<Begin Segment 15>

MA: So tell me about your job at Thermo King. You ended up becoming a buyer, is that right?

IO: Yeah, lead buyer. We spent millions of dollars buying all kinds of commercial equipment and parts of engines, 'cause they were, the units were run by an engine. And we first started with (...) a gasoline engine, and then ended up with a diesel engine. And there were a lot of material that had to be bought. So I was doing that.

MA: And how long did you work as a buyer? Was that...

IO: Oh, well, let's see. I must have been a buyer for thirty years, maybe. I'm not sure, I can't remember. But I know that the company was real small when I started, and it grew to be a large company. 'Cause I think when I left, they were doing a billion dollar business. And then when I was working there, they were doing good if they could do a half a million dollar business. [Laughs]

MA: So you saw the company change a lot in those years.

IO: Oh, yes, a lot. Really grew.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright ©2009 Densho and the Twin Cities JACL. All Rights Reserved.