Evolution of a Legacy Though the business was in his blood, Freese did not envision Globe Manufacturing being part of his future. Even so, at age 15, Freese joined Exploring, a worksitebased program developed through the Boy Scouts of America. Exploring creates opportunities for young men and women who are interested in fire-service careers. The business was becoming a part of him after all.
must be paid proper homage; it is still a business and one must ultimately always answer, ‘what is best for the business?’ in terms that extend to all stakeholders — family, community and employees.”
Giving Back to the Community Freese feels that commitment to community is important, both professionally and personally. Globe Manufacturing is involved in a number of local organizations, such as the Kick for Cancer martial arts tournament and the Pittsfield Youth Workshop, which recently received a van from the company. The Pittsfield Police Department received a Segway; Freese expressed the importance of “a New Hampshire company helping a New Hampshire organization with a New Hampshire-made product.”
A turning point for Freese came during his junior year at SNHU, when he took part in an exchange program at Landsdowne College in London. When asked to come up with a project for a marketing class, Freese turned to what he knew— firefighter protective clothing. This experience gave him his first taste of international business. He completed a project compar“ I knew this (becoming a trustee) was a good fit of like-minded ing British firefighters’ professionals working in an atmosphere of active engagement clothing with Americanmade fire suits. In doing and support of a plan to take the university to the next level of so, Freese recognized the leadership among its peers. SNHU has a finely tuned focus, role Globe could play in the international market. a powerful strategic plan and vision of what its future will be. He began to think that a I am so excited to be a part of the school’s future.” career in the family business could be a viable option. The transition from the third to fourth generation took 10 years. In 1993, George and Courtland Freese announced their retirement from Globe Manufacturing’s day-to-day operations and stayed on as co-chairmen of the board. George’s sons, Robert A. Freese and George E. Freese, along with their cousin-in-law became top-level management. The family maintains the same standards and commitment to innovation and quality that their fathers and grandfathers valued. Globe Manufacturing has 350 employees at its manufacturing and distribution facility in Pittsfield. Freese explains that it is important to keep employees happy by encouraging feedback and promoting a familyoriented atmosphere. There are challenges that come with successfully leading the family business with the same sense of entrepreneurship and pride as Courtland F. H. Freese did four generations ago, Freese said. He has advice for those who are leading a family business: “Leading a multigenerational family business has been a wonderful experience for me. I understand that while in legal terms I own it; really I am but a shepherd of it, tending it and growing it better during my watch,” he said. “Communicate the same sense of ownership to those who work there. Make it their company. The interactions of the family
Keeping close tabs on his customer base, Freese is a volunteer fireman in Pittsfield, where he is able to share information from his travels with his local department. The community spirit Freese and Globe Manufacturing embody was no more evident than following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Thursday after the attacks, someone at the Pentagon noticed that a crew out of Fairfax, Va., wasn’t struggling with the same hypothermia issues as other emergency responders there. They were wearing Globe Manufacturing suits. Freese got a call at 9 a.m. with a request for all the suits he had on hand – delivered by shift change that night at 6. With no truck big enough, no flights leaving the area and very little time, Freese was stuck. Then a local fire department let him use its utility truck to cart the suits to the airport, and the fire marshal put him in touch with a contact at Fed Ex. He and the pilot were able to get special clearance to fly the suits to Washington, D.C., in a singleengine Cessna cargo plane. Freese was handing out the gear in the Pentagon parking lot by 6:10 p.m. n Fall 2009
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