A very good day, here in the home of The Great American Chocolate Bar. For starters, I just discovered an outstanding brewery down the hill from The Hotel Hershey. It’s called Troe
gs, and there, a guy named Ed introduced me to an astonishing elixir called Nimble Giant. It’s not yet available for purchase, but it will be soon, and if you’re not afraid of a deep orange,16 ounce Double IPA with hints of pineapple and honeysuckle and 9% alcohol by volume jammed into a pint can – make sure you get some.
Also, an unexpected blast from the past. My old friend Ron Fouche from Seltzer Meats stopped by with a big bag of spiced meat. It’s not every day a man hands you a bag of spiced meat just before another man hands you a Nimble Giant, but as I said, some days are better than others, and it’s always great to reconnect with a Dirty Jobs alumni. (And for the record, I didn’t think chocolate could get much better, but alternating it with bites of sausage and sips of beer has made me reconsider. Thanks Ron!)
Finally, I’m happy to report
that The Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce is very serious about closing the skills gap here in the Keystone State. It was my pleasure to speak to them after lunch, and share a few stories about my own efforts to reinvigorate the skilled trades. Like many businesses across the country, Pennsylvanians are struggling mightily to recruit people willing to learn a skill that’s in demand. I’m hopeful that mikeroweWORKS can help them make a compelling case for jobs that actually exist, and look forward to a return trip soon.
It was also a pleasure to meet so many kids from local trade schools and the local FFA chapter. As always, their enthusiasm and work ethic are reason for optimism.
Mike