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Ren Bartoe
Those who are used to working with Ren Bartoe at Vesuvius will have to make a fly fishing appointment to meet with him starting June 1. Bartoe, the director of glass and industrial technologies at Vesuvius, will retire Friday, May 31, 2019 after four decades in the industry.
“I am concluding a 43-year career, with the last 30 years dedicated solely to Vesuvius, that has been full of excitement, opportunities, many victories and my share of defeats,” says Bartoe. “Together we have shared many good times, laughs, challenges, disappointments, wonderful dinners and perhaps some differences, but mostly successes over the years.”
Marcus Bancroft, sales manager for the Americas with Vesuvius, says that Bartoe worked his way up from his first job as a security guard during a summer in college, to becoming more involved in sales and, eventually, becoming global sales director.
“He’s always been recognized as the face of Vesuvius Fused Silica by all of our customers around the world. People associate Vesuvius with Ren because he’s been such a familiar face and he’s well-liked by everyone he’s dealt with,” he says.
Bancroft credits Bartoe with having been at the forefront of promoting Vesuvius’ tempering roller technology to customers in the U.S., Asia and Europe. He also says that Bartoe is an easy and straightforward person to work with.
“You can discuss all of your problems and issues with him and he would help you to find solutions in both your professional and personal life. He’s like our granddaddy. We will miss him but we’ve all developed in our careers by working with him. We’ll take the valuable lessons that we’ve learned from him and use them in the future to carry on with the mission of the company,” says Bancroft.
Bartoe says that while he’s retiring from the industry, he’s not retiring from the friends he has made over the past 43 years.
“I value the relationships that have been developed, and appreciate the support and trust that the industry has given to me, but I cherish most of all the friendships. I will never be far away as I do not believe we ever retire from our friends and colleagues,” he says.
Bartoe encourages those within the glass industry to participate in industry organizations “to present a resounding and collective voice for the promotion of our industry. Networking within our ranks supports critical code and standards development, leads to innovation and is the incubator for the development of value-added glass products. Do not miss your opportunity!”
Bancroft says that Bartoe will use his time post-retirement to pursue his hobby and passion of fly fishing, spend time with his family and grandchildren, and travel for pleasure instead of business.
He says, “Look out for him a red convertible classic sports car!”
