For some Wheaton alumni, the calling to live for Christ and His Kingdom has taken them to far away places. For Roger Hannay '63, this calling took him back home.

Roger runs the company his grandfather started in 1933—Hannay Reels, an industrial hose and cable reel manufacturer in Westerlo, New York.

According to Roger, the company began almost by accident. His grandfather, Clifford, was standing at the counter of a plumbing supply shop when an oil delivery man walked in.

"He wanted to return some items because he couldn't figure out how to make a hose reel for his truck," says Roger. Clifford fashioned a reel for him, the oil delivery man told his friends about how well his new reel worked, more requests made their way to Clifford, and soon a business was born.

"I remember working by my grandfather and watching him. He spent most of his time out on the shop room floor with his employees. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, it was something important."

Clifford and his wife, Hazel, loved the Lord, often hosting missionaries and encouraging their children and grandchildren in the faith. Roger's parents, George and Mimi, had dear friends at Wheaton, including V. Raymond Edman and Robert and Martha Baptisa.

Roger says, "As President Edman was processing down the aisle at our graduation ceremony, he spotted my father and paused to say, 'How are you doing, George?'"

Wheaton was familiar to Roger's family, but not to many in his town. "At that time, when people heard 'Wheaton College,' they thought of the one in Massachusetts. So when my friends heard that I decided to go to Wheaton, they wanted to know how I got into a women's college."

"I applied to Wheaton because my parents encouraged me to go there. And I'm glad they did. It was a great experience."

Roger majored in business and economics, served with ROTC, and managed the soccer team for three years.

"At Wheaton," he says, "I learned about leadership. My professors were wonderful, and I still have relationships with several of them. The greatest blessing was meeting my wife, Sherley. We've been married almost 45 years and are still going strong."

Roger and Sherley '63 married two weeks after they graduated. The couple moved to Ann Arbor, where Roger obtained his MBA from the University of Michigan. In 1965, Roger headed for Viet Nam, leaving Sherley at home in Westerlo with their 8–month–old baby.

In Westerlo, Roger's Uncle Dwight had become president of Hannay Reels, since Clifford passed away in 1962. But a helicopter crash suddenly took Dwight's life in 1965. Roger's father assumed leadership of the company, and when Roger returned from his Army duty at the end of 1966, he went to help his father.

Roger's been with Hannay ever since, becoming president in 1990 and building it into an internationally–known company with 160 employees.

While some things at Hannay have changed, some things haven't. Roger spends time daily on the shop floor with employees, as his grandfather did. The company has remained in the same location since 1933, despite significant pressures to relocate.

As a result, the internationally–known business with the small–town personality is woven into the fabric of Westerlo. Roger's dedication earned him the honor of 2007 Small Business Champion from the National Federation of Independent Business.

Like Roger, Sherley found a local niche for effecting good. She was a music education major at Wheaton and has used her education and gifts in churches, schools, and in private teaching. In 1998, she obtained a master's degree in vocal performance.

Sherley has also worked with Roger for almost 25 years at Hannay Reels. Two of their four children have joined them there.

Sherley had a desire in recent years to institute a concert celebrating Christmas in Albany. As a board member of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, she was able to bring that dream to reality. In 2006, the Albany Symphony Orchestra performed their first annual "Magic of Christmas" concert.

For Sherley and Roger, "Being a Christian is about walking the walk, living it out." If they thought any differently, their home town would be a different place.