Barton Faylor is Senior Industry Marketing/Program Manager for Automotive Component and General Industrial Paint at FANUC America in Rochester, Michigan. FANUC America is a supplier of robots, CNC systems, and factory automation. Faylor has been with FANUC for 35 years.
How did you get your start in the finishing industry?
I started as a co-op student at DeVilbiss while attending Bowling Green State University. I hired on full time there, then onto FANUC. I had no idea that a simple job would turn into a rewarding and interesting career.
What do you enjoy best about the industry?
Daughter Sydney and Ben and their dogs, Gus and Griffen, in Los Alamos, NM.I like the friends and business associates made. Also, the fact that we are painting and coating items, seeing the end results of finished products is satisfying. I now have close to 36 years at FANUC, all in the paint industry, and joke I can’t find another job, but in reality, can’t find anything more rewarding.
Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
It probably changes more than it should, but try to keep it half full.
What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?
I am not much of a camper or survivalist, so not much chance of ending up on a deserted island. I could see myself on a luxury desert island enjoying the beach, being pampered with fresh seafood, good wine, and a large yacht.
What was your favorite subject in school?
I loved the shop. It started with small engine rebuilding, but my dad would not let me use our lawnmower; then, woodworking, printing, and automation. It was fun to have a positive subject at school. I did like math — my mom was a math teacher — but I didn’t focus as well as I should and didn’t excel at it.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?
Daughter Sophie and Liam in Hanoi, Vietnam.I found it best just to try what’s being served and to see if you like it rather than trying to figure out what it is because it might sound worse than its taste. We have a daughter who is living in Vietnam, and on our last visit, we had spectacular food from the most unusual places and street vendors. The vegetables are easy to determine, but you never quite knew what else the dinner contains.
Do you collect anything?
I wouldn’t say collect, but I do like getting the right tool for any job; hence I don’t have enough room for the tools.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I am comfortable jumping into things but sometimes forget to look before I leap.
Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest?
Touch. I am a hands-on guy in all sorts of the way. Without holding something — and sometimes even taking it apart to see how it works — I am lost.
What do you do to keep fit?
That is getting harder each month during these COVID times. We like to get out and walk into town and grab a coffee and make a loop back through the arboretum, a good 2-hour adventure. I broke down and approved the arrival of our new puppy, Harry. That is bringing all sorts of new crazies in the house but has not yet brought the big exercise we anticipated. Soon, we will have the long walks. I also got into spinning but have been COVID locked out. Of course, walking a round of golf each week makes me think I am working hard.
Does your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken?
One thing we do when we are together on family trips is to sometimes challenge or dare each other and use the fear factor show as our tag line. We don’t always go that crazy, but it does make us try and do new things and have a little fun in the meantime.
If you were ruler of your own country, what would be the first law you would introduce?
That I would get to appoint someone that is equipped to handle the position.
What three things do you think of the most each day?
What do I want to do? What am I going to do? What did I not or forget to do?
If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
Black and White, no middle ground
What song would you say best sums you up?
Brett Eldredge “You can’t stop Me”; “This crazy life I’m living, this crazy love I’m giving, sit back, just watch, you’ll see, you can try, but you can’t stop me.”
What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee?
I think Bill Murray would be a great visit to the coffee shop. He has traveled, likes sports, knows tons of people, but still seems to be a regular guy. I suspect it would be a great laugh. His lines in Ghostbusters, “That’s what I heard,” and the “Rookie out of nowhere” from Caddyshack sum up the free spirit conversation we could have.
What’s the most interesting thing you can see out of your office or kitchen window?
We have a hippo sculpture in the front yard, which is quite an underground landmark. We decorate “Homer the Hippo” for holidays and have had a mask on him during COVID. We show up on a runner’s website running routes on the run called the “hippo run,” where the tag line says, “If you don’t see the hippo, you missed the route.” It brings great joy to the runners as they go by and smile, wave, and take photos as they comprehend the hippo note. Always fun to see their reactions.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully COVID-free and totally forgot about this mess. I should be fully engaged in retirement life, traveling, and watching the grandchildren — none in the works at the moment, though. I should be enjoying golf and hoping my scores decline, but I will be happy that they don’t go up too much. I like building and making things, so I should be busy with home projects. I also hope to be able to volunteer and get more involved with some charities like Habitat for Humanity.
What was your first job?
I ran a small lawn cutting business that seemed like a big deal at the time. I think most of the money earned went toward treats after the day’s work.
How many languages do you speak?
One, but I am told I speak it too loudly. I like to think I annunciate well.
Who is the most intelligent person you know?
Barton's house with its Hippo in the front lawn.I would have to say, my wife. She does not necessarily have the scientist-type knowledge, but she knows what’s going in all our lives, when to be places, remembers the names of everyone, and knows their kid’s names and ages. Her compassion and awareness of life are what I see as intelligence in the world, and that is much better than being able to win at Jeopardy.
What is one thing you will never do again?
One? I have to say there are few things I shouldn’t do and some things that happened that I don’t want to happen again. But I must say I have learned a lot by doing all those things. I learned early in my work career to say yes to assignments no matter how goofy they might sound because you can’t say it’s no good until you try. Yes, some of them I wouldn’t do again, but I did learn a lot.
Who knows you the best?
Certainly, my wife followed by our daughters: Sydney and Ben and their dogs, Gus and Griffen, in Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Sophie and Liam in Hanoi, Vietnam.
