Larry Roughton

Eric Girouard  0:00  

This is Bucket Talk, a weekly podcast where people who work in the trades and construction that aren't just trying to survive, but have the ambition and desire to thrive.

The opportunity to trade and construction is absolutely ridiculous right now. So if you're hungry, it's time to eat. We discuss what it takes to rise from the bottom to the top with people who are well on their way, and roll up their sleeves every single day.

Jeremy Perkins  0:28  

Jeremy and Eric with Bucket Talk powered by BRUNT, today's guest is Larry, Rough Iron. But before we jump into this episode, Eric, what's been going on?

Eric Girouard  0:38  

All right. All right. So it's been a little while here with the team growing and us needing to get the business to the next level. We're moving downstairs, we're taking another bay that's connected to our existing Bay, which is kind of if you've seen on social, you know, the garage that has the epoxy floors, and the boots all over the place flags hanging bar and all that we're actually taking a bay right next to it. And we're figuring out exactly what to do. But we're bringing it in some conference rooms, some soundproof booths for work, and a gym, which came in and then we're going to have some boots and stuff. So we're going to kind of figure out what we turn into. So what about you there.

Jeremy Perkins  1:15  

So we had first snowfall, and all the plows and everybody are out scraping and salting but it's, you know, very minor, it's just that the the annual wake up call for everybody. But for me, you know, I've been a plow driver for seven or eight years. And it's gonna be a new experience for my wife and the farm. So, you know, I'm dealing with making sure the plows all set and getting ready for that aspect of winter, but it's just going to be I look forward to actually spending some time in the truck with my wife teaching her how to plow, it's definitely a cool skill to have. And I actually enjoy plowing so it's going to be the runs the parking lot. We're going to try to plow out to the pasture. So it's just kind of figuring out all the logistics there. And yeah, so it'll be interesting. I got my big blue truck and big stainless Fisher plow. So first time actually owning a plow. I've always plowed with other companies trucks, so I'm definitely gonna baby more than than I've, I've done. Exactly, exactly. But winters here, I mean, holidays are coming up. It's gonna be crazy.

Unknown Speaker  2:14  

Nice. Nice. All right, let's dig in.

Jeremy Perkins  2:20  

Alright, today we're here with Larry Roughton? Rough iron on tick tock, correct. Correct. Larry, you are an iron worker by trade. And I definitely want to dig into this one. You are the the creme de la creme of the trades, right? 

Larry Roughton  2:36  

We are the King original bad boys.

Jeremy Perkins  2:41  

So I want to get deep dive like how did you become an ironworker iron worker has deep roots and it seems to run in families. And I want to go as far back as when you were a kid and how you got into it where you're based out of I really want to go deep into this. 

Larry Roughton  2:58  

Yeah, right on. So honestly, how I got started is my dad. He was a boilermaker by trade,

and all my uncles and everybody and so forth. So I played hockey and play junior hockey, college hockey and stuff like that. And when I got done, I was like, Well, I gotta do something because I gotta pay bills. So my best friend in high school, he became an ironworker. Yeah. So I was like, I think I'm gonna try that. He's like, Well, you can't just try a duty, they're gonna do it or not.

So I'm super competitive. So I was like, Well, I'm gonna do it and be the best I can be. You know, and that's kinda how it started. I was tired of, you know, working odd jobs and hold on to a dream, that wasn't gonna happen. So I went in, went down to the apprenticeship then applied, and maybe, you know, this is like, what? 1998. So, six months later, I get a phone call, Hey, come do the test. And that's kind of how it all began. So the test, what is this test? You say? So back then it was like that, like an aptitude test? Like, okay, you know, basic math, you know, they give you like the front end of a motor. They want you to route a belt across, you know, like a, like a serpentine belt on a motor like that. This is pretty basic stuff that makes sure you got some kind of, you know, functional lassitude. Yeah, right? Yeah, exactly. Nowadays, from what my boys told me, We have a whole like, physical test and everything. Really, now.

Jeremy Perkins  4:25  

You have boys in the trades, too. Now? 

Larry Roughton  4:27  

I do. So I got twin boys that are 25. They've been in six years now seven years, something like that. And then I have a 20 year old. He's been in two years and my 19 year old started his first job about three weeks ago. 

Jeremy Perkins  4:41  

And they're all iron workers. 

Larry Roughton  4:43  

And they're all iron workers. 

Eric Girouard  4:44  

Geez. Wow. That's badass.

Larry Roughton  4:49  

Yeah, yeah 

Jeremy Perkins  4:50  

That's like the American family.

Larry Roughton  4:53  

It's a it's a tough group of boys.

No, that's for sure.

Jeremy Perkins  5:01  

Oh, wow. So once you took the aptitude test and then you got an iron working, how'd you get to where you are right now? 

Larry Roughton  5:08  

Yeah, so like, you know, I started out we had actually a couple big projects going on a lot of people know, the the Jeep is made here in Toledo, they were moving the Jeep plant from its old, you know, 1900 1800s, whatever was built, I can't remember. But they moved to a new facility to build the jeep. So when I first got in, that was going on, we had like a maximum security prison being built. And that was kind of my basis of it, of getting in and the company I got with had like contracts with all of them. So we just bounced around all over the place. And then as that was dying down, we had a bridge starting up and we have a river here in Toledo, the Maumee River. It's kind of like a miniature Mississippi River. Yeah. And we put up a bridge to see the Skyway Bridge is like five miles long. All precast all, you know, cable say. So I spent a lot almost my entire apprenticeship at on that bridge. And it was like three minutes from my house. So it all kind of just worked out real well. For me. 

Jeremy Perkins  6:04  

How long does it take to build a bridge? 

Larry Roughton  6:06  

Just depends on what kind of is and how big it is. 

Jeremy Perkins  6:08  

How long was that project? 

Larry Roughton  6:09  

That project was? Five years? Seven, six years?

Jeremy Perkins  6:14  

Yeah. Nice person. So I assume that you guys walk the I beams all day long, correct? 

Larry Roughton  6:21  

Well, yeah, I mean, but like me, I do a lot more rebar than anything like that is all the entire bridges. They built two buildings. And we tied all the rebar, they poured the rebar, you know, obviously, that turns into a segment. And then we bring each segment and we would set segment by segment by segment, as we've set the bridge for.

Eric Girouard  6:43  

So I've got a question. So it sounds like assume someone knows nothing about iron work steel work. Obviously, people do different things. But is it really like I Beam infrastructure connecting them locking it in? And then you can build everything from bridges to buildings to? Or is it more splices and you have to be a specialist in one or the other? 

Larry Roughton  7:03  

Yeah, so like, I'll use like Philadelphia, for example. The Philadelphia local they have like local 401, which I got a ton of good friends out of there. They only do structural iron. So all they do is set the frame of the building. Now they have another local within Philadelphia that only ties rebar. And that's what they do. Like they're specialized. Now my local were a mix local. So everybody in my local needs to know how to do everything. Do their shoot anyway. 

Jeremy Perkins  7:28  

Yeah, I didn't even realize that because like when I think of iron work, I think you know, like sidewalk and I beams and, and rivets and bolts and just you know, freezing your ass out there. Right so grizzly grizzly, but then recently, I've seen guys like tying rebar and I'm like, I could not do that. Like that insane. Like and now they have they have a lot of tools that you can just walk along The standing tools you see on Instagram reals? No doubt.

I couldn't imagine being in the old days like having to be on your hands

Larry Roughton  8:02  

well, I think the one you had to talk about was probably Max Max Max water guns they sell they're probably like the Cadillac of high wire guns right now. Yeah, the only problem with them it's only good for flat work if you're gonna do anything that you're gonna have to move. You do not want to use them guns because it's their job. Like I think one of the companies here in Toledo is one of the biggest buyers of Mac's tie wire guns, which I have. I think I have 446 of them on my job right now. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, when it comes down to like old school, like tying like I've been on top I don't know five for the last 20 years. Well as far as as far as fast this and all that. 

Eric Girouard  8:35  

Yeah. It what does that entail? You're taking the wire you're putting it around there rebar use apply here to lock it all together? 

Larry Roughton  8:45  

Yes. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, real employers I mean, there's there's guys that do it that use the old we call them pig dicks they get they caught they got so many crazy names like all over the country. Like regional they got crazy names. And that's just what you know, when we call them here. But usually that's like either non union guys or small small contractors using Yeah, now they do use them a lot over in the UK and in the UK. The guys that tie rebar are called Steel fixers. They're not called ironworkers or rod busters. 

Eric Girouard  9:13  

Interesting. 

Jeremy Perkins  9:14  

What's a rod buster? 

Larry Roughton  9:15  

So rod Buster is just a guy just iron worker who ties rebar. So you know they take the word rod and Buster and we just bust its ass and beat it

Jeremy Perkins  9:28  

Do you do any welding or is that like a whole nother faction? 

Larry Roughton  9:32  

No. So the company I'm with We do everything from the rebar to the setting to the welding to the roof to moving machinery. Whatever. Rigging, setting up cranes, whatever anything that entails iron work the company I'm with we do everything. 

Eric Girouard  9:45  

Got it. 

Jeremy Perkins  9:46  

And I think you're the first union members that we've had on our podcast. So it's interesting to get into the Union aspect of things and and I mean, it's a brotherhood, correct? 

Larry Roughton  9:57  

It is really I know I want to speak for my union only. It's really tight within the ironworkers, a lot of the other unions, unfortunately are real wishy washy sometimes it seems like. And then another thing too, like I tried to tell everybody like a lot of people associate unions with like the UAW and or Teamsters. Yeah, well, trade trade unions don't work like that men who work outside and do that don't work like that.

Yeah, in tell us more about that. So it's funny, you hear the word Teamster and I think union or whatever, what's the real differences between those kind of things? So like, in my experience from around this area, like, you know, people like all the unions are protected the lazy ones, they'll they'll look out for the laziest. Now here we kind of since we're a private sector union, yeah. Again, you know, that we're a local chapter we, we kind of do our own, like, waiting. We'll make guys quit, like, we know that you're a weak link and that you're something he will do whatever we can do to make you quit. Got it, got it. Got it. And those other other Teamsters, it sounds like it's rejected based on where it is. And those are groups that protect the weak and take care of the people that are like just want to get by and keep their job type thing. Right. And let me not mean, I catch a lot of static from a lot of people that are, you know, up here, I'm in just 40 miles south of Detroit. You know, we're in the the motor mecca of everything, right, right. People get people get pissed on me when I say that about UAW, but, you know, I'm just seeing what I observe. What I observe, I don't like it. Well, the people that you guys kick out or get to quit work, they end up going over to those places pretty much naturally. Yeah,

Jeremy Perkins  11:41  

and for those that are listening, that don't understand what what he just said, first off your IWC nine automakers? Correct? Yes. And then the second thing is, is on jobs that are dangerous, and you really need to know what you're doing, having somebody that, that doesn't care, or whatever, it becomes a liability, and it's dangerous for other people on the job. So, yes, when you're talking about, you know, kind of pushing them out. I mean, it's to protect you and your family from, from disasters, essentially. And it's, you know, it's not for the faint of heart. I think we've kind of lost that skill set. We can't protect everybody. And, you know, yeah, we

Larry Roughton  12:19  

need to stop trying. Right? Because he wasn't putting other people at risk. I mean, even in nature, birds kick the weakest ones out of the nest, you know, what I mean? You know, there's ways I mean, I know how society has nowadays it's not, it's not for everyone. Like I definitely do not fit in the demographic of the new age, but whatever is going on nowadays. And I think that's part of like, that comes across on like, tick tock quite a bit too, is you know, I really don't care if I hurt somebody's feelings because right in the day, it's just an app if you don't like it, just swipe on to the next one. I'm not asking anybody to follow me if you don't like me, don't like me. That's that's I'm perfectly fine with you. Not like Yeah, yeah, everybody out here is so worried about the numbers, the views that oh my god, I don't want to offend this person. I don't want to offend this person. I have my limits. Like, I'm not gonna be political. I don't get into the race. I don't get into the sections and stuff. I stay out of that. And I stay in my blue collar lane. I just make jokes and stuff that I want to make. 

Eric Girouard  13:21  

Sometimes it gets me in trouble to whatever you can't please everyone if you try to please everyone, please no on and just be who they are. Some people are gonna love you. And some people aren't. Ah, and that's fine, right? Yeah, yeah. And I'm totally fine with that. 

Larry Roughton  13:34  

That's how my dad raised me is the worry about me and mine. And this is what it is.

Jeremy Perkins  13:40  

I want to dig back in I'm so interested in this this the ironwork thing, that what do you do on a daily basis? Really run me through it? What are you guys doing? What tools are you using? How'd you get your training is on the job? Is it you know? Just run me through Right?

Larry Roughton  13:54  

Right. So like, for me, like my daily thing every morning, as I start over the safety meeting, as much as I make fun of them. They're important. I mean, the landscape changes every day on a construction site. But one day you got columns one day you I mean, it's flat. So you know, that's how my day usually starts out I usually got a new guy try to walk him like through the whole process of like, Hey, this is wherever the exam this job, pay attention. These are what you know, the basics, but the tools that we use a lot, you know, obviously everybody has their own kind of personalized belt. And if you ever seen any ironworkers belt not one next to space at the same they're all going to be different. Everybody has their own little quirky way of putting their belts together everybody that ties rebar, pretty much union iron workers have reels in their inner scatter which hold which is their player holder. Obviously we have you know, solid because some sometimes we have shears, forklifts, cranes, all the machinery you need. But and then like on the job I'm on right now they're starting to set iron behind us. So obviously we got you know, steel erection going on too. So now we got to pay attention today because when they're done, we got to go back underneath them and lay the floors in. So it's a big it's a big dance. You know, we late, we put all the footers in, they put the columns on, they raised the building up, we go back in underneath, and start putting floors on and work our way back out of it. As far as like training and stuff, so most most iron workers of all my local anyway, we have a four year apprenticeship, you go in, and you learn, you go through the basics of rebar, and then you go through like year two, year three, year four. Same thing with welding, steel erection, post tensioning, all those various aspects that we have to, you know, perform. Now some guys really hate tying rebar, some guys actually will avoid it at all cost. And that's perfectly fine. Because it just means more work for me. But you will learn more on the job than you will in the classroom. Right. Now you will learn all the terminologies you will learn the math and you will learn all that stuff. But you will absolutely if you pay attention to some of the more guys and some of the good hands, you'll learn a lot from them.

Jeremy Perkins  15:57  

Because you get the basic foundation, you get the understanding enough to get out there. But that that comes to a point where you know, now you just need to do it.

Larry Roughton  16:06  

Right. And you know, I get a lot of apprentices they come out, they're like brand new, they're no, they don't even know how to tie anything. So a lot of times I'll try to team up with somebody that is a little more patient than the rest. And I just kind of send them off to do like a little job like, hey, teach us how to tie at least decent enough so that he can try to if you'd always make it in the first like week or two, then we know that this probably is you know his forte, and you probably need to go try something else. Yeah, as far as that doesn't mean like, kick him out downwards. It just means like, maybe he needs to go maybe hanging iron or welding or rigging or something like that. It's more of his thing that rebar says not nice. Nice. So.

Jeremy Perkins  16:43  

So where do you picture yourself going? I mean, are you at the top of the food chain? Or is there a room? Yeah.

Larry Roughton  16:49  

I mean, there's there's always room to grow. I don't think you ever hit the top. I wouldn't settle for saying I was at the top. But I mean, I'm, I'm up there quite. Yeah. Yep. 

Eric Girouard  16:59  

And then is the next level from you, though you then you actually hang up the tools and you start managing people or 

Larry Roughton  17:06  

I already manage I don't even I mean, I work. I still put my tools on every single day even though I don't have to. Yep, just because I just can't. I don't know something about walking around and seeing the guys work and I had to hold on. There's something about that. That's wrong. And in my opinion, I don't know. Some, some local that simply do not want you to wear your tools. I've been in locals that like got on me about it. And I'm like, Look, man, I'm not gonna work. I'm just wearing me alone. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But no, I mean, we have an international festival, a tournament if you will. Yeah. Every year. It's an makin all Michigan every year, second weekend to August. And if you're a union iron worker, you can come out and put your skills to the test against Senate advantage dudes in the country. Well, it's the international so Canada and United States. Got it?

Jeremy Perkins  17:51  

Yeah. So the only people I know that do that is the linemen. That's it. Yeah, yeah. Why men have their company

Larry Roughton  17:57  

so the lions the lions men have their rodeo we have our we have our international ironworkers festival trading. You know, they specialize in just a few things kind of like kind of like their rodeo does. You know we do Festus rod tire. They do all the old school events like we do arena throw, which nobody does rivets anymore. But we still do a rivet throw. Yeah, yeah. You tie knots. What's the other one? Oh, we do a spot throw kind of like an excellent competition with spider inches. 

Eric Girouard  18:25  

Interesting, 

Larry Roughton  18:26  

which is, which is actually pretty fun. And then they call them fun. And they also have they have a woman's event too now for the spouses so they can so that they can pick the old man's bag as best they can. 

Eric Girouard  18:41  

This hilarious. 

Larry Roughton  18:42  

Yeah, they employed that a couple years ago, and it's actually pretty fun. 

Eric Girouard  18:47  

That's awesome. It sounds like you've competed in that because you're like, you're like I'm in the top five. You've been in that or 

Larry Roughton  18:54  

I literally have a whole thing that I got 20 years worth of trophies behind me. 

Eric Girouard  19:00  

That's awesome. 

Larry Roughton  19:01  

And then like this year, guys, like kind of surprising. They inducted me into the international ironworkers Hall of Fame this year. So

Jeremy Perkins  19:10  

congrats, bro. Yeah,

Eric Girouard  19:12  

When did that start? like is that like a 50 year old thing? Or is it newer? 

Larry Roughton  19:16  

It's so they had the festival every year in economics is never gonna change. It's always in the same spot. So they have ironworkers Walk of Fame and Mac and all Michigan. So all these guys that were like, badasses, honestly. They got their name, a brick and it's permanently embedded in the ground and on the Walk of Fame. We get a plaque that goes into the museum and like all kinds of stuff. Why didn't know this is going to happen. They had told my kids and a couple other people that they were going to induct me, and then they did it on the day that I was when you know, get my other trophies for winning this year or whatever. And they pulled me to come up there and gave it to me and was like, Yeah, you know, you've put so much time into this tournament so much time in the ironworkers as a whole promoting ironwork and safety and this and that and you know stuff and you know, trying to make me be all in my feelings and stuff. 

Jeremy Perkins  20:03  

That's insane. Do they end up on an annual basis? 

Larry Roughton  20:08  

Like for four years something 

Eric Girouard  20:10  

Wow, oh, wow, that's badass. 

Larry Roughton  20:14  

And unfortunately, most of the guys that are inducted now or were inducted, or you know, had been passed. So like, I think I'm literally the only one of my local ever to be inducted. And the fact that I'm still alive is kind of wild. Because like all the guys that I know, which is crazy, because so many of the guys that have been abducted I've known through my 20 years of going into this tournament. Yeah. And I don't know, it's just a brotherhood thing about going up there. Like I think I don't care if I go through and loose. That's, I'm perfectly fine with that. I didn't see those guys hanging out. Yep, yep.

Jeremy Perkins  20:46  

Right. So you got boys in the trades. They're now young man. And they're getting into it. What are some of the things that you tell them? What do you want to see out of the boys that can guide them to success kind of get you where you are today, you know, some of the tips and tricks and just kind of the work ethic and stuff along those lines that really want to see in, in the younger generation, but especially out of your children.

Larry Roughton  21:09  

I'm pretty hard on my kids as far as that goes. But the biggest thing for me, I always tell even the apprentices that aren't my kids. I'm like, listen, have ironworkers just showing up to work. You should show up first 14 to begin. So be on time. If you're on time you're late, get a little bit early. Be a few minutes early. And I always hear some of these guys. Well, I'm not getting paid for it. Yeah, but get they're not. You're not on a speed wobble when you're coming through the gate. Get in there. Just get yourself together. Yeah, as far as work ethic, some guys have and some guys just don't. My kids. A couple of the boys are good. One of them is kind of, I don't know, like I get on his ass a lot. And you don't even work for me. Yeah. But I get the phone calls from the guys that do know me like, Hey, man, your kid and I'm like, You're not working for me. Like, it's almost like they don't want to yell at him. Because he's my kid. I'm like, You guys aren't doing your job. And don't be caught like run the center, please set the tone, man.

Jeremy Perkins  22:10  

Yeah, I think back to when I was a kid, and I definitely need to kick an ass multiple times. And it wasn't until I was in my late 20s, early 30s that it really started to click. And it's not like their loss causes. It's just some, you know, more guidance than others. And I mean, you're all out there just literally just hideous.

Larry Roughton  22:32  

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, and I think when you go from, you know, high school, to, to any trade for that matter. And you're working with a bunch of old crusty guys like me. You know, we've been doing this for so long that like, we already know what the next step is. And it's the kids like, hey, what's next? Hey, what can I do to dumber? The kids? I like that stand out. For me anyway, like, let's keep it moving. Let's keep going. And luckily, we've had a really good run of apprentices that that had been that way. I haven't really run into it. And that's I think that's a nationwide I don't think that the guys are getting the the blue collar trades, construction trades in general, I think are a little bit tougher mindset than some of the other demographic of people. Yeah, obviously, back in the day when I got in, I mean, they cussed you out from the time you started till the time you got off. I mean, this was the way it was. Yeah. Now you can't you can't do that no more because culture just is one. But I always tell my boys, you know, if it looks sketchy or dangerous, and you don't feel comfortable with it, don't, don't be like, Oh, I'm just not doing it. Like talk it over with whoever your boss is, or whoever the journeyman in charge of that situation and be like, Look, I don't feel comfortable. Because the time you don't feel comfortable the time you die. You know, you take a bad step, if you walk backwards off a building, like, you know, there's so there's so much that can go wrong so fast. So you just got to really pay attention. And that's just what I tell them. You got to pay attention to everything around you. And you put a lot of times, you know, you ever look at a lot of the stats a lot of guys don't like they don't fall on your on an accident, something happens and it pushes them in a hole in it. And that's how they get killed.

Jeremy Perkins  24:14  

It's a sad thing to talk about what is the dark side of some of these more dangerous trades. I mean, they're safe to a degree and it's a good living, but there is an element of you know, danger. And it is sad to hear we're from the northeast. So usually we're here in New York or Boston that you know, an elevator shaft and you realize that they you know, it was something simple like they weren't tied in or you know,

Larry Roughton  24:40  

we just had that happen here. We had a young guy, I think he had just turned out as a journeyman. He fell off the building and died wasn't tied at all.

Jeremy Perkins  24:50  

Yeah, and it's the stupid things like that. It has, I don't mean to make light of it, but it's the simple things that

Larry Roughton  24:57  

the steps it is And you know, they're not like I said nowadays I don't be I said it. But anyway, there's so many safety measures in place now. To not die. So there's really not a reason. Yeah, harnesses aren't comfortable, but they're really comfy when you're still breathing. Well, you know, you know, that's never gonna happen exactly what the dead man always says.

Jeremy Perkins  25:22  

But, I mean, it's easier now to because you guys got like those protective retractable tethers and everything now, so you just, yeah, it's, it's probably different than the older than old times, and you know, technology gets better and better. And you don't say,

Larry Roughton  25:37  

yeah, so when I, when I started, harnesses were kind of an option you didn't have to wear. So it was kind of like, Hey, man, we got a harness, you want it? Like, I don't need it. I was gonna trick me, I'm gonna fall anyway. So and that was kind of the mentality. So we always say, like, they say, now, you know, we go through a lot of safety. So now it's a culture to wear your safety equipment. And it really is like, guys would even go up on the building without even putting a harness on where you want to see anybody get in a basket anymore without putting a harness on. Right? Well, yeah, I mean, they know they can't anyway, but like, Yeah, going police. You don't have to be like, Hey, can harness. Right, like, your stuff?

Jeremy Perkins  26:13  

Yeah. Probably one of the old timers tackling you before he got up there.

Larry Roughton  26:18  

Yeah, I mean, there's some guys that are all about it. You know, they're like, Hey, make sure you put your stuff on. Yeah, you know, and the big thing lately has been gloves, you know, guys, you know, busting your fingers. Now everywhere is you gotta have gloves on. If you're walking your work and that's what they tell you. Yeah,

Jeremy Perkins  26:33  

they used to in my trade, it's become a thing. Like we we now want to rubber gloves because of all the solvents and everything like that. But there was a time where the bitumen ends and you're like, Whoa, like, Oh, get over this where bitumen z like it was the tough thing to do to have the rough hands and yeah, out now it's like, Well, do you want to live until you're 70 with your with your hands been absorbing oil and you know, solvents all this stuff? So petroleum? Yeah, yeah. No, it's definitely getting the culture has changed a lot. So I definitely agree with that. Outside of work, let's talk about that. Yeah, what are you in the boys do for fun?

Larry Roughton  27:15  

Fish more than average. 

Eric Girouard  27:19  

Bass and stuff are you were? 

Larry Roughton  27:22  

I live on like, I live on Lake Eerie capital the world. Nice. Everyday Life is for everything we have, literally. I mean, if it's freshwater, we pretty much have it. So and we're on edge, you know, this used to be called the Black Swamp area. So we have swamps. We have the lake we have the rivers. So whatever you want to fish for. I mean, it's it's pretty, pretty viable. And what's your so is the wall your thing or is that just one piece? Actually, no, I really liked fishing in the muddy rivers. I like fishing for catfish and stuff like that. That's kind of my thing. You ever go? What's it? What's it noodling souls? The flatheads here in Ohio, you know, they got introduced in like the 60s or something. Yeah, they're not really native to our river. They are getting big, but I think noodling still illegal here in Ohio. really honest, illegal. It's illegal. When I was in Kansas, you had to buy a special license in Kansas to get it. And you had all kinds of crazy rules yet. You know, buddy, what you should anybody anyway with your

Jeremy Perkins  28:23  

case, I think it was wild because when I went down to South Carolina, I went down there with a buddy and he was like you want to go do and we didn't I didn't get anything, but it's just commonplace. You just sticking your hand in holes. Yeah. It was it was not for the faint of heart.

Larry Roughton  28:39  

No, it's definitely wild. It's definitely a wild thing out there in Kansas and Missouri and stuff. They weren't scared to ship anything. I was like. It was wild. Freaky. I mean, this is my thing. And then obviously, I played hockey my whole life. I still play hockey to this day. Probably Never gonna stop. So I don't know.

Jeremy Perkins  29:00  

You guys see tournaments up in Canada?

Larry Roughton  29:04  

Well, Nobody's going anywhere. Right now. I plan a team that's made up of a bunch of Ohio and Michigan guys. Yeah, we travel all over the country. You know, the whole travel.

Jeremy Perkins  29:14  

I mean, hockey players out there. I got a buddy that used to play for the University of Michigan when they won the championship and yeah, most of them are on the NHL.

Larry Roughton  29:24  

Oh, yeah. I know so many guys that are in the NHL that well, they're 14 or 14 now so retired, but some of them still have something to do with you know, they're with some of the teams or some of the you know, under teens. Yeah, it's it's crazy. I mean, like I played on Team USA, his team, you know, under a new a team development team, all that stuff. Yeah, it's crazy.

Jeremy Perkins  29:46  

I mean, this is kind of the end of our podcasts. Killers has been killer. We definitely take a deep dive in the man the best and the best trade it's the only by trade, I mean literally you just added buckets. They're just all other. Yeah. What's the best thing for us to plug you?

Larry Roughton  30:10  

You know, is it obviously you know, you've taken off on tick tock, but is there other channels or other things that you're involved in that you want us to share with our audience? I mean, I'm you know, obviously I'm big on tick tock. I'm getting big on Instagram. I'm kind of big on Clapper, too, for whatever reason, right? clappers like the unedited tick tock. Yeah, yeah, that's cool. I didn't start the YouTube shorts, but I don't know if YouTube likes me. It's a weird crowd over there. So it's rough on your score iron on YouTube clamper and tick tock underscore iron five on Insta. Yeah,

Jeremy Perkins  30:47  

I actually enjoyed videos.

Larry Roughton  30:51  

Um, the thing is, I all started this because my kids said that. I asked him what that was like, we're at a hockey tournament. I was like, What are you guys watching? Like, tick tock. It's young people self dude. And I'm like, what? So I started watching it. I'm like, I can be funny, like, and so I was like, alright, challenge accepted. Yeah.

Jeremy Perkins  31:09  

So we appreciate you being on the podcast, and we'll be at the next dPK concert together. It'd be awesome. Yeah.

Larry Roughton  31:19  

I really I got to see him. I haven't. It's been a minute. But yeah, awesome. Awesome. Thanks so much, man. This has been killer. Yeah, I appreciate you guys are