If there is one word to describe a decorated Vietnam veteran with a civilian career that spanned the globe married to the love of his life for 48 years, it might be “grateful.” A second word that comes to mind is “modest.”
Both words apply to Larry Wittmer, vice president of business development at Woodsman Kitchens & Floors and member of the NEFBA and Builders Care boards of directors.
Larry’s start in life could not have foretold the wonderful life that unfolded. He was born Christmas Day 1943 in Iowa.
“I spent the first year of my life in an orphanage,” Larry said. “My parents adopted me when I was about a year old and I grew up in the heartland of America.” Larry’s parents adopted two other children giving Larry a brother and a sister.
Larry went to college at Northwest Missouri State University in Marysville, Mo. Larry, whose parents were teachers, concentrated in business with a minor in teaching. While he was in college, he met a young Iowa farm girl, Jan Hinders, and the two married.
“I was not old enough to get married without my parents signing for me,” he admitted. In Iowa in 1964 that meant he was not yet 21.
His first job out of college was a sales job for a dental equipment company.
“After about a year and a half, I had a change of career,” Larry said. “I went to work for the U.S. government.” Larry served two years in Vietnam and returned home with a Purple Heart.
Out of the service, Larry returned to work for the same company, this time on the manufacturing side of the business. Based in Portland, Ore., Larry was on the road quite a bit, and the young couple had an opportunity to experience life in several cities in the U.S. and one in Canada.
“From Portland, we moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and that’s where I began my career in the international division of the company,” Larry said.
For Larry, Vancouver was just about ideal.
“I could go fishing in the morning and skiing in the afternoon, all within a 30-mile radius,” he said.
During his career, Larry and Jan also lived in Houston, Orange County, California – which Larry describes as “a fun place to live but lots of traffic.” They lived in Charlotte, N.C., before moving to Jacksonville.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been able to travel and see so much of the world,” he said. “But there are still a few places left to see. I really would love to visit Bhutan in the Himalayas. Only a few visitors are allowed to visit each year, and it is such an untouched part of the world.”
Larry and Jan adopted two sons, both of whom settled in the Jacksonville area. So when Larry retired, he and Jan left Charlotte and moved to Jacksonville to be near their sons and their families. Son Joe is a submariner at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Joe and his wife Jenny have two children, Andrew, 11, and Molly, 6. Their son Jeff is a lieutenant with the St. Johns County Fire and Rescue Department in St. Augustine. Jeff and his wife Heather also have two children, Mackenzie, 17, and Madison, 14.
Relocated to Jacksonville and newly retired, Larry was enthusiastic about his new life. But about two weeks into retirement, Larry greeted Jan with a harmless question, “What are we going to do today?” Without hesitation Jan, who keeps busy with her church and its outreach ministries, replied, “I know what I’m doing, and you need to find a job.”
His first job post-retirement was with Parksite as a Corian representative.
“The job was perfect for me. No travel, no manager responsibilities, and I made some very good contacts.”
One particularly fortunate relationship that developed was with Rick Woods, owner of Woodsman Kitchens & Floors. Rick offered Larry a position and he’s now been with Woodsman about seven years.
“I was very happy to be asked and very happy to accept,” Larry said. “Woodsman has a great reputation, it’s been around for about 30 years and I liked Rick. Pretty simple.”
As the vice president of development Larry maintains contact with the current customer base and develops new customers. It’s not difficult, Larry said.
“Even in this economic climate, Woodsman has been able to expand horizontally,” he said. “We’ve expanded our multifamily, commercial and remodeling focus, and that has helped us not only survive but grow.”
Larry has seen changes in the building industry and is confident that today’s builders are on the right track.
“We have a new, young group of builders,” he said, “many of whom were with companies that left this market, sold to a larger firm or did not survive. As I look around at the NEFBA builders, I see the industry growing again, and the new generation of builders is strong and capable.”
Larry’s involvement with NEFBA includes serving on the board for both NEFBA and Builders Care, to which Larry is deeply committed, describing it as an organization that “has done more for Jacksonville than another single organization around.” Larry serves on the Political Action Committee because he says it keeps him involved in the community and informed about the issues facing Jacksonville, the platforms of the candidates and the political process. And, Larry was instrumental in creating NEFBA’s Construction Crime Prevention Committee.
There’s one more word that comes to mind that fits Larry. Passionate. Whether talking about his faith, his family, his job, his church, NEFBA or life in general, Larry Wittmer is 100 percent dedicated to making life the best it can be.
“My desire is that everyone could experience life to the fullest. I know I’ve had many wonderful opportunities, and I am truly grateful for this time in my life when I can devote time and resources to help others.”