A Legacy of Leadership: Liberty Pattern’s First Hire, Director Gary August, Set to Retire

Gary August didn’t enjoy spending time in the classroom as a child, but he loved the idea of patternmaking. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Bill, and siblings, who worked in the industry.

When Gary’s parents, Bill and Gelene, established Liberty Pattern Company in 1981, it was founded on a promise: to produce only top-quality work with on-time or early deliveries. Gary was hired as their first full-time employee.

Launching a new business amid a recession was challenging, but this wasn’t the only obstacle Liberty Pattern faced in its early days. It was also difficult to find qualified, experienced workers. He and his family had no choice but to roll up their sleeves, sometimes clocking 80-hour work weeks.

40 Years of Industry Progress

In the early 1980s, Gary, along with his father and brothers, built everything by hand in their 800-square-foot shop—there were no computers or automated machines. “Customers gave us blueprints and orders to build tooling for the foundry,” Gary explains. “We’d design that from sketches we made up in our heads.”

Four years later, in 1985, Liberty Pattern purchased its first CNC machine. This spurred the steady transition toward using CAD to create digital models.

“It’s amazing how quickly things evolved over these last 40 years,” he says. “The people we hire today would have no idea how to build a pattern out of wood off a blueprint using saws and sanders.”

Fast forward to today, 3D printers are central to the fabrication shop, which now spans over 50,000 square feet and employs about 45 workers.

The People Make It Possible

As he prepares to retire at the end of 2024 as the company’s director, Gary reflects on four decades of remarkable transformation within Liberty Pattern and the patternmaking industry. During that time, he held nearly every position within the company.

From sweeping floors and doing metal work to quoting, overseeing CNC machine operations, and making deliveries, he helped grow the business with his blood, sweat, and tears—plus lots of help and support from his coworkers.

“The most valuable assets in this company are the people,” he emphasizes. “You can buy any equipment you want. But, if you don’t have people with the knowledge and skills to run it, the equipment is useless.”

When his father stepped back from full-time work in 2000, Gary took over as Liberty Pattern’s general manager and president, continuing to work alongside his brothers Mike and Leo, and his sister, Linda. His siblings, Craig and Rhonda, also contributed to the early days of the company’s success. Today, Gary’s son, Rick, is also a crucial member of the Liberty Pattern team, serving as the additive manufacturing manager.

Trust in Tomorrow’s Leaders

While Gary has lots to look forward to in retirement—more family time, landscaping work, home improvement projects—he feels the weight of leaving behind something he was dedicated to for the last 43 years.

“It takes a little time to get used to,” he says. “But I met my goal of retiring when Liberty Pattern was operating at peak performance. When I took the reins, I wanted to grow it as much as I could and then let the next generation run with it. It feels good to accomplish that. Last year was the best year we’ve ever had, and I have so much confidence in the team that will be running the company now. They have the skills, background, and experience to move us forward. I know our God is watching over this place. To go through all the ups and downs we have and still be able to build the company up to what it is today doesn’t happen by accident.”

Read the North Scott Press’ coverage of this story.