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Grandfather Clock Maker Hires - Grandfathers!

Wed, 05/24/2000 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

Almost everyone making grandfather clocks at the Kuempel Chime Clock Works and Studio Inc. is a grandfather himself. Kuempel is an Excelsior, Minnesota firm where the average employee age is 72 1/2. Since 1916 the firm has hired older workers, nearly all retired, to handcraft their timepieces. "They're reliable, like clockwork," says John Swon, 58 the firm's CEO. "It's a great use of a tremendous resource. I think we give people a real reason to get up in the morning, to get excited about what they do, to interact with people, to work on something that means something."

Kuempel sells ready-to-assemble kits and hand-crafted clocks that range from wall clocks for $995 to $7,000 grandfather clocks. They report that sales have increased dramatically since the company's Web site was launched 4 1/2 years ago.

Schedules are flexible and the older staff works an average of about 20 hours a week, and can go home any time after about 3 p.m. to catch an early bird dinner, go fishing, or visit with friends and family. The older, part time, workers are supervised by 40 year old full time employees, providing an interesting variation on the usual dynamic where older workers supervise younger ones.

Almost everyone making grandfather clocks at the Kuempel Chime Clock Works and Studio Inc. is a grandfather himself. Kuempel is an Excelsior, Minnesota firm where the average employee age is 72 1/2. Since 1916 the firm has hired older workers, nearly all retired, to handcraft their timepieces. "They're reliable, like clockwork," says John Swon, 58 the firm's CEO. "It's a great use of a tremendous resource. I think we give people a real reason to get up in the morning, to get excited about what they do, to interact with people, to work on something that means something."

Kuempel sells ready-to-assemble kits and hand-crafted clocks that range from wall clocks for $995 to $7,000 grandfather clocks. They report that sales have increased dramatically since the company's Web site was launched 4 1/2 years ago.

Schedules are flexible and the older staff works an average of about 20 hours a week, and can go home any time after about 3 p.m. to catch an early bird dinner, go fishing, or visit with friends and family. The older, part time, workers are supervised by 40 year old full time employees, providing an interesting variation on the usual dynamic where older workers supervise younger ones.