Mitch Hunt, Equipment Manager at Traverse City Country Club in Traverse City, MI fell in love with turning wrenches at a young age. He started working on dirt bikes when he was five. He retired from owning a Yamaha Marine dealership and found he was getting bored. He answered an ad in the local newspaper that his friend showed him about the job at Traverse City Country Club. He has fallen in love with this industry and is very passionate about what he does.
Transcript
Trent Manning: 0:05
welcome to the reel turf techs podcast for the technician that wants to get reel follow along.As we talk to industry professionals and address hot topics that we all face along the way we’ll learn tips and tricks.I’m your host,Trent.Manning let’s have some this episode are real turf techs on golf course industries Superintendent radio network is presented by Foley county a strong supporter of equipment technicians and golf course maintenance departments everywhere Foley county offers a proven solution for above and below the turf for turf professionals To learn more about Foley company’s line of real grinders bed knife grinders and the air to G2family of products or to find a distributor visit www dot Foley C o.com Foley Ready for play Welcome to the real turf techs podcast,episode95.Today we’re talking to Mitch hunt.Equipment manager at traverse city country club and traverse city,Michigan.Travers city country club as a private18hole club.Mitch is the loan tech and a shop.He has mainly Toro equipment.Let’s talk to Mitch.Welcome,Mitch to the Real Turf Tech podcast.How you doing today?
Mitch Hunt: 1:33
I am Excellent.How are you doing today?
Trent Manning: 1:35
I’m doing great.Thank you for asking.Tell us how you got into the turf industry.
Mitch Hunt: 1:41
well I was retired and one of my best friends brought a ad over to my house saying that Trevor City Country Club was hiring equipment manager.And my response was,you know,I’m retired,why would I want a job?And you know,my buddy’s like,just look it over and you know,you might be interested.So I kinda looked it over pretty good and it was pretty appetizing.So,and also I read that the old equipment manager had been there22years,
Trent Manning: 2:14
Oh,wow.Yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 2:16
I’m like,well,uh,you know,there’s something there if that guy stayed that long,you know,so,so I,I called,uh,the superintendent,Steve Hammond and,uh,was in his office the next day,accepted the job and started my new career.
Trent Manning: 2:32
The rest is history,as they say.Right.
Mitch Hunt: 2:35
I really enjoy,you know,going to work every day and it,it’s,it’s definitely a,a dream place to work.Uh,you know,Steve has built such a great work environment over the last25years.it’s just a pleasure being part of the team there,
Trent Manning: 2:50
Oh,that’s awesome.So he’s been there25years.
Mitch Hunt: 2:53
yeah.Yeah.25to28years.yeah,I actually think it’s28,but,
Trent Manning: 2:58
Oh,that’s awesome.Yeah.Great.It’s really nice to work with a long tenured guy like that,that.You know,knows the business and knows the ropes and especially if you’re new to the industry,to,to help you along along the way.
Mitch Hunt: 3:14
Yeah,and we have two team members,one that’s been there16and25,
Trent Manning: 3:20
Wow,that’s awesome.Yeah.That’s really good.Yeah,and that says a lot because obviously if they didn’t like working for Steve,they would not be there.
Mitch Hunt: 3:28
that is correct.
Trent Manning: 3:30
Do you relief ground.
Mitch Hunt: 3:32
yeah,yeah,I definitely do.you know,and I’ve done it both ways.I think the first year I,I relieved and then the second year was kind of talked into not,but I believe Brian,the relief on the,you know,uh,trailing edge reduces,contact the contact area between the reel and bed knife,uh,you know,resulting in less friction.I seem to get,uh,more life out of it with the relief.Uh,I’m not.Touching up the bed knives or reels as much,not adjusting as much too.
Trent Manning: 4:01
That was gonna be my follow up question is Yeah,what,what did you prefer out of the two?So
Mitch Hunt: 4:07
yeah,I,I definitely like the relief,you know,less friction,longer life.Uh,actually better discharge out of the,the fair mows for sure.less,you know,less,less load on the reels and the hydraulic system and the motor.It frees up some horsepower in my opinion.So,
Trent Manning: 4:21
No,no,I,I agree completely.
Mitch Hunt: 4:24
you know,a lot of,lot of people are just,uh,that is such a,uh,it’s one or the other with everybody.No one’s kind of floating a line between.It is definitely a yes or no,you know,uh,to leave or not.So,
Trent Manning: 4:37
Yeah.No,I,I agree.Uh,yeah,there’s,uh,a lot of people out there and I mean,they,they have a good product and or they can produce a good product with no relief,so you can’t really bash it,in my opinion.
Mitch Hunt: 4:52
Uh,I would
Trent Manning: 4:53
But I mean,I got my personal preference,but we all do,and we all know what they say about opinions and we won’t go there.What’s your favorite tool?
Mitch Hunt: 5:03
my hoist and my power washer,my parts washer,which,uh,I just got the parts washer last year and it’s big enough to put a fully assembled fairway reel in.So it,it does,I can wash any part that,I can actually put a reel in,just wash the reel,uh,to clean it up before I work on it.it gets hot enough.I’ve actually did the old heat,the race up.And then slipped the bearing in.So in the old days,we used to heat the races up,be able to get the bearing in.Well,I could do that in the parts washer.I actually did it,two weeks ago.So I was like,well,I,I didn’t,uh,the intent was to clean the part,put it together right away,but it slipped together.Perfect.It was because that race was heated up a little bit.So,and of course our hoist,it’s been there25years and I think it was like fifth generation of that particular hoist.You know,every generation got better.And,uh,yeah,it lifts about five foot.It’s a pedestal type hoist that goes into the ground and,uh,lifts up about five foot high.And it’s got four removable panels.So I can park a mower in a certain location on the lift,take the panels out,and get to every reel and be able to adjust every reel.
Trent Manning: 6:14
If I remember correctly,aren’t they,several of those in your general area had different courses and stuff,
Mitch Hunt: 6:21
Yeah.And that’s how,yeah,that’s how we got the fifth generation because,you know,one guy got it and then they improved on it.Then another guy got it,and it was all,uh,all local in Michigan.So,like I said,they,you know,they keep saying it’s the fifth generation of it.So,and it’s still,uh,very relevant now from,you know,25years ago.It,it still does everything we need.So,great design.Definitely a great design.
Trent Manning: 6:46
So let’s back up on the parts washer.What inspired you to get a parts washer Big enough to put a whole cutting unit in?
Mitch Hunt: 6:54
well,it started off,I just wanted to get rid of our,you know,the manual,parts washer that everyone has in their garage.You know,just the,the solution in a tank.usually has a little pump with a little brush.Uh,my first year,uh,in the wintertime rebuilding stuff.It just seemed like70%of my time was cleaning parts.you know,trying to clean’em up,use contact spray afterwards or break clean to,get the part really clean after I washed it in a solution.But it was taking up so much of my time,you know,I came with the idea that,hey,we need some kind of automated parts washer so I can just put the parts in there and go do something else.
Trent Manning: 7:36
Mm-hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 7:37
And then,uh,the next step was,is that we looked at some and priced some and,I’m like,well,I wanna be able to wash every part we have.So,you know,the biggest,uh,part we have is basically a fairway reel with the rollers.Uh,is,is the longest part.So I was just like,well,we need,it needs to be big enough to set a fairway reel in there.And,Steve and I talked about it quite a bit and,uh,it was like a six month,you know,deal before we purchased it.You know,we just wanted the right fit.you know,the.Right chemicals,you know,just,it’s a basic biodegradable soap.So we,we really like that.it gets very hot and it’s,uh,and it’s very high pressure in there.So you can basically wash just about any part in five minutes in there.So,uh,
Trent Manning: 8:24
So do you disassemble the cotton unit before you put it in there?
Mitch Hunt: 8:28
no,I do
Trent Manning: 8:29
No.Okay.
Mitch Hunt: 8:30
I do a very quick,you know,like if I’m getting ready to grind all the reels,got’em off,I’ll pre-wash it real quick and then,once I disassemble it,if there’s any parts that grease or anything,I just gotta remove,I will put those parts in the parts washer.I have baskets and hangers for the inside of it,that work very well.So I’m able to clean everything.just back to brand new.
Trent Manning: 8:54
Okay.No,no,that’s awesome.Yeah,I was just kind of curious,especially like the smaller DPA cutting units.If you put one of those in there and they have the sealed bearings,you know,do you pull the seal out and clean those out and then reg grease’em
Mitch Hunt: 9:10
well,like the fairway unit,I made a special plate to go on the side of it where the,pump goes in.So I make that a hundred percent sealed.I gr I pre grease everything.I re grease all the fittings,put it in,pull it out,and I actually will pop all those zurk,uh,just to double check and make sure that no water’s being pushed back out.It seems to work very well,
Trent Manning: 9:33
Awesome.No,that’s so cool.Very,very cool.
Mitch Hunt: 9:36
you know,the,like the,the green mowers I’ve had no issue with,Washing those and then taking’em apart and seeing any rust in them,you know,letting’em sit for,a little bit before I take’em apart.I haven’t had any issues.Uh,I usually,you know,make sure everything’s after it comes out,you know,WD48or penetrating lube or something.especially if it’s like a spindle and I’m rebuilding a spindle,put it in to wash it.As soon as it comes out,I’ll spray it down.even though I’m not gonna put it together right away,I’ll spray it down so I don’t get any of that surface for us.So,so I,I try to keep up on all that.So,uh,no issues so far.
Trent Manning: 10:12
That’s awesome.That’s great to hear.And yeah,I could see more people going that route cuz it is a big pain and the behind to clean some of this stuff that we run across.What do you do to relax or find your balance?
Mitch Hunt: 10:28
Nowadays,you know,I’ve been fishing,fly fishing for steelhead and salmon.do an annual trip since85.
Trent Manning: 10:37
Wow.
Mitch Hunt: 10:38
we usually go to,uh,pier Marquette in Michigan and,uh,the Betsy River.like I said,I started that I think when I was yeah,senior in high school.
Trent Manning: 10:47
Oh wow.Okay.
Mitch Hunt: 10:49
yeah,and,uh,enjoyed it so much.I have a,many friends over the years that I’ve met that I always meet down at the river,and I,I have of course to have one fishing buddy that’s been with me the whole time.so,you know,we like planning for the annual,annual trip.I also do fly tying,love doing that.But the only downfall of that is that I seem to tie flies for everyone else other than me.
Trent Manning: 11:13
Yeah,that’s the way that goes,right?
Mitch Hunt: 11:15
Yeah,and it’s kind of been,it’s a lost art.Not a lot of people tie flies anymore.know I picked it up in my second year of fly fishing.and just,I,I love doing it.It’s just something,you know,I can pull,pull this stuff out any time,and Ty flies and get ready for the season and make sure everyone else has enough flies too.
Trent Manning: 11:33
When does the season start?
Mitch Hunt: 11:35
right around September,there’s usually,there’s a run from September to sometimes it,it’s into November.You get a,big salmon run kings,and then some steelhead will come in behind them.So,you know,we used to go down every weekend,but,uh,nowadays,you know,I just kind of make it a long weekend type thing.Uh,you know,we go,we go every weekend,every,you know,the second they were in the river.But,you know,just can’t,can’t manage to do that anymore.So,
Trent Manning: 12:03
I thought you were,you were retiring,right?Yeah.It’s hard to retire and work at a golf course full-time,
Mitch Hunt: 12:11
Well,
Trent Manning: 12:11
that can keep you busy.
Mitch Hunt: 12:13
the retirement got bored very quick after about five years.So,I definitely,definitely,everyone knew I needed something to do cuz you know,I was a247worker before,
Trent Manning: 12:24
Well,I’ve seen just,you know,in my life I’ve seen a lot of people.Or us should.A lot of guys that retire and have nothing to do,and it seems like they don’t last too long because,you know,I don’t know,it doesn’t keep your mind active or whatever.I don’t sitting around watching westerns all day or,or whatever you do when you don’t have something else to,to entertain you.
Mitch Hunt: 12:50
yeah.And,and the hard part is that all your buddies are still working
Trent Manning: 12:54
Hmm.Yeah.Yeah.So yeah,it ain’t like you can go play.
Mitch Hunt: 12:58
Yeah,we used to go to Florida every year for,for six,seven months and you know,we’d winter down there and then come back here.did enjoy that stuff,but,uh,you know,I just a little young to,to,to retire and I really enjoy what I’m doing too,so I have no regrets whatsoever.
Trent Manning: 13:15
Nah,that’s awesome.And that’s good.Yeah.No,we’re,we’re glad to have you in the turf industry for sure.I really enjoyed meeting you in the time we got to spend at M t I in Michigan.That was,uh,that was a lot of fun.
Mitch Hunt: 13:28
Yeah,we had a good time.
Trent Manning: 13:29
What’s,uh,one of the strangest things you’ve seen around the shop?And this doesn’t just have to be a golf course.You,we can go back to motor sports days.
Mitch Hunt: 13:38
well definitely for work.one of our,guys that pretty much is planted on a rough mower,Toro Sidewinder,and he’s pretty,he’s on that thing seven days a week and,uh,he’s usually pretty good about catching stuff,you know,when something’s wrong.And he does an incredible job mowing.he came in after lunch and said,Hey,uh,it’s just not mowing quite right.And I said,well,we,I think we sharpened the blades last week.And I said,well,let’s pull it up on the hoist and take a look.So I pull it up on the hoist and embedded in the blade is the top of a sprinkler head and it’s still there.
Trent Manning: 14:18
Nice.
Mitch Hunt: 14:19
And for him to,you know,say it’s not cutting right.Uh,I thought that was pretty incredible.I actually took a bunch of pictures of it.cuz it,it’s really hard to believe that that thing was still stuck in the reel and he was still out mowing with it.
Trent Manning: 14:34
Yeah,that’s,yeah.Crazy.Yeah.I don’t know what,what these operators do sometimes.but it reminds me,I had a3,500come in and he pulled it over on the wash padd,and he comes in the shop and he is like,this thing’s not cutting at all.So I go,oh,I’m a hundred feet away from the mower,and I see a stick that’s like five inches in diameter,a log,not a stick,hanging out of the deck.And I said,that might be your problem.I don’t,I don’t know.
Mitch Hunt: 15:06
Yeah,it seems like the size,it’s gotta be a log before they get off the mower and pick it up.It’s,it seems like they’d rather just try to chew it through the reels and see if it’ll eat it up before they’ll get off the mower,pick it up sometimes.Uh,had the same situation with another guy on a fairway mower.Um,I went out and did my morning,you know,drive around to see how everything’s cutting,and I kind of looked at his pattern about halfway through his pattern on the first fairway,he was leaving a line and,uh,I stopped him.I said,Hey,did you kinda notice you’re,you’re leaving a,you know,a line,you know,about two inches deep,about the,you know,width of your thumb everywhere you’re going.And it,same deal,he just picked up,just happened to pick up a,a,you know,a stick that big got caught between the bed knife and the reel and was sticking straight down.And it was just gouging in there.he was a newer guy.Just didn’t,wasn’t that aware of what was going on yet.yeah,you know,no big deal.And actually had to get a big pair of players out and put it on the hoist to get that thing out too.It was,jammed in there pretty good.So,
Trent Manning: 16:13
Well,that’s the other thing.Yeah.The how easy stuff gets jammed,but how hard it is to remove,you know,I mean,I’ve,I don’t remember what it was.It was a metal steak.So we’re bent,uh,bermudagrass green,so when it gets really cold,like below for us,I’ll say really cold,you’re gonna laugh,uh,below20degrees.We cover the greens,to prevent winter keel.And so we use,it is basically a tent stake,if you will.It’s a quarter inch rod and it’s got a.Uh,angle on top of it to hold the tarp down.And every spring we find these,and every one we find in the spring is with a reel.I don’t know it’s Murphy’s Law or whatever,but I had one hung up in a fairway mower and I,I couldn’t get it out.I ended up having to take the cover off and,you know,bend it.I mean,it was incredible how it gets jammed in there
Mitch Hunt: 17:14
Yeah,
Trent Manning: 17:15
for mowing over it.
Mitch Hunt: 17:16
it could be anything.We get,uh,you know,they’re like tumbleweeds from our fas at the end of the season,and that stuff is like wire and it eats any seal that it gets into a,and it’s just,just,uh,part of a,you know,the fall,fall schedule.Just those,they’re like,I call’em tumbleweeds.They’re not tumbleweeds,but they look like it,and like they’re,they’re just like wire.
Trent Manning: 17:39
Hmm.Crazy.What’s one of your pet peeves around the shop?
Mitch Hunt: 17:44
People that park in my way.it always seems like when I’m in a hurry,I gotta get out on the course and check on something.Someone either grabs my cart,pulls their cart in front of it,or if I’m trying to get to a unit to work on it,I’ll move10units and then go back in to grab something,come back out.And then the all10units have been moved and I gotta remove’em to get the piece of equipment I don’t wanna
Trent Manning: 18:10
Yeah.That’s so frustrating.
Mitch Hunt: 18:13
yeah,that,that’s,that’s one of the big ones.you know,one of the other ones is,uh,don’t touch my tools.
Trent Manning: 18:19
Ah,yep,that’s,uh,that’s very true.
Mitch Hunt: 18:23
I don’t mind.I don’t mind if people use my tools.Hey,hey Mitch,can I,can I use a screwdriver?Yeah,go ahead.I,you know,that’s fine.But,uh,as long as it’s not,uh,I’m not around,or they,they grab it and don’t say anything and just put it back.I’d rather ha have them grab it and tell me later,Hey,I,I used your screwdriver.Put it right back to where it was.I’m like,Hey,I’m good with that,you know,so,
Trent Manning: 18:42
Yeah,yeah,yeah,
Mitch Hunt: 18:44
and a dirty shop floor.
Trent Manning: 18:46
yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 18:47
I,I don’t like,I like a very clean shop.understand people will bring mud in,don’t have a problem with that.But when people are too lazy to bump their shoes off,uh,you know,before walking in,that,that kind of drives me nuts.But definitely like to keep a real clean shop and,uh,don’t like a lot of outside dirt,in there.So,
Trent Manning: 19:11
Why don’t we have one of those floor scrub,or,I mean,a foot scrubber,you know,clean your shoes off before you walk in the door,and it’s at our main walk door and we have a,a wash pad kind of at the back of the building with another walk door and.This guy the other day,his boots were caked with so much mud.So he fills our brush up with all this mud and we also have an air hose there and he blows all the mud off right in front of the walk door.So everybody that walks through is tracking it into the shop.And I’m just scratching my head.I’m like,we got a wash pad over here.You could wash your boots off and it would go down the drain and we wouldn’t be tracking it in here.Just something that simple and easy.But sometimes we don’t pay the employees to think.
Mitch Hunt: 20:03
Yeah,and you know what?Everyone comes in with dirty shoes.I,you know,I,it,I don’t mind that,but when it,it’s excessive and they,you know,mud from one end of the building to the other,that’s,that kind of drives me nuts.
Trent Manning: 20:15
No,I totally,I get it for sure.And parking in the door,I can’t stand it.I’ve even talked to my GM before.Very politely and asked him not to park in front of my bay door.and he was cool with it.He gets it,he understands.So,but I was a little nervous going to the GM and you know,I wasn’t gonna run over there like I would somebody on the crew and say,don’t park in front of my door,you know,please sir,do you mind if I move your car?And I didn’t even ask him to move to get it out in front of my door.But he was cool with it.
Mitch Hunt: 20:50
oh,that’s good.That’s,uh,that’s easy.When it goes like that,it normally doesn’t,you know,It doesn’t go that way.You normally,it’s when everyone comes in at lunch and everyone just parks wherever,you know,it’s like,Hey man,I’m still working.You guys gotta get this stuff outta here,you know?
Trent Manning: 21:04
Why don’t I wish I could have got a video of it.I heard a story of a superintendent that he went to the clubhouse to eat lunch and he had been on the crew for quite a while about don’t block his card in,at lunchtime,because I guess they would just like,Pull into the shop and block his cart in.And they said he got on the cart and he just started ramming the other carts until he finally got it out of there.But,uh,I would’ve not liked to have been his mechanic and have to fix all that stuff,but,you know,sometimes people lose it.
Mitch Hunt: 21:41
Yeah.No matter how many times you say it,sometimes it,uh,just doesn’t hit home.
Trent Manning: 21:46
Well,and I,I did hear after that incident,nobody parked behind him anymore,so maybe he got his way.Hopefully.Do you have a mentor in the industry?
Mitch Hunt: 21:58
you know,I don’t really have a mentor in the industry.I do have,you know,uh,like Ben Beard,you know,you,Hector,you know,a bunch of guys that I can call and talk to and get some,uh,quality information from.and everyone’s been really helpful,you know,uh,only being around for a couple years.you know,I’m definitely one of those guys that has to get to the root of the problem and has to know every detail.So,uh,I’ve,you know,always,always looking for knowledge and always ask a lot of questions,so,
Trent Manning: 22:30
No,and I think that’s a great way to be.And if I remember right,I think we had this conversation at M T I,so I don’t wanna put words in your mouth,but when you were in the power sports industry,did they share information?
Mitch Hunt: 22:47
Oh,no.And,and I guess I,I didn’t really bring that up.I used to,you know,I was a Yamaha,uh,marine dealership owner for,you know,20years.So I was,the man and,and worked247and,uh,uh,but in that industry there was,everything was a secret.There was absolutely nothing that you shared with the dealers.And I had great relationships with a couple of the dealers that I did dealer trades with.but beyond that,you never told anyone how you make your extra money,your backend money,all that stuff.it was just a no-no.and that’s what I love about this industry is that everyone’s an open book and you can turn in any direction and get help from anybody,uh,whether it’s the equipment manager or superintendent,an assistant.everyone has been great,polite,uh,and it’s answered any question I’ve ever asked,which I’m not used,I’m not used to that.
Trent Manning: 23:47
No,that’s awesome.Yeah,no,welcome to the turf industry.And that’s definitely been my experience and everybody I’ve talked to their experience too.
Mitch Hunt: 23:55
two guys outside of the industry is my high school shop teacher,Mr.Gok,definitely found something in me that he liked,and,took me under his wing.And,he actually,had me do,uh,uh,an internship at a machine shop,which I didn’t even know he recommended for me for that.My counselor just said,Hey,uh,are you interested in working at this machine shop?And,and I said,yeah,that’d be My high school shop teacher was one of my mentors,um,Mr.Yolk,uh,metal shop teacher.And,uh,he had saw something in me he liked,and he took me under his wing.And,uh,uh,you know,I pretty much ended up being his assistant in there,uh,and spent a lot of time there as much as I could.And then,uh,unbeknownst to me,he,uh,recommended to my guidance co counselor to,uh,do an internship at machine shop.
Trent Manning: 24:48
Oh,cool.
Mitch Hunt: 24:49
And,uh,ended up doing that and then actually asked my counselor later who recommended me,or how,how this came about.And he goes,well,you know,Mr.Yari invented you.And it just floored me because he was a,he was a great guy,but he didn’t talk about stuff like that.It was just,uh,the nuts and bolts of stuff.Great sense of humor,but most people didn’t get his jokes cuz his jokes were more intellectual and90%of the people enter,didn’t get him except10%of the people.
Trent Manning: 25:17
Right,right,right.So in in that shop class,y’all had Blaise mailing machines,all those things in high school.Oh,that’s so cool.
Mitch Hunt: 25:26
we did,arc welding,Meg tag,we had everything.Uh,that’s back when you could get scrap metal easily.And they,they donate it to the,the schools and,uh,we could weld as much as we wanted.And I know,you know,probably15years later everything kind of changed,uh,where it was hard to get,get those materials and get’em donated.And then a lot of places eliminated,metal shop,wood shop,automotive shop.Uh,a lot of the high schools nowadays don’t even have it.that’s where I learned a lot was,uh,in high school,all that stuff.Yeah.Um,it,it,it’s,it’s almost like going to a career center now.You know?Uh,you’d have to go to a career center to get the,uh,same experience that I got right in high school.So,
Trent Manning: 26:11
Yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 26:12
and then my best friend,him and I met when we were five years old.Uh,we met cuz I had a mini bike and he had a mini bike and we raced together for45years.
Trent Manning: 26:24
Wow.That’s so cool.That is awesome.
Mitch Hunt: 26:27
and the funny part about that is that him and I,modified everything we had.I don’t care if it was a minibike,it was our first dirt bike,our first moped.We would rip’em apart and figure out the way to make’em better and faster.
Trent Manning: 26:44
Mm-hmm.That’s awesome.
Mitch Hunt: 26:46
and I mean,that started,you know,at,uh,five years old.I mean,that was,uh,
Trent Manning: 26:51
That’s
Mitch Hunt: 26:52
hard to believe that we’ve been doing it that long.Uh,you know,I stopped racing five years ago and,uh,you know,him and I talk on a daily basis,but,uh,he’s downstate.You know,he’s three hours away.
Trent Manning: 27:02
Mm-hmm.Gotcha.
Mitch Hunt: 27:04
but we,we still talk all the time.I do,I absolutely miss and racing next to the guy cuz you know,we were same age,so we rode a lot of the same classes,but I could,you know,five years ago ride next to him,I mean,completely wide open and be very comfortable with what I do.And I knew what he would do,
Trent Manning: 27:24
Mm-hmm.Right,
Mitch Hunt: 27:25
uh,and we would still bang bars and do that stuff.But,I never doubted anything he did.And same,same with me.Never doubted any,anything I did.So,I don’t think a lot of people get to experience that kind of thing,but it,it,it was a big part of my life for a lot of years.So,
Trent Manning: 27:41
No,that’s definitely uh,I think a very unique experience and especially to do it for that long with the same person.That’s incredible.Cuz normally as we get older,we grow apart or,you know,whatever.
Mitch Hunt: 27:58
Yeah,I think out of10guys,there’s still five guys,that ride one race,two race still.and the other guys kinda ride once a year type thing.But when I,when I gave it up,I just couldn’t,I just couldn’t do that.It was all or nothing for me.So,uh,I just walked away
Trent Manning: 28:15
Yeah.No,
Mitch Hunt: 28:15
what,you know,when I was,when I was down in Florida in Orlando this year,the phone call was,Hey,what are you doing today?Well,you know,I just gotta register.I’m here on Sunday.And he goes,well,we got a bike and gear sitting there waiting for you at the track.I’m like,No.
Trent Manning: 28:30
Yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 28:31
Yeah,they still call me all the time,want me to come and,you know,I,I can’t do,I’m too big for that anymore.But,uh,they,they still try to egg me into it.So,
Trent Manning: 28:40
Yeah.Oh,that’s cool though.Sounds like,uh,some good friendships there.What would be your dream job or opportunity?
Mitch Hunt: 28:48
You know,when I was younger,I,I wanted to be a wildlife photographer
Trent Manning: 28:53
Oh,okay.Yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 28:54
and we’re talking before the internet,before cell phones,where you actually had to,you couldn’t fly a drone.There was no drone.So you actually had to go out and do it
Trent Manning: 29:04
Mm-hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 29:04
actually with a camera,go to Alaska and,shoot the wildlife there.I,I always wanted to do that.Never,never did,did end up doing it.Or even pursuing it.But it was,it was just a dream that,you know,man,I wish wished I would’ve done that.I wished I would’ve pursued that when I was younger.not that,uh,I didn’t like the way everything worked out,but it was definitely a,a,you know,a little dream I had.and I,and you know,I always thought about maybe being a chef.I thought that would be pretty cool too.
Trent Manning: 29:31
Oh yeah.Yep.
Mitch Hunt: 29:32
You know,I,but I think that’s a little harder than most people think,you know,
Trent Manning: 29:38
Yeah,I,I,I would think so too.I mean,just seeing what little I’ve seen in the kitchen at the golf course,you know,which is low-key compared to a lot of,you know,a big restaurant or something like that,and all the stuff they have to go through that you never think they would have to deal with.That would be tough.
Mitch Hunt: 29:58
yeah.Yeah,yeah.and I can say that the job I have now is,is,you know,wasn’t my dream,but it is my dream now.I definitely,definitely,uh,have a lot of passion for it,for sure.
Trent Manning: 30:10
That’s so awesome.That’s so good.
Mitch Hunt: 30:12
even more than I,I can say I enjoy myself more than I did owning a marine dealership.
Trent Manning: 30:19
Okay.Yeah.Yeah.And I’m sure not quite as,not,uh,not as much stress there,hopefully.
Mitch Hunt: 30:26
yeah,that’s one of the big things is you don’t have the stress,I don’t have to worry about the books and all that and everything else that goes with it.
Trent Manning: 30:34
however many employees and
Mitch Hunt: 30:36
yeah.Yeah.So I do miss the,I do miss the customers though,building relationships over the years.I do miss all the customers for sure.but don’t miss,I don’t miss any of the hassle and bookkeeping and
Trent Manning: 30:49
Mm-hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 30:50
dealing with the state and all that stuff,
Trent Manning: 30:52
Yeah.Right.What technician would you like to work with for a day?
Mitch Hunt: 30:57
I think his,uh,Fred,uh,Hartenstein
Trent Manning: 31:01
Okay.Did you get in a meet him?
Mitch Hunt: 31:04
No,I haven’t met him.I thought that would be just the,the greatest experience to go spend a day with him.at the Pinnacle job supposedly in our industry.I,I would love to go there for a day and spend the day with him.And he’s actually a native of,uh,uh,Motown.
Trent Manning: 31:21
Oh,I didn’t know that.
Mitch Hunt: 31:23
yeah,I wanna say the early eighties he worked,uh,he worked for,uh,Warren,Midtown Motors,I believe it’s a tech there.
Trent Manning: 31:33
Hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 31:34
And then,and then he went to,uh,blueberry Hills Golf Course for three years,and then he ended up at Augusta
Trent Manning: 31:42
Wow.
Mitch Hunt: 31:42
there30,35years.
Trent Manning: 31:44
Yeah,I knew he had a long tenure there and he loves,or he did Mustangs.He was really,really into Mustangs and he would go to the track days and all those things.I hadn’t talked to him probably in10years,I guess.I’ll run into him occasionally at the conference and trade show and say,Hey,but that’s about it.But super good guy.
Mitch Hunt: 32:09
Yeah,like I said,I would definitely like to go there for the day and
Trent Manning: 32:11
Yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 32:12
spend a day over there and see how they do things.and I,I enjoy going to,uh,even the local,you know,a lot of the local,uh,golf courses around here,and meeting the superintendent and equipment managers,you know,like you have here,uh,you know,over the past20years,I really,I really enjoy going around and meeting new people and,uh,seeing how they do things and,uh,seeing if,uh,any of that stuff they do can apply it,you know,better in our golf course.
Trent Manning: 32:41
Yeah.And that’s,I mean,that’s what it is and that’s why I love doing it so much.And not that you’re gonna learn something from every place you go to,but I mean,if you go in with an open mind,even some of these lower end courses that are,you know,where the superintendent is,the mechanic,you can still learn stuff from those people.because a lot of times the people with less resources are a lot more innovative than the ones with more resources.
Mitch Hunt: 33:12
It always seems like no matter where I go,you always seem to pick up one tip that you can apply directly at your shop the next day.It always seems like there’s just one little thing.It’s like,well,I wish I would’ve thought of that.And,you know,that,and that’s the whole deal about networking for,for me is,you know,getting out there and getting,getting that knowledge and talking to new people and making new friendships.So,
Trent Manning: 33:34
No,it’s so,so important.Yeah.And I’ve made so many,I mean,true friends that,you know,I talked to a lot just in the last three or four years.Uh,you know,and from different reasons,from traveling around,from speaking at certain places or like volunteering with G C S A on the task group,volunteering at,uh,east Lake for the Tour Championship.I mean,it’s just amazing.All these people you run into that you can become pretty close with.And you got a friend to lean on in the industry when,uh,times get hard or you know,you’re struggling with whatever the problem is,you pick the phone up or I called,uh,Jerry Cara today asking about a top dresser cuz we’re looking for a new top dresser and I was pretty sure what brand he ran.So,and I’ve not ran that brand,so I just wanted a little more information on it,you know,why he liked it better than the competition.And it’s really handy to have somebody basically on speed dial to pick the phone up and ask them those questions.
Mitch Hunt: 34:44
Yeah,we’re,we’re looking for a new bed knife machine and experienced the same thing.I started talking to guys that have,uh,you know,uh,Foley and,uh,uh,you know,the two other brands out there.And,uh,it just,uh,I got so much information from everybody to,you know,now I’m kind of,I kind of had my mind made up at first,but I sure did do a about face on that,that’s
Trent Manning: 35:07
Mm-hmm.Yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 35:08
there’s some,there’s some pluses and minuses on some of the machines and,you know,a couple of them I’m like,wow,that,that is unbelievable what,you know,what they can do and how precise they are.So,
Trent Manning: 35:19
Yeah,yeah,yeah.No,very true.
Mitch Hunt: 35:22
I think ours is,uh,20years old,so it’s,uh,it’s been fixed up a little bit,but I still struggle with it.It just doesn’t,uh,just doesn’t cut as flat as I would like it to sometimes.So,uh,no matter what,how,how much I work on it and try to fix it and change stuff,uh,it’s just,uh,at the end of its life.So,
Trent Manning: 35:43
Right?Yeah.Yeah.And there is a service life on,on all this stuff,and you replace all the,the bushings and Barrons and the pins,and it still ain’t new.You know,you,you can get it,you can get it close and get it a lot better,but,uh,still not new.What do you know now?You wish you’d known on day one?
Mitch Hunt: 36:02
I wished I would’ve known that a sprayer pump crank can break.
Trent Manning: 36:10
Hmm.Yeah,that’s a good one.
Mitch Hunt: 36:12
On my second day,the sprayer went down,you know,my second day of work,
Trent Manning: 36:17
Mm-hmm.Right,right.
Mitch Hunt: 36:19
sprayer went down,got John from Spartan on the phone.We ran through the,I,well I ran through everything in schematics at first and I couldn’t find it.I called my support and,we went through everything that I just went through.And we kind of figured it was a hydraulic,actuator problem.So,and it was like3,200bucks.And,uh,I said,well,if this isn’t the problem,you’re gonna take this back.He goes,if it isn’t the problem,I’ll come take it back and come pick your unit up and fix it.So,uh,said,okay,so put it on a couple days later.And that was not the problem.So Senate,they came and picked it up the next day and,uh,I didn’t hear nothing for four days and they couldn’t figure it out.
Trent Manning: 37:04
Hmm,
Mitch Hunt: 37:04
uh,I think they actually got a couple guys on the phone trying to figure it out.And then they finally figured out that it was the pump crank that broke,and they said it was the first one they’ve ever seen break,
Trent Manning: 37:16
which pump was this?
Mitch Hunt: 37:18
uh,the main hydraulic pump on a5,600Toro.So it was the main hydraulic pump that’s mounted on the side in the back.External.I mean,it’s a big pump.
Trent Manning: 37:31
Wow.Okay.Yeah,I don’t.I thought you were talking about the spray pump.I want to say I have seen those break before
Mitch Hunt: 37:39
Yeah.So it was the first one they seen,and that was my second day at work.So,uh,you did know,I,I didn’t know anything about sprayers,but I could read a schematic and,and check all,you know,run through the electrical system,um,look at the schematic,go through the hydraulic system,that,that stuff’s,generally pretty easy for me to do.
Trent Manning: 37:59
Mm-hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 38:00
so it was something they,they fixed and they got right back to us.And I think that’s the only thing we’ve sent out to ex,you know,uh,another source to fix of all our equipment we have had.So I’ve been able to fix everything,which,you know,that,that’s like a pride thing to all of us,that you never wanna send anything out.You wanna be the one that fixes it,you know.
Trent Manning: 38:19
Oh,yeah.Yeah,a hundred percent.yeah,I don’t,I can’t remember sending anything out.uh,and I mean,a lot of clubs have to,because if you’re a,a one person technician,crew and say you don’t have time to split a tractor and put a clutch in it,I mean,I get that.So a lot of clubs do send that stuff out and there’s nothing wrong with that,but I’m with you if I feel like that’s what they pay me to do.So that’s what I want to do.
Mitch Hunt: 38:53
Uh,yeah,I definitely,definitely look at that in the same light for sure.I,I haven’t experienced something like that in the middle of the season and,and not sure what I would do.I,I would try to fix it myself,but I,I do know that since I’m like everyone else,just,uh,one guy show,
Trent Manning: 39:12
Mm-hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 39:14
sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do,you know?
Trent Manning: 39:16
Well that,yeah,that’s the thing.You got two fairway mowers that need to be ground and you need to put a clutch in the tractor.So it’s,it’s impossible to do all that,you know,in,in a week stop,
Mitch Hunt: 39:28
Yeah,I don’t think the membership cares that the clutch has gone in the tractor,but they would care if the fairway mower was down three days.So
Trent Manning: 39:36
yeah.Exactly.
Mitch Hunt: 39:37
set your priorities and,stick to your priorities.You know,the,the one thing I did do my first year was just,the247panic fix everything,uh,uh,until I got my hands on it the following winter.I wanna say last year,I,I can actually say this now.we had zero breakdowns on the golf course.I mean,zero.There wasn’t one piece of equipment that needed to be tow up,get towed off,nothing broke,other than,you know,stupid little stuff like sprinkler head stuck in the reel or,you know,uh,stuff like that.But we didn’t tow anything off the course.I didn’t have to go out and,uh,fix anything out on the course other than,you know,making adjustments or something simple like that.So,and I can’t,I can’t say that in,in the first year.
Trent Manning: 40:21
Yeah.Yeah.
Mitch Hunt: 40:22
And the other thing I wished I would’ve known is that,to replace the hydraulic lines,especially on the ones that lift the decks,you know,in Michigan you’re supposed to do it every three to four years.and some of the equipment’s15,20years old when I got there.And of course in the first week we had a hydraulic pop,you know,one of the fairy most.And,uh,I wished I would’ve known that none of’em had been replaced.And they were all original equipment.I would’ve replaced them immediately.but that took,uh,one more time for that to happen before,uh,I made the phone call and say,what is going on?And he goes,well,how old are they?I said,well,they’re original.And he’s like,well,that’s the problem.So,uh,so I spent a couple days changing all the hydraulic lines and all the mowers that had the,you know,external lift arms that,you know,the hydraulic lines actually folded in when the,you know,piece of equipment got lifted up.So,
Trent Manning: 41:18
Right,right.No,that’s something.Yeah,I think all manufacturers recommend every three years.Well,I can’t speak for Jake cuz I hadn’t looked at their stuff in a long time,or hadn’t owned any of it to know,but John Deere and Toro for sure.
Mitch Hunt: 41:34
Yeah,but most hydraulic lines on everything else seem to last a long time.Um,you know,you can get20years,it’s just the ones with the,the,you know,the,that,that move a lot up and down and get moved around and bow one way,boat the other way.Seems like those are the ones that,you know,are the big problem.So
Trent Manning: 41:52
Well,yeah,and don’t get me wrong,that’s what I was trying to say is,yeah,those are the ones they recommend replacing.Not every single hose on the mower.If you do have four wheel drive or three wheel drive units,I replace those every three years.Also because they’re doing so much turning back and forth with the hoses.
Mitch Hunt: 42:14
yeah,definitely from day one there,I,I had the resources and the backing from,Steve Hammond,our superintendent,to.You know,I told him,I said,I can do all this stuff.I said,the only thing I need to be trained on is the,the real technology.and,I’m starting to pick that up,uh,this year.Pretty good.uh,you know,from going to MTF and going to the,uh,national event in Orlando,man,I picked up some great,not just tips.I,I picked up some in depth stuff that I was looking for,you know,to take the,my Real Grinding program to the next level.And,I’ve implemented that since I’ve been back.I haven’t been able to mow with them cuz we’re still buried in snow.But I am so looking forward to,uh,you know,after documenting everything to see what kind of life I’m gonna get out of,uh,some of the changes I’ve made.if it’s gonna stay in adjustment longer,am I gonna do less grinding?Uh,easier to maintain the edge.you know,really looking forward to that stuff this year.So,
Trent Manning: 43:14
Yeah,that’s super,super exciting and it’s great how much stuff you can learn at conference and show and MTF too.That was,that was really good and a lot of fun.I really enjoyed it.And thank you again,you and Ben for having me up there cuz that was a blast.
Mitch Hunt: 43:31
uh,we had a great time.It was,it was the first time I met you and,while,uh,you did a great job when you actually went in the bedroom and talked to the superintendents and everything about real life
Trent Manning: 43:41
Oh,
Mitch Hunt: 43:41
and that that was,that was outstanding.That was so
Trent Manning: 43:44
thank you.Appreciate that.You have any tips or tricks you wanna share with us?
Mitch Hunt: 43:50
you know,I implemented a grease program and that,and that sounds petty,but I know that I got a,battery powered grease gun,
Trent Manning: 44:00
Mm-hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 44:01
you know,just got rid of the,the hand pump or the,one that you hooked up to the airline pneumatic one.And,uh,what I really liked about it is that I could actually adjust it to how much grease comes out
Trent Manning: 44:14
Oh,is it the Milwaukee?
Mitch Hunt: 44:16
yes,it is,it’s the Milwaukee.so I was having a big problem keeping up with the rough mower.back rollers.They were just chewing them up and I was greasing’em all the time.It could have been,they were some,there were some old parts that were wore out that got replaced,but as soon as I implemented.And trained our guys.I got a grease gun,uh,for the guys and they basically wash the equipment off,then they go fill it.and in that check I put the,the grease gun,it’s already set up and it just puts a little,just,uh,you know,they hit the trigger one time and it puts a little bit of grease out enough that it keeps the positive pressure on the seal.especially when you,you’re always washing it and you kind of pushing that seal in a little bit and dirt,stuff like that starts pushing in,keep that positive seal on there and it keeps all the water and dirt out.Which at the end of the season,when I took the stuff apart and looked at it,I think I sh I showed some pictures at the,the mtf,that it was perfectly greased in there.The grease was still,it wasn’t black,it was actually the green color grease.There was no pitting and there was,there was just no penetration of water or grease whatsoever.And I’m like,this is exactly what I’m looking for.And it saved us close to10grand in our first year
Trent Manning: 45:34
Oh
Mitch Hunt: 45:34
by putting a simple grease gun and training people,Hey,you just hit this,you hit the trigger,put it on here,hit the trigger one time.I don’t want you the grease.Anything else,just,you got six certs fitting.So when you’re filling it up,you stop and,and grease this.And,it’s a simple maintenance thing that,we have enough to do sometime.And just those little simple stuff like that,make such a big difference.You know what I mean?
Trent Manning: 45:58
Oh yeah,for sure.And like you’re saying,when you’re running around,you know,like crazy trying to get all this stuff done,you’re not thinking about going over there and putting two pumps of grease in a rear roller,
Mitch Hunt: 46:09
right on a daily basis.
Trent Manning: 46:11
On a daily basis,for
Mitch Hunt: 46:12
So,but I made it so we can’t over grease it because that’s just as bad as the other problem.You know,we push on the seal out the other way you,so I was able to come up with just a,a couple little settings and,made it simple.Trained all the guys,showed’em how to do it,show’em how to do it.Uh,I would know if they did it cuz they,they’re not smart enough to wipe the tip off.So I would know,uh,I would know if they did it or not.and I wouldn’t harp on’em about it.if they missed a day or two.hopefully no one’s listening to this.Uh,they miss it a day or two,no big deal.But,but those guys that did it daily,it seems like they started taking a little bit of pride in their equipment too,because they started noticing,Hey,that bolt looks loose.Hey,this,this looks bent.You know,they started bringing me stuff that they would never see before because they’re actually hands on.Um,you know,there’s a couple parts on those decks,on the total decks that,uh,wear items and bolts that,uh,break a lot,uh,on the deck.And,they’re right down by the grease fitting.So,uh,and that’s something I’m always checking when I bring it in,but I noticed those guys started checking that stuff.They,you know,if they thought it was loose,I saw a guy grab a14mill wrench and tighten it a little bit,and then he came back and said,Hey,this thing was loose.Can you double check this?I’d go over there.Yeah,great job.You know,so it,it just wasn’t a,a grease program.It seemed to go a little further than that.And,uh,any feedback that we get from our team members,helps tremendously my job.
Trent Manning: 47:40
Well,and like you’re saying,them taking ownership and the,and the equipment,that’s huge.That’s what we’re striving for,honestly.
Mitch Hunt: 47:50
Yeah,definitely.we have some great,great operators.we have one guy and,he is so humble.he can run any piece of equipment,fairway,greens,mower,T mower,doesn’t matter.He can come from any angle at any speed,drop the rails perfectly,and cut this dead straight line.I don’t care if it’s20yards or a mile long,I’ve never seen anyone that can cut a straighter line than him.
Trent Manning: 48:16
awesome.
Mitch Hunt: 48:16
yeah,that,and that’s hard to find.
Trent Manning: 48:18
Oh yeah,for
Mitch Hunt: 48:19
And,and he’s one of those guys that,can say,Hey,something doesn’t sound right,or something doesn’t feel right,or,instantly if something doesn’t look right,he,but he’s one of those guys that can man it.Something just don’t sound right.You know?I’ll come out and do my check and he’ll,he’ll wave me over and Hey,man,you know something,don’t sound right here,listen to this.You know?Uh,so like I said,we have some,some great team members that,that do that.And I,you know,I appreciate,all the feedback,I get from them.And then you have the guys that are pretty quiet and don’t say much.They,they can be dragging a reel behind them and they won’t stop,you know?but that,that’s just part of the game,you know what I mean?
Trent Manning: 48:57
Yeah.Yep.For sure.
Mitch Hunt: 49:00
everyone can’t be that,that guy that knows everything and feels everything and sees everything.
Trent Manning: 49:04
Mm-hmm.Yeah,those guys are and gals are few and far between for sure,especially at golf courses.
Mitch Hunt: 49:12
and that’s why,Steve’s training program,for new hires,and even when they come back in the spring,the,the program he is set up for training is just,uh,you know,I’ve never seen anything like it,uh,from any industry.
Trent Manning: 49:26
Can we touch on that?I’d,I’d love to hear this training program.
Mitch Hunt: 49:31
yeah.So basically there’s a couple videos,which is kind of the funny thing because everyone comes and gets to watch a couple videos,you know,but,it goes right into the safety,from where all the fire extinguishers are,where the shutoffs are for the gas tanks.I mean,anything you could think of,uh,where the nuts and bolts are,where the weed whackers are.Everything has its place and he,there’s nothing left.Not one rake,not one fire extinguisher that he doesn’t talk about.And,uh,walk everyone.He physically walks everyone through and shows’em where everything’s at and what the use is for.and then the training on the mowers,it,it,he repeats,he,he,it’s repetitive,but he doesn’t,in a way where it doesn’t feel like he’s saying the same thing over and over and over and over.He’ll change it up a little bit.So,you know,Hey,look,look for this,look for that.when you’re doing the bunkers,you wanna,you know,don’t go so high.You know,he is really good about,uh,not just calling you out,just kind of explaining what the problem is and how to fix it.Hey,you know,I noticed a couple of the guys,you guys going a little bit too high up on the bunker.If you,you know,just back up a little bit and then come up to the top and just hand rake that spin around a couple times,come out and then,you know,do your tracks.Uh,you know,he just explains everything so good and,uh,breaks it down.So everyone can understand it,no matter how good of an operator you are or how,inexperienced of an operator you are.So,
Trent Manning: 50:57
No,that’s awesome.And I do,I think it’s so,so important.
Mitch Hunt: 51:01
yeah,even the safety stuff,what to do if there’s a hydraulic leak on the course.wear your safety glasses when you’re mowing.Wear sunglasses when you’re mowing,has some kind of eye protection when you’re out mowing.You know,you know how that can go,that a blade of grass can come back in a wind and stick you in the eye and,you know,uh,not permit damage,but you know how it just can make your life miserable.
Trent Manning: 51:22
Yeah,and I mean,yeah,you could be going to the eye doctor
Mitch Hunt: 51:26
so,
Trent Manning: 51:26
depending on what kind of debris you get in your eye.Just from mowing.
Mitch Hunt: 51:31
you know,he’ll take,uh,Steve or the couple of the team leaders will take you out and,they might stick with you half the day to,Kind of get the tricks on how to drive around this green,how to mow this green from this angle,how to get around this bunker.Hey,instead of doing a short spin drive straight out that20yards,turn around,come back and then catch your line.You
Trent Manning: 51:54
Mm-hmm.
Mitch Hunt: 51:55
I mean they,the,the,those little details of what makes us a great golf course.Just all the little,you know,sharing all those little secrets and being able to,to approach people and,in a way that they understand,you know what I mean?Uh,
Trent Manning: 52:08
Oh yeah,for sure.
Mitch Hunt: 52:09
he’s just a great,him and I communicate great,and he’s a great communicator.which makes both our jobs easier,you know?
Trent Manning: 52:18
That’s awesome.
Mitch Hunt: 52:19
yeah,him and I,what,what’s funny is,uh,him and I are the same age and I’m actually.Two weeks older than him.
Trent Manning: 52:26
Oh,
Mitch Hunt: 52:27
So every once in a while I kick back,hit like,uh,do you,uh,you’re not supposed to talk to your elder that way,
Trent Manning: 52:32
uh,right.That’s funny.
Mitch Hunt: 52:34
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 52:35
Yeah,that’s good stuff.
Mitch Hunt: 52:36
So,
Trent Manning: 52:37
Do you,you,you wanna do some rapid fire questions?
Mitch Hunt: 52:42
sure.What you
Trent Manning: 52:43
What’s your favorite movie?
Mitch Hunt: 52:46
tombstone,Kurt
Trent Manning: 52:47
Oh,yes.I’m
Mitch Hunt: 52:49
I,I,I,uh,I think the boys we used to,uh,have the,you know,videotape back in the videotape days and I think we would put that in no matter where we’re at the track or whatever.We’d have that thing on every Saturday going,we must have,I kid you not,we must have watched it over a hundred times and we know it.Line for line.
Trent Manning: 53:09
Yeah,it’s a classic for sure.
Mitch Hunt: 53:10
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 53:11
What would be your last meal?
Mitch Hunt: 53:14
and King Kreb.
Trent Manning: 53:16
Oh,sounds so good.I’m hungry too.What are you most proud of?
Mitch Hunt: 53:22
My family.My family,my family is very,very,you know,is everything,
Trent Manning: 53:29
Yes.
Mitch Hunt: 53:30
my,my kids,my wife,grandkids,
Trent Manning: 53:33
All right.How many grandkids?
Mitch Hunt: 53:36
four,
Trent Manning: 53:37
Oh,okay.How many kids?
Mitch Hunt: 53:40
two,
Trent Manning: 53:40
All right.Awesome.
Mitch Hunt: 53:42
yeah,they’re,we got the kids,uh,we got one that’s a young teenager and we got the one that’s six now.and she’s at that age where she,she’s just a blast.She,she runs us Ragged247.She runs Grandma Ragged247.
Trent Manning: 53:59
Yeah,it’s amazing.I don’t know where that energy comes from,and I don’t know where it goes once you get older,but it’s not there.
Mitch Hunt: 54:07
She came over the other day.it was Supercross week at Daytona Supercross,so we always have a party.she found out Thursday that she was coming over.So the first thing she did was pack five bags,made her ma drop’em off,before school on Friday.And there wasn’t one stitch of clothes in those backs.They were all toys.
Trent Manning: 54:25
Oh,wow.That’s awesome.I love it.That’s good stuff.
Mitch Hunt: 54:31
yeah.
Trent Manning: 54:31
Uh,tell the listeners how they can get ahold of you.You,you got a Twitter account.
Mitch Hunt: 54:36
it’s Mitch Hunt at T C C C.
Trent Manning: 54:40
Okay.Easy enough,
Mitch Hunt: 54:42
it’s
Trent Manning: 54:43
we could,yep,
Mitch Hunt: 54:44
you can just type my name in and find me,uh,pretty
Trent Manning: 54:46
yep.Okay.Very cool.
Mitch Hunt: 54:48
so,
Trent Manning: 54:49
Well,thank you so much,Mitch,for,uh,being on this has been a pleasure.
Mitch Hunt: 54:54
Oh,it’s my pleasure.Thank you,for having me on.like I said,it was,it was great meeting you and,I I love that.as soon as you sent me that,I’m like,wow.that’s,that’s quite an honor.I,I’d love to do it,so.
Trent Manning: 55:04
Uh,well,no,thank you so much for,uh,coming on and I tell all the guests and I tell all the listeners,we have a lot of fun just recording this interview.I do.And most of the guests do too,I think,and we get,we get to know more about each other
Mitch Hunt: 55:22
Yeah.I’ll
Trent Manning: 55:23
it brings us all
Mitch Hunt: 55:24
with you and dig in a little bit more with you.I haven’t heard too many stories from you yet.
Trent Manning: 55:29
Well,for the listeners,um,it’s something I thought about it and planned on doing it.I don’t remember.I think I don’t,I think it was my first year.So we just completed two years.I started the podcast in March of21.So we got our full two years under our belt.And I w wanna say it was the first year I talked to,somebody about interviewing me and asking me all the same questions.And I talked to another guy the other day,I think episode100.We’re going to,you know,reverse the roles and interview the host.
Mitch Hunt: 56:10
Nice.
Trent Manning: 56:11
So,and hopefully y’all,y’all,I can’t believe you still like,uh,hearing me or my stories,but as long as people keep listening,I’m going to,uh,keep doing it.
Mitch Hunt: 56:23
Oh,you do a real great job.I’ve,I’ve caught a bunch of years.yeah,I enjoy listening to him.I know Steve does too.Uh,I’d mentioned to Steve that I was doing this and he,he was driving back from somewhere trying to find it.I’m like,uh,it hasn’t happened yet.
Trent Manning: 56:35
Oh yeah.Yeah.Yep.
Mitch Hunt: 56:37
So.So he’ll be excited to hear this one for sure.
Trent Manning: 56:40
Awesome.Well,thanks again,Mitch.
Mitch Hunt: 56:43
well,you take care.Thank you for having me on.
Trent Manning: 56:50
thank you so much for listening to the Reel turf techs podcast.I hope you learned something today.Don’t forget to subscribe.If you have any topics you’d like to discuss,or you’d like to be a guest,find us on Twitter at Reel turf techs.