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Michael Davies and Tracy Sweatt were featured on an episode of the TV series, "Undercover Boss." (By Colleen McGrath, Staff Photographer) |
Slagle, whose undercover name was Roger Donovan, played an unemployed subcontractor and wore a disguise of glasses, a mustache and stubbled beard.
Davies said he wouldn't have recognized the Mack CEO, even without the masquerade.
"I've seen photos of him. But I don't think I would have put it together," he said.
What he did recognize was that "Roger" wasn't very good at the job.
"The woman he was competing against was much better," Davies said. "I kept saying, 'The girl's getting the job.' But I felt sorry for him. He said he was laid off, had two children. I wanted to help him out. But I just couldn't."
"He was a nice guy," Sweatt said. "I liked him. I told him, 'If you do what I do, you'll do OK. Don't overthink it.' But he had a lot of trouble. I kept saying, 'Roger, you've got to calm down. You're trying so hard you're messing up.'"
Following the filming, Davies and Sweatt traveled to Greensboro, N.C., where they thought they would be casting their votes for the person most deserving of the job. The female trainee, they later learned, was part of the film crew.
Instead of going to Mack Trucks headquarters, they were taken to an office on Volvo property, Davies said.
"When Denny Slagle walked in, I was in shock and awe," he said. "I didn't know what to say. I told myself, 'Wow, this really just happened.' It really did catch me off guard."
"I couldn't believe it," Sweatt said. "When he came in, I thought he looked taller than when I worked with him."
After meeting with Slagle, Davies and Sweatt said they were taken across the hall to meet with a psychiatrist.
"The psychiatrist said people experience a lot of different things after this," Sweatt said. "He told me, 'People are going to treat you differently. Will you be able to handle it?'"
After returning home, one of the hardest things, both people said, was keeping their appearance on the show a secret.
"The show was filmed in October and didn't air until February," Davies said. "We had to stay quiet and couldn't even tell our families."
They also weren't sure they would be included in the show until the last minute.
"The network filmed about seven people and we were told not everyone would make the show," Sweatt said. "We found out about a week before."
When the show aired, Davies said he watched it with his stepmother.
"She cried the whole show," he said. "It was a happy cry. My dad passed away several years ago, and he worked at Mack. So, she knew he would be proud of me. He loved Mack."
Sweatt said she didn't watch the show until after it had aired. And she's only watched it once.
Her family, however, has watched it over and over.
Davies said he wouldn't have recognized the Mack CEO, even without the masquerade.
"I've seen photos of him. But I don't think I would have put it together," he said.
What he did recognize was that "Roger" wasn't very good at the job.
"The woman he was competing against was much better," Davies said. "I kept saying, 'The girl's getting the job.' But I felt sorry for him. He said he was laid off, had two children. I wanted to help him out. But I just couldn't."
"He was a nice guy," Sweatt said. "I liked him. I told him, 'If you do what I do, you'll do OK. Don't overthink it.' But he had a lot of trouble. I kept saying, 'Roger, you've got to calm down. You're trying so hard you're messing up.'"
Following the filming, Davies and Sweatt traveled to Greensboro, N.C., where they thought they would be casting their votes for the person most deserving of the job. The female trainee, they later learned, was part of the film crew.
Instead of going to Mack Trucks headquarters, they were taken to an office on Volvo property, Davies said.
"When Denny Slagle walked in, I was in shock and awe," he said. "I didn't know what to say. I told myself, 'Wow, this really just happened.' It really did catch me off guard."
"I couldn't believe it," Sweatt said. "When he came in, I thought he looked taller than when I worked with him."
After meeting with Slagle, Davies and Sweatt said they were taken across the hall to meet with a psychiatrist.
"The psychiatrist said people experience a lot of different things after this," Sweatt said. "He told me, 'People are going to treat you differently. Will you be able to handle it?'"
After returning home, one of the hardest things, both people said, was keeping their appearance on the show a secret.
"The show was filmed in October and didn't air until February," Davies said. "We had to stay quiet and couldn't even tell our families."
They also weren't sure they would be included in the show until the last minute.
"The network filmed about seven people and we were told not everyone would make the show," Sweatt said. "We found out about a week before."
When the show aired, Davies said he watched it with his stepmother.
"She cried the whole show," he said. "It was a happy cry. My dad passed away several years ago, and he worked at Mack. So, she knew he would be proud of me. He loved Mack."
Sweatt said she didn't watch the show until after it had aired. And she's only watched it once.
Her family, however, has watched it over and over.
