Raw footage for "Chicago Slices," a series documenting life in and around Chicago. This video features a tour of the Northwestern Golf Club Company: inside the factory and administrative offices, as well as interviews with several employees, who talk about their work and their interest in golf, among other things.
00:00Copy video clip URL Introduction to the Northwestern Golf Club Company in the lobby of the factory by Blake, the public relations representative. Videomaker Doug Sawyer then meets Vito, who takes him behind the door into the factory floor, where workers are busy at work on the machines. Vito takes them around the shop, where Sawyer asks workers what they like about their jobs. Most of them appear not to understand him, simply responding, “I like my job.” When asked if they play golf, they laugh and say they do not.
05:30Copy video clip URL Vito continues the tour, explaining that he is the foreman. They go over to an area where workers are sanding golf clubs with a machine.
08:00Copy video clip URL Sawyer shouts excitedly when he finds a worker who plays golf. A lady also says she golfs.
09:00Copy video clip URL Another worker, Roberto, who does repairs on the clubs, explains that he golfs, but not very well. He then demonstrates how he does a repair job. “What do I like about my job? It’s a job–pays the bills!” Sawyer and Roberto also talk about his tattoo, “Birdy,” which he says is his nickname given to him by his brother. Roberto does not think his nickname is a coincidence.
13:15Copy video clip URL Another worker, Donald Halman, applies grips to clubs, saying that he has worked with the company for 30 years. He says that he applies about 1500 grips a day, and that the company has made clubs for Joe Louis, Joe DiMaggio, and members of the Chicago Bears.
16:29Copy video clip URL Sawyer asks Blake what her role is, and she explains that she’s the copy editor and public relations person for the company.
17:05Copy video clip URL Doug speaks with a couple of Italian guys, one named Salvatore Napurano, about their work. They are very animated and speak with heavy accents.
18:55Copy video clip URL A woman from Romania, Donna, explains that she’s happy with every part of her job, and that though she doesn’t like to golf, she does like fishing. The woman next to her, Martha, says that she is from Mexico.
21:43Copy video clip URL Alda, a packer, notes that she’s from Mexico and that she’s happy with her job, where she has been for three years. Angie, from Canada, says that she enjoys working there, where she has been employed for a year and a half.
25:06Copy video clip URL While another storage area is shown, Vito explains that the clubs are put in that area to finish them prior to packing. A worker is shown spraying the clubs.
26:51Copy video clip URL Vito says that he’s been working there for 35 years, and says that there are no troublemakers in the plant. They walk back to the lobby, where Sawyer asks the woman behind the desk about her golf experience. As they walk upstairs, the woman explains how the company got its name. Posters of golf pros line the walls.
30:20Copy video clip URL Doug speaks with an accountant, Mike, and the sales manager in the hallway, and then they enter another office where they meet Terry, national accounts manager, who discusses his work with the company. They joke about his golf game.
33:58Copy video clip URL The sales manager stops them in the hallway to point out that Roberto De Vicenzo has won more tournaments than Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus combined.
35:32Copy video clip URL Conversation with budget manager, followed by Bob, general manager and vice president of the company. He says that he plays golf and shoots in the mid 80s, though ironically he doesn’t have enough time to play because he works in the business of golf. They go into the chairman of the board’s office where he talks about how great the company is, and then goes on to talk about his experiences golfing with pros like Gary Player, J.C. Snead, Nancy Lopez, and others. He says they make more golf clubs than any other company in the world. They also talk about the growth of golf in recent years. The picture gets shaky for a few minutes
43:44Copy video clip URL They walk into the office of Paul, who is the chief financial officer. He says that he plays golf, shooting between 80s and 105. He also says that he likes the job because of the variety of the work, and they discuss the lack of humor in CFOs.
45:22Copy video clip URL Customer service rep Sue laughs about her black eye. She talks about her work and says that she does not golf. Doug introduces her to Blake.
46:25Copy video clip URL Sound goes out briefly as they meet Laurie.
48:06Copy video clip URL The bookkeeper laughs that she makes money from golf, but she doesn’t like it. She is from Peru and has been working for the company for 23 years. John, the accounts manager, talks about his love of basketball, and then Sawyer asks that he and Mike stand back-to-back to compare height.
52:55Copy video clip URL A woman works in the files, saying she works with the Canadian office. She takes them back to find some employees who are hiding outside.
56:00Copy video clip URL Back in Terry’s office, Rita, from sales, sits and jokes with the other members of the department. Bob walks in and passes out cigars because of a new sales projection. They walk down the stairs, and Blake summarizes the day.
58:20Copy video clip URL Outside, a few other workers speak very briefly, followed by a sign in a storefront window reading “New Slices.”
59:27Copy video clip URL End of tape.
1 Comment
I’m trying to figure out if I can possibly get a copy of this? Vito is in this video a lot and his wife Lina would really like to have a copy of this.