Rent-to-own News - Industry "character" Ken Glasgow of ColorTyme remembered

Long-time ColorTyme Field Representative Ken Glasgow, 56, of Fort Worth, Texas, died June 11, 2008 at John Peter Smith Hospital.

APRO is proud to present this colorful commentary on Glasgow, by his friend and former ColorTyme collegue, Larry Wilson.

Wilson, currently a staff development director with Tarrant County, first met Glasgow in Athens, Texas, where the two were in charge of writing and publishing new employee training workbooks for ColorTyme.

Wilsons' article follows:

A Most Unforgettable Character. . .
by Larry Wilson

For a number of years, The Reader’s Digest had a feature in every issue – "My Most Unforgettable Character". Cher applied the phrase to Sonny Bono during her eulogy of him in 1997. Certainly those who knew Ken Glasgow will place him in this category. Ken was a most unforgettable character!

RTO Veteran Ken Glasgow.

He never met a stranger, and was always ready to share a funny story. He was particularly fond of telling stories that included his years working as an EMT and in a mortuary. He had a very dry wit and he found humor in many situations.
 
Ken Glasgow began a career in the fledgling rent-to-own industry in mid 80’s, when he was hired by a local RTO store in Phoenix, Arizona. He later became a field representative for ColorTyme based in Athens, Texas.

Ken knew everyone and everyone knew Ken. He knew every facet of the RTO business. At company meetings he always wore a bright green jacket. Green was the dominant and official color used in ColorTyme marketing. He was never without his ColorTyme service ring. He was so loyal to the company that everyone was sure that if cut he would bleed green. 

Wayne Atchison, former ColorTyme vice president of operations, says Ken's   commitment to the industry and to ColorTyme was evident in his work.

According to Atchison, Ken assisted in the opening of more than 500 ColorTyme locations and contributed to the development of RTO operational procedures that are still in use industry-wide today.

Ken's training classes and materials enabled many entry level store employees to become franchise owners.

"He gave 110 percent to franchisees throughout his career, often working in stores when owners or employees were sick, and never complained or had a negative opinion about a franchisee or an employee," Atchison says. "If you measure a person's contribution by what they left, Ken will measure with the top. He was a professional - he would find a way to get it done and still be smiling.”
 
During the time Ken was a Field Representative for ColorTyme it was known as America’s Largest Rent to Own Company – and that was in large part due to his efforts.

In 1990, Ken was placed in charge of training at ColorTyme.  I was a newly hired curriculum developer and while well acquainted with retail business, I was a complete stranger to the rent-to-own industry.

My task was to develop a complete training curriculum for the company. Working with Ken as my mentor, I quickly learned the business.  Initially, I wrote material and Ken read and approved the material. A comprehensive training curriculum for new employees was born!

It eventually became an award-winning production featuring a series of individualized student workbooks supported by video programs.  Ken called me L.W.  He would often tell others, with a gleam in his eye, “L.W. wrote the book on rent-to-own.”

Once a ColorTyme franchisee, Trooper Earle of Manassas, Virginia, formed his own company – Premier Rental Purchase - in 1996. Earl said Ken's understanding of the independent spirit of rent-to-own dealers aided his success in the industry.

“From the beginning, Ken was a big supporter of Premier and understood the entrepreneurial desire of the Premier dealers as well as their need to do things differently from typical franchise companies," Earl says. "Because Ken was with ColorTyme at the same time the first Premier dealers were there, he understood all the reasons that drove us to take this unique path."

In 2006, Ken became the official printer for Premier Rental Purchase.  He would always ask before hanging up the phone, “What can I do better for Premier?” He readily stepped up to the plate to better serve his customers and fixed things immediately.  He truly understood what it means to ‘serve’ your customer.

Ken always had a positive, upbeat attitude. He was never moody or down with me. Going back 20 years, I can never remember any conversation with Ken in which he wasn’t positive and enthusiastic.  Ken never took offense at others but merely pointed out his own mistakes. Ken was just a solid person – someone I always enjoyed talking to, whether it was business or small talk. I will miss him deeply.

“I knew Ken for over 25 years," says John Darden, a Premier RTO dealer. "He supervised the training department at ColorTyme for a number of years and he ran a great department.  His training classes were always full, and the teaching by him and his trainers was always first rate."

Ken had a good eye for talent too, and was well respected by his supervisors and by those who benefited from his training classes. He will be remembered as loyal, professional and as a solid person.

During the years that Ken was a consultant and director of training, Sandi Blackwell was the ColorTyme franchise compliance officer.  

“Simply stated, Ken was a remarkable man in that he was always sincerely interested in other people and in learning how he could help them," Blackwell says. "That sincerity was recognized by others. It allowed him to ask the hard questions and get buy-in on how to address the sticky situations. It’s what made him an exceptional franchise consultant, a successful printer and an unforgettable friend."
 
He would hate to know that we’re all sad over his loss.  He would probably make it into a joke that all of us would find very funny.  His humor is the first thing everyone remembers about him. Second is his generosity and sincere affection. Not a bad way to be remembered!

Ken knew everybody’s birth date and never forgot it – you could rely on a card arriving at your mailbox. This was way before computers. I have no idea what sort of databank he employed.

“Ken was always coming in to pick up our work and he always had a smile on his face," says Sharon Helton, a client of Metro Mailing Service. "He called me "Kiddo" which I loved because that's what my husband called me before he passed away. I shared that with Ken and he just kept on calling me that - he was a great guy and will be missed much here at the Dallas Baptist Association.”

Ken had a way with words. He had a unique pattern of speech and a unique way of expressing himself.  He frequently used expressions such as:  “stay the heck out of Athens,” “a moving target is hard to hit,” “just a frog hair,” and “good to go.”

When asked for advice, his standard answer was “use your own poor judgment.”

He also had pet names for his coworkers and associates at ColorTyme.

Those included Uncle Wayne (Atchison), the Queen of Mean (Blackwell), Little Dana (Tunnell), the Jillster / Jillmeister (Reeves), Little Anne (Marshall), Little Patty (Brothers), Buckaroo / Bucky (Ivey) and L.W. (Wilson). 

When there were gatherings involving food, Ken always brought a crock pot of bite sized meat balls.  Everyone raved over them and always wanted the recipe.  He would just say, “It’s a secret old family recipe.”  Eventually we would learn that the “old recipe” was frozen meat balls purchased from Sam’s Club.  He just threw them in the pot and added liquid and cooked them slowly. That was Ken!

A friend since the age of five, Robert Jones, perhaps summarized it best: “Ken had friends in all walks of life. The man would bring a smile to your face or make you laugh out loud every time you spoke to him. I am glad to know all of you loved him as much as I did.  I’m going to miss him terribly.  I will remind his family of his many dear friends that will remember him fondly for the rest of their lives."

Obituary information:

Ken Glasgow, age 56, of Fort Worth, Texas, died June 11, 2008 at John Peter Smith Hospital.

He was born Kenneth James John Glasgow, December 19, 1951, in Bad Axe, Michigan, son of Edward and Alice Marie (Deering) Glasgow.  Kenneth was a graduate of Bad Axe High School and earned a business degree from Delta College.

Since 2004, he owned Metro Mailing Service of Dallas, Texas, and he enjoyed boating, gardening and yard work.  He also enjoyed walks with his dog Chico.

Ken is survived by his parents Edward and Alice Glasgow of Bad Axe, one brother Al and his wife Bridget of Bad Axe, two sisters Janette Farver and her husband Tom of Elkton, Debara Baker and her husband Martin of Elkton, nieces and nephews Thomas Farver and his wife Lynn of Ubly, Tanette Farver of St. Clair Shores, Karry Gorsegner and her husband Jason of Pigeon and Corey Baker of Elkton.

Funeral Services were held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday June 14, 2008 at the MacAlpine Chapel in Bad Axe. Jan Rapson officiated.  Private burial was in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bad Axe, Michigan.