Who is Ed Kugler?
Many including me have wondered that for most of my life. First and foremost, I am a child of God. My life on this earth began in Dover, Ohio where I was born. I was raised nearby in a small town known as Lock Seventeen. History says it was the seventeenth lock on the old Ohio Erie Canal. By my count we had about seventy-five residents, a few dairy cows, lots of dogs and cats and more than our share of weird people, where our family stood at the head of the line. My immediate family consisted of two brothers, a sister, grandma from my father's side, a very nice, crazy Aunt, and a roving Uncle from my Mom's side who showed up from time to time. We had a dysfunctional family long before they were in vogue as they are today. It was middle America at its best.
My senior year of high school I made the first critical decision of my life. I joined the Marine Corps. Graduation came and thirty-five of us made the grade. While most everyone else in the class headed on the senior trip to New York, I went to Parris Island.I saw combat in the Vietnam War and a debacle in the Dominican Republic. After four years, two Purple Hearts and a four month stint performing military funerals, I was discharged. I learned discipline, leadership and brotherhood. The Marine Corps changed my life.
Shortly after returning from Vietnam with a goal of becoming a mercenary and fighting in Africa, I met the girl who would become my wife. Within a year, I made the second critical decision of my life. I convinced her to marry me. She agreed on two conditions. One, that I go to work. Two, that I one day go to church, any church. I kept the first promise and worked my way from truck driver to Vice President of a Fortune 50 company. The second condition I didn't consider fulfilling for years. My wife endured my alcoholism, wild Marine Sniper reunions and years of PTSD that took nearly four decades to admit. Together, we have three children and four grandchildren. We'll be celebrating our 48th wedding anniversary soon. The Marine Corps, my wife and Jesus Christ changed my life.
It was seven years into our marriage when I finally stopped drinking.I had started drinking at age fourteen. I now had a clear head and a new son, when a good friend introduced me to Jesus Christ. The interesting thing? He wasn't a member of any church at the time. But his testimony rang true and pierced my heart. My wife supported me, we studied, prayed and came to Christ together.
I believe in family as the inspired unit placed on this earth by God Himself. I believe that America is the promised land as noted in scriptures old and modern. The most important thing to know about me at this point in my life is this ... I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. I know He has restored the Gospel to this earth. I know America is a choice land, established by God fearing men & women, to enable people to be a beacon of freedom to the entire world. I know we as a nation would always be blessed and protected if we served Him. I also know, we, as Americans, have turned our backs on Him. I know we as a people must repent and do better each day. I know it is a personal battle that we must win, one person at a time. I know now is the time to individually make a difference, change our lives and become a better people.
My senior year of high school I made the first critical decision of my life. I joined the Marine Corps. Graduation came and thirty-five of us made the grade. While most everyone else in the class headed on the senior trip to New York, I went to Parris Island.I saw combat in the Vietnam War and a debacle in the Dominican Republic. After four years, two Purple Hearts and a four month stint performing military funerals, I was discharged. I learned discipline, leadership and brotherhood. The Marine Corps changed my life.
Shortly after returning from Vietnam with a goal of becoming a mercenary and fighting in Africa, I met the girl who would become my wife. Within a year, I made the second critical decision of my life. I convinced her to marry me. She agreed on two conditions. One, that I go to work. Two, that I one day go to church, any church. I kept the first promise and worked my way from truck driver to Vice President of a Fortune 50 company. The second condition I didn't consider fulfilling for years. My wife endured my alcoholism, wild Marine Sniper reunions and years of PTSD that took nearly four decades to admit. Together, we have three children and four grandchildren. We'll be celebrating our 48th wedding anniversary soon. The Marine Corps, my wife and Jesus Christ changed my life.
It was seven years into our marriage when I finally stopped drinking.I had started drinking at age fourteen. I now had a clear head and a new son, when a good friend introduced me to Jesus Christ. The interesting thing? He wasn't a member of any church at the time. But his testimony rang true and pierced my heart. My wife supported me, we studied, prayed and came to Christ together.
I believe in family as the inspired unit placed on this earth by God Himself. I believe that America is the promised land as noted in scriptures old and modern. The most important thing to know about me at this point in my life is this ... I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. I know He has restored the Gospel to this earth. I know America is a choice land, established by God fearing men & women, to enable people to be a beacon of freedom to the entire world. I know we as a nation would always be blessed and protected if we served Him. I also know, we, as Americans, have turned our backs on Him. I know we as a people must repent and do better each day. I know it is a personal battle that we must win, one person at a time. I know now is the time to individually make a difference, change our lives and become a better people.
Bio from my Business Days
Ed has been called a Renaissance Man, America's Change Agent and a few other things not printable. One CEO even named him his Senior Vice President of Truth. Whatever you call him he is the guy who makes change happen. He is the former Vice President of Worldwide Logistics for Compaq Computer and has been teaching change to organizations across America since 1997 he left Compaq to get his life back.
He learned the foundations of change during his days as a young Marine sniper serving two consecutive years in the Vietnam War. He is the Author of Dead Center - A Marine Sniper's Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War. Ed returned and began his working career as a truck driver, mechanic, dispatcher and eventually Vice President and General Manager of a one hundred plus unit fleet.
After ten years in trucking Ed joined Frito Lay where he was promoted five times in six years and spent thirteen years with the company running private fleet operations. He later transferred to Pepsi Cola, where he became Director of Distribution. His last position with Pepsi was Director of Reengineering, the beginning of his formal change work. He left PepsiCo to become Vice President of Worldwide Logistics for Compaq Computer, where he led the reorganization of their logistics function. He left them after three years to join Telxon, his last real job, where he was Senior Vice President of Operations and Quality.
Ed lead’s, trains and teaches change to some of America's top companies. His clients include Pepsi Cola, PepsiAmericas, Chef Solutions, APL, General Bottlers, Unisource, Ropak Southwest, Genco, Schlumberger, DHL Exel, Restoration Hardware, Caterpillar and many more. Ed is a frequent guest speaker and has addressed the US Marine Corps, the US Army, the Alaska Governors Conference, Colorado District of Attorneys Association, APL, Utah Rural Teachers Association, Pepsi Cola and many others.
Ed has twice been a Lay Minister in his church serving over 7 years in this capacity. He is the author of several books with more on the way. He is the father of three, grandfather to five and has been married to his wife Gloria for forty eight years and counting. They live on a peaceful mountainside in Big Arm, Montana with their three dogs Ammo, Magazine (Maggie) and our newest edition, Uzi.
He learned the foundations of change during his days as a young Marine sniper serving two consecutive years in the Vietnam War. He is the Author of Dead Center - A Marine Sniper's Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War. Ed returned and began his working career as a truck driver, mechanic, dispatcher and eventually Vice President and General Manager of a one hundred plus unit fleet.
After ten years in trucking Ed joined Frito Lay where he was promoted five times in six years and spent thirteen years with the company running private fleet operations. He later transferred to Pepsi Cola, where he became Director of Distribution. His last position with Pepsi was Director of Reengineering, the beginning of his formal change work. He left PepsiCo to become Vice President of Worldwide Logistics for Compaq Computer, where he led the reorganization of their logistics function. He left them after three years to join Telxon, his last real job, where he was Senior Vice President of Operations and Quality.
Ed lead’s, trains and teaches change to some of America's top companies. His clients include Pepsi Cola, PepsiAmericas, Chef Solutions, APL, General Bottlers, Unisource, Ropak Southwest, Genco, Schlumberger, DHL Exel, Restoration Hardware, Caterpillar and many more. Ed is a frequent guest speaker and has addressed the US Marine Corps, the US Army, the Alaska Governors Conference, Colorado District of Attorneys Association, APL, Utah Rural Teachers Association, Pepsi Cola and many others.
Ed has twice been a Lay Minister in his church serving over 7 years in this capacity. He is the author of several books with more on the way. He is the father of three, grandfather to five and has been married to his wife Gloria for forty eight years and counting. They live on a peaceful mountainside in Big Arm, Montana with their three dogs Ammo, Magazine (Maggie) and our newest edition, Uzi.
My Life on a Page
Born - kid - terrible student – Brother - truant – drunk - kart race Champion - Marine boot camp – AWOL - caught - jailbird – Marine - Combat - Dominican Republic - Wounded - Marine Sniper – Atheist - Rogue - wounded -two tours in Vietnam - Home - Sergeant in charge of military funerals – discharged - Single - race karts -Mechanic – race motorcycles - Truck Driver - Promotor - Married - learn to parachute - Safety Manager – Husband - move - get private Pilots license - study Psychology - move - Dispatcher - own small racing lubricant company called Nitro Joe's - Terminal Manager - own and operate a Raceway Park - Father - drop out of college - General Manager - alcoholic – move - trucking company VP – Father - National Race Director – sober - find Christ - move - Frito Lay - Traffic Manager - move - Distribution Manager - Lay Minister - move - Start a freight company - Father - move - Area Distribution Manager - Lay Minister - open a chain of weight loss centers - 7Habits Trainer – fired - Pepsi Cola - hired - move - lose weight loss centers - head of Black Employees Association - reorganization – move - Director of Delivery US & Canada - move - Compaq - VP of Worldwide Logistics - MLM – write Dead Center - quit 6 figure job - Random House publishes Dead Center - Consult - start own consulting firm, Direct Hit, Inc - Telxon - Sr. VP of Operations & Quality - Speaker - named Sr. VP of Truth – Grandfather – Restoration Hardware - Turnaround Leader - Caterpillar - cancer survivor - Grandfather - publish Firefights of the Mind - Grandfather - cancer survivor again - retire to write - Activist for America - Grandfather and the best goes on!
"Unexpressed feelings come forth in uglier ways".
Stephen Covey
Stephen Covey