KathyIGH
Dive professional
- Messages
- 534
- Reaction score
- 139
Over the years I've responded to hundreds of questions here on Scubaboard. I'm sad to announce that Tuesday was my last day at DUI. I am officially the last “Long” to leave the building. For those of you who don’t know, DUI is – or was – a family business. My mother, Janice, used her savings and together she and Dick, my father, opened up Skin Diving Unlimited in 1963. It was a small scuba shop in La Mesa, California. This transformed into a manufacturing company and became known as DUI. Even after my parents divorced my mother, sisters and I have been employed at various times and lengths. My last run at DUI was 23 years.
My sister, Susan, took over running the family business in 2003 and became co-owner, CEO and President. Last year Dick returned from retirement, forced Susan out and announced “new and bold directions”. Kudos to my sister who handled this so professionally. It was really a difficult time as in addition to the work challenges our mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died.
It’s been a tumultuous year at DUI since she left. There is no direction. Key team members have left and more are leaving. DUI is now selling direct with little regard for dealers and service issues are compounding. Dick just retired again leaving people in charge who even he says “are not doing their jobs”. It’s been difficult to watch the slow deterioration.
So it’s my turn to let go. I will miss my hopes and dreams for DUI. I will miss the smell of glue when walking into the factory. I will miss the sound of the office door that never really closed right and the snack machine I absolutely LOVED as a kid. I will miss being a part of something that was special in the diving industry.
It's been awesome.
My sister, Susan, took over running the family business in 2003 and became co-owner, CEO and President. Last year Dick returned from retirement, forced Susan out and announced “new and bold directions”. Kudos to my sister who handled this so professionally. It was really a difficult time as in addition to the work challenges our mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died.
It’s been a tumultuous year at DUI since she left. There is no direction. Key team members have left and more are leaving. DUI is now selling direct with little regard for dealers and service issues are compounding. Dick just retired again leaving people in charge who even he says “are not doing their jobs”. It’s been difficult to watch the slow deterioration.
So it’s my turn to let go. I will miss my hopes and dreams for DUI. I will miss the smell of glue when walking into the factory. I will miss the sound of the office door that never really closed right and the snack machine I absolutely LOVED as a kid. I will miss being a part of something that was special in the diving industry.
It's been awesome.