van huesen and whitney got along famously, and they were also the perfect blend of talents. >> i'm anngineer by training, so i've always been pretty organized and systematic about things. i like to think of myself as a creative problem solver, working with customers to come up with just the right combination of products to satisfy their needs. >> the only real technical background i have is what i picked up in the field, handling equipment repair projects, and managing work groups. my strong suit is sales and management. i like dealing with customers, negotiating contracts, and getting people to do things for me. i'm a great believer in the gentle art of persuasion. >> walt van huesen and don whitney pooled their skills, their financial resources, and theicourage, and started up valve resources incorporated. the company had two missions. the first was to sell valves, instruments, gauges, and related products cto incling oil refineries, utility companies, general contractors, and municipal governments. the company's second mission was to provide repair services for those products, both