Thermal Scientific announced on Monday the retirement of Joe Rutter after 24 years of service to the company.
A celebration in his honor is set for 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at Thermal Scientific located at 2702 Westover Drive in Odessa.
“Joe is one of the few on the team that have worked with all three generations of my family.” Coby Wishert, Chief Executive Officer at Thermal Scientific, stated in the press release. “His departure is the end of an era.”
Wishert continued: “Joe has been a hard-working, dedicated team member. Like my grandfather, he is a former navy man, bringing a strong sense of honor and service to the company. And like my father, he has always been a workhorse who was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and do what was necessary. His retirement is well-deserved.”
Rutter’s storied career with Thermal Scientific began in 1998 as a salesperson who covered all of Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and West Texas. After about a decade Joe transferred to Corpus Christi to become branch manager. Over the next six years, he returned to his sales role in Odessa, leaving the Corpus Christi branch more successful than it had ever been. As times changed, Joe adjusted and never waivered.
He trained countless other salespeople from every branch location over the years, imbuing them with his unique wisdom from decades of experience. Chief Operations Officer, Clifton Linde, stated in the press release: “Joe touched so many lives and will be missed by his teammates, vendors, and customers alike. He’s leaving some pretty big shoes for someone else to fill.”
