Randy Condit, son of our company’s founder, just celebrated his 43rd work anniversary. It should be noted that this number reflects his official start at Condit, post-college, however Randy had been mopping floors and hammering nails out in the shop since childhood. His wealth of knowledge of this place and industry is nothing short of filthy rich. His stories and memories reach further back than any other can boast and we honor his legacy and dedication to this business.
Randy (pictured front row on motorcycle) with his University of Arizona fraternity
Let’s start from the beginning. During his summers home from the University of Arizona, Randy would help out in Condit’s fabrication shop. Like his father, Bill Condit, Randy was extremely resourceful. He remembered the scaled 3D models the Condit designers would create when he returned to school in the fall. Upon exhausting all other ideas to get out of his written final exams, Randy finagled a way to convince professors that he would perform an oral exam with dioramas pertaining to the subject. He enlisted the help of the Condit fabricators to help with his scheme.
After graduating in 1973, Randy officially started in Sales at Condit with a whopping $8 thousand-dollar salary. To this day, Randy sits at the very same desk he pulled up to that first day at work. It was a prototype built for a Condit line of furniture, and has undeniably stood the test of time. At first, Randy would accompany his Dad on sales calls to learn the trade. Randy recalls numerous kicks under the table from Bill when he would speak out of turn or too presumptuously. Equally memorable, Randy recollects another such sales call accompanying his father. The meeting was with the owner of Wright McGill Fish and Tackle, and when Randy regrettably referred to a fishing rod a “pole”, the owner, without hesitation, took out a pair of scissors and snipped Randy’s tie right at the chest.
1967 modular and versatile exhibit by Condit
These were the days when technology was non-existent; graphics were silk-screened, and purchase orders were hand-written and driven across town to the various vendors. Even with an inconceivable lack of resources from a modern perspective, Randy recalls his Dad being able to concept an idea for a job, sketch an initial drawing, render and then quote it all in one day. Equally diverse in talent, the Condit designers were also the engineers, and the entire staff was able to shift departments at any moment.
Anyone today at Condit can tell you that Randy still sticks to some “old-school” methods, but there’s no doubt many of them uphold relevance. For instance, Randy has always believed in the art of “packaging” sales and to always uphold a sense of urgency for the client as this trait shows discipline. Randy would even leave voicemails for himself on his office phone when he was at home, sometimes in the middle of the night! He has always written tasks down and never taken time out of the office to mean that he was “not at work”. Work for Randy is fluid and always his first priority, save of course his grandchildren. To him there is no 9 o’clock check in and 5 o’clock check out.
Randy and his hickory golf club set
Dedicated wholly to his craft, Randy has found a way to bring his greatest pleasure to his work. Randy loves golf. Strike up a conversation about Arnold Palmer or hickory clubs and you’ve unknowingly been whisked away into Randy’s cavernous brain full of golf history and technique. Perhaps his most prized projects have been for local country clubs. Randy managed heritage display builds at Colorado Golf Club as well as the revered Cherry Hills Country Club. No doubt he has also closed many deals while on the greens, or taken out longtime clients to the Broadmoor or other special Colorado courses.
Steadfast in his game and his work, Randy is a dedicated co-worker and living legend of Condit’s history. We’re thankful for his never-ending tales of this place and the glimpses we catch of him trying to embrace the future.