Couple Retires and Opens UPS Franchise
Published February 2009
When Walter Schiessl’s job as a plant manager in Port Washington, Wis., was eliminated in a 2001 company reorganization, he and wife, Linda decided to make a giant leap of faith.
For years they had squirreled away weeks of vacation to leave behind Wisconsin’s snow and ice for winter visits to Destin, Fla.
Walter retired with 26 years in the company and the Schiessl’s began exploring the Gulf Coast – a place they had visited annually since 1990 - to relocate.
“We loved Destin but wanted to live on a golf course and ended up buying on the first fairway at Hidden Creek in Navarre,” said Linda Schiessl. “We were sick of the cold. We always knew we would end up down here.”
Although they loved golf, the Schiessl’s, both in their mid-50s, weren’t ready for full-time retirement. The first several years after relocating, Linda worked at a UPS store in Navarre and Walter at a rental store.
The couple ended up buying a UPS franchise in nearby Gulf Breeze in 2003.
“We decided to invest in ourselves,” Linda said. “Here we get to enjoy ourselves and be our own boss. Our customers have become our friends. “
Although life can get hectic at the store around the holidays, the Schiessl’s today enjoy a comparatively stress free life.
And the best part about their relocation?
“We get to play golf 12 months of the year,” Linda said.
When Walter Schiessl’s job as a plant manager in Port Washington, Wis., was eliminated in a 2001 company reorganization, he and wife, Linda decided to make a giant leap of faith.
For years they had squirreled away weeks of vacation to leave behind Wisconsin’s snow and ice for winter visits to Destin, Fla.
Walter retired with 26 years in the company and the Schiessl’s began exploring the Gulf Coast – a place they had visited annually since 1990 - to relocate.
“We loved Destin but wanted to live on a golf course and ended up buying on the first fairway at Hidden Creek in Navarre,” said Linda Schiessl. “We were sick of the cold. We always knew we would end up down here.”
Although they loved golf, the Schiessl’s, both in their mid-50s, weren’t ready for full-time retirement. The first several years after relocating, Linda worked at a UPS store in Navarre and Walter at a rental store.
The couple ended up buying a UPS franchise in nearby Gulf Breeze in 2003.
“We decided to invest in ourselves,” Linda said. “Here we get to enjoy ourselves and be our own boss. Our customers have become our friends. “
Although life can get hectic at the store around the holidays, the Schiessl’s today enjoy a comparatively stress free life.
And the best part about their relocation?
“We get to play golf 12 months of the year,” Linda said.
