Mike Landon retiring as longtime business agent

Join us in congratulating Southern Counties Business Agent Mike Landon on his retirement at the end of July!

Mike was born and raised in Galesburg, Ill., but the seed for his career was planted in Texas. There, he spent summers helping his uncle, who was a plumber. As he got older, he noticed a sense of pride in the projects he helped complete, and that stuck with him.

“I was lucky enough at 16 years old to know that this was what I wanted to do,” he said. “I loved being a plumber.”

Mike moved in with his uncle during his senior year in high school and had a full-time plumbing job by the time he graduated in 1982.

In 1990, he moved back to Galesburg to raise his daughter and be closer to other family. A few years later, he was given the opportunity to join Local 25 and earn his apprenticeship.

“I always wanted to be in the union. It’s the best money, the best retirement and the best healthcare,” Mike said. “I knew that by joining I would get the most out of my career.”

The enjoyment and sense of pride Mike noticed as a kid stuck with him throughout his 42 years on the job. From apprentice, to journeyman, to foreman, to business agent, he’s had his hands in many aspects of the industry. But his favorite part of the job has always been working with young apprentices.

“As journeymen, we’re all instructors on the jobsite. We all have the responsibility to teach apprentices the right way of doing things safely and efficiently, and I always enjoyed that part,” he said.

In his retirement, Mike’s looking forward to working on his golf game and traveling with his wife of 24 years, Lori.

Cheers to your next chapter, Mike!