. Perhaps the slow and steady don’t always get the recognition they deserve. I regret that we didn’t recognize Adams sooner.
But I digress. The real reason for my post is that we often forget (me mostly) that what we create has a significant and lasting impact. At the end of his life, with his outdoor fortune (and other businesses), Steve Adams and his accumulated outdoor money have radiated into many great things, inspiring us to create work that transcends time.
JJ
Securities transacted through StillPoint Capital Member firm FINRA/SiPC