He has been doing Upholstery since 1961.

Bob learned the art of upholstery from 2 men, Nick and Bud, who opened Tippecanoe Upholstery in 1931. They had worked in the furniture industry in Grand Rapids, Michigan during the depression, then made the move to Lafayette, Indiana because of the high average income in the county at that time. When Bob began to work for Nick and Bud in 1961, the business was thriving. Not only did they offer custom upholstery, but other home decor essentials such as drapes, carpet, and paint. The shop employed 7 full time upholsterers, 2 seamstresses, a cutter, a full time cushion stuffer, as well as delivery men. Bob was in high school when he started out repairing frames and finishes.

After high school he left to serve in the army. When Bob finished his tour of duty and returned to Lafayette, Nick called him up and asked him to return to work. Bob and another 100 men worked that summer to repair and reupholster all of the furniture in the various Purdue University residence halls and a fraternity. Bob was then asked to stay on to continue learning all the aspects of the upholstery field, including traditional methods and custom built furniture.

Bob and 4 other employees continued to run Tippecanoe Upholstery after Nick and Bud passed away. By then, it offered only high quality custom upholstery, and it was moved to a building owned by Gantz. The shop closed in 2004, is missed by the community.

Bob now works for another local industry, Wabash National and also part time for Lazy Boy, as an upholsterer still. He enjoys spending time with his 2 daughters and their families, and is blessed with 5 grandchildren.