In August of 1981, Rubberen Robbie topped the Dutch pop charts with "Der Nederlandse Sterre Die Strale Overal,” Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Keith Allen started working on potting machines at Javo USA, Inc. Now, more than 38 years later, he is set to retire in Dec. 2019.
Over the ensuing 38 years as a Javo technician, Allen developed an encyclopedic knowledge of Javo’s potting machines and horticulture automation equipment. One colleague joked that you could show Allen a bent bolt and he could tell you what year the machine was manufactured and what caused the bolt to bend.
“He really knows Javo machines. Very few people in the world have the depth of knowledge that Keith has when it comes to our machines,” said Javo USA, Inc. General Manager Michiel Vanderwaal. “Our customers all know and respect him because he has been providing excellent support for so long.”
Allen plans to spend much of his retirement traveling throughout the U.S. Javo USA will say its official goodbye to Keith at a farewell/Christmas party on Dec. 19, 2019, with his official retirement date set as Dec. 31, 2019.
“We will miss a great colleague and friend, but we are thankful for the time we've had to spend with him,” said Vanderwaal.
