THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 38, NO. 13 | NOVEMBER 4, 2016
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG
Dave McFarlane, president of the Vinland Airport-based McFarlane Aviation Products, stands with one of the company’s three aircraft: a 337 Cessna Skymaster used in the 1997 horror movie “The Night Flier,” adapted from a Stephen King short story of the same name. One of the benefits of working for the company is subsidized flight lessons.
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT A company where the rule is golden
By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
V
INLAND — Dave McFarlane has worked for himself most of his life. But there was a brief period when he didn’t, and it made a big impression. “I worked once, for a short time before I was married, for a refrigerator company,” said McFarlane. “I was on the line helping assemble refrigerators. “I think I lasted four days. “I walked away seeing how [the company] treated [their workers]”, he
continued. “They had to raise their hand to go to the restroom. They had a break on the buzzer, and had to be back on the line running on the buzzer. They were like trained monkeys.” Humans, he decided, were not designed to work like machines — or trained monkeys. “I thought to myself, ‘If I’m ever in a position where I have to hire people, I wasn’t going to treat them that way. They were going to have respect, like human beings.’” Today, as president of McFarlane Aviation Products, McFarlane has established respect for his employees
SECOND MARRIAGE
Couple offers marriage prep classes for those entering a second marriage. Page 3
and the dignity of the human person as bedrock principles of his company. “I believe in the Christian principles of treating all people with respect and helping anybody if it’s possible,” he said.
Small-town roots The roots of McFarlane Aviation, Products can be traced all the way back to McFarlane’s boyhood in Arlington, Iowa, whose population today is about 500. “My father had to repossess a ser-
THE ART OF DYING
Catholic Cemeteries helps celebrate life in the Catholic tradition. Pages 8-9
vice station [in 1966],” said McFarlane. “I was 14 and my brother Claude was 13. Dad taught both of us how to change oil and tires. That was when service was ‘superservice.’ The car drove in and you checked the oil, cleaned the windshield and pumped the gas.” When McFarlane was 16 and his brother Claude was 15, their father gave them the Texaco station. “He said, ‘Just replace whatever you sell and keep the books. Do the advertising and run the business.’ We hired a great-uncle to run the station during >> See “COMPANY” on page 16
EARTHQUAKE
An earthquake in Italy destroys a historic Catholic church. Page 11