Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2020 62 T wo weeks after Ed Cahill graduated from John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in St. Louis, MO in 1975, he married Donna, his high school sweetheart. Despite Ed's multiple career moves over the years that followed, Donna was able to earn her degree in chemistry and enjoy several successful roles. Ed fondly recalls how Donna was able to stay balanced while juggling a busy life and raising their two wonderful children, Jodi and Tim. Ed spent the next 31 years (1975-2006) with Maytag Company, starting as a forklift driver at a regional appliance warehouse. Promotions within Maytag required a degree, so Ed used the tuition assistance benefit and graduated from Maryville University in St. Louis nine years later with a BS in management and marketing. Ed's next 20 years at Maytag included time spent in the Northeast, then Tennessee as a field manager, and in the central US covering the Maytag Brand for the new Maycor Service Division. Ed and his family then moved to Houston where he managed a Maycor regional parts and factory service center. From there he moved to Cleveland, TN to take on the role of National Service Manager. Ed finally landed in Newton, IA where he served in various director- level positions with Maytag Customer Service, culminating as director of service development. When Whirlpool merged with Maytag in 2006 and Ed was left without a job, he seized the opportunity to go back south of the Mason–Dixon line. On July 4, 2006 he began his 10-year career with Lowe's, initially as a contractor for a team whose sole purpose was to develop an in-house service program for Appliances and Outdoor Power Equipment. After receiving approval to pilot the new program, which operated for a little over two years, they received approval to go national with an in-house Extended Protection Plan and Repair program. During this period the Lowe's Field Team signed agreements with more than 1800 ISPs. Ed will proudly tell you that the program is still being very successfully run by an awesome team. Ed's decade-long stint at Lowe's Home Improvement (2006-1017) included roles as director of new business development, director of repair services operations, and director of services support. Ed has always been a strong proponent of the Independent Service Provider and UASA, attending nearly every ASTI / USA convention. At Maycor/Maytag in 1993, Ed invited the executive directors of the two national independent service organizations, USA's Dave Ashton and PSA's Ron Sawyer, to the headquarters, where they met the various Maycor department heads over several days. After the meetings Ed became an even stronger supporter of the Independent Service Provider network for the remainder of his career. When Ed announced his retirement effective March 31, 2017, he emailed a photo of his grandkids, Sophia, Lilah and Kaegan to his team and said, "They won....Papa is going to Austin, TX while I can still enjoy them before they reach the age that they don't want to hang with Omah and Papa." On behalf of President Lance Kimball and the entire United Appliance Servicers Association (UASA) Board of Directors, it is my distinct privilege and honor to present the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award to Ed Cahill! S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T ASTI2020 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ED CAHILL Dean Landers, Landers Appliance RO

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