IRM

[wglewallen]

This is just to inform some of the big time critics about IRM. I worked for Gary and Bobby Leonard for 11 years, and not once did they lie to me always straight forward, just wished sometimes they were still around.Techs were always blaming them for their problems with the IRS..I have heard them say many times that is up to you to take care of your taxes. I also have worked for Bartlett for quite a few years and they have not lied either, so maybe some of your problems just might be you. These are not the only companies that I have worked for in the past, GTS, DURATEK, GTS DURATEK, RAD SERVICES, NUMANCO, CE, SOLUIENT, AND OTHERS. All of the whining that is going on just makes it a lot more uncomfortable for the rest of us as technician.

[Old HP]

You are right about knowing where you stood with Bobby Leonard they made money but they also showed taht they cared about the techs. Bev was one of the best recruiters in the biz.

[shovelheadred]

...You are right Gary...I worked for IRM in the 80's...you struck a deal with them and they stuck to it...they had plenty of work,,,the tax stuff, well you had to take care of business or uncle took care of it for you...I never had a problem with the taxes..there were a couple in the office, that took care of themselves, especially in the final hour...but they had one of the best recruiters in the business, where is she now?...and some good coordinators...Dansby, ,,Dave Johnson...I think Spanky qualifies somewhere in all that...but overall, they were as good as the next guy,,,we are all just a number for them..never forget that.........red

[ageoldtech]

Gary and Bobby were always good to me except when I was caught holding the bag with three bounced checks in them! Never did get all my money.

[diliigaf]

            Damn, I want to jump in on this  but,,, I started my nuke career with IRM 26 years ago...   While Bobby and Gary were always good to me you must remember it was always about the $$$$ for themselves...
           You can't tell me when you have a thriving business ( as they did)  and you make the individual pay his own FICA....(as well as keep the majority of their overtime monthly)

         As well I remember they were the first company to take away our insurance benefits... ( I could be wrong) But I rembember it because my wife at the time was pregnant with my second child.

         I could go on how I was F***ed  in the middle of a contract with them which cost me thousands of $$$ to have my son but,,,
    I'll stop here... Why bring up the past?
 
          It was never about us it was only about the outfits...( i.e. DNI,IRM.NSS,RAD) and whoever else....
            We were always just pawns for them...
         
          I'm sure this will bring out some  quotes...
         

           Happy holidays to all....
         
                 And Mike I wish you your family and Daughter nothing but the best....
                      Peace to all...
       

[roadhard]

IRM - the IRM Bobby & Gary ran - was the best. 
Before the National Insurance crisis hit, the insurance was great - even had disability insurance (that saved my ***).

But when that LA hick bought the Co. - it went kaput. That's when the checks started bouncing. 

[diliigaf]

IRM - the IRM Bobby & Gary ran - was the best. 
Before the National Insurance crisis hit, the insurance was great - even had disability insurance (that saved my ***).

But when that LA hick bought the Co. - it went kaput. That's when the checks started bouncing. 

               You are correct IRM was a good company for a while...
        Prior to becoming the (Institute of Rubber Money) and us losing insurance and such... As all other companies followed the way...
            We only have ourselves to blame, had we stood up to these companies (all of us, not just a few of us) we would all have reaped the benefits in the long run...

            Unfortunatetly there were far too many that would not make a stand...

[Mike McFarlin]

For a defunct company, IRM sure gets a lot of discussion. Maybe what they did wasn't so bad after all?

[shovelheadred]

...I agree with you GILLIGAF...we can only blame US..Gary and Bobby made a good lick...but so were we, at the time....most IRM techs were non degreed...some Navy, some deconners..alot from IRM school...HIDE AND SEEK FOR A GRAND A WEEK...was good $$..however you worked it

[diliigaf]

...I agree with you GILLIGAF...we can only blame US..Gary and Bobby made a good lick...but so were we, at the time....most IRM techs were non degreed...some Navy, some deconners..alot from IRM school...HIDE AND SEEK FOR A GRAND A WEEK...was good $$..however you worked it

                         Red, who is GILLIGAF???(or what is GILLIGAF)
          Not trying to be nasty, but I am wondering if you erred......

[Camella Black]

Well I posted this earlier but it got lost in cyber land, so here goes again.

My thoughts on and memories of IRM...

1. In 1976 my dad, Jack Brown was hospitalized while working at Calvert Cliffs. My mother was unable to travel due to illness but I went by train to check on him. I was met by a friend of the family Jake Sasser and a fellow by the name of Steve Romanawich (hope I spelled it correct). Once there the site coordinator handed me the keys to a rent a car and some cash. I was also set up with a room with a couple of female techs. After recovering my dad and I went back home via train. Now somebody and it wasn't my parents paid for all of this.

2. In 1982 while expecting our third child we were at Turkey point and I was pretty home sick and suffering from complications so Henry asked to be transferred to VC Summer to be near my parents, no questions asked, it was done.

3. In 1983 my dad while at VC Summer was diagnosed with leukemia. IRM continued to pay for his insurance and made sure his hospital bills were taken care of. When he lost his battle they remembered him and us with flowers, cards and phone calls.

4. Taxes, yep some of us owed the I.R.S. because of the way per diem was reported or not reported, but I don't remember that anyone told us to file a certain way. Most of us were new to this business and had no idea; it was our own ignorance of tax law and in most cases us doing our own taxes which cost us.

5. Pre outage party, mid outage party, end of outage party, Christmas Party. At least they had a great idea of getting out and getting to know who worked for them and didn't mind spending a little money to make you feel like you made a difference.

6. Oh and last but not least they didn't fire everyone from H.B. Robinson when we faked the photos of the rental car being entered in the local stock car race...

[Old HP]

You brought up a very good point and one that is missed by present employers. The companies used to be willing to do things to help the techs without expecting  something in return (or pointing out that they had done a favor). We remembered and made sure our performance reflected our appreciation.
Now "we "are asked to do lots of "favors" on the promise of getting to work at that special place.
Another point you had was we all new who we worked for and who was signing the checks. I knew the owners of IRM, NSS,ARC and Numanco.
After 12 years with the new guys I have met 1 regional director and have no idea who is signing the checks.

[wglewallen]

Yes, IRM and at one point in time for the Senior Technicians the Health insurance was free...My son had open heart surgery at Charleston Medical in South Carolina, I was working at Shearon Harris at the time everyone there was so understanding and told me to take off as much time as I needed. If my memory serves me correctly it was with Lincoln National Insurance and the bill didn't cost me hardly anything. I guess all of us had some good and bad with all the companies out there then. As for me, I enjoyed working for them and at least they kept me working and yes, when it was sold it went down hill--checks were bouncing every where and it was not due to the Leonards either. I was the site coordinator and also know the real story. Beverly, Bobby and Gary cared about all of us.

[rapidray]

 

since there are a lot of us still in the biz. that IRM helped to git us on the career path, that we have chosen, for whatever reason, I rapidray, and slojoe (rest his soul), remember the nite that gary (the penguin) leonard hired us to be jr. hp at IP2.  they kept me working solid for 7 years, the pay was adequate, I still recall at HBR when the jr. hps got there perdium cut to $25 a day and the sr's stayeb at $30 a day. and to all that have commented on this thread, I believe that we have done an outage or 2 working for the infamous I.R.M.

there r many stories 'bout those leonards and the techs., but for those that have survived, dilligaf, hairbrush, grlewallen, and a host of others,  those were the daze. 

I send to each of yawl, and all the nukeworker staff and yawls families

A HAPPY CHRISTMAS, and a merry new year.

GOD BLESS

rapidray

[shovelheadred]

...Dilligaf...so,I made a spelling error..I was trying to agree with you...did you have to dis me on the website?...this is not a perfect world we live in.....I am sure most of the people at this site know me as Bud Broom..and I am darned not as perfect as most.....who are you?....and DILLIGAF doesnt go with out the LIME.....give me a break,pal...its CHRISTMAS.........

[SloGlo]

...Dilligaf...so,I made a spelling error..

dang.... eye thunk a new poster got in here, "great! i look like i give..." 'n while i'm trying to finger out who that is, this pops up.  'n shovelheadred, i unnerstan.... lotsa peeps hare dawnt no how two spell vary well.  btw, have a merriest christmas, 'k? 

[shovelheadred]

.Thanks ..Brother Glo...sometimes I writes before I thinks..and it runs over here...and it takes a moderator to moderate..and keep things flowing.....to quote a righteous brother.."cant we just all get along"...by the way....do you know me?..Have a Great Christmas, and a safe and Blessed holiday season.red

[wglewallen]

Hey Rapid,
You are so right those were the good ole' days sure wished sure wished we could bring em' back.
Remember the time that the rental car was taken to Darlington Racetrak and sent pictures to Bobby stated that you guys had won.  ha ha!!! They like to have had a fit. Hey! Buddy you have a very Merry Xmas!!  Gary

[Camella Black]

Hey Rapid,
You are so right those were the good ole' days sure wished sure wished we could bring em' back.
Remember the time that the rental car was taken to Darlington Racetrak and sent pictures to Bobby stated that you guys had won.  ha ha!!! They like to have had a fit. Hey! Buddy you have a very Merry Xmas!!  Gary

I remember it well. We had some great times back in the day. I know for a couple of years we all moved together it seems from job to job. Bobby and Gary knew how much better people work when a little p.r. is done. Were you around at Turkey Point when one of them (I don't remember which) jumped in the pool fully clothed?

[diliigaf]

Were you around at Turkey Point when one of them (I don't remember which) jumped in the pool fully clothed?

                       I remember that, it was at the Ramada inn. ( Gary and Bobby's favorite place to stay)
    If my memory??? does me just it was Gary after several cocktails...

          damn I miss those days, where the company VIP's enjoyed being a part of us.... They may be gone but to those of us that were there... They will never be forgotten.

                             Merry christmas to all.... 

[ken]

OMG! IRM Gary (used tire salesman) and Dr Bobby Leonard and Beverly.  I loved working for them. I worked my first IRM outage in 1978. I loved the way IRM payed.  You would get a weekly cash per diem and every second week an 80 hour check. At the end of the outage Beverly would send you a 'white sheet' which you matched with your own records then signed and returned.  You would then get a check in the mail for all your over time pay.  This was great because you had a lump sum of 2-4 thousand dollars to pay bills between outages. I used to let the overtime pay build up when working back to back outages. You could get 90% of the overtime account when needed. Beverly actually took the time to go to the bank and wire money to my wife when one of the kids had some emergency medical needs. I would always work a short outage during the year for one of the other rent-a-tech companies so I had SSN and FICA and IRS withholdings. This meant that I was not self employed all year and did not have to file a quarterly estimated tax.  I also used the IRS high low per diem tables to further reduce my net income. I had use of 90% of my money every year while IRM pay detractors complained that they did not want some one else holding their money. Good for them they let Uncle hold 30% of their money in withholdings so they had use of 70% of their money. Smart techs eh? When the techs that did not pay taxes, as they were told, and got into trouble IRS forced IRM to start withholding for income tax. I lost 10K that year in taxes.   

[bill10249]

I agree with Rapid Ray - for what  ever reason bobby and garry hired me for oyster creek over 30 yrs ago and started me on this long road I was a kid just out of the navy with preg wife and no job.  they advanced me money to get there from west coast and and made sure the insurance covered the kid. had a few problems mostlyof myown makeing withthe tax man  gary even loaned me the money to get out of that.  so I have good meomories of the company  until the guy from LA bought it.
Bill

[jkj]

            Damn, I want to jump in on this  but,,, I started my nuke career with IRM 26 years ago...   While Bobby and Gary were always good to me you must remember it was always about the $$$$ for themselves...
           You can't tell me when you have a thriving business ( as they did)  and you make the individual pay his own FICA....(as well as keep the majority of their overtime monthly)

         As well I remember they were the first company to take away our insurance benefits... ( I could be wrong) But I rembember it because my wife at the time was pregnant with my second child.

         I could go on how I was F***ed  in the middle of a contract with them which cost me thousands of $$$ to have my son but,,,
    I'll stop here... Why bring up the past?
 
          It was never about us it was only about the outfits...( i.e. DNI,IRM.NSS,RAD) and whoever else....
            We were always just pawns for them...
         
          I'm sure this will bring out some  quotes...
         

           Happy holidays to all....
         
                 And Mike I wish you your family and Daughter nothing but the best....
                      Peace to all...
       

agree with dilligaf ----and i always paid my taxes----Dr. BOb's school of instant success, Tire salesman & BEVerly didn't impress me. But ARC, dURATEK and many of the rest weren't much better. The entire field itself is just a mess.

[techtoolong]

I never worked for them but I went to the school. Bobby, Gary and Beverly took us sailing on a really nice and really big sailboat.  After a few cocktails Bobby hit a low bridge and I laughed until I cried

[Mike McFarlin]

I never worked for them but I went to the school. Bobby, Gary and Beverly took us sailing on a really nice and really big sailboat.  After a few cocktails Bobby hit a low bridge and I laughed until I cried

That means you missed the sand bar!