A good fit is paramount in window and door manufacturing. And that's just what Bob Turner '68 found at JELD-WEN, one of the world's largest manufacturers of windows, doors, millwork, and specialty products. As the corporation's executive vice president and director, Turner said JELD-WEN is the only place he's worked since graduation, other than a three-year stint in camouflage.

Turner prepared for his career by earning a bachelor's degree in business administration at the UO. He admits that as a married student working forty to forty-eight hours a week, he wasn't able to take full advantage of what the university had to offer. However, his regimented schedule may have better prepared him for his three years as an Army lieutenant than he was willing to credit.

After completing his military service in 1971, Turner and his wife Linda returned to Eugene to resume civilian life, It was there that he got a tip from a friend that tiny JELD-WEN in Klamath Falls had been interviewing on campus. A born-and-raised "West-sider," Turner recalled his response: "Klamath Falls? I have no intention of ever living in Klamath Falls!" But the job market was tight, and Turner found himself cold-calling for an interview at JELD-WEN some weeks later. He landed a job as a management trainee, a career was launched, and he's called Klamath Falls home ever since.

Turner worked his way up through the operational side of business. In 1998, he was named executive vice president, responsible for all domestic and international operations. During his tenure, JELD-WEN has burgeoned from 350 employees in six U.S. plants to more than 15,000 employees in sixteen countries. With two sons and daughters-in-law also UO alumni, the Turners are supporters of the university and the Lundquist College of Business. "Most alumni gained a lot from their education at the University of Oregon, and many of us find it rewarding and very satisfying to give something back," Turner said. "But I also have four others who got tremendous value from their university experience and are productive in their own lives."