HFS Staff
Sales:
Tim Nissen- owns
the business and spends too much time dealing with the IRS, OSHA, FWT,
FUTA, FICA, DEQ, SAIF, etc.. etc.. What he really likes doing is
marketing and sales. His most important job is getting good people to
work at Home Fire Stove. He and his wife, Pam Rimmer, have two children,
Alex and Molly, as well as various grown foster children and
grandchildren. Tim signs acceptably well for communication with the
hearing impaired.
Jimmy Jones- joined
Home Fire Stove in 1995, with twenty years of varied experience in the
stove business. Jimmy is from Virginia and lives in Portland. He and his
wife Pam Franks have three grown children, Morgan, Austin, and Chloe.
Tom Mechals- is
the self-titled "new old guy" of Home Fire Stove. He worked at HFS for
seven and a half, years fourteen years ago. Tom has been back with us
for four years (gone ten) doing a similar job in Corvallis. He
originally worked for Sweet Home Stove Works about twenty-five years ago
in production, then sales.
Nate Baker- joined
Home Fire Stove in1991 and has worked in installation, sales, estimating
and management. He and his wife Judy live in Salem and have three grown
children Tyler, Jefry and Angela, who have given them ten wonderful
grandchildren. Nate's hobbies are hiking, woodworking and gardening.
Ian Cordner-
is one of our salesman. He un-retired and now works on Saturdays (and
Fridays during the busy season). His hearth product experience includes
manufacturing, distribution, installation, chimney sweeping and service,
spread out over about thirty years. Ian farms a small plot south of
independence.
Alex- Joined
the team last fall. He helps keep the shop running by doing all of the
random jobs as they come in. Alex is also assisting on service and
install teams when needed.
Office Staff:
Barbara Choate- has
worked at Home Fire Stove since June 30th 1996, after quitting her job
on Friday and receiving a call from Tim that following Monday. She had
interviewed with him 3 weeks earlier but a woman who interviewed after
her was hired at that time. She had quit without telling Tim goodbye,
which put him in a bind. The busy season was upon him and he had payroll
due that coming Thursday. Barb stepped in and came in on Thursday to do
the payroll, that was only the beginning. Barb in married to a wonderful
man named Bill and they have one son named Guy, who also works at Home
Fire Stove. Barb and her husband are avid motorcycle riders.
"We
have had many changes at Home Fire Stove in the last 15 years and have
more to go. I am currently the Accounting Manager and at times I even
have fun at a less than fun occupation."- Barb Choate
Evy
Cook- has
been with us for three years. She is the friendly voice you hear at the
other end of the phone line. Evy is also doing all of the permits for
our installs, and all of the service billing. Evy has one child,
Elizabeth, and is active in her church's' Praise Band as the lead
guitarist.
Linda
Mentzer- joined
the Home Fire Stove team in September of 1996. She worked as the
warehouse manager for many years. Currently she works part-time in the
office as a receptionist, and does various other tasks. Linda spends her
days off golfing.
Install and
Service Staff:
Guy Stewart- has
been with Home Fire Stove as an employee for 10 years. Previous to Guy's
tenure he managed and built the Computer System for HFS. He became a
full time employee when his mother Barb Choate (the Accountant) wrecked
her motorcycle and could not do the functions that she needed to do.
Therefore Guy was forced into learning advanced accounting by the hand
of Attila the Mom. The rest is history, he quickly moved from that to
where he resides now, managing not only service but facility's doing
sales, and whatever needs done.
Luke Hargrove- started
at HFS in 2005. He worked in installs, service, and sales until he
became the warehouse manager in 2008. He and his wife Cindy live in
Salem and have four kids Trey, Breanna, Devon, and their little sweetie
Makenzi. Luke spends his time outside of work camping, playing
paintball, and most of all loves being a dad.
Jeff Reynolds- has
worked at HFS since June of 1995. He and his wife Cheryl have two
children Justin, and Ashley, and a grand daughter, Kennedy. Jeff can
work equally well as an installer or as a service tech, he is currently
our Lead Installer.
Huu Nguyen- started
at Home Fire Stove in 2006. he works as part of the install crew. Huu
and is wife Kira have been married for seventeen years and have two
children Tyler and Cierra.
Don Fuls- has
been with us since 1992, first as an install helper, then as a warehouse
person, and now as our Senior Service Person. In recent years, Don has
often been hired by other vendors to solve problems that their dealers
have failed at, so he has developed quite a reputation as a gas and
pellet hearth expert.
Eldon Anderson- has worked at HFS since 2006. He started out as an install helper and worked his way up to be a service tech.