ello, my name is Robert Budinich, and here is a little bit about myself:

     I graduated from high school in 1973 with a C+ grade point average. I enjoyed and participated in all sports but the one I played the most was soccer. I still manage to get out once a year and play on an over the hill team.

      I married in 1974 and in that marriage brought me three children into this world. The oldest, my son who turned 23 in 1998, has worked with me for the last three years. I have a daughter finishing her first year of college at the University of Washington. My youngest daughter will be a senior in high school in 1999.

      In 1979 me and one of my coworkers at the Seattle Mack Truck Dealership decided to go into business for ourselves. After a five-year partnership we had one employee, he stayed with me. My ex partner opened a repair shop about seven miles away.

      When my ex partner decided to call it quits in 1988 and teach diesel mechanics at a local community college I took over his lease and moved into his shop. The location had great potential in the middle of heavy industry and warehouses. I brought my one employee and kept one of his. We relocated once again moving about one mile south on one of three main roads that run through the heart of the industrial area. At the time of the move I had grown to five employees. The next three years we grew like wild fire. Each year grossing 1.5 times more than the previous year. By 1996 we had grown to eighteen employees with no end in sight, I was pulling my hair out!! My marriage had gone sour and I realized how little I knew my kids, life seemed to have passed me by. My view of the world was that of anger, nobody cares, no one can do anything right, why do I have to do it all! I was overwhelmed, jumping around to different areas of the business putting out fires and handling problems. My life was in the toilet. In June of 1996 I found hope. I found L. Ron Hubbard and friends at the Church of Scientology.