Mike Conner

My name is Mike Conner I am the Operations Manager at EPM Inc. I have been working in the seal business for over 30 years. In 1984, I was looking for a job and my mother told me about a man (Jerry Whitlock - The Seal Man) in our church that had a seal business. At that time I did not know a seal from a donut, but I went and talked to Jerry to see if he could use me. He said that I could come to work "permanent part time"… I have never worked less than 40 hours from that time until present.

That started my journey in the hydraulic seal industry, from unpacking parts to cutting gaskets on the floor; I did it all. Jerry told me one day that it was HIS job to sell the seals and gaskets and it was MY job to figure out how to make them. Little did I know how big that would become in my life? Over the years Jerry trained me, teaching me everything about the seal business from application to design.

As the business grew so did I, from sweeping floors to running the most advanced CNC (Computer Numeral Controlled) machines in the business. I have traveled all over the world solving seal problems from China to Europe and all points in between. I have always been asked by my family and friends, "what do you do, make O-rings?", and I say "yes that is right but that is only one of a million things that I have made over the past 30 years".

I am married to my wife Raechel and we have two daughters and one son. Our daughter Robin lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband Michael, a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army serving our country. Our other daughter Stacy moved to Vienna, Austria 5 years ago and works as a school teacher at the American International School. Our son Spencer is in college at Clear Creek Bible College in Kentucky and is studying to be a Youth Pastor. Raechel and I are so very proud of our children.

I want to thank Jerry and Rita Whitlock for giving me the opportunity to work in their seal business. However, I must give all the praise to the Lord for all the blessings he has given me, for without him none of this is possible.