I really enjoyed William Browning’s article (Browning on Business, March 13) about Beneke. That it would close after all these years is just unthinkable in my mind. You see, my daddy, Chester Jones, worked at Beneke for over 20 years; my entire childhood until I was almost 20 years old. The main phone number is forever etched in my brain. I often called him at work. It was always noisy. He was always busy. He would come home sometimes covered in sawdust. He was an engineer there and he often brought home “models” of toilet seats, seats they were experimenting with. I remember one that glowed in the dark. How ingenious.
Another with Batman on the seat cover. And of course those puffy ones that were so soft. I even gave a seat to a grade school teacher as a Christmas gift. She loved it. My older brothers did stints “in the plant” during summers of college. My son even put in a little time there during a summer off from MSU.
We made many friends while Daddy was there. Friends that remained friends for years, even after they left for other ventures. And you are correct; hardly anyone in Columbus doesn’t know someone connected in some way to Beneke. I have many friends employed there now. It would be a great loss to our city if Beneke closes its doors. It’s a local institution. It just can’t happen. I hope someone will come forward and purchase the plant. I appreciated the article of Mr. Browning’s. Maybe just the right person will see the article.
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