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I had the pleasure of getting to meet Greg Moser a little over a decade ago and I must say that I was most impressed by his self-confidence, not to mention the drive and determination that he could convey to those around him. One of the more impressive things I watched was the growth of his company and the rapid advancement of any race team that he was involved with. Whether it was his Top Sportsman program of the late 1980s or his mountain motor Pro Stock program of recent years, I think it was safe to say that Greg was the kind of individual that never saw an unsolvable problem. Word came to me at the NHRA K&N Filters SuperNationals of his plane crash and my heart dropped. The first thing I thought of was just how many lives this talented man had influenced, whether through his work, personal life or his support of the racing community. It was just a few months ago that I had really learned the full scope of what made this self-made man the successful entrepreneur that he was. I not only authored an article on him, but I also took a crash course in what I call Moser 101. He was a man that firmly believed in hard work, but only if it included working smart.
Greg was a very competitive man in whatever he did, whether racing, business or his longtime hobby of flying planes. You have to admire a man that took a small enterprise of resplining axles for friends and fellow racers and turned it into a multi-million dollar company. Just to think it all started because the $100 or so he picked up here and there afforded him the opportunity to go to the races away from home on a regular basis. He was content to take baby steps and used advertising his services as a way to cover his travel expenses. Greg didn't need to start the business; it was just the logical next step up. He already had a successful position at Teledyne Portland Forge, and his successful running of the 60 million dollar corporation provided invaluable experience for what was ahead in his future. He could have rested on the merits of a job well done, but he didn't. Greg had a destiny in life and that was to reach a lot of people through a good product and his dedication to winning. He was very competitive as a businessman and a racing team owner. That determination made you either like him or not, but it always forced you to respect him. If he felt that things weren't right, after he had thoroughly completed the necessary research, he would speak his mind. On more than one occasion, I was privy to a barrage of “this stinks and it isn't right” comments. But to his credit he wouldn't just stop there – he would also offer a solution. I think that's what is wrong in today's world. People always are quick to complain and slow to offer a solution. Greg was always ready to offer a well-thought-out remedy and if he couldn't, he'd keep his mouth shut. He didn't just run off at the mouth. Greg led by example. A lot of that confidence came from his loyal wife and best friend Marianne. She may not have said much in certain circles, but when she spoke, it meant something and people certainly listened. When their Pro Stock team and driver Ron Miller struggled in the first years, the driver was ready to throw in the towel. Ron didn't want his longtime friends to continue to throw money into a program that he didn't see a future with. He felt an obligation to win, but Marianne offered a different objective. She didn't mind spending their hard-earned money, but there was to be one stipulation – they had to have fun. Once Mrs. Moser implemented that objective into Miller's game plan things started to happen. Nevermind the fact that the soft-spoken Miller went on to become an accomplished engine builder in the professional ranks, he also won some races and eventually challenged for the championship. Just to think, Greg built and flew his airplanes because Marianne was scared for him to race Pro Stock. He respected her wishes. And while it was hard on the family and friends to lose both at the same time, I think the one thing that might have scared either one of them was to have lived life without the other. The Mosers had that kind of impact on those that they associated with both professionally and personally. Greg always felt that a happy employee was the best employee. Because of that, he allowed his workers to basically set the hours that best served them and he used the honor system with no time clocks. His reasoning was correct and I have to admit when you have a staff that absolutely loves their job then you don't need one. He didn't work three shifts as most production plants because as he put it, “I get as much production in one shift as some places get in three.” Moser reasoned once, “It's kind of unique because I build my own equipment and it is all computerized and automated. I built some automatic hole drills, 27 seconds for 5 holes. I might have 16 to 18 grand in each machine. You can't buy a $100,000 CNC mill and do it any quicker; I don't think it works as quick. “I don't have a lot of overhead and I've been charging the same price for axles since 1991. That's twelve years without raising the price. We work only one shift and that's how we are able to keep the overhead low. Since I built most of the equipment, it allows us to be cost efficient. Anytime you have to run three shifts, you have big problems. “The shift running the previous machine leaves it dirty for the next and you have overlap. Then you lose an hour and it just turns into a big mess. There's only 24 hours a day and it is impossible to have a happy employee when he is stuck on second-shift with a wife and kids. He never gets to see the kids play basketball and this is Indiana , people love their basketball.” Make no bones about it; his philosophy has worked as the company continues to grow as much as 15% a year. I think one of the more valuable lessons that Greg put into practice was the one that really caught my attention the most and drew me towards him was his testifying to the old adage that mandates “if you get your mind in shape, the body will follow.” With that said, Greg shared with me of the time that he looked in a mirror and made the comment to Marianne. “You know hun…we are just fat. You know we know how to run a company…we know how to help people in our community and do volunteer work…were successful people and we should look that way.” Greg said. The Mosers went on the Atkins diet and together the two lost over 140 pounds in one year and at the time of their death weighed the same as they did when they got married. To Greg, losing 75 pounds was one of his finest accomplishments. He was one of those that inspired me to lose 35 pounds in my own battle of the bulge. This year was to be the year that Marianne and Greg were to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The race team was parked and the stress of having to be at the races had been somewhat lifted, even though they showed up anyway. They increased the money they put into their Moser Axle Mania Shootout for the IHRA sportsman racers because they loved them. In closing, I want to say that my goal was to not only memorialize the Mosers, but to share with you a few of the principles that made them successful. The principles are a few that we tend to overlook in life, and at times discount their value. There was nothing magical about how Greg reached the pinnacle of success. In case you have forgotten the simple rules in life already…take out a notepad and write this down…hard and smart work, family, ethics, compassion and physical happiness. God bless you Greg and Marianne…the inspiration that you provided will last a lifetime. We want to hear your comments, email them to feedback@competitionplus.com . |
