Have you ever been running late one morning and are driving down the road to all of a sudden be stopped by a flagger due to road construction? One day while riding with my friend, she pointed out to me that I was the only person she has ever met that perked up to see what kind of construction they were doing and what kind of equipment they were running. I suppose this can be due to the fact that I am the daughter of a road worker.  

Back before safety laws really started cracking down, I attended several jobs with my dad and knew most of the equipment to lay asphalt before I was 10 years old. As I have gotten older, I realize I am fortunate for those experiences as they have given me an alternate look on the day to day things we take for granted, like roads. These days on my commute to work when faced with the opportunity, I wave to the Flaggers, flash a smile over to the road workers and use the construction delay as a good excuse to maybe grab an extra latte before I get to work. (I hope my boss doesn’t read this.)

Grand Coulee Dam

If you have followed our company for a while, you more than likely have heard the name Don Bechtel, Grandfather to Mike Bechtel who is Founder and CEO of SSP Eyewear. Don Bechtel lost an eye as a child and because he has had such a great influence on our founder, Mike Bechtel had started SSP Eyewear in his honor. I am about to throw another Bechtel name at you and that is Mike’s father Jim Bechtel. If you have taken a road trip through Washing State, you more than likely have paid a visit to Grand Coulee Dam which is the largest producer of Hydro-electric power in the United States. If you haven’t paid a visit, I highly recommend doing so as it’s quite the sight to see.

Jim Bechtel, Mike's Father, supported his family working on the Grand Coulee Dam. Jennifer Bechtel’s own father, Hank Eisler has also had a helping hand in the maintenance and repairs of Grand Coulee Dam. Hank was part of the Iron Workers Union and has worked on just about every single Dam that resides in Washington State. Hank is featured to the right with a young Jennifer Bechtel after a hard day's work. 

Adolf Martinez, the father of our Shipping Manager, Alex Martinez, worked on the railroads and also worked as a farm hand here in Central Washington where the main office of SSP Eyewear is located. Each of us here at SSP wish to recognize our parents and what they have contributed to our way of life. Every time we turn on a light, make our coffee and begin our day’s work, everything we have is a product of someone’s hard work and Labor.

As Labor Day approaches, the team here at SSP Eyewear want to express our gratitude for the hard-working men and woman across America, and a heartfelt thank you to the parents and families of everyone at SSP Eyewear.