Tributes paid to Hydro, Inc.’s president and founder.
George F. Harris, president and founder of Hydro, Inc.
Hydro, Inc. has announced the passing of its president and founder, George F. Harris, on December 20th, 2021.
Born in Chicago in 1941, Harris came from humble beginnings, working as a waiter and a taxi driver. He attended the University of Illinois at Champaign and graduated with a Bachelor of Science diploma in Engineering. After commencement, he worked at a quantity of main pump companies as an application engineer and regional manager.
In 1969, Harris was one of the four engineers who founded Hydro, Inc. with the mission of providing engineering companies to the pump aftermarket trade. From the start, Harris believed in enhancing the reliability and performance of pumps and encouraging innovation. He was later appointed as president of Hydro.
Hydro started with a single store in Chicago; beneath Harris’s leadership and vision Hydro grew to become the most important independent aftermarket pump firm on the planet. Today, Hydro stands proud with 15 service centres in nine international locations.
Harris was instrumental in defining the culture of Hydro: unbiased, engineering- and innovation-focused, and dedicated to the customer. He helped develop packages for customer training in pump processes, believing that the knowledge of tips on how to safely keep and function pumps was something that should be shared with everyone. He spearheaded many innovations in the way pumps are serviced, using state-of-the-art expertise to re-engineer pumps for optimum effectivity.
Harris is survived by his wife of 56 years, Rita, who he met while at the University of Illinois. She later became vp of Hydro, they usually labored side-by-side to make the corporate preeminent in the industry. Their management was characterised by a special commitment to their staff, who they handled like family. They inspired all service centres to honour Hydro’s staff with month-to-month employee celebrations and an annual Employee Appreciation Week. As เกจ์วัดแรงดันลม as stated: “Hydro turned the company it did because of the commitment of our individuals – machinists, mechanics, engineers, administrative and gross sales workers – who all share a pivotal function in serving our prospects.”
The culture of care and loyalty nurtured by the Harrises impressed admiration and esteem in all of Hydro’s employees, many of whom have labored at Hydro for greater than 20 years. Harris was also well-respected by his peers within the pump industry. In 2014, he was elected as president of the Hydraulic Institute, the most important association of pump business producers in North America. In 2015, Europump awarded him its President’s Silver Award in recognition of his valuable contributions to the pump business.
Bob Jennings, Corporate Trainer, pays a private tribute:
“I started with HydroAire in 1976 and rapidly learned that George Harris was the consummate protagonist who always anticipated greater than folks were prepared to provide. As an worker, I realized shortly that half-hearted measures were unacceptable and an attitude of ‘good enough” was by no means tolerated. To assume that he took a rag-tag group of 5 street-wise salesmen and turned the company into a world group with 19 amenities worldwide is an incredible accomplishment. It took hard work, long hours, a “never say never” mindset, and teamwork to develop the company as he did. He wanted to be the most effective, he needed the corporate to be the best, and he needed every of his staff to be their finest.
George was a gifted particular person who had the uncanny ability to “see over the horizon” and will glimpse the future wants of the trade lengthy earlier than others had digested last week’s changes.
There was additionally a aspect of George that most individuals by no means had the chance to see: As tenacious a businessman as he was, he was equally beneficiant and caring to those within the “Hydro Family.” George and Rita at all times treated their workers as “adopted sons and daughters” they usually personally bore the burden of figuring out that their business selections not only affect the corporate however the well-being and security of their staff and their households as properly.
George will be deeply missed, however his legacy will reside on. He employed what he thought of the “best of breed” and people who shared his vision for the long run, and the corporate is saturated with like-minded people who will continue to develop the company nicely into the longer term.”
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