In life, you have people that come in and out of it without knowing how they impact you. Then there are some you can't get rid of and others you don't want to. Today we are celebrating a big anniversary on our team.
Today marks the beginning of the 25th year that Matt Frain has been a member of our organization. 25 years is a long time to do anything, but our organization would not be what it is today without Matt.
For those that truly know Matt, you know that he has a heart of gold. You know he cares deeply about his family, his community, his favorite teams, and the industry we take part in each and every day.
When I started with Tournkey (CSTT at the time), I was young and stupid just out of University here in London, Ontario. Matt was there every time I needed an answer and as I continued to ask questions which I tend to do, Matt always had the answer. I am who I am today because of Matt and I couldn't be more thankful for his willingness to share his incredible knowledge and foresight. I often tell people there are few in our industry if any that know what Matt knows.
Our team has affectionately nicknamed him the goat 🐐. Partially because of the aforementioned knowledge but mostly because he's been around for so long. So long that he started with our company before several of our team members were born which they are not shy about reminding him.
When I thought about ways of trying to celebrate Matt I thought back on all of the pranks he pulled on others, all of the good times, and the joy he brought to others. I thought it would be good to remind Matt of how things were back in 1998. The following is a list of events, facts, and random knowledge about 1998:
- Google was founded
- ICQ was the most popular communication tool
- Construction began on the International Space Station
- Europeans agree on a single currency, the Euro
- Pete Sampras won Wimbeldon
- The Titanic becomes the biggest film of all time ($580M domestically)
- Seinfeld came to a conclusion
- The First MP3 Player was launched in Japan
- A Gallon of gas (US) was $1.06
- A Gallon of Milk (US) was $3.16
- The rate of inflation was 1.56%
- The minimum wage in Ontario was $6.85
- Sony released the 'high capacity' floppy disk
When I review this list I start to realize why Matt always had the answers. He was a part of our company before the modern internet existed (Google), he mastered the fax machine (before my time), and he was and still is always trying to keep a pulse on everything in and out of our building.
Matt is a foundational piece of our company, a friend, and a trusted colleague. If you can please take a moment to call, email, or fax Matt congratulations. If you've known Matt as long as I have please deliver that message in a way you know he would do it to you.
I want to be sure to thank Matt for all of his years of service and support. For hotels, teams, parents, coaches, and players Matt has been there behind the scenes for many years and he'll be there to make sure your next experience with us is just as great as the last.
