Ken Haag, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Co-Founder of Voltage Multipliers Inc.
Ken passed from this life on Sunday, July 10th, 2022. Ken was a great friend and mentor for more than 40 years.
Ken was responsible for creating and building VMI’s sales and sales rep system. I recall many occasions where customers were upset by a problem sometimes real—sometimes perceived. When I was reacting in a panic, Ken would respond rather enthusiastically with something like “great—we have an opportunity to impress the customer with our response.” I eventually saw that he was right, even though I still try to avoid those types of “opportunities”.
In the early days of VMI, Ken and I reviewed our plan every day, and he was always optimistic and encouraging, even when the outlook was dim. Ken had an exceptional ability to see customer application opportunities, when it was not obvious. He repeatedly used the phrase that he did not try to “sell” products—he tried to “educate” the customer and provide a solution to their problem.
I recall a specific situation, in the first year of business, when a prospective customer visited our meager manufacturing operation. After a brief tour, we took the customer on an afternoon drive into the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains. Unfortunately, my car broke down and I was devastated as we were stranded in a remote area. As we waited for assistance, Ken walked the visitors to a large granite rock, sat down, and convinced them to give us a large purchase order—on the rock. They remain a large customer of VMI to this day.
Ken traveled many thousands of miles visiting customers and sales reps. On one occasion, he drove his motor home on a lengthy tour across the entire USA and back, making customer visits and meeting with sales reps.
I have had the great honor to partner with Ken , he was not only an exceptional business partner, but also a good friend.
I will never forget the trust and commitment that we had.
Without Ken, VMI would not have achieved the level of success that we enjoy today.
Rest in peace, my friend.
Dennis Kemp