Farewell to Ray Baillargeon
4/4/2008

March 20, 2008 marked my last day as a full-time Detroit Chassis employee. Several compelling personal reasons made me realize it is time for me to begin a new chapter in my life.

This year, March 20 just so happens to be the first day of spring, a day to celebrate new beginnings.

Believe me, this new chapter won’t be titled ‘Retirement’. There will be a short chapter called ‘Graduation’ or ‘Commencement’. Although, unlike my last graduation, as a mature graduate I intend to reflect more on my future and party less. My professional career spans 40 years; all but 5 of those years were spent in manufacturing. Those 5 years outside manufacturing made me realize how much I enjoyed making things. But hey, what’s a kid growing up in the industrial heartland supposed to do? Over the next 30 years I learned enough about manufacturing to become pretty good at it too.

My new life chapter will most certainly contain a manufacturing subplot. There are current projects at Detroit Chassis I’m committed to see through to completion, and there are new projects on the horizon that I may participate in some capacity. I would like to repeat some of the comments I made when I announced my resignation at DCP a couple of weeks ago:

When I was young, I thought I was a very lucky guy.
I always had a job; I always had a car, I always had enough to eat, I always had…
As I got older, I realized I wasn’t lucky; I was blessed.

There are so many people that don’t have jobs, or have cars, or have enough to eat, or have…
I’m not luckier, or smarter, or better looking, I’m blessed.
For these blessings I am humbly grateful.
But being blessed is not a spectator sport..
A blessing is just a start,
work your blessing,
grow your blessing
share your blessing
celebrate you blessing
Detroit Chassis is a blessing
We work it
We grew it
We share it

Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of the blessing.
You are great - You will be greater.
THE BEST MOTOR HOME CHASSIS ARE BUILT IN THE MOTOR CITY.
By some of the best people I know

Raymond Baillargeon

Contact: Linda Ratliff, 313-571-2100 x 506, lratliff@detroitchassis.com