LEON WEILAND

As a young farmer, Leon Weiland, along with his wife and best friend, Jean, was caught between the forces of escalating debt and rabid increase in interest rates. The situation left them six figures in the red. At the crescendo of their financial difficulties, Jean gave birth to their fifth child. The delivery was complicated at best. The aftermath left her, the mother of five between the ages of newborn and nine, lethargic, weak and chronically in pain. As the lone breadwinner of this brood, along with limited skills and little formal higher education Weiland turned down a job with the US Postal Service in order to pursue an idea given to him by a friend and former employer—that of building fiberglass doors for the food industry.

Four years later Jean was partially healed of her malady enough to effectively function as a mother. Together Leon and Jean have built a powerhouse for good as Weiland Doors are listed on the spec sheets of world-class companies throughout the United States. The business which has now has been turned over to the next generation continues to grow in ways which brings wholesomeness to the Weiland Family. In Smell the Dirt, Mr. Weiland chronicles his life journey from an impoverished childhood to the man he has become; along with the steps in between and the lessons he has learned.