Multiquip Loses Pioneer

March 1, 2000
CARSON,Calif. - Bill Putnam was a rough and gruff kind of guy who idolized John Wayne and collected Western memorabilia. But those who knew him best saw

CARSON,Calif. - Bill Putnam was a rough and gruff kind of guy who idolized John Wayne and collected Western memorabilia. But those who knew him best saw beyond this tough exterior and perceived a gentler side.

Putnam died of a heart attack Feb. 1 in his home in Northridge, Calif. He was 73 years old.

Multiquip president Irv Levine called Putnam a great salesman and a close friend.

"Bill was the second employee I hired, and he became instrumental in this company's success," said Levine, who founded Multiquip, Carson, Calif., in 1972. "There was no better compaction salesman than Bill Putnam. He was a tremendous asset in making the company grow and introducing our product line."

Putnam was Multiquip's vice president of sales for a number of years, retired and then came back to head up sales of its Essex line of mixers. This was Putnam's last assignment before he retired the second time in February 1999.

During his early days at Multiquip, Putnam was devoted to selling purely compactors and rammers, Levine said: "He would drive off on a Monday morning and come back Saturday. We didn't have a lot of money then, not even to use the phone. I started this company with $10,000 and a lot of debt."

Deckman, who worked with Putnam for about 20 years, echoes Levine's sentiments. "Bill was your consummate salesman. He was very personable; he knew everything he had to know about a product. And he'd never take no for an answer," he said.

"He was instrumental in spreading word of our products and set up a number of dealers we have. He was one of Multiquip's goodwill ambassadors. He had a happy, sweet personality. He was a big guy too; he reminded you of your big uncle."

Deckman remembers the warm reception Putnam often received from his colleagues after he had come back from business trips. "It was interesting when he came back into the office. Men and women would hug him. Everybody loved him," said Deckman.

A few hours before Putnam died, Deckman spoke to him about this month's ARA show. "Even though he was retired, he was invited because he had so many friends in the industry," Deckman said.

What those friends will probably miss most about Putnam is his contradicting persona.

"He was sometimes tough on the outside, but he was really a pussy cat. A very loving, caring guy," Levine said. "He had a sense of humor that was second to none. He could say anything and get away with it."

Kevin Day, Putnam's son and division manager for concrete products at Multiquip, credits his foray into the construction industry 10 years ago to his father. "I was going to do something else, but he suggested I call Irv (Levine). It was the best advice I ever had," said Day, 33.

"He had a fantastic ability to show somebody how a product could help them make more money. He never sold anything he didn't believe in. If he walked into a store, he would make a sale. Very few people could do that."

Day says Putnam motivated people and often spoke his mind. "He would get under your skin and break you down," Day said. "He could make you change your thought process and then build you up again. I was terrified of him and loved him at the same time."

His survivors include his wife Suzanne and three other sons, Ted, Mike and Bill Jr.