Abt Electronics

July’s Employee Spotlight features our head of operations and 39-year Abt veteran, Bob Taylor. “I had just graduated from Indiana University and needed a new range. My family said I needed to talk to Bob Abt to get the ‘best deal’. After selling me a range, Mr. Abt kept asking questions about me, my education and my family. He must have seen something in me because he offered me a job on the spot, and I accepted because I definitely saw something special in him.” While Bob was hired as a salesman, and worked as one for the first 15-20 years, he was also able to integrate his passion for woodworking. “During that time, I designed and built a few displays for the showroom. I enjoyed woodworking growing up because my father had a woodshop in our basement”. Bob Abt recognized his talent and when it was time to move the store to Morton Grove in 1990, he asked Bob Taylor to collaborate with the architect on the store’s layout and overall design. Taylor worked as the construction manager for the project and subsequently he and two other installers moved into Abt’s first woodshop. We now have nearly 20 dedicated woodshop employees who work hard to make the store a better place for employees and customers alike. When asked about his favorite memory, he said “In 2000, I was working on the design for Abt’s new store in Glenview. I wanted to add an Atrium, but Mr. Abt wasn’t sure it would fit with our style. A week later he went to Las Vegas and stayed at the newly-opened Bellagio. He was so impressed with their conservatory that when he returned, he approved the Atrium and wanted to add flowers, fountains, skylights, and stone columns. He sent me to Vegas, and I came up with a plan.” If you’ve ever walked into the Atrium at Abt, you know it’s one of the reasons so many people love coming to the store. Bob has designed countless showrooms and displays & handled 10 other construction projects. He’s also responsible for the Recycling Center, solar panel installs, green roof, Tesla batteries and energy management. Another fun fact, all three of Bob’s kids have worked here at one time or another and currently his son, Devon, is our Telecommunication and Mobility Manager!

Our corporate sales team is excited to meet you at the ASI Show! Don't forget to visit us at booth 1382 today, Wednesday July 24th until 5pm. We'll also be there tomorrow, Thursday July 2nd, from 10am-2:30pm. Can't wait to see you there! #ASIChicago #ASIShow #Corporatesales

Another incredible summer weekend with #WindyCitySmokeout is in the books! See you next year Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Fest & Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. #Chicago #WindyCity #WCSmokeout #WindyCitySmokeout

Happy work anniversary to our July hires! Thank you for all that you do! #workmilestone Robert Taylor for 39 years mark sasicki for 34 years Dave Reis for 31 years Shirley Hood for 30 years Eric Higman for 24 years Cherina Gonzales for 24 years Dorota Czykier for 24 years Robert Khoury for 23 years Rafal Stachurski for 23 years Larry Solomon for 23 years chris lorenz for 22 years Peter Ronzio for 22 years Michael Velasco for 19 years Mike Stolarski for 17 years Christina Sasicki for 15 years Robert Smolen for 14 years Tracey Luttrell for 13 years Emmy T. for 13 years Jason Hill Fried for 12 years Brian Failla for 12 years Cindy Brown for 12 years Patty Bannos for 12 years Sam La Guidice for 10 years Kevin Sobkowicz for 10 years Eron Vega for 10 years Marc Spiwak for 9 years Anthony Loch for 8 years Ken Burkland for 8 years Erik Murillo for 6 years Tim Lambin for 6 years Karthik J T. for 6 years David Klucznik for 5 years Alexander Garcia for 5 years Tracy John for 4 years Brian Croke for 3 years John Paul Postel for 3 years Mustafa Jaffery for 1 year

Fresh lemonade anyone? 🍋 Our lemonade stand is here for the summer every Saturday & Sunday from 12-5pm. Make sure to stop by and get yours!

Happy 4th of July from Abt! Wishing everyone a fun & safe holiday. Shop 4th of July Savings in-store, online or by phone. We're open today from 10am-5pm.

Our team had a great experience visiting the Fisher & Paykel Appliances headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA last week to learn more about their inspiring new products! Thank you for having us, Fisher & Paykel Appliances & DCS Grills!

For June's Employee Spotlight, meet one of our long-time employees, (former) installer extraordinaire, a legacy here at the store and one of our trainers for new hires, Bob Wescott. With a full 26 years of experience, we're lucky to have Bob. He's a bit of a legend when it comes to installation... Bob began his career here as an Installer at our previous location in Morton Grove. In this position, our trucks bring large appliances like refrigerators and kitchen ranges to homes. For a full 18 years, Bob Wescott went from home to home, helping people complete their dream kitchens and replacing appliances. Fast. He's been referred to as "The Poster Child" by Randy Goldfein, who managed Bob at the time. "He was so organized and knew how to prep his truck well." Not only that, he knew how to fix things. That's one of the reasons why Bob Wescott was given his own one-man installer run. As a one-man team, Bob's position involved installing smaller appliances like cooktops and garbage disposals. Even when he took on an extra stop or two, Bob would always be the first guy back. He was also able to take care of any issues that arose during the day. He could break from his route and head over to a customer's house fast to come up with a solution to nearly any issue. It's just one of the reasons why he has the position he has today: as an Abt trainer. "After coming inside to be a trainer about four years ago, I was given the opportunity to help start the Abt garage door department." Here, Bob shows employees everything they need to know about installing and fixing our garage doors for customers. We even have one installed in the training area to ensure that installers are comfortable and know their way around the equipment. "What I love about my job is helping the fleet grow, learning new aspects of the business and giving back when I can." Besides being a great trainer and installer. He's a dad to three children. "Being a dad to a 20-year-old, 17-year-old and a 9-year-old keeps us busy. He loves spending time on the rink with his boys who play hockey, or in a dance studio with his daughter. "If there's any time left, we love to get out on our boat as much as we can during the summer. We're grateful to him and to all of the dads who work here at Abt in the spirit of Father's Day! To read the full Employee Spotlight blog post, check out The Bolt: https://lnkd.in/g2KAR_Gu

Last night, we held the annual Three-Point Contest to support the For Autistic Kids Foundation. We had a great time with Abt employees and their family members to raise money for a great cause! 🏀

We are very excited about this new expansion and can't wait to share the final results with everyone. Thank you PREMIER Design + Build Group!