After President Obama and his White House entourage left, when the television cameras were off, David Sullivan and managers at Industrial Support Inc. gathered in his office late Thursday and cracked open a few beers to celebrate one heck of a day.

How often does the president of the United States come to your company?

"Unbelievable," said Sullivan, founder and president of Industrial Support. "The man is

incredible — sharp, funny, personable. People were crying talking to him. The thing

couldn't have gone better."

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BuffaloNews.com Live: Minute-by-minute review of Obama's visit

Photo galleries: Arrival at airport Lunch at Duff's Industrial Support stop Bystanders awaiting motorcade

Video: Waiting for Obama Air Force One lands Meeting the president

Company officials spent about 45 minutes with Obama, introducing him to employees and

giving him a tour of the plant, which manufactures a variety of products, from aeronautical

parts to salad bars for the grocery industry.

They showered the president with gifts, including a company fleece, some fitted Buffalo

Braves caps from New Era and a care package from Buffalo's Ani DiFranco.

Sullivan told Obama that 15 years ago he was in a shoe-box of an office, struggling to meet

payroll. Today, he was shaking hands with the president.

"That's the American dream," Obama told Sullivan, as he gave him a big hug.

"That," Sullivan said, "was cool."

Obama spent a couple of minutes chatting with James Vance, a press machine operator who

wore an unusual watch that includes a portrait of the 44th president and the White House.

"He said he had never seen anything like that before," said Vance, who received the watch

as a Christmas gift from his daughter.

As Sullivan showed Obama the plant, whose workers are non-union, company officials talked

to the president about how the federal government can help small business.

Along the way, the president talked with several workers, including Michael Massucci of

Orchard Park, manager of machinery.

"The employee base here is just like family. Mr. Obama recognized that right away,"

Massucci said.

Some people appreciated what Obama is doing with health care but asked him to help

companies further reduce growing employee health care costs, said Anthony Sabuda, vice

president for sales and marketing for Industrial Support.

"We talked to him about freeing up credit, so credit can be more accessible," he said. "He

wanted to know the direction he should be taking so he can help us."

During Thursday's visit to Buffalo, Obama won over some new supporters, like Bill

Liscavage, the company's purchasing manager.

"Before today I wasn't a big supporter of his," Liscavage said, "but now that I heard him

speak, and the way he interacts with people, he really impressed me. I thought he was great.

He could have [gone] to GM, Dunlop, Ford Stamping. But he came here to talk to Dave Sullivan."

Frank Caparaso, a retired Depew police officer who voted for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in

2008, was one of four people who had a chance to question Obama following the president's

speech inside Industrial Support.

Caparaso asked if Buffalo would benefit from transit system improvements. Obama gave no

promises for this region but agreed that investment in infrastructure was a high priority for

the entire country.

"He didn't exactly answer the question," said Caparaso, who was invited to the session by

Sullivan, a family friend.

But Caparaso also acknowledged that Obama's "got a tough row to hoe" and had impressed

simply by coming here and speaking directly to the middle class.

"Let's face it: This country was in a mess. Banks were failing, we're at war, what else can

go wrong?" said Caparaso. "If he can straighten it out just a little bit, good for him."