LaGaly heads the sales division at Fleetwood
Fleetwood Gaming and Manufacturing Sales Manager Art LaGaly, a Billings native, joined the firm seven years ago and looks back with no regrets.
"It's a great job," he says. "I get to do what I want every day. I work with intelligent, diligent people I'm very proud of. And we have a great time. I also enjoy all the people we interact every day in the industry."
After graduating from Billings Senior High School, LaGaly played college baseball in Idaho (a lefty first baseman) before returning to Montana and completing a business degree at Montana State University.
While in Idaho, he also was employed by a Coors beer distributor, his first opportunity to work with tavern owners. He then worked for Intermountain Distributing, Billings' Anheuser-Busch franchise in the early 1980s before going to work at a Cadillac and Chevrolet dealership in Twin Falls, ID.
He returned to Montana in 1991 to work for a Kenworth truck dealer in Billings where he made his living for 10 years.
It was in 2000 he met Jon Dehler, owner of Fleetwood Gaming, a route vendor business, and Fleetwood Manufacturing, the company's game development and manufacturing arm. He went to work there in 2001 as route operations manager, just about the time the firm's first machine, the Keno King platform, was rolled out.
Fleetwood mostly divested its routes in 2007 to focus on game development and manufacturing so LaGaly has headed the sales and marketing effort.
"Everything has worked out well; products, staff, support..." LaGaly said in a April 14 interview with the Montana Tavern Times.
He married his wife, Deanna, 21 years ago after the couple met while both were living in Idaho. They have a 24-year-old son, Nolan, who works for Fed Ex in Billings. Their 17-year-old son, Tony, a junior at Billings Senior, is prepping for college baseball at the catcher's position. A 12-year-old daughter, Lonny, is in the sixth grade.
LaGaly said that while he used to enjoy outdoor recreation such as hunting, fishing and golf, he's mostly given up those pursuits in an effort to keep things simple and stay close to his family, though he enjoys gardening and working around the family home.
He says his work takes the balance of his time, which includes ownership and operation of a local baseball academy, Hitters Club, Inc., that trains approximately 350 eight-to-20-year-old prospect members anually.
He said he is devoted to furthering the careers of his members, working closely with college and professional programs to help youngsters advance in the sport he evidently loves.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, May 2009, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W Granite, Suite 102, Butte MT. 59701