Jeff Gaff Retiring Later this Month After 32 Years at Dicor – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
By all accounts an expert in the RV roofing specialty, Jeff Gaff will be retiring toward the end of November after more than 32 years at Dicor Products. The company recently hosted an open house for Gaff, who told RVBusiness that it “just felt like the right time to step away, but it has been a great trip. I have been very blessed for sure.”
When asked what he’ll miss most after retirement, he quickly said it will be all the people he’s worked with over the years.
“It’s going to be the interaction with people I’ll miss most,” he said. “A lot of fine people have been through here and a lot of fine people remain here. And it’s just going to be that day-to-day interaction – you don’t get that doing yard work! So, I think business partners, the interaction with the folks that we sell to, and all the people I’ve met over the years – not that I’m going away, and I can still reach out – but just the day-to-day interaction with people would probably be what I’ll miss the most.”
A graduate of Concord High School and Indiana University, Gaff worked at Ramco Engineering prior to joining Dicor, an Airxcel brand, as an outside account representative in 1992, which was about the same time the company dipped its tows into synthetic roofing business.
“It was all EPDM rubber initially and for about the first 20-ish years. EPDM was the horse of the industry for roof membranes,” Gaff recalled. “And when capacities of EPDM and the polymers became less available, people started looking to TPO. We, at Dicor, were looking at TPO as well, and then it went to plastics. And that is where we are today with TPO and PVC membranes being the primary roofing membranes used in the industry.”
Gaff noted that an intense focus on product development is how Dicor “stayed in a leadership position,” adding that roofing sealants and adhesives always seemed to be among the bigger challenges. “I know all products are tough,” he said, “but just the nature of sealants and adhesives is hard for a lot of people to wrap their heads around. And it can get tough.”
For his part, Airxcel President Anthony Wollschlager said Gaff has had a “tremendous impact on not just our business, but the industry and those around him.” He hinted that Gaff might continue to have an impact in an unspecified role, but for now Wollschlager was happy to acknowledge his contributions to the company and him personally.
“Jeff has always been, first, a role model for me,” Wollschlager told RVB. “But second, he’s really been my balance. I have the ability sometimes to run at a very fast pace and sometimes there is some cleanup in the ‘Back 40.’ Jeff has been a really good proponent to help me through that and to make sure that we’re not doing things that are prohibitive to our business.”
Lastly, Gaff was asked by former Dicor President Gregg Fore whether he had any final messages before his retirement is official.
“Thank you all,” Gaff said. “It’s been a wonderful, wonderful ride. And Gregg, thanks to you and Gary Adamson and Ron Minzey and John Price and Dave Majeski. You guys brought me into this company, and I truly, truly, thank you guys for letting me be a part of it.”
