What Happened At The 2021 Utility Expo?
The Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky is finally upon us! Join Gretchen and Michael at the conference by following along with their ‘daily recaps’ of each day during the three-day expo.
Day one saw a mass of new technology, visiting some familiar Fleet FYIs guests in their respective booths and sending Michael up in a ReachMaster Aerial Lift – the highest one in the country. The second day saw a mass of new vehicles, plenty of new and familiar faces, equipment demos and plenty of education on some of the most popular and innovative equipment in the industry.
Finally, day three saw a mass of new vehicles, plenty of new and familiar faces, equipment demos and plenty of education on some of the most popular and innovative equipment in the industry – followed by the famous Bourbon, Beer and Bites networking event.
Day One of the 2021 Utility Expo | Utilimarc Fleet FYIs – Season 2, Episode 25
Gretchen Reese (00:06):
Hey there. Welcome to Fleet FYIs, the weekly podcast by Utilimarc that reveals how you can most of your data for smarter fleet management. My name is Gretchen and every week you’ll hear from me and some of the industry’s finest in candid conversations that will shed some light on not only two decades worth of data insights, but some of the industry’s hottest talking points and key metric analysis with the aim to help you better understand your fleet from every angle.
Gretchen Reese (00:33):
But, before we begin, if this is the first time you’ve heard our show, thanks for stopping by. I’m so glad you decided to come along for the ride with us. But, I’ve got a quick favor to ask you. Once we finish today’s episode, if you could take a few minutes to leave us a review on your favorite podcasting platform, we would really appreciate it. Give us a rating, five stars I hope, (laughs), or tell us what you liked or leave us a comment or question of what you heard in today’s episode, but if we haven’t yet covered a topic that you’re interested in hearing about, let us know. We would be happy to go over in detail in a later episode. If that sounds good to you, let’s get back to the show.
Gretchen Reese (01:16):
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Fleet FYIs podcast. Today’s show is a little bit different as I am on the move in Louisville, Kentucky here for the Utility Fleet Expo and, um, the exciting bit is, is I’m here with Michael Carr. And, if you’ve spent any time on our blog, you’ll have recognized him. He actually just published a piece on take home vehicle policies and how actually the pandemic could have affected them or, you know, made, um, these take home policies actually solidify in the minds of folks that are already using them.
Gretchen Reese (01:52):
But, for a bit of context, since we’re at the Utility Expo here in Louisville, what we wanted to do is a little bit of a daily recap. So, these next couple days you’ll be able to tune in just to see what’s going on at the show, what our best bets have been and then, you know, what we’re getting up to in Louisville, which I think is kind of exciting. So, my goal since you’re sitting here with now, I would love to open it up to you. What did you like about the Utility Expo today?
Michael Carr (02:19):
Yeah, sure. Thanks Gretchen. Uh, so, I mean, today was a really great experience on a lot of fronts. Um, as you know, her- this was my first time at the Expo and, uh, in the days leading up to it, flying to Louisville, I heard, like, multiple times how vast the grounds are and just how many companies will be exhibitors this week. But, wow! I mean, when we arrived this morning at the Expo, I realized my (laughs) expectations didn’t nearly do it justice. The Expo grounds are huge, like, wicked huge. And, it was amazing just to see how many folks had come together to share insights into their products, services and overall operations.
Michael Carr (03:00):
Um, one thing I kept realizing while walking through those indoor sections, was just how many different pieces of equipment go into a successful fleet operation. Uh, there were amazing booths, uh, with very specific, uh, lines of product, um, from horizontal trenchers, uh, to s- just tractor treads. And, um, this place had it all. I, I’ll also just, uh, quickly share a humble brag that I was lucky enough to be taken up, um … And, this was outdoors, of course, in the tallest boom truck, at the show, this weekend. Um, it was, a, I was 103 feet in the air (laughs) sitting in the bucket of a Rothmann boom truck, um, looking over the entire outdoor yard and also being able to see into the city of Louisville, um, which was crazy. It was super cool.
Michael Carr (03:58):
Um, the operator shared a story about how they used to be able to take them up into the 150 feet range, um, but ended up getting in trouble once because they were being picked up by the nearby airport air traffic control (laughs). So, uh, an- as an unidentified flying object, which is amazing. Uh, so, unfortunately for me, but, I, I suppose, fair enough, I was only allowed to go just above 100 feet in the air. Um, but wow, those things were cool. And, they are loaded with super cool onboard technology too. It’s, it’s not something that just goes up and down and that’s it. Like, um, one thing that was really fun is it had this little wind turbine, um, that would tell us the live wind speed, uh, so it was constantly changing and I think it got up to, like, 26 miles per hour, which didn’t seem like a lot to me, but the operator said, “If you wanna feel 26 miles per hour, stand in the back of a pickup truck and tell your buddy to drive 26 miles per hour and you’ll feel that wind.” Um, and this thing, it, it didn’t move much at all. It was incredibly impressive to be up there and to look out over everything and, uh, just understand the sheer scale of some of these units that are being used. Um, got a great use too, as well.
Michael Carr (05:17):
Um, so, he was talking about how a dam had broken and they needed something that could be parked on one side of it on the land and then go up, over and then back down the other side so that they could do the repairs, all the while water was going underneath. Um, so, they used one of this Rothmann’s to do that. And so I, it, it was super cool to, not only experience it in a real life setting, uh, but also to understand just how and where those things are used, um, to do things across the world. I, they, I also learned that Rothmann’s a German based company and, uh, these guys had a faint accent, but it was, it was great to chat with them. And, uh, they do shows throughout the nation, just, uh, along with everyone else that was there, like, I mean, we saw so many vendors that, um, all were, were carrying their equipment and, uh, showing off these beautiful machines, and, um, it was, it was just a great experience. I, I really enjoyed, um, chatting with these folks who really know their stuff and I, I am excited to go back tomorrow and, and learn more and, and maybe I’ll see a few of my friends that I met today. And, I, I, I really am excited and it was a great time.
Gretchen Reese (06:34):
I am so with you there, Michael. Honestly, seeing you go up in that aerial lift, I think was probably the highlight of my day. I thought it was just so funny because for those of you who don’t know, um, I tell people that I am a little bit afraid of heights. If it is less than my wing span, in terms of the area that you can stand on, and, um, they sent Michael about, I think it was about 100 feet up in the air, and even just filming him going up in the aerial lift was a little spooky to me because I’m just th- there thinking, like, “Oh my gosh, that’s really high up.” And, I wouldn’t have loved that, but it was really cool to see it done. Um, and also a little bit spooky in terms of, um, being that close to the airport and all of the logistics surrounding that, but cool that it can go that high.
Gretchen Reese (07:18):
I think, for me, um, in terms of the best parts of the conference, for those of you that have been frequent Fleet FYIs listeners over the past few months and over the last year, um, you’ll probably have heard the episode with Jack Johnson, who is the CTO and the founder of Volta Power Systems and it was nice to be able to connect with him yesterday at one of his, um, client’s booths. So, Jack, if you’re listening, hi. Nice to see you again. Um, and then, we also got to meet up with a couple of folks that we’ve worked with in the past, as well as a few people from the, uh, Ford and, um, the General Motor showing that was there. Those actually, were probably my absolute favorite parts of the show, only because I am, as you guys know, very, very into sustainability and new technology, new launches. So, I eat that stuff up like it’s candy, right?
Gretchen Reese (08:08):
And, um, it was interesting, actually, to speak to the folks at the Ford booth because they were telling me that as of yesterday morning, Ford has made the largest investment that they ever have into sustainable technology. And, that number was somewhere around the lines, I think, 11.5 billion, yes, billion with a B dollars into electric vehicles and sustainable technology. And, the story was so big that it even made the front page of the New York Times, which was insanely cool. And, in speaking to them a little bit further, it sounds like and, you know, I think this is a … I don’t know how tight this commitment is because I’m not super involved with it. However, um, the notifying that, uh, Ford will be completely electric in all of its offerings from light duty to medium duty to even heavy duty machinery, they will all be 100% electric by 2050. Which, to me, is exciting and that means there’s a lot more opportunities to learn about it and to be excited about it in the future.
Gretchen Reese (09:19):
All righty. Well, that’s it for the day one weekly recap. Make sure that you tune in tomorrow morning just so you can hear just exactly what we get up to today, which is day two of the Utility Expo. I have a feeling that if yesterday was exciting and, you know, very packed in terms of information, new launches, new technology and lots more people, that today will be even better. So, we will keep you updated, make sure you check us out on LinkedIn. Um, we are talking a lot about, um, what we’re getting up to as well on the Utilimarc page on LinkedIn. So, LinkedIn.com/company/Utilimarc. You know where to find us. The link is in the show description below, um, and also, you know, you know where to find us, utilimarc.com as always. And, until tomorrow, that’s all for me. Ciao.
Gretchen Reese (10:09):
Hey there. I think this is the time that I should cue the virtual high five because you’ve just finished listening to another episode of the Fleet FYIs podcast. If you’re already wanting more content, head over to utilimarc.com which Utilimarc with a C. U-T-I-L-I-M-A-R-C dot com for the show notes and extra insights coming straight from our analyst to you. That’s all for me this week. So, until next time, I’ll catch you later.
Day Two of the 2021 Utility Expo | Utilimarc Fleet FYIs – Season 2, Episode 26
Gretchen Reese (00:06):
Hey there. Welcome to Fleet FYIs, the weekly podcast by Utilimarc that reveals how you can make the most of your data for smarter fleet management. My name is Gretchen, and every week you’ll hear from me and some of the industry’s finest in candid conversations that will shed some light on not only two decades’ worth of data insights, but some of the industry’s hottest talking points and key metric analysis with the aim to help you better understand your fleet from every angle.
Gretchen Reese (00:33):
But before we begin, if this is the first time you’ve heard our show, thanks for stopping by. I’m so glad you decided to come along for the ride with us. But I’ve got a quick favor to ask you. Once you finish today’s episode, if you could take a few minutes to leave us a review on your favorite podcasting platform, we would really appreciate it. Give us a rating, five stars, I hope (laughs), or tell us what you liked or leave us a comment or a question about what you’ve heard in today’s episode.
Gretchen Reese (00:58):
But if we haven’t yet covered a topic that you’re interested in hearing more about, let us know. We would be happy to go over it in detail in a later episode. If that sounds good to you, let’s get back to the show.
Gretchen Reese (01:14):
Hello again. Welcome back to another daily recap of the Utility Expo on Fleet FYIs. Day two was almost as great as day one. And honestly, I didn’t know that much could be done to outdo (laughs) what we saw yesterday. But I think they came pretty close, if not right on par. Both Michael and I said, when we first walked into the Utility Expo this morning, it almost seemed like an entirely new show. You know, there were new vehicles, there were new booths set up and new exhibitors, and it was pretty amazing to see. I mean, it literally felt like an entirely different show.
Gretchen Reese (01:54):
And we started to make our way through quite a few of the exhibitions, or not necessarily exhibitions, but I should say exhibitors that, uh, we didn’t see yesterday and some more of the outdoor lots. Um, we got to see some really interesting presentations. And overall, it was just a really great day.
Gretchen Reese (02:11):
But first, I want to kick it over to Michael again. So (laughs) Michael, I’m glad that you’re back with me again. Uh, what did you think of day two? Tell me how it went for you.
Michael Carr (02:21):
Absolutely. Thanks, Gretchen. Um, well, it was another great day at the E-, Utility Expo down in Louisville. That’s for sure. Uh, beautiful day to spend among the people of the utility space, learning about their products, the, the operations and the insights.
Michael Carr (02:37):
Um, I thought my feet would be (laughs), would be sore after yesterday, but I was pleasantly surprised at how ready to, uh, rock and roll I was this morning.
Michael Carr (02:46):
Um, let’s see. A few highlights from today. Um, well, I absolutely note that we saw the live demonstration, uh, that Planet Underground put on, um, in the, that part of the outdoor area that they called the Job Site. Super cool. Um, we got to watch a live installation of a utility, like, infrastructure that it was just incredible to see.
Michael Carr (03:10):
Um, they had guys out there dig out a, a big swath of land and then do a real life installation. Uh, really, really, really cool. Uh, granted I’ve, I’ve seen this done before, but never in a live environment and so close, um, where you can, like, feel the heat from the exhaust, um, and, and hear those machines just roaring. Uh, definitely, definitely a highlight.
Michael Carr (03:35):
Um, also got to chat with some folks who were familiar with Utilimarc, which is always nice. Um, absolutely a pleasure meeting them. Also got to, uh, chat with some folks, some new folks and, uh, learn about what they were doing and, uh, share some stories from the Utilimarc side, which was tremendous.
Michael Carr (03:51):
Um, oh, I also got to see this machine, uh, from Terex called the Terex Commander, uh, which was this digger derrick. Uh, and it had a, a turret mount and this, uh, spiral auger attachment. Uh, pretty much they, they use … The use case there is to, like, dig a deep enough hole where they can then use the same machine to place a, a pole down in there to transmit a, a current through it over the wires, um, and, uh, all, all with the same truck, which is tremendous.
Michael Carr (04:21):
Uh, s-, and wa-, like, this operator was good, i-, incredible at his job, surgical with this thing. Uh, I w-, I watched (laughs) as he picked up a balloon, so that was sitting, uh, if you can picture this, sitting on top of a traffic cone, so, um, spiral point, facing up, balloon sitting on top. Uh, a gentle breeze could’ve knocked this thing off.
Michael Carr (04:45):
But, um, that did not sway the operator, eh, by any means. He very, very, very gently picked it up and, uh, then without popping it or putting too much pressure on anything, brought it over to a bucket that was on the other side of the, uh, demo exhibit area, um, and gently b-, dropped the balloon into the bucket and, uh, went back, re-, returned the, the piece of equipment back to its, its resting position. And it was, it was truly, truly an expert showing on his part. Um, really cool to see.
Michael Carr (05:20):
The use cases for these things are astounding. Um, and I understand why so many people are converging on Louisville to come see, um, because there’s truly a, a plethora of options that, um, when you’re in the same vicin-, vincinity, as, as these pieces of equipment, these trucks and everything in between, um, it’s, it’s, it’s just really cool to see. It’s a, it’s a really powerful experience. And I, I really enjoyed day two, um, and ready for day three.
Gretchen Reese (05:47):
I am absolutely with you there. Um, I’d actually almost forgotten about (laughs), uh, the demonstration with the balloon. But it’s kind of funny, because looking back at some of the video that, um, you know, we were taking throughout the day, that was actually probably one of my favorite ones to record, because, um, I don’t know how many of you are film geeks or just love the side of filmmaking. And I’m not saying (laughs) I’m a filmmaker by any means, but just being able to record a demonstration like that and seeing such a heavy duty piece of equipment manage to, one, not only move a balloon from A point to B point, but also to not pop it, I thought, was pretty amazing.
Gretchen Reese (06:25):
Um, but I will some of my best bits from the day, and this is one of the things that I absolutely love the most, was being able to really get to know some of the equipment that most of our clients at Utilimarc are actually using. Um, and that’s one of the things that I’ve been really taking the opportunity at this Utility Expo. I mean, you know, what better place (laughs) than where all of the new trucks and, um, popular vehicles or pieces of equipment are all on display for people to either admire or consider shopping or, you know, purchasing for their own fleets?
Gretchen Reese (06:57):
Um, but my point is, you know, getting to the point of the story here, um (laughs), I loved learning about them all. Uh, one of my favorites was learning about the sewer sucker that had an attachment called the Guzzler on the very back of it, um, as well as some of the new electric and hybrid options, again, kind of like yesterday that are, uh, coming out into the space over the next coming years and decades.
Gretchen Reese (07:18):
Um, and I say decades, but honestly, we’ll probably see them a lot sooner than that, because this electrification movement is moving so fast, and it’s almost at the timeframe where, you know, six months is a long time and a year is a long time for something to really develop, um, whereas previously, you’d be waiting five, 10, maybe even 15 years for something to evolve and come out that’s new and innovative.
Gretchen Reese (07:39):
Um, another one of my best bits for today was I just, I really loved connecting with a lot of the folks that were there. Um, you know, that’s one thing that I’m sure you probably all know about me by now, especially if you are a frequent, eh, Fleet FYIs listener, is that I am someone that is a natural extrovert and I love to talk to people.
Gretchen Reese (07:59):
Um, so that’s always a really great highlight of the day. And overall, I think really being able to surround myself and immerse myself in the education of these different types of vehicles and understand exactly how our clients are using them, meeting up with clients as well, and even, uh, fans of Utilimarc, being able to just talk about who we are and, you know, what we do, not just as a platform, but as a team is always such a special thing. And I always really, really, really enjoy getting to do it.
Gretchen Reese (08:41):
So that is all for today’s daily recap of the Utility Expo, day two. If you didn’t get the chance to meet up with us today, if you are actually at the show or if you’re just excited to hear about what’s going on tomorrow, both Michael and I will be at the show all day tomorrow and we will also be at that Bourbon, Beer, and Networking event, or Bourbon, Beer, and Bites networking event after, um, the expo concludes tomorrow.
Gretchen Reese (09:07):
Um, and we are always so happy to meet anyone that ever wants to come up and say hi. Um, we’ll just be wandering around the exhibition halls, or maybe you might find us in lot K or lot E outside for those of you that can brave the heat. Um, but other than that, that’s pretty much all from me today. And I will speak to you guys tomorrow. Ciao.
Gretchen Reese (09:30):
Hey there. I think this is the time that I should cue the virtual high five, because if you’ve just finished listening to another episode of the Fleet FYIs podcast, if you’re already wanting more content, head over to Utilimarc.com, which is Utilimarc with a C, U-T-I-L-I-M-A-R-C.com for the show notes and extra insights coming straight from our analysts to you.
Gretchen Reese (09:52):
That’s all from me this week. So until next time, I’ll catch you later.
Day Three of the 2021 Utility Expo | Utilimarc Fleet FYIs – Season 2, Episode 27
Gretchen Reese (00:06):
Hey there. Welcome to Fleet FYIs, the weekly podcast by Utilimarc that reveals how you can make the most of your date for smarter fleet management. My name is Gretchen, and every week you’ll hear from me and some of the industry’s finest in candid conversations that will shed some light on not only two decades worth of data insights, but some of the industry’s hottest talking points and key metric analysis with the aim to help you better understand your fleet from every angle. But before we begin, if this is the first time you’ve heard our show, thanks for stopping by.
Gretchen Reese (00:38):
I’m so glad you decided to come along for the ride with us, but I’ve got a quick favor to ask you. Once you finish today’s episode, if you could take a few minutes to leave us a review on your favorite podcasting platform, we would really appreciate it. Give us a rating, five stars I hope, (laughs) or tell us what you liked, or leave us a comment or a question about what you heard in today’s episode. But if we haven’t yet covered a topic that you’re interested in hearing more about, let us know. We would be happy to go over it in detail in a later episode. If that sounds good to you, let’s get back to the show.
Gretchen Reese (01:09):
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Daily Recap series from The Utility Expo on the Fleet FYIs podcast. I can’t believe that The Utility Expo’s come to a close as quickly as it has. You know, Michael and I were talking that whilst it seems like we are both very (laughs) ready to be back in Minneapolis, it just doesn’t quite seem like it’s been a three day expo full of, you know, lots of new education, lots of new equipment, many new connections, and, you know, just folks that we’ve already met that we’re reconnecting with after a few years of being apart.
Gretchen Reese (01:52):
And in a sense, whilst we’re ready to all go home, and I’m sure (laughs) many other folks are as well, because it has been a very packed full three days, we’re all kind of in the same boat, where we’ve been missing it so much that, you know, though we’re ready to go home, we could all stay a little bit longer. And day three of The Utility Expo was the shortest of all of the three. The conference itself closed at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, followed by the Bourbon, Beer, & Bites networking event, which was a very nice way to close a very fun-filled week.
Gretchen Reese (02:24):
And overall, I would say, you know, the expo itself, one, it’s just been great to be able to reconnect with people and also be able to meet new people that we haven’t yet, and just be able to see and actually test out some of this new equipment and really be able to get to know it for what it is and what it does. So Michael, for the last time, let’s turn it over to you. What did you love about the conference, and most specifically, what did you love about day three?
Michael Carr (02:53):
Absolutely. Thanks, Gretchen. And thank you, Utility Expo. Wow. I mean, (laughs) what a busy, uh, but awesome three days, uh, this has been. And I really want to just commend everyone involved, uh, just for putting on such a great production. Like, top to down, start to finish, back to front, indoor to outdoor, um, this was a great experience. Um, I was able to meet so many cool folks this week, uh, from all throughout the industry, um, from fleet managers talking about their operations and the new assets that they would need, uh, to product specialists describing these fascinating use cases for, uh, the wide, wide range of products and assets that they provide, um, and everything in between.
Michael Carr (03:57):
I, I truly enjoyed every minute of, uh, these last three days. And, uh, Louisville was an amazing host. Uh, this is my first time in town, uh, and I, I can’t wait to come back. I’ll say that. (laughs) Um, even after the expo was, like, um, officially closed, like, they made the announcement, “The expo is over,” uh, the Bourbon, Beers, & Bites post-expo event was spectacular. Uh, they, they just kept the, the amazing experience going. Um, and, uh, what a stellar spread they lined up for us. Uh, uh, Kentucky and Louisville in particular, um, the, the food here is tremendous.
Michael Carr (04:44):
And a- as you know, I’m, I’m definitely not a, a bourbon guy, but, um, (laughs) I decided, uh, when in Kentucky, and Kentucky didn’t disappoint at all. Uh, it was, it was just a great experience. I, I learned so much. I was able to really get into deep dives of the industry and learn really particular and specific aspects of what our clients and, and the people who work with our clients and the surrounding industries that interact with the fleets industry and the utility industry as a whole, how they all come together to really serve our nation and, and do some real cool things around the world.
Michael Carr (05:28):
Uh, it was just a great learning experience. I got to meet a whole lot of new people. Um, and I got to learn a, a ton about what they do and why they come to these things. Um, so great experience overall. Uh, thanks to The Utility Expo. Thanks to the city of Louisville. And I’ll close with a lineman joke that I picked up this week. Um, and it’s, it goes like this. There’s two things you need to know about linemen. Number one, they’re always right. And number two, when they’re wrong, defer back to rule number one. (laughs) I just, I get a kick out of that every time. Um, and I, I truly got a kick out of this entire weekend. So thank you to everyone that put on the show. Thank you to everyone that, uh, I got to meet this week. And, um, I’m looking forward to coming back next year. All right, you, back to you, Gretchen.
Gretchen Reese (06:22):
Thank you very much. And as I’m sure… So both Michael and I mentioned the Bourbon, Beer, & Bites (laughs) networking event, and one thing that, uh, Michael and I were chatting about, you know, prior to the event starting, was I was saying, “There’s no way there’s gonna be cheese curds in Kentucky,” because Michael was on the hunt for some. You know, hush puppies will, will do the trick, but us true Midwesterners need some cheese curds depending on the person and depending on the time of day. And I said, “They won’t have them in Kentucky.”
Gretchen Reese (06:50):
I said, “Every time I’ve been further South, you know, there’s no cheese curds to be found for miles away.” And he goes snooping around this, this, uh, networking event, and he goes, “You know, what do I see right here in front of everyone? It looks like a big tray of cheese curds over a heater next to the big I told you so sign.” And I’m like, “Okay, fine, you got me on that one. I give up.” (laughs) Um, but you know, that event really was a highlight for me. And, you know, I’m with Michael on that one 100%, and it’s not just because there was some high quality bourbons there.
Gretchen Reese (07:28):
And I will say, out of the four that were there, there were [inaudible 00:07:32] Four Roses Single Batch. There was the Evan Williams Single Barrel and the Evan Williams Black Label. Um, and then there was also one from Log, uh… What was it? Was it Log Sill? Log Sill, maybe? But it was, uh, definitely… That one was a really, really fantastic selection. I mean, all of them were. You really couldn’t go lo- go wrong with any of them. Um, but getting back to the actual, you know, conference, but I think the thing that I really took away the most of was that I loved being back with everyone in person again.
Gretchen Reese (08:08):
That was and always will be my favorite part of this whole job in marketing, in just meeting people, and I’ve always felt my purpose when it comes to my working life is connection, connection with people, connection with topics, connection with really anything and everything. You ask anyone, I could talk to a brick wall if you asked me to. However, I really do feel like there’s something that’s truly special about being able to be face-to-face with people and connecting on that one-to-one basis and really being able to develop and nurture those relationships. It’s so special. It’s what I love about this industry. It’s what I love about my job, and it’s just fantastic.
Gretchen Reese (08:48):
And, you know, whilst all the new equipment is really a spectacle to be seen and, you know, there’s so much to learn, I really do feel like the biggest value that comes out of conferences like these, as well as, you know, the other ones that are in The Utility Expo series, so to say, because there are two others that are affiliated with this group, uh, one in Las Vegas and one that will be in Nashville coming up in March, but really the thing that I think to take away from this is, you know, there’s always gonna be products to sell. There’s always gonna be equipment to buy, but it’s the relationships with the people that you’re building that matter the most, and it always will be that way.
Gretchen Reese (09:27):
Although I will say, there was one other thing that really stuck out to me. And Michael, you’ll probably remember this, but our lovely courtesy shuttle driver, (laughs) Miss Lola. Um, Lola, if you’re listening, hey. How’s it going? But Lola, she was fantastic. She was our shuttle driver many times. She counted us, us being me and Michael, as, uh, her regulars. And the nice thing was, is she is a wealth of knowledge in terms of random facts from ancient Egypt to, you know, World War II, to octopuses, to polar bears, to really anything under the sun. She’s kind of your go-to gal for everything.
Gretchen Reese (10:03):
Um, but that being said, the conference was fantastic, and we are certainly looking forward to 2023 when The, uh, Utility Expo is back in Louisville, because personally, I can’t wait to be back in the city. I mean, Louisville was beautiful, um, and the city, you know, fantastic. We closed the week with a night at Churchill Downs after the expo was able to wrap up. And I will just say, if you are looking for a really, really, really good burger in the city, look no further than Doc’s Seafood and Raw Bar, because that place, that place is where it’s at.
Gretchen Reese (10:40):
And I will also just point out, if burgers aren’t really your style and you more go for steaks, check out Repeal’s Steakhouse. That’s also a favorite of Michael and I’s. Um, that was actually the exact building where bourbon itself was first created if you’re a history nerd like I am. So until next week’s regular tuning in episode, that’s all from me. We will see you next week. I’ll be in your headphones, and we’ll be back with another episode on global sustainability. Ciao.
Gretchen Reese (11:13):
Hey there. I think this is the time that I should cue the virtual high five, because you’ve just finished listening to another episode of the Fleet FYIs podcast. If you’re already wanting more content, head over to Utilimarc.com, which is Utilimarc with a C, U-T-I-L-I-M-A-R-C dot com, for the show notes and extra insights coming straight from our analyst to you. That’s all from me this week, so until next time, I’ll catch you later.
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