BOOMER ENTREPRENEUR

ABOUT ME

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If you are going to evaluate my words laid down on these web pages, you need to know about me and about how I acquired my experience and knowledge. You also need to know about my moral foundation so you can trust what I tell you. I am going to give you the short (Click for short version at the bottom) and the long versions and you can take your pick.

ABOUT ME – THE LONG VERSION

I have been an entrepreneur for most of my business career. I like the satisfaction of making my own decisions and having to live with the consequences of those decisions (some good and some bad).

I was born in Kingston , Jamaica in 1943 to Canadian parents. (I am a naturalized U. S. Citizen). My father was an educator and earned a Ph D in genetics. Mother was a schoolteacher, but she was a housewife the entire time that my sister and I were growing up. This background gave me a tremendous respect for education and knowledge.

I was raised in Kingsville , Texas , USA where my father was the Dean of the College of Agriculture at Texas A & I University. I earned a BS in physics and mathematics from Texas A & I in 1965.

During my university career, I took a class offered my the Electrical Engineering Department entitled “Programming Digital Computers” and that established my career path in computers and data processing for the next 18 years.

My first job after university was a Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army to satisfy my obligation from the Reserve Officers Training Corps at Texas A & I. This was during the Viet Nam build up. Luckily, I never received orders to Viet Nam , but I lost some friends who did. My Army job was teaching computer programming in an Army school in New Jersey . Linda and I were married in 1966 when I had been on active duty for one year.

After being discharged from active Army duty (I remained on reserve duty for two more years and was discharged as a captain), we moved to Houston, TX where I went to work in the computer department for Humble Oil and Refining Company (now Exxon) as a systems analyst/programmer. I left there after three years to join a company in Dallas that was competing head to head with a fledgling company founded by Ross Perot named EDS. Guess which company won that fight.

When I returned to Kingsville for my tenth high school class reunion, I discovered that there were substantial amounts of money being paid to out of town companies for data processing services by Kingsville business. I did a quick market survey and decided to move back to Kingsville and start a business that would provide these services locally. This is the part of entrepreneurship that says one must recognize an opportunity and organize the resources to take advantage of that opportunity.

South Texas Systems, Inc. was founded in 1971 and grew to having data processing centers located in three South Texas cities.

In 1976, Entronic, Inc., a smoke detector company moved to Kingsville and began operation. This company was making approximately 100,000 smoke detectors a month, and I recognized an opportunity. In 1978, I joined with three friends, and we started Criterion Plastics, Inc. to provide plastic housings to the smoke detector company.

In 1983, I realized that the advent the personal computer would quickly obsolete the business plan on which South Texas Systems, Inc. was based so I shut the company down without debt.

At the time of the shutdown of South Texas Systems, Inc., I established John Howe, Inc. as a consulting company to assist former customers of South Texas Systems, Inc. in their transition to new processors or to install personal computers. I also become the full time president of Criterion Plastics and devoted my entire focus to it.

Criterion grew from one plastic injection molding machine to fifteen machines. During our peak production, the company ran 24/7 and had over 100 employees. Its customer list included Fortune 500 companies. (TRW, Zenith Electronics, Fisher Price Toys, Delco Electronics (Division of General Motors), Tracor, Porta Systems). In 1990, Porta Systems made an offer to buy Criterion, and it was a good time to cash in so we sold the company. I remained with Criterion as general manager under a management contract until 1997 when Porta moved the operations to Matamoros , Mexico and shut the company down.

In 1995 while on a sales call for Criterion, I met a with a group in Houston, TX who were developing a high tech shipping container designed to keep products cold during shipping. After Criterion closed, I began discussions with them and became a part of their organization.

Kodiak Manufacturing, Inc. was founded in 1999. The name was changed to Kodiak Thermal Technologies, Inc., and I am currently its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. You can see more information about Kodiak at http://www.gokodiak.com.

Since 1983, I have continued to operate John Howe, Inc. and it is the corporation that I use to sell my patented product, BACKTRACKER, (see information below). I am using this corporation for my Internet businesses also.

PERSONAL

Linda and I have been married for over 39 years and have two sons and a daughter (Travis, Justin and Susanna). Justin and Mary have given us our grand daughter, Allison.

I am an Eagle Scout and was an adult leader in Scouting while my sons were in the program (Justin is also an Eagle Scout).

I have been involved with various civic activities in Kingsville . I have been a member of the Rotary Club of Kingsville for over 30 years as my father was a Rotarian before me.

We are professed Christians. We are members of the Church of the Epiphany Episcopal Church in Kingsville . I have served in many of the leadership capacities in our Church and I am currently serving as finance director.

My hobbies are raising and training quail hunting dogs (English pointers) and fly fishing.

I am an inventor and hold U. S. patent number 5631641 for the BACKTRACKER, which is a device that helps you locate your truck in the woods. Before you die laughing about how someone could lose their truck, go out at night and wander through the woods for a couple of hours following hunting dogs (coon hunting) and then try to find your way back. After that experience, you will purchase a BACKTRACKER.

ABOUT ME – THE SHORT VERSION

Born 1943, Kingston , Jamaica . Naturalized U.S. Citizen.

Education – B.S. Physics and Mathematics, Texas A&I University

Career:

1965 – 67 U. S. Army Signal Corps. Ft. Monmouth , NJ – final rank of captain

1976 – 69 Humble Oil and Refining Company, Houston , TX systems analyst/programmer, section head, team leader

1969 – 71 Omnis Corporation, Dallas , TX – Project Manager

1971 – 83 President, South Texas Systems, Inc., Kingsville , TX

1983 – Present President of John Howe, Inc.

1978 – 97 President, Criterion Plastics, Inc., Kingsville , TX

1998- Present Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Kodiak Thermal Technologies, Inc., Kingsville , TX

Personal:

Married for over 39 years.

Three grown children, one grandchild

Active in various civic activities

Professed Christian and active in Church activities

Hobbies – raising and training hunting dogs and fly fishing

Inventor – Hold U. S. patent number 5631641.