Dennis
Posted by: Ashley

Meet Assistant Shop Maintenance Dennis Theisen

Meet Dennis Theisen

Every company needs a beaver, that person who likes tackling challenges, fixing and building things and quietly works with persistence, ingenuity and little fanfare.

“I’m looking out at our flowers now and I don’t think they’ve ever looked better,” general manager Clint Bucholz says. “That’s just kind of the steadiness that Dennis provides in everything he touches. We feel very blessed to have Dennis.”

Dennis Theisen arrived at GLE Precision in February 2019, stepping in as the assistant shop maintenance, after 20 years as a construction estimator. He’s found that his job offers “good people to work for,” good camaraderie and a good mix of maintenance and custodial work.

“I really enjoy repairing things and putting things together,” Dennis says. “That’s my favorite thing to do here. I’ve worked on plumbing, electrical, hung some cabinets, put together furniture.”

Forever Busy

Dennis likes to keep busy, hates standing around and loves the satisfaction of finishing a task. Though his background in construction certainly helps, Dennis has mostly taught himself how to do all the skilled work his job requires.

“I’m always willing to figure it out and I’m not afraid to take things apart,” Dennis says. “I think I’m liked around here and I think they know I’m ambitious and I’m willing to do whatever they ask me to do. I like doing a variety of things, I’m happy when they ask me to do something different.”

Dennis is also willing to do the asking and takes the initiative in managing his day, jumping in wherever he sees a need.

“I like things clean, so Dennis has been a breath of fresh air. He’s very structured. You never have to worry about going into a portion of the building or a bathroom and being embarrassed,” Clint says. “He’s a critical part of our team. He’s a quiet man. He just goes about his job every day. He’s very proactive. When he sees stuff that needs to be done, he always asks, ‘Hey, do you mind if I take care of this? Or change my routine so I clean the front entrance every day?’”

That’s part of what makes Dennis the best GLE has ever seen in that role. He knows what his job is and he gets it done with little to no supervision, production supervisor Steve Tagget says.

“He self-manages. The guy never stands around. He’s always busy. He’s always looking for something to clean. He just loves to clean and he gets along with everybody, both the management team and the rank and file. He’s a go-getter.”

The Surprising Side

Dennis sounds like the last guy you’d expect to be a performer, but he is. Dennis played electric and acoustic guitar in a band for 20 years. Now he’s a solo act, playing guitar and singing — sometimes with his brother — at local restaurants about twice a month.

“I guess it brings out the extrovert in me,” Dennis says with a shrug.

Dennis also loves fishing, hunting, camping, and canoeing. He has three adult children and he’s looking forward to the arrival of his first grandbaby.