Bill Roberts
“I thought I would never go back into a factory job.
“Because where [Hoist Liftruck] started out in Bedford Park, I was there when I was 18 years old with a different outfit. And it was weird that I went back … right back into busting knuckles again.
“It’s a lot cheaper in Indiana. Everything’s cheaper. The housing’s cheaper. I’m very satisfied where I’m at. I never owned a house my whole life until I came here. I moved my whole family. My kid goes to school here, and in a couple months maybe she’ll be going to college, and maybe she’ll get a job here.
“I found one house that I saw, and that’s the one I bought. It had an island in the kitchen and I said I always wanted to buy a house with an island. And I got it. I’ve been here one year and I’m way ahead of the game plan [that I had] in Chicago. I could never get ahead. My mortgage is cheaper. Rent out there was $1,200 a month.
“Just like [my boss] said, ‘you’ll make money, you just won’t be rich.’ But who needs rich? You don’t need that much money. I don’t.
“These aren’t bad jobs. I’m happy where I’m at and I’ll probably retire here … I’m more of a family man here than I was in Chicago. I used to be running around with my brothers on weekends working on cars, now I just do it in my own garage. [Before] I didn’t have a garage.
“Would I go back to Illinois? Nope. I like it here, I really do. I should have moved here 30 years ago. I probably would be a rich man now.”
Bill Roberts
Hoist Liftruck Mfg., LLC
East Chicago, Indiana
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