Nineteen years ago we tossed a piece of carpet in the corner of our hangar and setup my desk. While it's been rearranged several times, I doubt it's migrated more than three feet over that time. I shouldn't admit it, but the original carpet is still under it.
But tomorrow it will move ten miles to the northeast (the desk, not the carpet). For today is the last work day at the Stearman Court location. We've already moved all the heavy equipment and tomorrow the movers will take the rest. Including the desk. (My PC will travel with me tonight.)
A lot has happened at this desk.
I've designed circuit boards, written software, done 3D modeling, built dozens of prototypes and even ran an assembly line. (I used to pay my daughters a penny an LED to stuff boards; child labor laws don't apply to your own kids!) Phone calls to at least four continents and emails from just about everywhere.
Twelve years ago, I wrote my first novel, The Saga of the Ellen Jane, on a dare from my wife. More books followed and I have another dozen at some stage of development or another. But I've been told I have to finish volumes II and III of the Saga first.
My rediscovered passion for photography has been told in other blog posts, and I won't bore you with that story again. Anyway, frustrated by the lack of a simple, elegant processing solution for 4x5, I ended up inventing the SP-445. Frankly, we had no idea what we were getting into! Probably still don't. Then came the SP-8x10 and our own chemistry line.
It's been amazing.
Our reasons to relocate pretty much bounce off both ends of the spectrum but more room for Stearman Photo was one of the main ones. The plan is to start marketing under the new label by mid-summer.
Oh, JEM Innovation will continue to engineer new products and Stearman Press will publish more books (if I ever find the time to finish them) and once the supply chain fiasco clears up, we'll be introducing more innovations for large format aficionados.
Other than an incredibly infuriating issue with lids for the SP-8x10, shipping should be unaffected.
I'm confident that even more amazement lies ahead, so standby for new events, including seminars and photo-shoots in our new studio.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Send us an email.
1. Ff you depart the Erie Airport on a heading of 070 degrees, you'll fly directly over our new location.
2. My desk isn't always this messy, often but not always.