Does Lionel still have any employees that date back to the General Mills era?
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I am sure there are several eminent Lionel historians on the forum who will correct me and expound at length during daylight hours today (Sat), but I would say with Mr. Lenny Dean's passing a couple years ago there isn't anybody with tenure that goes back 40+ years.
Nobody I know of that goes back quite that far.
There are a few folks left from the General Mills era, but you only need one hand to count 'em.
And there's one person there that MIGHT have even started in the MPC (pre-General Mills) days, but I can't recall for certain when they started - it was either very late 1960's or very early 1970's.
TRW
Michigan Lionel was like a swinging door for employees. It's not likely any still work for them.
There are a few folks left from the General Mills era, but you only need one hand to count 'em.
And there's one person there that MIGHT have even started in the MPC (pre-General Mills) days, but I can't recall for certain when they started - it was either very late 1960's or very early 1970's.
TRW
MPC became a General Mills subsidiary as part of the same transaction that saw the Lionel Corporation sell its train tooling and license the Lionel name to General Mills. This happened in 1969. Before this MPC, General Mills and Lionel trains had no connection. To rephrase the question, "Are there any more pre Kughn (1985, IIRC) Lionel employees still active with the company?"
Techie:
That's not correct.
MPC became a General Mills subsidiary over a year prior to the execution of the Lionel transaction. I think it was November 1968, sometime after Kenner (1967), but around the same time as Parker Brothers (also 1968). The Lionel deal doesn't come on the radar until April 1969, and doesn't officially become part of General Mills until January 1, 1970.
Some of the personnel at Lionel originally signed-on as MPC employees, prior to the General Mills-Lionel transaction. I think there MIGHT be one of the these people left.
The Kughn era started April, 1986. I believe there are 5 or 6 people still there that predate this time.
TRW
I think Tim Habel might be from the tail end of the MPC era. Possible the east coast rep as well.
Regards,
Randall