(Green Bay, WI) (June 1, 2012)   When John Richards began his career at H.J. Martin and Son, the Packers hadn’t won their first Super Bowl, Port Plaza Mall hadn’t been built and Edward Martin, the son of the original “son” of H.J. Martin was still a child.

After a half century, Fabrication, Installation and Warehouse Supervisor, John Richards retired this week from H.J. Martin and Son.

Richards has been with the company through all its years of growth.  Originally hired at the age of 18 in 1962, John started out working in the Green Bay store – which at the time only sold paint and floorcoverings.  Since then, H.J. Martin has grown to over 600 employees, with dedicated teams and fully trained crews stationed all over the country.  They offer clients expertise in several complementary divisions, including residential and commercial flooring, doors and hardware, glass and glazing, millwork, drywall installation, and retail fixtures.

Richards spent the majority of his career with H.J. Martin in the Glass and Glazing Division; and has been a supervisor for over 20 years.  Originally located where the current store is, the Glass and Glazing Division had a staff of only 4 installers who also fabricated the windows and door frames.  Over the years, the division has grown to almost 50 employees, has moved into a much larger location across the street from the main building and now includes a team of both installers and fabricators.  The Glass and Glazing team works in all 50 states on anything from simple storefronts to 150,000 sq. ft. of glass for an NFL stadium.  Their capabilities have grown to include installation, fabrication of storefronts and entrances, structural glass floors, and custom metal panel fabrication and installation.

“I have enjoyed working with our customers and all the wonderful employees at H.J. Martin throughout the years and have gained a lot of knowledge along the way,” said Richards.

Owner, Edward martin says Richard’s skill, knowledge and demeanor will be missed.

“He’s been a benchmark here, a person you could go to for help to resolve any problem,” Martin said. “John is such a solid, reliable person and he has such a welcoming and positive personality.”

Richards is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, children and five grandchildren along with working on his cabin up north.

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 H.J. Martin is an interior contractor that specializes in residential & commercial flooring, glass & glazing, steel stud & drywall, commercial doors & hardware, millwork, and retail fixture installation.  The company is based out of Green Bay, WI and was founded in 1931.