GASPORT — John Randolph, fresh from his three-year tour of duty in the Army, went to work for Gasport Wood Products in the fall of 1958 as a carpenter.
His 50th anniversary on the job wasn’t noted. John just kept working and is still on the job making custom-made cabinets. So is Joe Gabrys, 75, who founded the company in 1955 and hired the 21-year-old vet from Lockport.
“He’s probably one of the best mechanics in Western New York, the finest in this part of the country,” said Gabrys, who calls himself semi-retired but is a presence at the plant on East Avenue.
“He’s supposedly semi-retired, but he’s here every day,” said Randolph, 71, who has not set a retirement date.
“With the economy the way it is, it’s nice to be working and have good health.”
Randolph graduated from Lockport High School in 1955, in the last class to graduate from the old schoolhouse on East Avenue, and joined the Army. “I wanted to eliminate the possibility of the interruption of a full-time job and decided to go in military and get that out of the way,” he said.
After basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., he was assigned to carpenter school in Missouri. On Christmas Eve 1955, Randolph was on a ship for a 21-day sail to Korea. He drove a jeep and did some carpentry work during the 18-month tour before returning to the states and reassignment in Virginia.
He was discharged in July 1955 and went to work in Gasport in September 1955. “I knew I wanted to do something involving construction and wanted to be a home builder,” said. “They were looking for someone to work in cabinet shop.”
The original plant was on Central Avenue. Now it’s on East Avenue on the corner of Central.
Gasport Wood Products makes cabinets for a 150 radius, from Syracuse to the Southern Tier, Gabrys said. There are five full-time workers.
“We’re keeping going, but it’s not like it should be,” Gabrys said. “We got too much competition.” The company makes kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, entertainment centers and countertops..
They are better than factory-made cabinets, according to Randolph. “They’ve been in business over 50 years. They are doing something right.”
Randolph has a twin brother, Jim, who recently retired from Delphi. But John has no retirement plans.
“I just like creating things with my hands. I always was involved doing things using hands, whittling or carving,” Randolph said. “I just like creating things and seeing the end product, getting work together and building something, just creating something. I’ve always enjoyed my job. I’ve enjoyed what I’m doing.”
He still enjoys starting a project in the rough state and seeing the finished project. “I don’t have any end date,” he said. “I’m healthy and as long as they still need me and want me, then I’ll be here.”
John and Virginia Randolph, who have been married 49 years, have three children, Wenda Wagner of Lockport, Heidi Ziegler of Hatfield, Pa., and Craig Randolph of Newfane. They have four grandsons. Virginia is a retired nurse.
Contact reporter Bill Wolcott 439-9222, ext. 6246.
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PEOPLE PROFILE: John Randolph, carpenter
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