Duluth Central High School Class of 1961
Classmates
Dale Hanson+
Comments
Retired
Spouse: Dian
2 Children
2 Grandchildren
Information update: 04/20/2022

After high school I attended electronics school for two years. While in school I worked part time at Beltone where I repaired hearing aids and gave hearing tests. I was paid $1.00 per hour plus all I could hear. Finishing school Uncle Sam said he needed me so off to basic and then another four months of electronic training. Mid 60's I worked for a company that sold 3M business equipment repairing photocopiers, thermo imaging machines also major brands of dictating machines. I discovered the real money was in selling them.

Life changed in 1973 when I joined M&M/Mars confectionary company as a sales associate. At that time candy bar retail prices had just risen to 10¢. Since there were only about three hundred sales associates in the country my territory was huge at that time encompassing 150 miles in all directions from Duluth. I was on the road three nights a week calling on every grocery headquarters, grocery store, convenience store headquarters, candy and tobacco distributors, vending business and all mass merchandisers. People would say selling a Snickers Bar easy, I'd reply yes, today it's one million next year the quota would be a million two hundred thousand.

We joking use to refer to M&M/Mars as standing for meeting and memos because every six to eight weeks there was a sales or training meeting somewhere in the country to attend. Thru the years I held positions as sales associate, account manager, territory manager and spent the last five years with M&M/Mars calling on headquarter accounts in Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul. I retired in 1999 and helped my son start his own business. Keep buying those Milky Way, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twix, "M&M's, Skittles, Combos and as I used to say when sampling, " sinfully good Dove chocolates", I can use the pension money.

I've traveled to 47 of the 50 states hoping to get to Washington, Idaho and Oregon in the near future. This summer we've got a trip to London, Paris and a twelve day cruise around the U.K. in August. We have taken cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska. Visited Panama a few years ago, too hot for me!

My wife Dian and I celebrated 42 years of wedded bliss this March. Our daughter is a teacher for early education special needs children and lives in Lakeville, MN with her husband and our two grandchildren. We try to visit each month to six weeks since it's only 180 miles. Our son is still single, but his girlfriend has a 4 year old who he is coaching in baseball and hockey. Back to standing in the snowbanks and on the sidelines.
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