COAL TOWNSHIP - Erhlich is offering praise to a recent retiree who spent 45 years with the pest-control company.
Henry Linton, of Coal Township, started work for Ehrlich on Feb. 20, 1968, as a technician.
Linton said he tried to learn as much as he could from the start.
"I thoroughly enjoyed working with people directly," he said in a company press release.
He was a technician for eight years before being promoted to service specialist. He was then promoted to sales and thrived there for three years before being promoted again, to operations manager/assistant district manager, until 2002. In January of that year, he became district manager of the Shamokin office, which is responsible for 2,500 square miles of east-central Pennsylvania.
Linton was awarded Ehrlich's technical award in 1997. He was especially proud of his co-workers at the Coal Township office for having won "Office of the Year" in 2002.
"We were No. 1 one out of 36 offices," he said.
Linton was also the steward for the Weis Markets accounts.
"Henry would do quality assurance for 140-plus stores as well as manage the behind-the-scenes problems," said Lynn Hill, a regional director for Ehrlich. "If you asked me who's the best salesman or problem-solver, my first answer would, unequivocally, be Henry."
"Henry is special," added Jim Geyer, vice president of eastern operations for Ehlich. "He is unique and, yes, he is an Ehrlich legend."
Linton will certainly stay busy in retirement. He's chairman of the board of the local Salvation Army for the past five years, is a member of the American Legion and is an avid collector. Linton is also spending more time with his wife, Sandra. They will have been married for 46 years in October.
The Lintons have a daughter, Tammy, a school teacher at Shamokin Area School District. Tammy and her husband, Timothy, have a daughter and a son, Alaina, 7, and Tim's son, Timothy, 14.
The Lintons also have a son, Jason. He and his wife, Melissa, have a son, Jalen, 4.