Joined Ames: March 1995
Position: Mechanic
Wanting a job closer to home, Jim Metzger joined Ames in 1995 as a mechanic through a connection to Ames Operator Curt Nelson. But upon meeting Butch Ames, he realized he had unknowingly "worked" for him years earlier. Back in 1980, Jim’s brother asked him to help out a high school friend who had taken apart the brakes of his car in his parents’ garage and couldn’t put them back together. The friend's mom was not happy and wanted her garage back.
“I said no problem. I go over to the house, put the brakes all back together, get the car out of the garage. The funny thing is, that friend was Dale Ames [Butch’s son]!”
In Jim’s early days with Ames, it wasn’t unusual for mechanics to work late into the night to repair equipment that needed to be in the field the next day.
“I remember once when Tim Clapp had come in about 5:30 p.m. and said there was a vibration in the low boy tractor. We had one tractor back in those days. The rear end was out of it, so I spent the night rebuilding the rear differential. When he came in in the morning, I had it running and ready to go for him.”
As Ames’ equipment fleet has grown, situations like that are less frequent. The level of teamwork is also better than ever, he says.
“The guys are willing to work together to make sure there’s no failure. They look after each other more than ever before.”
Jim says he’d like to thank the Ames family for the opportunity to work here and for putting their trust him. After retiring in October, he’s looking forward to working on projects at home, traveling, golfing camping, boating, and fishing.
