1. August 17, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is to give my sincere recommendation for Mr. Jeff Vander Grinten. In my capacity of Regional Sales
Manager for Parex, Inc., a manufacturer of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems and Stucco, I had the
pleasure of working with Jeff for more than 6 years. In that time I came to know Jeff for the dedicated,
persistent and successful worker that he is.
To work with Jeff was an educational experience. Jeff is demanding of the manufacturer’s representatives that
he deals with. He demands that you know your product inside and out. In that way, you are able to provide the
best service to Jeff and he is then able to provide the best service to his customer. I can recall many times that
Jeff just wouldn’t take the “company line” as gospel and pushed for better answers as to why his customer
might be having problems with our products. This perseverance resulted in better service for his customer and
caused my company to improve in the process.
Working closely with Jeff allowed me to observe the way he dealt with success and with adversity. During our
relationship, we worked together to overcome issues related to product acceptance in the field. Jeff’s customers
were not satisfied with the workability of a few of Parex’s products. Rather than taking sides, Jeff acted as a
mediator, not hesitating to point out the facts whether they supported his customer or his vendor. I appreciated
his evenhanded approach. The bottom line was to find out the truth and to reach a conclusion. The way that
Jeff acted and reacted during the process was professional and consistent with an honest approach to make
things right. Parex learned a lot about their products as a result of dealing with unhappy customers and made
significant improvements to overcome the complaints. Jeff deserves a lot of credit for the progress in working
things out.
My relationship with Jeff was not all about adversity, however. In the years that I worked with Jeff, I saw
markets grow and new customers develop. Jeff was a significant factor in the growth of Parex’s business with
Badgerland Supply Company. His hard work was rewarded on several occasions as he was invited to attend the
Parex annual sales meeting for its top customers. I enjoyed spending time with Jeff at those events and always
felt that his attendance was well-deserved.
In the last year, I have moved on to another company and no longer have regular contact with Jeff. I miss the
professional relationship that I had with him and the friendship that resulted along the way. I also miss hearing
the latest about Jeff’s family. He is very dedicated to his wife and children and active in their lives.
I have no reservation in making my recommendation for Jeff Vander Grinten for whatever position he might
pursue. The lessons that he learned while at Badgerland Supply Company were valuable. He demonstrated to
me honesty and conviction. Jeff fought hard for his customers while always being respectful and
understanding. I admire his integrity and work ethic, commodities that are all too often lacking in the
workforce.
I would be more than happy to give an interview regarding my experience in working with Jeff. I can be
reached through the information below.
Sincerely,
Ray G. Jaegers
Territory Sales Manager, BASF Building Systems
(636) 394-3092 home (636) 346-4004 cell
email: mljrgj6@charter.net